The World Celebrates 550th Birth Anniversary Of Guru Nanak Dev Ji On 12th November

Guru Nanak Jayanti is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first Guru of Sikhism. Celebrated as Guru Parv, Gurupurab or Guru Prakash Parv, it falls on a full moon day in Kartik Puranmashi.

Celebration of Guru Nanak Jayanti

It is three-day celebration that starts two days prior to the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. It starts with akhand path that is recitation of the holy book of Sikhism and conclude with people offering their prayers in Gurudwaras.

First Day

Akhand Path of Guru Granth Sahib is held in Gurudwaras. It is a 48-hour path or uninterrupted recitation of the preaching of Sikh Gurus.

Second Day

Nagarkirtan is organized. It is a procession led by PanjPyaras. It carries Nishan Sahib, the Sikh flag, and the Palanquin of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. But the main attractions of the Nagarkirtan are various singers singing and dancing to the tunes of brass bands.

Third Day

On the concluding day, people visit Gurudwars and listen to the sacred hymns recited by priests. Lungar or community lunch is served to the visitors. Also, the visitors enjoy “Gatka”that is a form of martial art. It is performed with sword.

History of Guru Nanak Dev Ji

Born on 15 April, 1469 at Rai Bhoeki Talwandi, Punjab, Guru Nanak Dev Ji travelled across South Asia and the Middle East to spread his teachings that are immortalized in the form of 974 hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib.

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Deepak Chahar Took 6 Wickets Including A Hat-Trick In 3rd T20I Against Bangladesh in Nagpur

Deepak Chaharhelped India win the T20I series with Bangladesh by taking 6 wickets in 7 runs in the 3rd and the last match of the series. He also broke the record of Sri Lanka’s AjanthaMendis of taking 6 wickets in 8 runs but 6/7 in the 3rd T20I against Bangladesh in Nagpur. India won the series by 2-1.

Highlights of Deepak Chahar bowling

• Became 1st Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in T20I

• His hat-trick is spread over 2 overs

• He bowled Shafiul Islam out on the last ball of the 18th over

• Mustafizur Rahman and bowling Aminul Islamwere also bowled out by Chahar

Bangladesh batting highlights

• India set a target of 175 runs for Bangladesh

• Mohammad Naim scored 81

• Naim scored maiden T20I fifty off 33 balls

• Mohammad Mithun scored 27

• Bangladesh crossed 100-run mark in the 12th over

Match summary

Bangladesh put a brave front with Naim and Mithun pooling 98-runs for third-wicket. The newbies including Sivan Dube and Yuzvendra Chahal couldn’t stop the batsmen from scoring runs. Naim also scored his 50 runs while making the Indian fielders run after his shots to boundaries.

Introduction of Chahar in the last leg of the match tilted the game in the favor of India and finally the Bangladesh team was packed to pavilion by Chahar taking maximum 6 wickets by giving only 7 runs.

Indian bowlers with hat tricks

Tests: Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan

ODIs: Chetan Sharma, Kapil Dev, Kuldeep Yadav & Mohammed Shami

T20Is: Deepak Chahar

Source: https://bit.ly/33CorJy

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Sena Exits NDA Government Following Sharad Pawar’s Advice; CWC Meeting To Discuss Maha Govt Formation

The feud over government formation in Maharashtra reached the center on Monday when Shiv Sena’s only minister in the Modi-led government resigned.

Shiv Sena asked Arvind Swant to resign from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. He was Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises. It was a precondition set by NCP chief Sharad Pawar to start negotiation for government formation in Maharashtra.

Important developments in Maharashtra politics

  1. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyariinvited Shiv Sena to form government after BJP declined the stake claim to power. Shiv Sena has to show numbers by Monday evening.
  2. Udbhav Thackeray is tipped to the CM with an NCP-deputy according to a formula reached over the weekend.
  3. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was reluctant to support Shiv Sena but Congress Working Committee will meet to discuss the situation under pressure from Maharashtra leaders.
  4. Saamna, the mouthpiece of Shiv Sena, indicated towards the possibility of Sena forming a government with the help of 54 NCP and 44 Cong MLAs.
  5. Shiv Sena moved its legislators to a resort in Mud Island after accepting the invite for government formation. Sena fears poaching of its MLAs by BJP.

BJP and Shiv Sena, long term allies for more than 25 years, fought as a coalition and won 105 and 56 seats respectively in the 288-member assembly. Together they are well ahead of majority mark that is 145. But Shiv Sena is insisting on a 50:50 formula of CM’s post for half term and an equal share in ministries. The formula is unacceptable to BJP.

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Babri Masjid Was Built On A Hindu Temple Admits Supreme Court

Five-judge Constitution Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoiand Justices Ashok Bhushan, D Y Chandrachud, Sharad Arvind Bobde and SA Nazeer delivered its historic judgement on Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid land dispute case. It unanimously declared that the land belonged to Ram Mandir.

What was the historic judgement?

Chief Justice RajanGogoi led bench ordered that the entire disputed land measuring went to 2.77-acres to Hindus for Ram Mandir but the bench also said that Muslims would get 5-acres of alternate land. The decision was just the opposite of Allahabad High Court verdict of 2010.

What was the Allahabad High Court verdict?

Allahabad High Court on September 30, 2010 ruled that the 2.77-acres of disputed land be divided into three equal parts and given to Hindu Maha Sabha that represents Ram Lalla, Sunni Waqf Board and Nirmohi Akhara. But the High Court admitted that the disputed land was the birthplace of Rama and that the Babri Masjid was built on the ruins of the Hindu temple.

Highlights of the SC ruling

• It is proved that Hindus were in possession of the outer courtyard of disputed site
• UP Sunni Waqf Board failed to establish its case in SC
• Muslims offering Friday prayer at mosque proved that they were in possession the site
• Muslims didn’t abandon Friday payers despite obstructions
• The underlying structure buried under the disputed site wasn’t an Islamic structure
• ASI’s evidence can’t be taken as a mere opinion
• Both the Hindus and Muslims agreed that the disputed site was the birthplace of Lord Ram
• The faith of the Hindus about the site is undisputed
• Sita Rasoi, … Read the rest

The Google News AI Powered Mobile App Goes Bilingual

Google News is now bilingual. It is good news for people who speak two or more languages. There are over 60% of such newsreaders worldwide. This feature provides freedom from switching between different languages in order to get news covered elsewhere. 

Who is the beneficiary from this feature?

People who have moved abroad for study or work will be the biggest beneficiaries of this service. They would get international as well as local news from same page. Also, the update won’t impact other personalization preferences available to readers. Google will simply pull in more stories matching with the interest of the readers.

What is the story behind the Google News update?

The new feature is part of the larger revamp of the Google News product and destination website. Google announced that it was working on such a site during its developer conference in 2018. 

Highlights of the update

  • Google would leverage AI technology to select news stories
  • The AI technology would guide which stories to be featured first
  • New selection would be customized to suit the taste of the users
  • Doing away with “filter bubbles” that add no value to the news
  • Available across 141 countries and 41 languages
  • Exclusive for Google News app for both iOS and Android

When was the news app rolled out?

Google rolled out the AI version of its Google News app in last spring. Its objective is to help people get news in other languages so that they stay updated on specific issues. 

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Pune, Mumbai And Thiruvananthapuram Are The Least Polluted Cities In India

Supreme Court passed stern remarks over the deteriorating situation of air quality in Delhi and the emergency handling of the situation by both State and Central Government.

Highlights of the SC ruling

  • No room in Delhi is worth living
  • People aren’t safe even inside their homes
  • They are losing their valuable years to pollution
  • No need to show sympathy for farmers that burn Parali
  • Village head to Joint Secretary of the state should be held guilty for Parali burning incidents
  • SC summoned Chief Secretaries of Haryana and Punjab
  • Recommended 1 lakh fine on people doing construction activities despite ban
  • People find littering streets should be fined Rs. 5,000
  • SC questions success of odd-even scheme in Delhi
  • The pollution level is so high that even GRAP failed to bring respite to population of NCR

SC asked worth of odd/even scheme

Delhi government has allowed people to travel via taxis, autos and two-wheelers during odd-even days. Since these automobiles also add to pollution, the usefulness of applying odd-even scheme is doubtful. SC sees little benefit from this scheme.

Why did GRAP fail in Delhi?

Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority suggested Graded Response Action Plan failed that helped Beijing in fighting pollution failed in Delhi for two reasons.

  • Delayed response
  • Half-hearted measures 

Beijing was once one of the most polluted cities of the world is now out of the list of 200 most polluted cities. In Delhi, the government applied GRAP only when the pollution reached the severe level that is 500 AQI. But Beijing applied GRAP at 300 AQI. 

Is early intervention the key to success in battle against pollution?

Beijing proved that close monitoring of … Read the rest

Arvind Kejriwal Says Delhi -“A Gas-Chamber” Closes Schools Till November 5 And Distributes Breathing Masks

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the capital had become a gas-chamber and blamed the stubble burning in the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab for the deteriorating air quality index of Delhi.

What did Kejriwal say on Delhi Pollution?

Delhi CM squarely blamed the state governments of Haryana and Punjab for Delhi pollution. He said that the Haryana and Punjab governments are forcing farmers to burn stubble that is causing the Delhi pollution to rise to dangerous level. He made strong comments on rising pollution level of the city while distributing breathing masks to school children.

Arvind Kejriwal took Delhi pollution to Twitter

He didn’t stop at criticizing the governments of neighbouring states on the ground and took to social media to write strongly-worded posts to highlight the plight of Delhi residents especially the school children that have to breath-in pollutants in the early hours when the pollution is at its peak. 

He asked school children to write to Captain Uncle and Khattar Uncle to think about their health. The Kejriwal government started distributing breathing masks to school children through private and government schools. He distributed 50 lakh masks in Delhi schools and asked all Delhiites to wear masks while going out. 

What is the pollution level in Delhi?

There is a public health emergency in the Delhi-NCR region due to pollution level entering “severe plus”. The Delhi government has closed all schools till November 5. Also, the construction activity and bursting of firecrackers banned in the city. 

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/delhi-has-turned-into-a-gas-chamber-tweets-arvind-kejriwal-on-pollution-says-started-distributing-50-2125560?pfrom=home-topscroll
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Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Jayanti 2019: He Was Rightly Called The Iron Man Of India

The country is celebrating 144th birth centenary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas on 31st October. PM Modi paid tribute the great leader and addressed the nation in a program organized close to the Statue of Unity. Also, the entire country is running to show unity. But it is more important to know Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and his contribution to the country.

Life of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Born on 31st October 1875 in Nadiad, Gujarat, his real name was Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel. He passed his matriculation at the tender of 22 and decided to continue his studies to become a barrister. Patel traveled to England to work to complete his education and became a barrister in 30 months that is six months earlier than the normal course. He returned to Gujarat as a lawyer and became a famous barrister.

Patel’s fight for freedom

Inspired by Gandhi, Patel joined the Indian freedom movement and led BardoliSatyagrah to oppose the tax imposed by the then British government. The movement forced the Britishers to forgive the tax for that year. After this victory, Patel emerged as a public figure in Gujarat. But it was just the start of the journey.

Patel became chairman of municipal corporation

He was made head of Gujarat Congress in 1920 and remained on the top post till 1945. During these years, he supported non-cooperation movement of Gandhiji and uprooted alcoholism, untouchability and other social abuses. He also occupied post of Chairman of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation in 1922, 1924 and 1927.

Leader of Quit India Movement

Patel opposed the law the prohibited unfurling of Indian flag in 1923 in Nagpur. Gandhi was … Read the rest

Indians Found That Their Brain Is Different From That Of Americans And Chinese

A recent study on Indians’ brain revealed that Indians have smaller brain in comparison to Americans and Chinese population. 

Here’s the chart showing size of brain of Indian population


Length Width Height Volume
India 160 130 88 1.39
USA 181 142 111 2.39
China 175 145 100 1.89
Korea 160 136 92 1.63

The study was conducted by International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad. And what inspired the institute to study the brain of Indians is the need of a standard size to study development of brain and medical conditions related to it in Indian population.

What is the need of the study?

Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) based template is inspired from the size of the brain of American population. But Chinese have their own brain Atlas. Also, Koreans have produced their brain atlas. Since Indians have brain different in size and features from others, India should also have its brain atlas. The Hyderabad based institute produced a brain atlas inspired by Indian population.

IIIT-Hyderabad creates the first Indian Brain Atlas

The standards set for the study of Indian brain are taken after studying MRIs of 50 men and 50 women. Also, the MRI tests are conducted in different hospitals to get accurate results. 

Findings of the Indian Brain Atlas

  • Size of the brain an adult India is approximately 1.5kg
  • Weight of men’s brain is 1370gm
  • Weight of women’s brain is 1200gm

Do size of brain effect mental and physical abilities of a person?

Yes, it does but only 0.5% to 2%. The effect is so negligible that you can say that the size of the brain has nothing to do with the abilities of … Read the rest

Ghaziabad AQI Reached Severe Level Despite GRAP Implementation: Ghaziabad is most polluted city in India

Ghaziabad reported a severe drop in Air Quality Index (AQI) on Tuesday and became the most polluted city in the country. Ghaziabad recorded AQI of 459 on Tuesday. It was 63 points up from 396 on Monday. And it is in severe range. Loni in Ghaziabad recorded AQI of 454 on Tuesday.

System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) data

The above data was provided by SAFAR that monitors Air Quality Index in the country. It kept Ghaziabad in the list of the most polluted city and Loni in the most polluted area. But Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) data says that Loni’s AQI remained between 305 and 447 in the past one week. And UPPCB blames the unplanned development for the pollution.

AQI of neighboring areas also worsened

AQI of Noida and Greater Noida was 439 and 428 respectively on Tuesday and 429 and 404 on Monday. An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

Reason for deterioration in AQI

UPPCB cites prevailing weather condition coupled with farm fires in Haryana and Punjab for the deteriorating AQI. Also, it wans that the pollution level could further worsen it the weather conditions remain unchanged. 

Graded response action plan (GRAP) was put in place to control the severe level of pollution. Implemented a week ahead, the plan includes stopping pollution-prone industries and activities. But cracker burning and farm fires added to the deteriorating AQI.

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