CIVILSEVA - A Platform for Civil Service Aspirants

In Jaina tradition, Gommateshvara or Bahubali is the son of Adinatha, the first Tirthankara.The mahamastabhisheka or head anointment of Bahubali is performed every 12 years. On this occasion, devotees pour offerings including milk, flowers, and jewels over the head of the colossal image. The colossal image of Gommateshvara (57-feet tall) is situated at Shravana Belagola. The name Shravana Belagola derives from shramana, which means ‘ascetic’ in Sanskrit, and bela-kola which means ‘white tank’ in Kannada.  Shravana Belagola is in the Channarayapatna taluk of Hassan district in Karnataka. The town lies between two rocky hills known as Chandragiri or Chikkabetta and Vindhyagiri or Indragiri (also known as Doddabetta). 

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, is the first intergovernmental agreement, prepared under the auspices of the United Nations, to cover all dimensions of international migration in a holistic and comprehensive manner.  It was adopted at an intergovernmental conference on migration in Marrakesh, Morocco on 10 December 2018.  The first International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) took place at the United Nations headquarters in New York on 17-20 May 2022 to review the progress made at the local, national, regional and global levels in implementing the Global Compact.  The Global Compact is grounded in international human rights law and reaffirms States’ commitment to respecting, protecting, and fulfilling all human rights for all migrants.  The Global Compact rests on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and each of the nine core international human rights law instruments, and contains a Guiding Principle on human rights: “The Global ...

  Known as the "Diamond Vehicle," Vajrayana is a form of Buddhism prominent in Tibet and incorporates esoteric rituals and practices. Worship of female goddesses was adopted as a part of the growth of the Vajrayana phase in Buddhism. The famous image of of Tara  seated on a throne, accompanied by a growing curvilinear lotus stalk and her right hand is in the Abhay mudra belongs to Vajrayana Buddhism.

Mahayana Buddhists believe they can achieve enlightenment through following the teachings of the Buddha. The goal of a Mahayana Buddhist may be to become a Bodhisattva and this is achieved through the Six Perfections. Compassion is very important in Mahayana Buddhism. Therefore, Bodhisattvas choose to stay in the cycle of samsara to help others to achieve enlightenment as well as themselves. This is a key difference between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhists. Whereas Theravada Buddhists strive to become Arhats and gain freedom from the cycle of samsara, Mahayana Buddhists may choose to stay in the cycle of samsara out of compassion for others.

Theravada Buddhism is older and the more conservative of the divisions of Buddhism and is often referred to as the ‘traditions of the elders’. Many Theravada Buddhists follow the teachings of the Buddha exactly, and many of them a monks or nuns. Theravada Buddhists strive to be arhats. Arhats are perfected people who have gained true insight into the nature of reality. This means they have followed the Noble Eightfold Path to ‘blow out’ the three fires of greed, hatred and ignorance and have become enlightened. In Buddhism, enlightenment leads to nibbana (or nirvana), which means freedom from the cycle of rebirth (samsara). Consequently, they will no longer be reborn through samsara.

On the basis of vertical distribution of temperature, the atmosphere is classified into four characteristic regions, namely troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere. Environmental or Normal Lapse Rate: The lapse rate refers to the rate at which temperature decreases with an increase in altitude in the atmosphere. There are different lapse rates in different layers of the atmosphere: 1. Troposphere (Negative Lapse Rate):  In the troposphere, which is the lowest layer(8-17KM) of the atmosphere where weather phenomena occur, the lapse rate is called the environmental lapse rate (ELR). On average, the ELR is about 0.64°C /100 m or 6.5°C per kilometer (or 3.5°F per 1,000 feet) of altitude gained. However, it can vary due to various factors such as atmospheric stability, moisture content, and geographical location. In the upper limits of the troposphere, the temperature decreases to about –56°C.  The upper boundary of the troposphere is known as tropopause. The trans...

  Which of the following statements about Swami Dayanand Saraswati is INCORRECT? 1. His birthplace was Gujarat. 2. He authored the book 'Satyarth Prakash'. 3. He was the founder of Brahmo Samaj. 4. He was the founder of Arya Samaj. Click for Answer

  Who among the following has authored the play ‘Nil Darpan’? (a) Chittaranjan Das (b) Motilal Nehru (c) Dinabandhu Mitra (d) Sarojini Naidu Click to see answer

  Both fought at the banks of river Jhelum and the war is known as “The Battle of Hydaspes”. The war was happened in 326 BC. After that Alexander’s Army refused to cross the river “Beas / Hyphasis” to fight the battle with with the mighty Nanda Army of Magadh.