Daily Current Affairs MCQ - Feb 1, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

• Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the Red Fort's construction on 12 May 1638, when he decided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi.

• Originally red and white, its design is credited to architect Ustad Ahmad Lahori, who also constructed the Taj Mahal. It was constructed between May 1639 and April 1648.

• It was only in the reign of Shah Jahan (1628-58) that the Mughal connection to Delhi was given concrete form, with the founding of Shahjahanabad and the inauguration of its palace citadel, the Red Fort, in 1648.

• From that date to the end of Mughal rule in 1857, Delhi would be the Mughal empire's formal capital.

Symbol of Nation

• With the coming of Independence, it was necessary that the Red Fort's site, over which the British colonial government had sought to inscribe its power and might, be symbolically reclaimed for the Indian people.

• For this reason, after the first hoisting of the national flag at India Gate on August 15, 1947, the next day, the Prime Minister hoisted it on the Red Fort's ramparts — this was to become India's lasting Independence Day tradition then.

• The term refers to the several Maratha invasions of West Bengal between 1741 and 1751, which resulted in looting, plundering and massacres of what was then Mughal territory.

• This specific period's happenings have affected Bengal's consciousness so much that they have an established presence in Bengali folklore and literature. The term 'bargis' is used as a casual reference to troublesome outsider forces.

• Simply speaking, the word bargi referred to cavalrymen in Maratha and Mughal armies. The word comes from the Persian "bargir", literally meaning "burden taker".

• But in the Mughal and Maratha armies, the term signified "a soldier who rode a horse furnished by his employer."

• The visas will be issued to Hong Kong residents who hold a British National (Overseas) passport and their immediate dependents and will offer a fast track to UK citizenship.

• Applicants who get the visa can live and work in the UK for 5 years, after which they apply for settlement. Twelve months after this, they can apply for citizenship.

• The move is considered the UK's most generous welcoming of foreign workers since the entry of new EU citizens in 2004 — when 10 countries were added to the bloc– when the UK was also a member.

• The move comes months after China imposed a sweeping national security law over the former British colony, aiming pro-democracy protests that had captured global attention since 2019.

• Ethylene glycol is an industrial compound found in consumer products including automotive antifreeze, hydraulic brake fluids, stamp pad inks, ballpoint pens, solvents, paints, plastics, films, and cosmetics. It is also used as a pharmaceutical vehicle.

• It is a synthetic liquid, which is odourless and is used to make antifreeze and de-icing solutions for cars, aeroplanes and boats.

• Ethylene glycol has a sweet taste and is often accidentally or intentionally ingested.

• Once ingested, ethylene glycol is chemically broken down into toxic compounds. These byproducts then affect the central nervous system (CNS), the heart and then the kidneys. CDC says that the ingestion of sufficient amounts can be fatal.

• Ethylene glycol can be disseminated through indoor air, water, food, outdoor air and agricultural products.

• In Chile, the 4th of November has been declared as National Yoga Day.

• On 4th of November 1962, the first Yoga institution in Chile was established by José Rafael Estrada.

• Estrada, originally from Mexico, is credited for bringing Yoga to Chile. T

• He also mentioned that the name of the Vice President of the Chilean Senate is Rabindranath Quinteros.

• He has been so named, inspired by Vishwa Kavi Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.

• Baiju Prafulkumar Bhatt (born 1984/1985) is an Indian-American billionaire entrepreneur of Gujarati descent. He is the co-founder, along with Vladimir Tenev, of Robinhood, a US-based financial services company.

• Robinhood Markets, Inc. is an American financial services company headquartered in Menlo Park, California.

• On January 28, 2021, Robinhood restricted the trading of certain stocks following an effort by users of r/wallstreetbets subreddit to drive up their price. This decision attracted condemnation from internet users on the subreddit and Twitter.

• The Matua community has members on either side of the Bengal border.

• It is associated with a religious movement begun in the 1870s by Harichand Thakur of a Namasudra (SC) family, hailed from Safaldanga in East Bengal.

• In the early 20th century, his son Guruchand organised the movement socially and politically. In 1915, the Matua Federation was established.

• Today, Matuas constitute the second-largest SC population of West Bengal. Government sources put their number at around 17% of the state's electorate.

• For years, the Matuas were demanding an amendment to the Citizenship Act of 2003, whose provisions made it difficult for refugees to get citizenship.

• Patta means cloth, and Chitra means picture. Hence, Pattachitra is a picture painted on a piece of cloth. It is based in the states of West Bengal and Odisha.

• Bengal tradition: It is centred around Kalighat (in Kolkata). The theme is Not much devotional.

• Odisha tradition:

  • It is centred around Puri. Almost all of the Chitrakar community hails from a small village in Puri district called Raghurajpur.

  • These paintings are based on Hindu mythology and specially inspired by Jagannath and Vaishnava sect.

  • All colours used in the Paintings are natural and paintings.

• e-Vidhan is a Mission Mode Project (MMP) included in Digital India Programme. Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA) is the 'Nodal Ministry' for its implementation in all the States/ UTs with Legislatures.

• Funding of NeVA is on the pattern of Central Sponsored Scheme, i.e. 60:40; and 90:10 for North East & hilly States and 100% for UTs.

• The funding for e-Vidhan is provided by the MoPA and technical support by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).