Current Affairs Questions

Explanation :

• Brihadishvara Temple, also called Rajarajesvaram or Peruvudaiyar Kovil, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in South bank of Kaveri River in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.
• It is one of the largest South Indian temples and an exemplary example of a fully realized Dravidian architecture. It is called as Dhakshina Meru (Meru of South).
• Built by Tamil king Raja Raja Chola I between 1003 and 1010 AD, the temple is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Chola Temples", along with the Chola dynasty era Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple and Airavatesvara temple.
• The temple has a massive colonnaded prakara (corridor) and one of the largest Shiva lingas in India.
• It is also famed for the quality of its sculpture, as well as being the location that commissioned the brass Nataraja – Shiva as the lord of dance, in 11th century.

Explanation :

• The Blue Dot Network (BDN) was formally announced on 4^th November, 2019 at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum in Bangkok, Thailand.
• It is formed by USA, Japan and Australia to prevent small countries from debt trap of China. It's actually a Michelin Guide organisation.
• The aim of this initiative is to evaluate and certify nominated infrastructure projects based upon adherence to commonly accepted principles and standards to promote market-driven, transparent, and financially sustainable infrastructure development in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world.
• It is a multi-stakeholder initiative to bring together governments, the private sector and civil society to promote high-quality, trusted standards for global infrastructure development.
• The network is “ratings mechanism” that would grade infrastructure projects in the Indo-Pacific region on different parameters to ensure transparency and is planned as direct counter to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
• However, unlike the BRI, the BDN would not offer public funds or loans for the project.

Explanation :

• On 1^st February, 2020, Maldives was officially readmitted to the Commonwealth, taking the count of the bloc's membership countries back to 54.
• Maldives joined the Commonwealth in 1982, and withdrew its membership in 2016, after being threatened with suspension over its human rights record and lack of progress on democratic reform.
• After due diligence, which included country assessment and consultations in accordance with the rules and procedures agreed by the Commonwealth Heads of Government in Kampala in 2007, Maldives has been re-admitted.
• The country will now be part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali, Rwanda in June, 2020.

Explanation :

• Rakhigarhi, a Harappan site, is a village located in Hisar District of Haryana. The site is located in the Ghaggar-Hakra river plain, some 27 km from the seasonal Ghaggar River.
• It is the site of a pre-Indus Valley Civilisation settlement going back to about 6500 BCE.
• Later,the archaeological excavations revealed the mature Harappan phase represented by planned township having mud-brick as well as burnt-brick houses with a proper drainage system.
• It is the largest Indus Valley Civilization site in the Indian subcontinent, twice the size of Mohenjo-daro.
• In May 2012, the Global Heritage Fund, declared Rakhigarhi one of the 10 most endangered heritage sites in Asia. It found out that the villagers sell the artefacts they dig out of the site and parts of site are now being encroached by private houses.

Explanation :

• The North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, is a trade pact signed by the U.S.A, Canada and Mexico, which made it easier for companies in those three countries to move goods and supplies across North America’s borders.
• The agreement took effect on January 1, 1994, and essentially eliminated tariffs on most goods traded among the three nations.
• The United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) is an updated version of the nearly 25-year-old, trillion-dollar North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It includes major changes on cars and new policies on labor and environmental standards, intellectual property protections, and some digital trade provisions.
• The USMCA was proposed by United States President Donald Trump and was signed by President Trump, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on November 30, 2018 as a side event of the 2018 G20 Summit in Buenos Aires.

Explanation :

• The Dividend Distribution Tax(DDT) is a tax levied ondividends that a company pays to its shareholders out of its profits.
• DDT is taxable at source and is deducted at the time of the company distributing dividends. The dividend is the part of profits that the company shares with its shareholders.
• Under Section 115-O, the Income Tax Act, any domestic firm which is declaring or distributing dividend has to pay DDT at the rate of 15 percent on the gross amount of dividend.
• The tax has to be paid to the government within 14 days of the dividend declaration, distribution or payment whichever is earliest.
• If DDT is not paid within the given time period, interest at a rate of 1 percent per month or part thereof starts getting accumulated till the amount is paid. The tax is paid separately, over and above the company’s income tax liability.

Explanation :

• The Law Commission of India, in its 41st Report dated September 24, 1969 pointed out the necessity of introducing a provision in the Code of Criminal Procedure enabling the High Court and the Court of Sessions to grant “anticipatory bail.”
• Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, lays down the law on anticipatory bail, which reads: “When any person has reason to believe that he may be arrested on an accusation of having committed a non-bailable offence, he may apply to the High Court or the Court of Session for a direction under this section; and that Court may, if it thinks fit, direct that in the event of such arrest, he shall be released on bail.
• The provision empowers only the Sessions Court and High Court to grant anticipatory bail.
• As opposed to ordinary bail, which is granted to a person who is under arrest, in anticipatory bail, a person is directed to be released on bail even before arrest made.

Explanation :

• Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO (INCCU) was formed by the Government of India in 1949.
• It was made a permanent commission in 1951.
• The objective of the
• The objective of the Commission is to advise the Government in matters falling in the domain of UNESCO and to play a role in UNESCO’s work particularly in the formulation and execution of its programmes.
• The Commission consists of five Sub-Commissions namely:
  • Education
  • Natural Sciences
  • Social Sciences
  • Communication
  • Culture

Explanation :

• India and Bangladesh, which is hosted alternately by both countries.
• It was held for the first time in 2011.
• The ninth edition of SAMPRITI will be conducted at UMROI, Meghalaya, India from 3^rd February to 16^th February, 2020.
• During SAMPRITI-IX, a Command Post Exercise (CPX) and a Field Training Exercise (FTX) will be conducted.

Explanation :

• Nagoba Jatara is a tribal festival of Gonds held in Keslapur village, Inderavelly Mandal Adilabad district, Telangana.
• It is the second-largest festival in Telangana after Sammakka Sarakka Jatra which is a biennial festival organized at Medaram.
• Before the start of the pujas, the Gonds continue to ‘purify’ the temple with Ganga Jal or water from the Godavari drawn at a spot called ‘Hastina Madugu’ where Nagoba is believed to have quenched his thirst after partaking the ‘naivedyam’.
• The Gusadi Dance performance by dancers from the Gond tribe is a major special attraction of the event.
• The event also includes a ceremony called ‘bheting’, which incorporates new brides into the clan.
• The ceremony of Betal puja, which involves display of martial art, constitutes the last of the rituals in the event.