Indian Defence Awards

For the Purpose of Classification, India honours and awards can be divided into two categories.

• Gallantry Awards
• Non – gallantry Awards

The Gallantry awards are again divisible into two categories:

• Those for gallantry in the face of the enemy.
• Those for gallantry other than in the face of the enemy

The first category of the gallantry awards comprises :
1. Param Vir Chakra
2. Maha Vir Chakra
3. Vir Chakra
4. Sena, Nao Sena and Vayu Sena Medal
5. Mention in Dispatches
6. Chiefs of Staff Commendation Card

The second category of the gallantry awards comprise the following :
1. Ashoka Chakra *
2. Kirti Chakra *
3. Shaurya Chakra *
* These were originally named Ashoka Chakra Class I, Class II, Class III

Among non-gallantry awards, the following are mentioned: 
1. Bharat Ratna
2. Padma Vibhushan
3. Padma Bhushan
4. Param Vishisht Seva Medal
5. Padma Shri
6. Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal
7. Uttam Yudh Seva Medal
8. Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
9. Yudh Seva Medal
10. Vishisht Seva Medal
11. 30 Years Long Seva Medal
12. 20 Years Long Service Medal
13. 9 Years Long Service Medal
14. Meritorious Service Medal
15. Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
16. General Service Medal – 1947
17. Samar Seva Medal
18. Sainya Seva Medal
19. Videsh Seva Medal
20. Commendation Card
21. Raksha Medal
22. Poorvi Star
23. Paschimi Star
24. Sangram Medal
25. Wound Medal
26. 25th Independence Anniversary Medal

5th Dec 2014 - World soil day

“Man , despite his artistic pretensions and his many accomplishment, owes his existence  to a six inch layer of top soil and the fact that it rains” 

                                                                                               Author Unknown

Last year ,  on December 20, 2013, the 68th UN General Assembly recognized December 5th, 2014 as World Soil Day and 2015 as the International Year of Soils. 

Keeping in view that 2014 is the International year of Family Farming , the theme for today i.e 5th Dec 2014 is the World Soil Day is " Soil , Foundation for family farming"....... a day highlighting the importance of soil and the need to use it in a sustainable way. 

Mr. Satish Kumar ,the editor-in-chief of Resurgence & Ecologist. says that  "We are all part of this healthy web of life maintained by soil. The Latin word humus means soil. The words human, humility and humus all come from the same root. When humans lose contact with soil, they are no longer humans.......We come from the soil, and we return to the soil.” 

Soil is inextricably linked to human and ecosystem health and crucial if we are to ensure food, water, and energy security for nine billion people by 2050. It sustains biodiversity – and if managed wisely – contributes to the mitigation of climate change. 

What can I do ?

1. Plant trees..... Trees stop soil erosion, helps build a rich soil, feeds us and other creatures on earth, gives us fresh air by absorbing air pollutants... and many other benefits.

2. Learn to "segregate waste at source" i.e in your own house and learn  how to compost your kitchen waste....by this simple act you will eliminate your unsegregated waste from going into landfills.... a major cause of  soil degradation and green house gas  generation
.
3. Green your home one plant at a time....  Grow some of the food you eat organically in your backyard , balcony or a bright window sill. You can use the compost you made from your kitchen waste to grow these plants. Adding your kitchen waste compost makes the soil rich , grows healthy food which is not only good for the planet but good for you too.

Amazing facts about December Month

• December starts on the same day of the week as September every year, and ends on the same day of the week as April every year.
• The name December originates from the Latin word decem, which means ten. December was the tenth month of the year in the Roman calendar.
•  On December 3, 1967, the first heart transplant was completed.
• The Observer, a British newspaper, was first published in December.
• The American Bill of Right was passed in December.
• In some culture, December 28th is considered to be the unluckiest day of the year.
• The first artificial Christmas tree was made in Germany, fashioned out of goose feathers that are dyed green!
• Spiders and spider webs are considered good luck on Christmas.
• “Jingle bells” was composed in 1857, and not for Christmas – it was meant to be a Thanksgiving song!
• An almanac prediction states that if snow falls on Christmas Day, Easter will be warm, green and sunny. December often marks the beginning of rain, snow, and cold weather.
• The first day of winter is on either December 21 or 22. This is the shortest day of the year and the longest night. It is called the winter or Southern solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.
• World's AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1st.
• On 10th December, Nobel Prizes are awarded.
• On December 17, 1903, the Wright Brothers made their first flight.
• 31st December is the last day of the year. It is New Year’s Eve. Many people see the old year out with a party, welcoming in the New Year with toasts of champagne, and exchanging good wishes for a ‘Happy New Year’.
• The hugs are meant to be random act of kindness, a selfless act performed just to make others feel better. This year’s International Free Hugs Day is celebrated on Dec 4.
• Forefathers’ Day is a holiday celebrated in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on December 22. It is a commemoration of the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on December 21, 1620. It was introduced in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1769.
• The stock market tends to do better in December than any other month. This has been put down to something called the ‘Santa rally’.
• December is the month when couples argue the most.

Best Brain-booster Foods

1. Avocado: Rich in vitamin E- an important antioxidant.
2. Blueberries: Rich antioxidant. Builds healthy connections between brain cells.
3. Broccoli: Contains antioxidants like vitamin C and brain-protecting plant compounds known as carotenoids.
4. Curry: Contains spices that reduce inflammation. Its ingredient curcumin is effective at clearing away proteins called amyloid plaques that can cause serious brain problems.
5. Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa has a good amount of of brain-boosting elements. It is also a good antioxidant. Dark chocolate boosts your serotonin to keep you happy. Contains just about OK level of caffeine to keep you alert.
6. Green and black tea: Rich source of catechines (antioxidants). Keep a check on frequency of drinking tea to not more than two to three cups a day since it contains caffeine.
7. Oily fish: Salmon, sardines and mackerel are rich in omega 3 fatty acids- essential for increasing brain function. Improves cognitive strength and alertness.
8. Seeds: Pumpkin seeds contain lots of zinc and magnesium which are brain-boosters.
9. Water: Every cell in the body needs water to remain healthy. Drinking enough water helps in boosting the brain power.
10. Wholegrain food: Increases cognitive function. Folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 found in whole grains help in improving the memory.

Constituent Assembly

• The constituent assembly was formed on the recommendation of the Cabinet Mission which visited India in 1946.
• The Constituent Assembly met for the first time in New Delhi on 9 December, 1946 in the Constitution Hall which is now known as the Central Hall of Parliament House.
• Mr. Sachchidanand Sinha was elected provisional chairman of the assembly.
• Dr Rajendra Prasad later became the permanent chairman of the constituent assembly.
• On 13 December, 1946, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru moved the Objectives Resolution which resolved to proclaim India as an Independent Sovereign Republic and to draw up for her future governance a Constitution.
• The Constituent Assembly took almost three years (two years, eleven months and seventeen days to be precise) to complete its historic task of drafting the Constitution for Independent India.
• The Constituent Assembly held eleven sessions covering a total of 165 days.
• India is governed in terms of the Constitution, which was adopted on 26 November, 1949, which was the last day of the Eleventh session of the Constituent Assembly.
• This date finds mention in the Preamble to the Indian Constitution thus IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.
• The honourable members appended their signatures to the constitution on 24 January, 1950.
• The Constitution of India came into force on 26 January, 1950. On that day, the Constituent Assembly ceased to exist, transforming itself into the Provisional Parliament of India until a new Parliament was constituted in 1952.

Important Dates - Constituent Assembly to Constitution

Constituent Assembly met for the first time - 09 Dec 1946

Objectives Resolution moved - 13 Dec 1946

Constitution adopted - 26 Nov 1949

Signed by members - 24 Jan 1950

Constitution came into force and Constituent Assembly ceased to exist - 26 Jan 1950

LEDs To Light Up Central Offices

LED lights will capture corridors and rooms of central offices, ministries and departments soon.

P K Mishra, Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is learnt to have suggested in a recent communiqué that all government departments and their subordinate offices procure only LED lights and bulbs for lighting, and not CFLs or tube lights.

The rationale: Though costlier, LEDsconsume less electricity and can prove more effective in the long run.

The communiqué, sources said, also cited studies showing LEDs were 25 per more efficient than CFLs, 23 per cent more efficient that tube lights and 80 per cent more efficient than incandescent lamps.

“Though the price of LEDs is higher than other light sources, their lifetime cost is much lower,” officials said.

LEDs’ high energy efficiency can be gauged from the fact that a nine-watt LED bulb gives the same amount of light output as a 12-watt CFL or a 60-watt normal bulb, the communiqué is said to have argued.

A few months ago, the government had embarked on a major cleanliness drive at all central offices and buildings and disposed of tonnes of unused computer peripherals, cupboards and chairs.

Modi Govt To Observe ‘Good Governance Day’ To Remember Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Bharatiya Janata Party patriarch’s birthdayfalls on December 25 will be observed each year as national ‘Good Governance Day’ as a mark of respect to former prime minister.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Former Prime Minister of India

The BJP has decided to celebrate Vajpayee’s birthday as “good governanceday” from this year onwards and has asked party Members of Parliament to spend an hour on December 25 in their constituency to work for cleanliness as part of the Swachh Bharat programme.

The Prime Minister also asked the BJP MPs to work for an hour in their respective constituencies for the ‘Clean India’ campaign. The Rajya Sabha Members of Parliament was also asked to choose a constituency which the party has never won for this purpose.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy said a core committee, with him and Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister Anant Kumar as members, has been formed to chalk out the plans for celebrating Vajpayee’s birthday.

Vajpayee, who will turn 90 on December 25, has been ailing for sometime. While the amiable former Prime Minister is liked across party lines, marking his birthday as “good governance day” has started murmurs that the BJP is trying to appropriate yet another important day.

The Modi government launched Swachh Bharat programme on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi while Indira Gandhi’s death anniversary saw the government celebrating Sardar Patel’s birthday.

Rudy said BJP will organise seminars, and also highlight the achievements of the NDA government under Vajpayee on December 25.

Verification of genuineness of postage stamps

Verification of genuineness of postage stamps