Gk facts about India

Indian Awards
Arjuna Award :The Arjuna Awards were instituted in 1961 by the government of India to recognize outstanding achievement in National sports. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 300,000, a bronze statuette of Arjuna and a scroll.
Ashoka Chakra Award :Awarded for the "most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent valour or self-sacrifice" other than in the face of the enemy. The decoration may be awarded either to military of civilian personnel and may be awarded posthumously.
Bharat Ratna :Bharat Ratna is India's highest civilian award, awarded for the highest degrees of national service. This service includes artistic, literary, and scientific achievements, as well as "recognition of public service of the highest order". Unlike knights, holders of the Bharat Ratna carry no special title nor any other honorifics, but they do have a place in the order of precedence. Bharat Ratna roughly translates as 'Gem of India'. It was established by the President of India, on 2nd January, 1954.
Dadasaheb Phalke Award :The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is an annual award given by the Indian government for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema. It was instituted in 1969, the birth centenary year of Dadasaheb Phalke, considered the father of Indian cinema.
Dronacharya Award :Dronacharya Award is an award presented by the government of India for excellence in sports coaching. The award comprises of a bronze statuette of Dronacharya, a scroll of honour and a cash component of Rs.75,000. The award was instituted in 1985. As the best sportsperson award is named Arjuna Award, it is appropriate that the coaching award is named after Dronacharya, as he was the Guru of Arjuna.
Gandhi Peace Prize :The International Gandhi Peace Prize, named after Mahatma Gandhi, is awarded annually by the government of India for outstanding work and contribution to social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods.
Indira Gandhi Prize :The Indira Gandhi Prize or the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize or the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is the prestigious award accorded annually by India to individuals or organisations in recognition of creative efforts toward promoting international peace, development and a new international economic order; ensuring that scientific discoveries are used for the larger good of humanity, and enlarging the scope of freedom.
The Jnanpith Award : The Jnanpith Award is the highest literary honour conferred in the Republic of India. It is presented by the Jnanpith Trust, which is largely owned by the Jain family, publishers of The Times of India.
Kirti Chakra :Kirti Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valor, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Maha Vir Chakra. It is second in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards; it comes after Ashoka Chakra and before Shaurya Chakra. Before 1967, the award was known as the Ashoka Chakra, Class II.
The Maha Vir Chakra :The Maha Vir 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. It may be awarded posthumously.
Padma Bhushan:The Padma Bhushan is an Indian civilian decoration established on January 2, 1954 by the President of India. It stands third in the hierarchy of civilian awards, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Sri. It is awarded to recognize distinguished service of a high order to the nation, in any field.
Padma Shri :Padma Shri is an award given by the Government of India generally to Indian citizens to recognize their distinguished contribution in various spheres of activity including Arts, Education, Industry, Literature, Science, Sports, Social Service and public life.
Padma Vibhushan :The Padma Vibhushan is India's second highest civilian honour. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India.It was established on January 2, 1954. It follows the Bharat Ratna and precedes the Padma Bhushan. It is awarded to recognize exceptional and distinguished service to the nation in any field, including government service. The award was briefly suspended from July 13, 1977 to January 26, 1980.
Param Vir Chakra :The Param Vir Chakra is an Indian military decoration given for valour in combat operations. It is India's highest military honour.
Pravasi Bharatiya Community Service Award :The Pravasi Bharatiya Community Service Award is an honour granted annually by the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), to honour persons of Indian ancestry for their contributions to countries they are members of.
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman :The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman is an award constituted by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs in conjunction with the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, to honor exceptional and meritorious contribution in their chosen field/profession.
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna :The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (RGKR) is India’s highest honour given for achievement in sports. The words "Khel Ratna" literally translate to "Sports Gem" in Hindi. The award is named after the late Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India. It carries a medal, a scroll of honour and a substantial cash component. As of 2004-05, when the award was last bestowed, the cash component stands at Rs. 500,000/- (c.11,500 USD)
Rashtrapati Award :Rashtrapati Awards are given by the President of India. They are given to award excellence in various fields. The award-giving ceremony is conducted in the Rashtrapati Bhavan - the President's official residence.
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award :The Sangeet Natak Akademi Award is given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi - India's apex body for performing arts. It is the highest national recognition given to practicing artistes. It carries a purse money is Rs. 50,000/-, a shawl and a Tamrapatra.
Sena Medal :Awarded to members of the army, of all ranks, "for such individual acts of exceptional devotion to duty or courage as have special significance for the Army." Awards may be made posthumously and a bar is authorized for subsequent awards of the Sena Medal.
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award :The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) Prizes are awarded annually by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) to outstanding Indian research workers in seven disciplines of science and technology. The SSB Prizes are awarded to scientists for their outstanding scientific contributions made primarily in India during last 5 years preceding the year of the award are eligible for the Prize. The SSB Prize comprising a citation, a plaque and a cash award of Rupees two lakh (Rs. 200,000) is given to each selected person
Shaurya Chakra :Shaurya Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valor, courageous action or self-sacrifice while not engaged in direct action with the enemy. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, sometimes posthumously. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Vir Chakra. It is generally awarded for Counter-Insurgency ops & actions against the enemy during peace-time. It is third in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards and comes after Ashoka Chakra and Kirti Chakra. It precedes the Sena Medal. Before 1967, the award was known as the Ashoka Chakra, Class III.
Shilp Guru :Shilp Guru is an award conferred by Government of India every year to the master craftspersons in innovating different styles and designs of the traditional craftsmanship, to continue with the highest level of aesthetic character, quality and skill in the traditional Indian Handicrafts .They were started in 2002 when 10 eminent master Craftpersons were honoured with "Shilp Guru" title by the President of India.
Shram Awards :The Prime Minister's Shram Awards were instituted in 1985 by Government of India. This national award is conferred on workers for outstanding contribution to improve productivity, innovation, indigenisation resulting in saving foreign exchange as also long exceptional dedicated work.
They are four types of awards:
* Shram Ratna* Shram Bhushan* Shram Vir / Shram Veerangana* Shram Devi/Shram Shree
Vir Chakra :Vir Chakra is an Indian gallantry award presented for acts of bravery in the battle field. Award of the decoration carried with it the right to use Vr.C. as a postnominal abbreviation (note the care to distinguish this abbreviation from that for the Victoria Cross (V.C.). It is third in precedence in the war time gallantry awards and comes after the Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra.
Wound Medal :The Wound Medal is an Indian Military award given to those who sustain "wounds as a result of direct enemy action in any type of operations or counter-insurgency actions." Eligible categories include all ranks of the Indian military, including reserve and territorial forces, and members of the Railway Protection Force, police, Home Guards, civil defense, or any other organization specified by the government. Aircrews who, in the course of bailing out of an aircraft destroyed by hostile action may be awarded if they sustain injuries (and not, specifically, "wounds").The medal may not be awarded posthumously. Specific provision is made for bars for subsequent awards.Established: 1973, by the President of India (with effect from 15 August 1947).
Yudh Seva Medal :Awarded for a high degree of distinguished services in an operational context. In many ways, this is an operational version of the Vishisht Seva Medal which, since 1980, has been restricted to non-operational awards.Established: 1980.





Friday, January 5, 2007Firsts in India
First British Governor General Warren Hastings
First British Governor General of Independent India Lord Mountbatten
First Chief Justice of India Hiralal J Kania
First Commander-in-Chief of Free India General K M Cariappa
First Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sir Thomos Elmhirst
First Indian Air Chief Air Marshal S Mukherjee
First Chief of Army Staff General M Rajendra Singh
First Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral R D Katari
First Cosmonaut Sqn Ldr Rakesh Sharma
First Female Graduates Kadambini Ganguly and Chandramukhi Basu
First Female Head of an Undergraduate Academic Institution Chandramukhi Basu
First Female Honours Graduate Kamini Roy
First Female Lawyer Cornelia Sorabjee
First Female Physician Kadambini Ganguly
First Field Marshal SHFJ Manekshaw
First Governor-General of Indian Union C Rajagopalachari
First Graduate in Medicine Soorjo Coomar Goodeve Chuckerbutty
First Indian to get an Oscar Bhanu Athaiya
First Indian to reach the South Pole Col I K Bajaj
First Indian to win a major literary award in the United States Dhan Gopal Mukerji
First Indian to win an Olympic medal Norman Pritchard
First Indian ICS Officer Satyendranath Tagore
First Indian Man to swim across the English Channel Mihir Sen
First Indian Woman to swim across the English Channel Miss Arati Saha
First Magsaysay Award Winner Acharya Vinod Bhave
First Nobel Prize Winner Rabindranath Tagore
First President of the Indian National Congress W C Bonnerjee
First President of the India Rajendra Prasad First Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru First Deputy Prime Minister of India Vallabhbhai Patel
First Talkie Film Alam Ara (1931)
First Woman President of the Indian National Congress Annie Besant
First Woman Prime Minister Indira Gandhi First Woman Minister Rajkumari Amrit Kaur First Woman Chief Minister of a State Sucheta Kripalani First Woman Governor Sarojini Naidu First Woman central Minister Vijayalakshmi Pandit First Woman Speaker of a State Assembly Mrs Shanno Devi
First Woman Airline Pilot Durga Banerjee
First Woman to Win Asiad Gold Kamlijit Sandhu
First Woman to Win an Olympic medal Karnam Malleswari
First Woman Judge of Supreme Court Meera Sahib Fatima Beevi
First Woman IPS Officer Kiran Bedi
First Woman to Win Miss Universe Title Sushmita Sen
First Woman to win the Ford Supermodel of the World (contest) Bipasha Basu
First Woman to Win Nobel Prize Mother Teresa
First Woman to win Miss World title Reita Faria
Labels: History
posted by Proud Indian @ 6:11 AM 0 Comments
Thursday, January 4, 2007BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES:
Agronomy: soil management and production of field cropsAgrostology: grassesAnatomy: structure of animals, plants or human bodyAnthropology: origin, physical and cultural development of mankindAstronomy: heavenly bodiesBacteriology: bacteriaBiochemistry: chemical processes of living thingsBiology: living beingsBiometry: application of maths to study of living thingsBotany: plantsChemotherapy: treatment of disease using chemical substancesCryogenics: production, control and application of very low temperaturesDactylography: fingerprintsEcology: relation of animals and plants to their surroundings and environmentEntomology: insectsEthology: animal behaviourGenealogy: family origins and historyGenetics: phenomena of heredity and laws of governing itGerontology: old age, its phenomena, diseases, etcHistology: tissuesMycology: fungiOdontology: teethOsteology: bonesPaleontology: fossilsPhthisiology: tuberculosisPhycology: algae
Courtsey : Apeksha Ahluwalia
( I received on good article on "Stem cell" . It will be of good help for Group Discussion Preparations. I can not put it on this website due to copyright reasons. Those Who are interested can send me email at : indiagk1@rediffmail.com . I will forward the attachment received from Apeksha. Thanks to apeksha.)
Labels: Biological Sciences
posted by Proud Indian @ 11:16 AM 0 Comments
Unique Vehicle reg. code in India
AN — Andaman & Nicobar IslandsAP — Andhra PradeshAR — Arunachal PradeshAS — AssamBR — BiharCH — ChandigarhCG — ChhattisgarhDD — Daman and DiuDL — Dilli (Delhi)DN — Dadra and Nagar HaveliGA — GoaGJ — GujaratHP — Himachal PradeshHR — HaryanaJH — JharkhandJK — Jammu & KashmirKA — KarnatakaKL — KeralaLD — LakshadweepMH — MaharashtraML — MeghalayaMN — ManipurMP — Madhya PradeshMZ — MizoramNL — NagalandOR — OrissaPB — PunjabPY — PondicherryRJ — RajasthanSK — SikkimTN — Tamil NaduTR — TripuraUA — UttaranchalUP — Uttar PradeshWB — West BengalLabels: Vehivke Numbering System India