Latest GK IAS/PCS

Population no hurdle

Interestingly, population has not posed an impediment to Sikkim, a State with a population of around 6,00,000 and Andhra Pradesh that has a population of 84 million. Further, most States that have recorded high levels of saturation include high per capita income States, among them Delhi, Goa and Sikkim.

Eight States which record a saturation rate of less than 10 per cent include Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir. All these States have per capita income (per capita State domestic product) lower than the national average of Rs. 68,757 in 2012-13. Additionally, according to the Human Development Report 2011, Bihar, U.P., Chhattisgarh ranked lowest on the Human Development Index.

Latest Current Affairs for IAS/PCS

Kushan, Gupta era pottery discovered

The Archaeological Survey of India has unearthed rare pieces of pottery dating back to the Kushan and Gupta periods in the ongoing excavation at the dilapidated fort of Raja Ram Baksh Singh at Unnao in Uttar Pradesh.  ASI found bangles similar to those in the Indus Valley Civilisation. Archaeologists say the find proves the kingdom existed 2,000 years ago

The Gupta dynasty is often known as the Golden Age of Indian culture because during this period of Indian history, there was peace, progress and prosperity. Great advances were made in art, literature and science. There was renewed enthusiasm in religions like Hinduism and the world's first universities were established. The Gupta dynasty was founded by Chandra Gupta I. A classic case of history repeating itself?! (The last major empire, the Mauryan dynasty was also founded by a man called Chandragupta, Chandragupta Maurya). Chandra Gupta soon broke away from the dozens of kings of the period, and created a decent size kingdom. He soon strengthened the kingdom by marrying Kumaradevi, the daughter of the king of Licchavis. The Licchavis controlled a major portion of the region of Bihar and possibly Nepal. his alliance further strengthened Chandra Gupta's position. During the rest of his reign Chandra Gupta extended his empire and controlled a substantial area of North India. Chandra Gupta also held an important ceremony during his reign, where an assembly of councillors and various members of the royal family were present. It was here that Chandra Gupta nominated his son Samudra Gupta as the heir to the throne.

Current Affairs

IAS-PCS Coaching

Syria: accord among P5 on elimination of chemical weapons

The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council have agreed on a resolution that will require Syria to give up its chemical weapons, but there will be no automatic penalties if the Syrians fail to comply.

The agreement is a compromise among the U.S., its allies and Russia about how to enforce the resolution, which would eliminate the chemical arms programme. But the deal, when approved by the 15 members of the Security Council, would amount to the most significant international diplomatic initiative of the Syrian civil war. It would also be a remarkable turn for President Barack Obama, who had been pushing for a military strike on Syria just a few weeks ago before accepting a Russian proposal to have Syria give up its chemical arsenal.

Western diplomats said the resolution would be legally binding and would stipulate that if Syria failed to abide by the terms, the Security Council would take measures under Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter, the strongest form of a Council resolution. Such measures could include economic sanctions or even military action. But before any action could be taken, the issue would have to go back for further deliberations by the Security Council, on which Russia, like the other permanent members, holds a veto.

Syria, the resolution states, “shall not use, develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile or retain chemical weapons, or transfer, directly or indirectly, chemical weapons to other States or nonstate actors.” The measure notes that “in the event of noncompliance with this resolution, including unauthorised transfer of chemical weapons, or any use of chemical weapons by anyone in the Syrian Arab Republic,” the Security Council can decide to “impose measures under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.” Syria’s entire arsenal is to be eliminated by the middle of 2014, according to that accord, a process that Mr. Assad has said could take a year.