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India's Rankings in different Indexes
India Rank 🇮🇳
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🔸 World’s most valuable nation brands report 2017
🇮🇳 7
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🔸 World’s Best Countries for doing Business
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🔸 Global Peace Index 2017
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🔸 Intellectual Property (IP) Environment - 2017
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🔸 Global Hunger Index Report 2016
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🔸 World Happiness Index 2017
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🔸 FM Global Resilience Index 2017
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🔸 Global index of talent
competitiveness 2017
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🔸 Global Prosperity Index 2017
🇮🇳 70
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🔸 Global Resilience Index 2017
🇮🇳 60
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🔸 World bank Logistics Index 2016
🇮🇳 35
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200 Most Important one word Substitution for SSC CGL,CHSL,BANK 2017
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1. Audience – a number of people listening to a lecture
2. Altruist – one, who considers the happiness and well-being of others first
3. Atheist – a person who does not believe in God
4. Anthropologist – one, who studies the evolution of mankind
5. Autocracy – government by one person
6. Autobiography – the life history of a person written by himself
7. Amputate – to cut off a part of a person's body which is infected
8. Arsenal – a place for ammunition and weapons
9. Archives – a place where government or public records are kept
10. Amateur – a man who does a thing for pleasure and not as a profession
11. Aristocracy – government by the nobles
12. Aquatic – animals/plants ere which live in water
13. Amphibian – animals which live both on land and sea
14. Ambidexter – one, who can use either hand with ease
15. Alimony – allowance paid to wife on legal separation
16. Anthology – a collection of poems
17. Abdication – voluntary giving up of throne in favour of someone
18. Arbitrator – a person, appointed by two parties to solve a dispute
19. Astronomer – a person, who studies stars, planets and other heavenly bodies
20. Astrologer – a person who studies the influence of heavenly bodies on human beings
21. Anthology – a collection of poems
22. Axiom – a statement which is accepted as true without proof
23. Agenda – a list of headings of the business to be transacted at a meeting
24. Anarchist – one, who is out to destroy all governance, law and order
25. Almanac – an annual calender with positions of stars
26. Bigamy – the practice of having two wives or husbands at a time
27. Bibliophile – a lover and collector of books
28. Bouquet – a collection of flowers
29. Bureaucracy – government by the officials
30. Belligerent – a person, nation that is involved in war
31. Biennial – an event which happens once in two years
32. Blasphemy – the act of speaking disrespectfully about sacred things
33. Creche – a nursery where children are cared for while their parents are at work
34. Cosmopolitan – a person who regards whole world as his country
35. Chauffeur – one, who is employed to drive a motor car
36. Curator – a person incharge of a museum
37. Carnivorous – one, who lives on flesh
38. Cannibal – one, who feeds on human flesh
39. Contemporaries – belonging to or living at the same time
40. Cloak room – a place for luggage at railway station
41. Cynosure – centre of attraction
42. Connoisseur – a critical judge of any art and craft
43. Crusade – a religious war
44. Choreographer – one, who teaches dancing
45. Cacographist – a person, who is bad in spellings
46. Calligraphist – a person, who writes beautiful handwriting
47. Cynic – one, who sneers at the aims and beliefs of his fellow men
48. Convalescent – one, who is recovering health
49. Cavalry – soldiers, who fight on horse back
50. Cardiologist – a person, who is specialist in heart diseases
51. Cartographer – one, who draws maps
52. Dormitory – the sleeping rooms with several beds especially in a college or institution
53. Drawn – a game that results neither in victory nor in defeat
54. Elegy – a poem of lamentation
55. Epitaph – words which are inscribed on the grave or the tomb in the memory of the buried
56. Ephemeral – lasting one day
57. Effeminate – a person who is womanish
58. Emigrant – a person who leaves his own country and goes to live in another
59. Edible – fit to be eaten
60. Egotism – practice of talking too much about oneself
61. Encyclopaedia – a book that contains information on various subjects
62. Epicure – one, who is devoted to the pleasure of eating and drinking
63. Florist – one, who deals-in flowers
64. Fastidious – one, who is very -selective in one's taste
65. Fanatic or Bigot – one, who is filled with excessive and mistaken enthusiasm in religious matters
66. Fatal – causing death
67. Fatalist – one, who believes in fate
68. Facsimile – an exact copy of handwriting,
68. Facsimile – an exact copy of handwriting

, printing etc
69. Fauna – the ani

mals of a certain region
70. Flora – the plants of a particular region
71. Fratricide – murder of brother
72. Fugitive – one, who runs away from justice or the law
73. Fragile – easily broken
74. Feminist – one, who works for the welfare of the women
75. Granary – a place for grains
76. Genocide – murder of race
77. Gregarious – animals which live in flocks
78. Hangar – a place for housing aeroplanes
79. Hive – a place for bees
80. Horticulture – the art of cultivating and managing gardens
81. Homicide – murder of man
82. Hearse – a vehicle which is used to carry a dead body
83. Hedonist – one, who believes that pleasure is the chief good (sensual)
84. Horizon – a line at which the earth and the sky seem to meet
85. Honorary – holding office without any remuneration
86. Heretic – one, who acts against religion
87. Herbivorous – one, who lives on herbs
88. Insolvent/Bankrupt – a person who is unable to pay his debts
89. Inaudible – a sound that cannot be heard
90. Inaccessible – that cannot be easily approached
91. Incorrigible – incapable of being corrected
92. Irreparable – incapable of being repaired
93. Illegible – incapable of being read
94. Inevitable – incapable of being avoided
95. Impracticable – incapable of being practised
96. Immigrant – a person who comes to one country from another in order to settle there
97. Invincible – one, too strong to be overcome
98. Indelible – that cannot be erased
99. Incognito – travelling under another name than one's own
100. Indefatigable – one, who does not tire easily
101. Infallible – one, who is free from all mistakes and failures
102. Invigilator – one, who supervises in the examination hall
103. Itinerant – one, who journeys from place to place
104. Infirmary – a home or room used for ill or injured people
105. Infanticide – murder of an infant
106. Infantry – soldiers, who fight on foot
107. Inflammable – liable to catch fire easily
108. Interregnum – a period of interval between two reigns or governments
109. Kennel – a place for dogs
110. Lunatic asylum – a home for lunatics
111. Lexicographer – one, who compiles a dictionary
112. Loquacious – one, who talks continuously
113. Linguist – one, who is skilled in foreign languages
114. Lapidist – one, who cuts precious stones
115. Misanthrope – a hater of mankind
116. Misogamist – one, who hates marriage
117. Mortuary – a place, where dead bodies are kept for post mortem
118. Mercenery – working only for the sake of money
119. Matricide – murder of mother
120. Martyr – one, who dies for a noble cause
121. Maiden speech – the first speech delivered by a person
122. Mint – a place where coins are made
123. Misogynist – a hater of womankind
124. Morgue – a place, where dead bodies are kept for identification
125. Mammals – animals which give milk
126. Monogamy – the practice of marrying one at a time
127. Missionary – a person, who is sent to propagate religion
128. Numismatics – the study of coins
129. Namesake – a person having same name as another
130. Nostalgia – a strong desire to return home, home sickness
131. Novice or Tyro – one, new to anything, inexperienced
132. Narcotic – a medicine for producing sleep
133. Optimist – a person who looks at the brighter side of things
134. Orphan – one, who has lost parents
135. Omnipresent – one, who is present everywhere
136. Omnipotent – one, who is all powerful
137. Omniscient – one, who knows everything
138. Opaque – that which cannot be seen through
139. Obituary – an account in the newspaper of the funeral of the one deceased
140. Orphanage – a home for orphans
141. Obstetrician – one, who is skilled in midwifery
142. Ostler – one, who looks after horses at an inn
143. Omnivorous – one, who eats everything
144. Pessimist – a person who looks at the darker side of things
145. Potable – fit to drink
146. Post mortem – an examination of dead body
147. Philanthropist – a lover of mankind
148. Patricide8. Patricide – murder of father 149. Philatelist – one, who collects stamps
150. Plagiarism – literary theft or passing off an author's origina

l work as one's own
151. Polygamy –

the practice of marrying more than one wife at a time
152. Polyandry – the practice of marrying more than one husband at a time
153. Philogynist – a lover of womankind
154. Plebiscite – (a decision made by) votes of all qualified citizens
155. Philanderer – one, who amuses himself by love making
156. Philistine – one who does not care for art and literature
157. Plutocracy – government by the rich
158. Pseudonym – an imaginary name assumed by an author for disguise
159. Posthumous – a child born after the death of his father or the book published after the death of the writer
160. Panacea – a remedy for all diseases
161. Paediatrician – a person, who is specialist in child diseases
162. Platitude – ordinary remarks often repeated
163. Pedant – one, who makes a vain display of his knowledge
164. Polyglot – one, who speaks many languages
165. Paleography – the study of ancient writing
166. Posse – a number of policemen called to quell a riot
167. Parole – pledge given by a prisoner for temporary release, not to escape
168. Pedestrian – one, who goes on foot
169. Portable – that can be carried easily
170. Quarantine – an act of separation from other persons to avoid infection
171. Rhetoric – the art of elegant speech or writing
172. Regicide – murder of King or Queen
173. Sacrilege – violating or profaning religious things/places
174. Sculptor – one, who cuts in stones
175. Suicide – murder of oneself
176. Stable – a place for horses
177. Somnambulist – a person, who walks in sleep
178. Somniloquist – a person, who talks in sleep
179. Souvenir – a thing kept as a reminder of a person, place or event
180. Swan song – the last work (literary) of a writer
181. Sot, Toper – one, who is a habitual drunkard
182. Sinecure – a job with high salary but little responsibility
183. Stoic – a person, who is indifferent to pleasure and pain and has control over his passions
184. Sanatorium – a place for the sick to recover health
185. Sororicide – murder of sister
186. Triennial – an event which happens once in three years
187. Truant – a person/student who absents himself from class or duty without permission
188. Teetotaller – one, who does not take any intoxicating drink
189. Transparent – that which can be seen through
190. Theocracy – government by religious principles
191. Uxorious – one extremely fond of one's wife
192. Utopia – an imaginary perfect social and political system
193. Uxoricide – murder of wife
194. Verbatim – repetition of speech or writing word for word
195. Volunteer – one, who offers one's services
196. Virgin – a woman who has no sexual experience
197. Versatile – interested in and clever at many different things
198. Veteran – one, who has a long experience of any occupation
199. Venial – a fault that may be forgiven
200. Wardrobe – a place for clothes
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What is the "Tunguska Event" ?

One of the biggest explosions in history, the Tunguska Event occurred on June 30, 1908 in Siberia. The blast leveled approximately 770 square miles of forest, and supposedly left a glow in the night skies for the next three days, according to an issue of Nature from that time. The cause of the explosion, however, has yet to be fully explained. However, of the possible causes, the leading answer is an asteroid burst, similar to the Chelyabinsk meteor in 2013.

What is the difference between ‘cemetery’ and ‘graveyard’?

From about the 7th century C.E., the process of burial was firmly in the hands of the Church (the Christian organization), and burying the dead was only allowed on the lands near a church (now referring to the building), the so-called churchyard. The part of the churchyard used for burial was called graveyard.

As the population of Europe started to grow, the capacity of graveyards was no longer sufficient (the population of modern Europe is almost 40 times higher than it was in the 7th century). By the end of the 18th century, the unsustainability of church burials became apparent, and completely new places for burying people, independent of graveyards, appeared—and these were called cemeteries.

Mains Paper 2: Trade policy concerns between India and the US

Concerns from Indian Side
The Centre will raise Indian industry’s concerns over the U.S. visa ‘curbs’, during the India-U.S. Trade Policy Forum (TPF) meeting likely in October
TFP is the premier forum to resolve bilateral trade and investment issues between India and the US
Possible topics of discussion during TFP
From the US side: the U.S. is expected raise its worries over India’s ‘restrictions’ on e-commerce
And the ‘challenges’ faced by American innovative industries due to India’s ‘weak’ Intellectual Property Rights regime
From Indian Side: Indian government is likely to raise the issue of the ‘non-tariff barriers’ by the U.S. that are hurting Indian agriculture, pharmaceuticals and other industrial exports.

Digital Industrialization

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Mains Paper 2: Governance | Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
Important
For Prelims: Swachhagrahi
For Mains: Good overview of the progress made so far, under the SBM.

The article talks about the progress of the Swachh Bharat Mission(SBM)
SWB was Launched in October 2014 and scheduled to culminate by October 2, 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhiji, the SBM is close to completing three years.
Progress under the SBM
The Rural sanitation coverage has increased from 39 per cent to 67 per cent in three years and over 230 million people in rural India have stopped defecating in the open
Five states, 186 districts and over 2,31,000 villages have been declared as ODF(open defection free)
The most significant policy shift in under SBM has been the move from outputs (number of toilets built) to outcomes (ODF villages)
Means, now we calculate our progress in number of ODF villages instead of number of toilet builds
Swachhagrahi
Swachhagrahi are trained grass roots level motivators who work under an incentive-based system
They “trigger” behaviour change by stimulating community-level demand for toilets
The SBM ambitiously aims at having at least one trained grassroots-level swachhagrahi in each village in India
Currently, more than 1.5 lakh swachhagrahi are working in villages
Strict guidelines for Verification
Currently, verification of ODF villages stands at around 56 per cent
To accelerate the verification process, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has recently issued policy guidelines
According to these guidelines, state governments will be eligible for release of the second instalment of central funds only if they have fully verified all their ODF villages
The Way Forward
The emphasis on sustainability differentiates SBM from previous sanitation programmes
The progress made so far and the acceleration expected over the coming 12-15 months with the active engagement of millions of people, the goal is definitely achievable.

What are "dirty thunderstorms"?

Dirty thunderstorms are the ultimate explosive combination. These crackling ash clouds are essentially lightning created by volcanic eruptions. This dynamic display results from the same thing that causes regular lightning: ice particles colliding to produce a static charge, only with rock and ash thrown into the mix. According to the BBC, these voltaic visuals are actually pretty rare, except for at Mount Sakurajima in Japan, where it happens on an almost daily basis. Poor Japan.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Individual vs group

The Maharashtra Prohibition of People from Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act (2016), which received presidential assent last week, is an acknowledgement of a basic principle of citizenship and justice: The social contract in a modern democracy is between the state and the citizen, and crime and punishment must be defined between these two parties.
Like in many other parts of India, caste panchayats in Maharashtra have wielded extra-judicial authority and Indian citizens have been ostracised, even killed by “community” actors despite breaking no laws. That the BJP-led Devendra Fadnavisgovernment has criminalised such actions is a welcome first step. Moving forward, it needs to politically address the climate of prejudice and intolerance that forms the backdrop of a community justice that encourages vigilantism and exclusion.
The Social Boycott Act was brought in in response to sustained movements provoked by atrocities against individuals by gaviks or caste panchayats in Maharashtra. A large number of these incidents were in response to inter-caste marriages. Four years ago, the “honour killing” of Pramila Khumbharkar sparked outrage and murdered rationalist Narendra Dhabolkar was among those who led the movement demanding legislation that specifically tackles feudal forms of mob and vigilante justice.
The new law addresses loopholes in existing laws that were used to thwart justice. For example, it ensures that trials are completed within six months from the date a report is first filed. The Act also penalises individuals or groups who try to prevent others from accessing places of worship, certain professions or even certain forms of dress and public behaviour. In essence, the law asserts the freedom of the individual over the social group they belong to. The legislation does, however, fall short when it comes to addressing inter-community social ostracism — for example, the denial of housing to minorities, or attacks on them for their diet and dress.
While the Indian Constitution has given a pride of place to individual rights, the unit of public discourse and political practice has often been the social group. In debates on caste injustice, secularism, women’s rights and even access to public spaces, it is the ascriptive identity rather than the notion of the individual liberty that is often at the forefront.
The Fadnavis government, in addition to legislation, must now take the lead in changing the tenor of public discourse. It cannot be seen to, for example, legitimise, even tacitly, vigilantism and violence in the name of cow protection, or impose dietary restrictions in the name of “community sentiments”. That, as much as the law itself, will display a political will to safeguard the rights of every citizen.
(Source- The Indian Express)

What is "the door to hell" and how did it come about ?

Science can easily explain the 70-meter-wide Door to Hell in Turkmenistan, because science caused it. According to the Daily Mail, back in 1971, Soviet geologists were drilling what they thought was an oil field. But instead, they wound up opening a natural gas-filled cavern. Fearing a poisonous-gas leak, they lit a match, hoping to burn off the toxic vapor. The gas supply they thought would burn off in a few days continues to burn as of this writing. In 2010, Turkmenistan's president Gurbanbuly Berdimuhamedow wanted the hole closed, but that hasn't happened. And in case you're wondering, people can visit the infernal locale. Just don't forget the marshmallows.

Phosphorescent (glowing) water?

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In some parts of the world, the beaches are so beautiful that the waves shine at night. It's true! These glowing waves, which can be found in the Everglades, the Maldives, and numerous other places around the world, are actually created by microorganisms, according to National Geographic. These particular microorganisms, phytoplankton, give off light when they're agitated, like when they're struck by waves. The result is an alluring glow, which can be seen in various locations in the world's oceans. It also makes for great, natural mood lighting.