Art and Culture

Lothal archaeological site: The Hindu

An IIT Delhi student died and three others were injured after soil collapsed on them when they entered a pit near the archaeological site of Lothal in Gujarat for research recently.

Lothal

• About: An excavated site situated in the Bhal region in Dholka, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. 
• Origin: One of the prominent cities of the ancient IVC, which originated in 2400 BC.
• Location: Gulf of Khambat region—the only port town of the IVC.
• Discovery: By SR Rao, an Indian archaeologist, in 1954.
• Literal meaning: 'Mound of the Dead'
• Town planning: divided into two parts. 
  • Upper part/ Acropolis: The ruler and other important people of the city lived here.
  • Lower part: meant for the common people.

• Features:
  • A scientific drainage system
  • Well-laid paved roads
  • Bath for every house
  • Double-storied houses built on mud platforms
  • Dockyard - world’s oldest known artificial dock, connected to an old course of the Sabarmati River.
• Trade and commerce: 
  • Trade in beads, gems, and expensive ornaments that were exported to West Asia and Africa.
  • Pottery.
• Religious beliefs: Ruins of a fire altar suggest that the people worshipped the fire god along with the sea god.

Koraga tribal community - The Hindu 

The Revenue department in Kerala, utilising the corpus fund of the Scheduled Tribes Development department, has initiated steps to provide land titles (patta) to the Koraga community, a scheduled tribe (ST) group in Kasaragod and Manjeswaram taluks. The initiative comes under a project called Operation Smile

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Centre approves ₹141 Crore loans for development of Ramappa Circuit and Somasila Retreat - The Hindu 

The Union government has approved loans to the tune of ₹141 crore to develop two tourism projects in Telangana:Ramappa Region Sustainable Tourism Circuit and Somasilla Wellness & Spiritual Retreat Nallamala. 

Ramappa Temple/ Rudreshwara temple

• About: A Kakatiya style Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva, located in Telangana.
• Construction: 1213 AD - built by Kakatiya ruler Kakati Ganapathi Deva under the authority of his Chief Commander Rudra Samani.
• Sculptor: Ramappa - probably the only temple in India that is named after the architect.
• Features:
  • Earthquake-proof as the temple is light.
  • Sandbox technique used where the foundation pit is filled with a mixture of sand-lime, jaggery and black myrobalan fruit. 
  • The temple’s pillars produce musical notes.
• Significance: Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.

Polity

Prior sanction: what SC said on ED cases against public officials - Indian Express 

Citing as precedent a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress MP P Chidambaram moved the Delhi High Court seeking a stay of their respective trials. The SC ruling being cited as precedent came on November 6, and for the very first time mandated that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) obtain prior sanction to prosecute public servants on money laundering charges.

World Affairs 

On the freedom of religion in Bangladesh - The Hindu 

The desecration of Hindu temples in Bangladesh and the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das on sedition charges is not only a violation of Bangladesh’s constitutional promises but also a negation of international human rights law. Human rights are not the internal matters of any country and thus, India is fully justified in expressing its concerns about the violation of minority rights in Bangladesh.

India re-elected to U.N. Peacebuilding Commission - The Hindu 

India has been re-elected to the U.N. Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) for 2025–2026. India's current term on the Commission was expiring on December 31.

Economy 

Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE) - The Hindu

A total of 11,855 companies have been struck off till November 15 of the current financial year 2024-25 (FY25) through the Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE), the government told Lok Sabha in response to a query.

Commission of Railway Safety permits operation of trains but flags ‘glaring lapses’ - The Hindu 

The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has pointed out “glaring lapses” right from the planning stage to the execution of the new Pamban rail bridge, even as he gave the go-ahead for operating trains on the structure.

Government of India and ADB sign $98 million loan to promote plant health management in India’s horticulture - PIB 

The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) today signed a $98 million loan to improve horticulture crop farmers’ access to certified disease-free planting materials, which will boost their crops’ yield, quality, and resilience to climate impacts.

Science and Tech 

Shock diamonds: supersonic heat nuggets - The Hindu

Sometimes when a rocket or a jet takes off, its exhaust has an alternating pattern of light and dark patches. The bright patches in this formation are called shock diamonds, a.k.a. Mach diamonds.

Emerging H5N1 mutations raise risk of human infections - The Hindu

Genome sequencing identified the PB2-E627K mutation in the British Columbia teenager, which is linked to faster replication in human cells and greater severity of illness, and likely emerged during the infection.

Common heart valve disease linked to insulin resistance - The Hindu 

A large population study indicates that insulin resistance may be an important risk factor for the development of heart valve disease — aortic stenosis. 

Aortic Stenosis

• Meaning: Occurs when the aortic valve narrows and blood cannot flow normally which may range from mild to severe.
• Weakening of muscles: Aortic valve stenosis causes heart’s left ventricle to pump harder to push blood through the narrowed aortic valve which may cause the left ventricle to thicken, enlarge, and weaken.
• Cause: Caused by atherosclerosis, a calcium buildup on the aortic valve over time which make the valve tissue stiff, narrow, and unyielding.

• Symptoms:
  • Chest pain
  • Rapid, fluttering heartbeat
  • Trouble breathing or feeling short of breath
  • Feeling dizzy or light-headed, even fainting
  • Difficulty walking short distances
  • Decline in activity level or reduced ability to do normal activities
• Treatment: Depends on how severe the condition is & may include surgery to fix or replace the valve. 

Defence 

“AGNI WARRIOR - 2024” - PIB 

The 13th edition of Joint Military Exercise AGNI WARRIOR (XAW-2024), a bilateral exercise between the Indian Army and Singapore Armed Forces, concluded at Field Firing Ranges, Devlali (Maharashtra) recently.