The correct answer is personal tax

Key Points

• Personal Disposal Income = Personal Income - Personal Income tax.
• Personal disposable income can be calculated by subtracting personal income tax payable from personal income (wages, commission, salary).
• Personal Disposable Income refers to the amount of money available to an individual or household to spend or save after income tax and other mandatory taxes have been deducted. 
• It helps economists to measure the savings and spending rates of households.

Additional Information

• A subsidy is a benefit given to an individual, household, or institution by the government usually in order to reduce the beneficiary's expense.
• Rent is referred to as the part of the produce which is paid to the owner of land for the use of his goods and services.
• Wages are the remunerations that a person gets in return for the service provided by him.

The correct answer is Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. 

In News

• Divya Kala Mela 2024 inaugurated in Agartala, Tripura.

Key Points

• The Divya Kala Mela event in Agartala, Tripura, has been organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India.
• This initiative aims to showcase the products and craftsmanship of Divyang entrepreneurs and artisans from across the country.
• The event provides a platform for economic empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (PwD) and promotes their skills and talents.
• It is part of a series of similar events organized by the ministry in different locations across India, with Agartala being the latest in the series.
• Through such initiatives, the ministry endeavors to support and uplift the Divyang community by providing opportunities for showcasing their products and enhancing their livelihoods.

The correct answer is Zil-Ilahi (Shadow of God).

Key Points

• Ghiyas-ud-din Balban was the first Muslim ruler to formulate the ‘theory of kingship’ similar to the ‘theory of the divine right of the kings'.
• Balban lived and ruled from 1266 AD to 1287 AD.
• Balban himself was a member of Chalisa or Chahalgani but he broke the power of Chahalgani and restored the prestige of the crown. 
• He created a strong centralized army and established the military department Diwan-i-Arz.
• He ordered the separation of military affairs from the finance department (Diwan‑i‑Wazarat).
• He declared the sultan as representative of God on Earth. Persian court model influenced Balban’s conception of kingship. He took up the title of Zil-i-Ilahi (a shadow of God) and impressed upon the people that the king was the deputy of God (Niyabat-i-Khudai).
• He insisted on the Iranian ceremonies of sijda and paibos.
• He was a patron of Persian literature and showed special favor to Amir Khusro.

Additional Information

• Qutubuddin Aibak constructed two mosques, Quwwat-ul- Islam in Delhi and Adhai din ka Jhonpra in Ajmer. He also began the construction of Qutub Minar, in honor of the famous Sufi Saint, Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki.
• Shamsuddin Iltutmish was the slave of Qutubuddin Aibak and occupied the throne of Delhi in 1211 AD after deposing Aram Bakhsh. 
• Alauddin introduced the system of Dagh (the branding of the horse) and Chehra (descriptive role of soldiers).

The correct answer is Tashkent.

Key Points

• The communist party of India was formed in 1920 in Tashkent by M.N. Roy, and Abani Mukharji. 
• The Communist conference in which CPI was formed was held at Kanpur in the same location at which the congress session was held.
• The Communist Conference was convened by Satya Bhakt.
• CPI worked in close association with Indian National Congress.
• In 1924, many communists - S.A. Dange, Muzzafar Ahmad, Shaukat Usmani, Nalini Gupta were jailed in the Kanpur Bolshevik Conspiracy Case.
• Some leaders were critical of both Swarajists and No Changers.
• These leaders were influenced by international currents.
• They stressed the need to combine nationalism and anti-imperialism with social justice.

Confusion Points

• In 1925, the Indian Communist Conference at Kanpur formalized the formation of the CPI.

The correct answer is Gautamiputra Shri Satakarni.

Key Points

• Gautamiputra Satakarni ruled the Satavahana Empire in what is now India's Deccan region.
• He was referred to as the most powerful and significant ruler of the Satavahana Dynasty. He reigned from 106 AD to 130 AD.
• He was the 23rd Satavahana ruler.
• Gautamiputra Satakarni's information is derived from his coinage, Satavahana inscriptions, and royal genealogies found in several Puranas. The best-known of these is his mother Gautami Balashri's Nashik Prashasti (eulogy) inscription, which praises him for numerous military victories.
• The Satavahana kingdom mainly comprised the present-day Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. At different times, their rule extended to parts of modern Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka. The dynasty had different capital cities at different times, including Pratishthana (Paithan) and Amaravati (Dharanikota).
• Simuka (60 BC - 37 BC) was the founder of the Satavahana Dynasty (60 BC - 225 AD).​

Additional Information

• Chera Dynasty
  • ​The Chera dynasty was one of the most important dynasties in Kerala's early history, as well as areas of Tamil Nadu in southern India.
  • The founder of the Chera dynasty was Uthiyan Cheralathan also called Udiyangeral.
  • The greatest of Chera kings, however, was Senguttuvan or Red Chera. It is said that he invaded the north and even crossed the Ganges.
  • He was also the founder of the Pattini cult related to the worship of the Goddess of chastity - Kannagi.
  • The capital of Cheras was Vanjji.
• Rashtrakuta Dynasty
  • Between the sixth and tenth centuries, the Rashtrakuta dynasty ruled over extensive parts of the Indian subcontinent. A 7th-century copper plate grant detailing their rule from Manapura, a city in Central or West India, is the first known Rashtrakuta inscription.
  • The Rashtrakutas dynasty was founded by Dantivarman or Dantidurga (735–756).
  • Amoghavarsha I (also known as Amoghavarsha Nrupathunga I) was a Rashtrakuta monarch who reigned from 814 to 878 CE. He was the greatest king of the Rashtrakuta dynasty and one of India's great rulers. His 64-year reign is one of the most precisely dated monarchical reigns ever recorded.
  • Krishna III, also known as Kannara in Kannada, was the last great warrior and able emperor of the Rashtrakuta dynasty of Manyakheta (r. 939 – 967 C.E.). He was a savvy administrator as well as a skilled military campaigner.
  • Taila II, a feudatory of Krisha III who claimed genealogy from the early Chalukyas of Vatapi, overthrew the Rashtrakuta kingdom in 973 CE.
• Chola Dynasty
  • The Chola kingdom known as Cholamandalam was situated to the northeast of the Pandya Kingdom between the Pennar and Vellar rivers.
  • The Chola kingdom corresponded to the modern Tanjore and Tiruchirappalli districts.
  • The earliest known Chola king was Elara who conquered Srilanka and ruled over it for nearly 50 years.Their greatest king was Karikala (man with charred leg) who founded Puhar (Kaveripatnam) and constructed a 160km embankment along the Kaveri river with the help of 12,000 Srilankan slaves.
  • Rajaraja I (reigned 985–1014) was an able administrator, protected Vengi (the Godavari districts) and occupied the Gangavadi territory (in present-day Karnataka state), annihilating the western Gangas.
  • His son Rajendracola Deva I (reigned 1014–44) outdid Rajaraja’s achievements. He placed a son on the throne at Madurai, completed the conquest of Sri Lanka, overran the Deccan (c. 1021), and in 1023 sent an expedition to the north that penetrated to the Ganges (Ganga) River and brought Ganges water to the new capital, Gangaikondacolapuram.

The correct answer is Karpoori Thakur. 

In News

• Former Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur was honored with Bharat Ratna posthumously.

Key Points

• Bharat Ratna for Karpoori Thakur:
  • Former Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur has been posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor.
  • The recognition highlights his significant contributions to uplift backward classes and implement reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
• Champion of Social Justice:
  • Karpoori Thakur actively advocated for the rights of marginalized communities, including scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and OBCs.
  • His political ideology was centered around a commitment to social justice and inclusive development.
• Reservation for OBCs:
  • During his tenure as Bihar CM from 1977 to 1979, Karpoori Thakur played a pioneering role in providing reservations for OBCs.
  • The implementation was based on the recommendations of the Mungeri Lal Commission.
• Mentor to Political Leaders:
  • Karpoori Thakur served as a mentor to prominent political figures like Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar.
  • His influence extended beyond his time in office, shaping the political landscape in Bihar.
• Birth Centenary Recognition:
  • The award comes during the birth centenary of Karpoori Thakur, adding significance to the recognition.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed delight, emphasizing Thakur's enduring efforts as a champion for the marginalized and a symbol of equality and empowerment.

The correct answer is Palk Strait.

Key Points

A strait is a narrow channel of water that joins two water bodies and separates two land masses.

• Palk Strait
  • The strait is between southeastern India and northern Sri Lanka.
  • The southwestern portion of the strait is also called Palk Bay.
  • The strait is named after Robert Palk, who was a governor of Madras during the Company Raj period.
  • The strait is 40 to 85 miles (64 to 137 km) wide, 85 miles long, and less than 330 feet (100 meters) deep.
  • It receives several rivers, including the Vaigai (India), and it contains many islands on the Sri Lankan side.
  • The port of Jaffna, the commercial center for northern Sri Lanka, lies on the strait.

Additional Information

Important Points

The correct answer is ​Rabindranath Tagore.

Key Points

Jalianwala Bagh Massacre

• Rabindranath Tagore returned the Knighthood title to the British government to protest against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in which 379 innocent people died at the hands of the British army.
• 13 April 1919, marked a turning point in the Indian freedom struggle.
• It was Baisakhi that day, a harvest festival popular in Punjab and parts of north India.
• Local residents in Amritsar decided to hold a meeting that day to discuss and protest against the confinement of Satya Pal and Saifuddin Kitchlew, two leaders fighting for Independence, and the implementation of the Rowlatt Act, which armed the British government with powers to detain any person without trial.
• The crowd had a mix of men, women, and children.
• They all gathered in a park called the Jallianwala Bagh, walled on all sides but for a few small gates, against the orders of the British.
• The protest was a peaceful one, and the gathering included pilgrims visiting the Golden Temple who were merely passing through the park, and some who had not come to protest.
• While the meeting was on, Brigadier-General Reginald Edward Harry Dyer, who had crept up to the scene wanting to teach the public assembled a lesson, ordered 90 soldiers he had brought with him to the venue to open fire on the crowd.
• Many tried in vain to scale the walls to escape. Many jumped into the well located inside the park.

The correct answer is 5 years.

Key Points

• The tenure of Gram Panchayat as well as urban committees is of 5 years.

 Panchayat:

• It is an institution of self-government constituted under article 243B, for the rural areas.
• All the seats in a Panchayat shall be elected directly from territorial constituencies in the Panchayat area.
• The Panchayat is elected for five years from the date of the first meeting.
• It can be dissolved earlier in accordance with the procedure prescribed by state law.
• If Panchayat dissolved before its tenure then the elections must take place within six months of its dissolution.
• Article 243D provides that seats are to be reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• A person who has attained the age of 21 years will be eligible to be a member of Panchayat.
• All election-related matters of Panchayats shall be vested in a state election commission.

The correct answer is Water.

Key Points

• Surface tension is the measure of the force required to stretch or break the surface of a liquid.
  • The SI unit of Surface Tension is Newton per Meter or N/m.
  • It is important to note that the surface tension of a liquid is dependent on factors such as temperature, pressure, and impurities.
• Water (H₂O) has the highest surface tension among the given options due to its strong hydrogen bonding between the water molecules.
  • This results in a strong cohesive force between the molecules, making it difficult to break the surface.

Additional Information

• Ethanol (CH₃CH₂OH) is a volatile, colorless liquid that has a slight odor.
  • It burns with a blue flame that is smokeless and sometimes invisible in normal light.
• Ethane (C₂H₆) is a gas at room temperature and does not have a surface tension value.
  • At standard temperature and pressure, ethane is a colorless, odorless gas. ​
• Methanol (CH₃OH), also known as wood alcohol, is considered an alternative fuel.
  • It is often used as a low surface tension testing substance in calibration and/or testing of new apparatuses or methods to measure surface tension.

Important Points

Boiling points of some compounds at atmospheric pressure 1 atm :