The Competition World

Laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) ranks among the major fundamental inventions of this century. Invented in 1960 its unique properties make it a tool of exceptional precision and power. The importance of laser was recognised by the scientific community in India fairly early and several institutions initiated research and development (R&D) projects, although modest ones, in this area in the mid-sixties. Since then, laser-related R & D programmes in India have expanded considerably and now encompass most of the important areas of laser applications. All the scientific departments of the Government of India have identified laser and its applications as a thrust area and have funded projects at academic institutions and national laboratories. However, the support given by the Department of Atomic Energy to develop lasers and explore their applications has been quite massive. Dr Homi Bhabha, the founder of Indian atomic energy programme, al...

Glossary of Exam Terms for IAS / UPSC, State PCS Mains Written, College Undergraduate and Postgraduate Exams. These terms will help in understanding what they (examiners) are asking of you. This glossary contains many of the exam terms most often used in essay or question titles:  Analyse, Amplify, Assess, Comment, Compare, Contrast, Consider, Criticise, Define, Describe, Diagram, Differentiate, Distinguish, Discuss, Elaborate, Enumerate, Evaluate, Examine, Explain, Formulate, Illustrate, Interpret, Investigate, Justify, List, Outline, Prove, Reason, Review, State, Summarise, Trace. - Here are the Details - Analyse: You have to take various facts or parts of a given statement in consideration bringing sunshine to it’s nature or structure. Amplify: It refers to elaborating the statement.You add details,make it fuller. Assess: It demands examination and evaluation of the given topic. Comment: It is opinion based question. You have to give your opinion and you also ...

14th November is celebrated as Children’s Day, Birth Anniversary of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. Children are the nation’s assets. They are future citizens of India. The investment in children helps for human resource development of the country. A happy child will make his/her home and the country happy. The future of any country depends upon the right upbringing of its children, for which a congenial environment and adequate opportunities for wholesome development are essential. According to UNICEF’s Report 2013 “The State of the World’s Children,” one-third of the world’s children lack adequate shelter, 31% lack basic sanitation and 21% have no access to clean, potable water.  Illness, malnutrition, and premature death are common when children lack the most basic protection. Children have a right to entertainment and they should be brought in healthy environment. The schools will organise excursions for children to promote their interaction with the nature and to gain field ex...

“Among Congressmen the greatest supporter of partition was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, but even he did not believe that partition was the best solution of the Indian problem. He threw his weight in the favour of partition out of irritation and injured vanity. He found himself frustrated at every step by the veto put on his proposals by Liaqat Ali Khan as Finance Minister. It was therefore sheer anger that he decided that if there was no other alternative, partition should be accepted. He was also convinced that the new state of Pakistan was not viable and could not last. He thought that the acceptance of Pakistan would teach the Muslim League a bitter lesson. Pakistan would collapse in a short time and provinces which had seceded from India would have to face untold difficulty and hardship” – Wrote Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in his autobiography “India Wins Freedom” while reviewing the situation ten years after Independence in 1957. There is also an opinion that Azad had blamed Neh...

Image Source: im.rediff.com Special Feature - Sardar Patel-National Unity Day Whenever we utter or hear the name of Mahatma Gandhi, the first word comes to mind is ‘Non-violence’. Similarly, when we take the name of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, what we recall is the word ‘Iron Man’. The project of building world’s tallest statue of the ‘Iron Man’ in Gujarat has been declared a ‘National Project’ in the union budget 2014-15 for which the centre has allocated Rs. 200 crores. The Gujarat government has already given Rs. 500 crores in its budget to construct this iconic structure which will stand tall in the waters of river Narmada to represent the oneness of Indians despite the long standing socio-cultural diversity that exist in India and commemorate the man behind this unity and oneness of the nation. That’s why Government of India has decided to celebrate Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary on October 31 as 'National Unity Day'. "Statue of Unity: an Icon ...

Wetlands are complex ecosystems and encompass a wide range of inland, coastal and marine habitats. They share the characteristics of both wet and dry environments and show immense diversity based on their genesis, geographical location, hydrological regimes and substrate factors. They include flood plains, swamps, marshes, fishponds, tidal marshes natural and man-made wetlands. Among the most productive life support, wetlands have immense socio-economic and ecological importance for mankind. They are crucial to the survival of natural biodiversity. They provide suitable habitats for endangered and rare species of birds and animals, endemic plants, insects besides sustaining migratory birds. India has a wealth of wetland ecosystems distributed in different geographical regions. Most of the wetlands in India are directly or indirectly linked with major river systems such as the Ganges, Cauvery, Krishna, Godavari and Tapti. India has totally 27, 403 wetlands, of which 23,444 are inl...