Rakesh Garhwal

“Climate change” and “global warming” are often used interchangeably but have distinct meanings. Similarly, the terms "weather" and "climate" are sometimes confused, though they refer to events with broadly different spatial and time scales.   Weather vs. Climate  Weather refers to atmospheric conditions that occur locally over short periods of time—from minutes to hours or days. Familiar examples include rain, snow, clouds, winds, floods or thunderstorms. Climate, on the other hand, refers to the long-term regional or even global average of temperature, humidity and rainfall patterns over seasons, years or decades. What is Global Warming?  Global warming is the long-term heating of Earth’s climate system observed since the pre-industrial period (between 1850 and 1900) due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning, which increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s atmosphere. The term is frequently used interchangeably with the term climate cha...

Mahavir Chakra The Mahavir Chakra (MVC) is the  second-highest military decoration  in India and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. The Mahavir Chakra was instituted on 26 Jan 1950 to recognise the act of gallantry in the presence of the enemy. The most MVCs awarded in a single conflict were in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 when eleven awards are given to the Indian Air Force alone. Till 2017, there are around 218 personnel have been awarded from this medal. Gallantry Awards Gallantry Awards have been instituted by the Government of India to honour the acts of bravery and sacrifice of the officers/personnel of the Armed Forces, other lawfully constituted Forces and civilians. These gallantry awards are  announced twice in a year  – first on the occasion of the Republic Day and then on the occasion of the Independence Day. Types of Gallantry awards Gallantry Awards are classified into two C...

The Bharat Ratna (Jewel of India) is the highest civilian award of India. Instituted in 1954, the award is conferred “in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order”, without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex. The recommendations for the Bharat Ratna are  made by the Prime Minister himself to the President, with a maximum of three nominees being awarded per year . No formal recommendations for this are necessary. Recipients receive a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a peepal-leaf–shaped medallion; there is  no monetary grant  associated with the award. Bharat Ratna recipients rank 7th in the Indian order of precedence.

The Padma Awards are  announced annually on the eve of Republic Day  (26th January). Instituted in the year 1954, it is one of the highest civilian honours of India. The Award seeks to recognize achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an  element of public service is involved . The Awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher-order) and Padma Shri (distinguished service). The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. The Awards are conferred on the recommendations  made by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year . The awards are presented by the President of India usually in the month of March/April every year. The award  does not am...

Crop Rotation In this pattern, different crops are grown on the same land in preplanned succession. The crops are classified as one-year rotation, two-year rotation, and three-year rotation, depending upon their duration. Legumes are included in the crop rotation programme to increase soil fertility. The crops which require high fertility level (wheat) can be grown after the legumes. The crops which require low inputs can be grown after the crops that require high inputs. Selection of crops for Rotation While selecting the crops for rotation, the following criteria should be adopted: Enough moisture should be available. Availability of fertilizers, man-power, and machine-power. Marketing and processing facilities. Availability of nutrients in the soil. The crop duration- short or long. Advantages of Crop Rotation The soil fertility is maintained for a prolonged period. The growth of weeds and pests is prevented. A lot of chemical fertilizers are not required. The physical and chemical ...

The preamble to the Constitution of India is a brief introductory statement that sets out the guiding purpose, principles and philosophy of the constitution. The ideals behind the Preamble to India’s Constitution were  laid down by Jawaharlal Nehru’s Objectives Resolution,  adopted by the Constituent Assembly on January 22, 1947. Although  not enforceable in court , the Preamble states the objectives of the Constitution, and acts as an aid during the interpretation of Articles when language is found ambiguous. Preamble gives an idea about the following : (1) the source of the constitution, (2) nature of Indian state (3) a statement of its objectives and (4) the date of its adoption. Components of Preamble It is indicated by the Preamble that the source of authority of the Constitution lies with the people of India. Preamble declares India to be a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic. The objectives stated by the Preamble are to secure justice, liberty, eq...

The first direct flight operations between Nashik (Maharashtra) and Belgaum (Karnataka) started today under the RCS-UDAN (Regional Connectivity Scheme — UdeDeshKaAamNagrik) of the Government of India. Concept  : Operationalizing of this route expands the aerial connectivity of Belgaum to the 10 destinations across India. Star Air was awarded the Belgaum-Nashik route during the UDAN 3 bidding process. The airlines are being provided Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under the UDAN scheme to keep the fares affordable & accessible for the common people. The airline will be operating thrice-weekly flights on the route and will deploy its 50-seater Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft. UdeDeshKaAamNaagrik UdeDeshKaAamNaagrik (UDAN) was launched as a regional connectivity scheme under the Ministry of Civil Aviation in 2016. It is an innovative scheme to develop the regional aviation market. The objective of scheme is to create affordable yet economically viable and profitable flights on re...