PRELIMS BOOSTER
1. Shahpur Kandi Dam Project:
- It is located on the Ravi River in Pathankot district, Punjab, downstream from the existing Ranjit Sagar Dam.
- The water released by Ranjit Sagar Dam is utilized for generating power from this project.
- The main purpose behind the construction of this dam is power generation and irrigation in Punjab and J&K States.
- It is constructed by the irrigation department of the Government of Punjab.
- The project consists of a 55.5 m high concrete gravity dam, a 7.70 km long hydel channel, two head regulators, and two powerhouses.
- The total output capacity of the project is 206 MW.
2. MakhaBucha :
- MakhaBucha Day (Magha Puja) is a religious celebration marking Lord Buddha’s teachings to his disciples.
- It is celebrated according to the traditional lunar calendar, on the day of full moon of the third lunar month.
- The term makha comes from the word “Magha” in Pali and it refers to the third lunar month, while bucha can translate as “to worship,” both of which are derived from the Pali language used in Buddhist scripture.
- The term MakhaBucha refers to a day intended for worshiping on the third lunar month.
- The aim of this day is to purify one’s mind and do only good. Some celebrate by offering food to monks and also attend candle light processions in the evening.
- It is the first important religious festival in the Buddhist calendar, takes place in nations including Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, where the majority of Buddhists practice Theravada Buddhism, also known as “Buddhism of the south”.
3. Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) :
- It is an intergovernmental military alliance in Eurasia, which was established in 2002.
- Members of the organization at present are: Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
- Background
- The Collective Security Treaty (CST) was signed on May 15, 1992 in Tashkent by the Heads of six countries: Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Subsequently, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Belarus joined it.
- The treaty came into force on April 20, 1994.
- On May 14, 2002, in Moscow, the Collective Security Council made a decision to grant the status of an international regional organization to the Collective Security Treaty.
- In 2004 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution granting the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) an observer status in the UN General Assembly.
- The statutory bodies of the Organization are: the Collective Security Council (CSC), the Council of Foreign Ministers (COM), the Council of Ministers of Defense (CIO), the Committee of Secretaries of Security Council (CSSC).
- The key objectives of the CSTO include
- The provision of national and collective security, intensive politico-military cooperation, foreign policy coordination on international and regional security issues, the establishment of multilateral cooperation mechanisms, including a military component, the development of cooperation in the counteraction to modern challenges and security threats.
- Headquarter: Moscow, Russia
4. Guru Ravidas :
- Guru Ravidas (1377-1528E.) was a renowned saint known for his contributions to the Bhakti movement.
- His devotional songs and verses made a lasting impact upon the Bhakti Movement.
- Guru Ravidas is also known as Raidas, Rohidas, and Ruhidas.
- He was born in a small village called Seer Govardhanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
- His birthplace is now known as Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan, and it is a major place of pilgrimage for the followers of Guru Ravidas.
- Even though he was born into a poor family, Ravidas became well-known for his teachings about human rights and equality.
- He was the disciple of the revered Brahmin bhakti poet Ramananda.
- He abandoned the saguna (with attributes, image) forms of supreme beings and focussed on the nirguna(without attributes, abstract) form of supreme beings.
- Guru Ravidas was a social reformer, and his teachings were based on gender equality, the abolition of the caste system, social justice, and equality.
- He also became a symbol of opposition to untouchability in society by the higher caste people for the lower caste people.
- He emphasised the philosophy of spiritual freedom.
- He was a well-known poet. 41 of his devotional songs and poems are included in the Sikh Scriptures, Guru Granth Sahib.
- Meera Bai, a revered figure in Hindu spiritualism, is said to have considered Guru Ravidas as her spiritual Guru.
- The Guru’s teachings now form the basis of the Ravidassia sect. Ravidassis believe that Guru Ravidas should be treated as a saint just like the other gurus, as he lived before the first Sikh Guru and his teachings were studied by the Sikh Gurus.
- Guru Ravidas Jayanti is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas.
Places In News
1. Albania :
Recently, Albania’s Foreign Minister said that Albania is planning to open an Embassy in New Delhi, India while India will soon have a diplomatic mission in Tirana, Albania.
About Albania:
- Location: A country in Southeast Europe.
- Bordering Countries: It is bordered by four countries:
- Northeast: Kosovo
- Northwest: Montenegro
- East: North Macedonia \
- South and Southeast: Greece
- It is bounded by the Adriatic Sea in the west and the Ionian Sea in the southwest.
- Maritime Borders: Italy, Greece and Montenegro
