1. Prologue
  2. Biodiversity related
    1. Nicobar Megapod
    2. Bugun Liocichla
    3. Venated Gliding Frog
    4. Hoolock Gibbon
    5. Ape Vs Monkey
  3. Art Related
    1. Warli Painting
    2. Shekhawati Paintings
  4. Freedom Fighters and Polity
    1. Silk Letter movement
    2. UP legislature: 125 years completed
    3. Ghadar Movement: 100 years
    4. Madan Mohan Malaviya
    5. ShivaRam Hari Rajguru
    6. Shyam Narayan Singh
    7. Politicians
  5. Newspaper related
  6. Religion related
    1. Hanukkah: festival of light
    2. 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda (2013)
    3. 800TH URS
    4. Chaitya Bhoomi
    5. GIDIJI Temple, Mumbai
    6. Shrine Basilica
    7. SRIKURMAM
  7. Institutes/places
  8. Sci-Tech related
    1. Srinivasa Ramanujan
    2. Indian Science congress: 100 years completed
    3. Civil Aviation Centenary
  9. Others

Prologue

  • Whenever someone/something’s birth anniversary is in the multiple of 5 (e.g. 20, 50, 100, 125, 175…) then examiners become crazy about it: for both MCQs as well as 2 marker/ 5marker Questions in GS Mains paper. (Same applies for authors/poets, if you’ve literature as an optional subject!)
  • So how to find out such terms/names? One way is to keep an eye on the Stamps released by Postal department. (also newspapers and pib.nic.in)
  • This article contains the important stamps released from January 2012 to December 2013 (Yes, upto December 2013 in advance- because stamp release schedule already available on postal website.)

Biodiversity related

Stamps Biodiversity related

  • 2012: Hyderabad hosted 11th Conference of Parties (CoP) to Convention on Biodiversity (CBD)
  • Four stamps were released. These are endemic species of Indian biodiversity hotspots

Nicobar Megapod

Bugun Liocichla
  • small bird, Arunachal Pradesh
  • discovered in 1995 by an Astronomer Ramana Athreya.
  • its closest relatives found in mountains of Central China.
  • Liocichla are members of the diverse bird family known as babblers.
  • vulnerable under International Union for Conservation of Naturee (IUCN) Red List.

Venated Gliding Frog
  • Tamilnadu
  • Restricted to Indira Gandhi National Park and its surrounding in in the South Western Ghats,
  • within an altitudinal range of 1000-1300 metres.

Hoolock Gibbon

  • Important seed disperser, because they mostly eat ripe fruits.
  • There are two types of Gibbons.
Type

Western

Eastern
Within India Found in all North Eastern States.Between Brahmaputra and Diban river.Outside india- found in Only in specific pockets of Arunanchal Pradesh and Assam
Outside India Bangladesh, Myanmar. Souther China, NE Myanmar
Status under IUCN redlist Endangered Vulnerable.

Ape Vs Monkey

Hoolock Gibbon is the only ape found in India. Ok, Then what is the difference between Apes and monkeys?

Ape

Monkey
Size Larger brain and body No
Example Chimpanzee, orangutans, gorillas Baboons, macaque
Has tail? No Yes
Arms Apes’ arms are longer than their legs. No
Swing They use their arms to swing branch to branch. no
Life expectancy 60 years 30
Family Hominoidea Cercopithecidae

Art Related

Stamps-Painting

Warli Painting

  • Warli paintings depicts the daily and social events of the Warli tribe of Maharashtra. (found in Northern outskirts of Mumbai)
  • used for decorating the walls of village houses.

Shekhawati Paintings

  • Shekhawati region in Rajasthan
  • painted on walls of havelis.
  • Fresco painting technique used in it.
  • influenced by Persian, Jaipur and the Mughal Schools of painting.

Freedom Fighters and Polity

Silk Letter movement

  • known as “Reshmi Rumal Tehrik”
  • by revolutionaries connected with Darul Uloom @Deoband.
  • to mobilize the support of governments of Afghanistan in Turkey to invade India and organize revolt within India to overthrow the British rule.
  • 1916: British Authorities found some letters written on silk by Obaidullah Sindhi, hence known as silk letter movement.
  • important leaders: Obauidullah Sindhi + Maulana Mahmood Hasan
  • Obauidullah Sindhi: later established contact with Gadhar Party leaders. He was Home Minister in the provisional government of Azad Hind in Kabul,  Afghanistan.

UP legislature: 125 years completed

  • UP legislature was created under the Indian councils act 1861
  • although first session of UP legislature was held in 1887. Hence 2012=125th b’day.

UP After freedom

  • Before independence, UP=United Province.
  • Name UP=Uttar Pradesh was given in Jan’1950
  • UP has bicameral legislature = assembly + council
  • 2000: Uttarakhand carved out of UP
  • But still, In terms of Member strength, UP has largest state legislature.
  • UP has given 8 PM to India starting with Nehru.

Ghadar Movement: 100 years

  • 1913: HQ in San Francisco, USA
  • important leaders
  • Lala Hardayal
  • Sohan Singh Bhakna
  • Taraknath Das
  • Mohd.Barkatullah
  • Rash Bihar Bose
  • Vishnu Ganesh Pingley

Komagata Maru

  • Name of ship that was carrying Sikh immigrants from India to Canada.
  • But Canada did not allow them to enter.
  • Ship came back @Kolkata, 1914
  • Immigrants refused to go back to Punjab, clashes with police, 22 dead.

Madan Mohan Malaviya
  • 2012=150th anniversary. Curiously no stamp was released. (although RBI issued Rs.5 coin) but SSC examiner went crazy about him, nonetheless! 2 MCQs on him in CGL 2013’s paper.
  • Was given the title of “mahanama” (by either Gandhi or People of India- depending on which site/book you refer.)
  • He was a “moderate” congress leader
  • Asked Congress to build memorial for Jaliawalla bagh
  • Founded Nationalist party
  • VC of Banaras Hindu university
  • Founder of newspaper “”The Hindustan Times”. (took loan from Punjab National Bank for start the paper)

Kuka Movement
  • 150th Anniversary, no stamp but RBI issued coin in Jan 2013
  • Kuka Movement in the Punjab (1860-1872)
  • originally founded by Bhagat Jawahar Mal in 1840, To purify the Sikh religion from abuses, superstitions and ill-practices.
  • But after the British annexed Punjab, Kukas started struggle for revival of Sikh power.

ShivaRam Hari Rajguru
  • from Maharashtra.
  • member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army,
  • assassination of Saunders
  • Lahor Conspiracy case
  • Hanged on March 23, 1931 with Bhagat Singh

Shyam Narayan Singh
  • freedom fighter and long serving legislator from Bihar.
  • his association with first President Dr Rajendra Prasad Singh and first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru and other leaders of the era.

Politicians

C Achyutha Menon
  • during freedom struggle, worked for Congress
  • 1942:  joined Communist Party
  • Ex- Chief Minister of Kerala
  • Laksham Veedu program= Housing scheme of massive scale for homeless people

Ramaswamy Venkataraman
  • 8th President of India
  • From Tamilnadu
  • Before him Giani Zail Singh
  • After him Shankar Dayal Sharma

Shyama Charan Shukla
  • veteran Indian National Congress leader was 3 times Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.

Vasantdada Patil
  • Took part in 1942’s individual satyagraha
  • Governer of Rajsthan
  • Chief Minister of Maharashtra

Newspaper related

Karpoor Chand “Kulish”
  • founder of Rajasthan Patrika, a Hindi language newspaper

Lala Jagat Narain
  • Freedom struggle in Lahor-Punjab region.
  • started an Urdu daily, Hind Samachar in 1948.
  • Critic of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale
  • Assassinated in 1981.

Malayala Manorama
  • published in the state of Kerala, India.
  • Quasquicentennial (125th Anniversary)

MB Kadadi
  • Freedom fighter, Maharashtra
  • Started Sangameshwar College at Solapur
  • Took part in Swadeshi and Quit India Movements.
  • founded Sanchar, a Marathi newspaper

Puran Chandra Gupta
  • Founder Editor of Dainik Jagran media group,
  • one of the pioneers of Hindi Journalism.

Ramgopal Maheshwari
  • Freedom fighter
  • biweekly paper ‘Nava Bharat’ from Nagpur.
  • was known as ‘Bhishma Pitamaha’ of journalism in Central and Western India,
  • made great efforts to eradicate conservative customs from the Maheshwari Samaj and made it more progressive.

Times of India
  • Completed 175 years
  • Started in 1838
  • owned and published by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. which is owned by the Sahu Jain family.

Religion related

Hanukkah: festival of light

  • diplomatic relations between India-Israel started in 1992
  • hence 2012=20 years passed.
  • The stamps depict two festivals of light
  • Diwali=India, Kartik Month=Oct-Nov.
  • Hanukkah=8 day Jewish festival of light. In Nov-Dec (depending on Hebrew calendar)
  • Candles symbolizing victory of good over evil.

150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda (2013)

  • 1863: born as Narendra Nath Datta
  • Adopted the name “Vivekananda” on suggestion of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Khetri.
  • 1893: world’s Parliament of religions in Chicago
  • 1897: Founded Ramakrishna Mission.
  • Wrote in Prabuddha Bharata
  • 1902: died @Belur Math, near Kolkata.
  • Sister Nivedita=Margaret Elizabeth Noble (Ireland) disciple of Swami Vivekananda

sidenotes

  • Meera ben=Madeline Slade, Britain, disciple of Gandhi
  • Mother Teresa =from Macedonia. Nobel Peace price’79, Bharat Ratna’80,
  • Sister Nirmala (Joshi)= succeeded Mother Teresa’s Missionaries organization in Kolkata.

800TH URS
  • Dargah Sharif= in Ajmer, Rajasthan
  • Venerated by both Hindus and Muslims
  • it is the tomb of Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chisti,
  • He was a Sufi saint from Persia.
  • Every year Urs is held here for six days in his remembrance.

Bhai Jagta ji
  • saint of the Sewa Panthi order

Chaitya Bhoomi
  • In Dadar, Mumbai
  • 1962:  Babasaheb Ambedkar’s last rites were performed here.
  • It is a place of pilgrimage for the Buddhists in India.

GIDIJI Temple, Mumbai
  • 2012= its 200th b’day.
  • Gidiji is one of the 1008 names of Parshvanath, the 23rd tirthankar of jain religion

Jhulelal Sahib
  • God of the Sindhi Community.

Shrine Basilica
  • In Valiankanni, TN
  • In Gothic Style of architecture.
  • Basilica= from greekword “basilike” =a royal hall.
  • Today, a Basilica =Church with front facing the east.

SRIKURMAM
  • in Andhra.
  • Srikakulam= district
  • Srikuram = village in that district
  • Famous for its temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu

Institutes/places

Bhakra Dam
  • opened in 1963
  • 50 years completed.
  • Nehru called it the ‘New Temple of Resurgent India’
  • Across Sutlej River
  • Bilaspur District of HP
  • Gobind Sagar= reservoir of this dam.

Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan
  • 75 years
  • For promotion of education + culture
  • By Dr. KM Munshi
  • In the Constituent assembly, Dr. KM Munshi was
    • Member of drafting Committee
    • Chairman of order of business Committee
  • Wrote some famous Gujarati Novels
  • 1937: Home Minister of Bombay
  • 1952: Union Food minister
  • Later Governor of UP

India international center
  • New Delhi, founded by Nehru
  • designed by noted architect Joseph Allen Stein.
  • non-profit institution works for the cultural interaction between nations.
  • completed 50 years

Isabella Thoburn College
  • Lucknow
  • by Isabella Thoburn, an American missionary
  • finished 125 years.

Sci-Tech related

Srinivasa Ramanujan

  • Indian mathematician born in TN
  • 2012 = National Mathematics Year
  • 22 Dec = his birthday will be celebrated every year as National Mathematics Day (postal stamp was released in 2012)

Ramanujan–Hardy number 1729

  • Because 1729 is the smallest number that can be expressed as sum of two cubes in two different ways
  • 1729=13 + 123
  • 1729= 93 + 103

Indian Science congress: 100 years completed

  • 2013’s Indian Science congress was held @Kolkata.
  • Theme: Science for shaping future of India

Civil Aviation Centenary

  • 18th Feb, 1911, the first commercial plane flew in India between Allahabad and Naini.
  • Therefore, 2011-12 was declared as the Civil Aviation Centenary Year.

Others

Businessmen
  1. T. S. Narayanaswami: a visionary industrialist, led to birth of  Chemplast, South India Shippng Corporation and India Cements.
  2. Aditya Vikram Birla: Hindustan gas, Hidalco, Grasim, Indian Rayon
Medieval

Hari Singh Nalwa

  • Was in the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
  • He earned the title “Nalwa” for killing a tiger single handedly.
  • Built the city of Haripur, now in Pakistan
  • 1837: Died in the battle of Jamrud (between Sikh and Afghan)

SRI SHIVARATHRI SHIVAYOGI

  • 10th century saint, founded a monastery on the banks of Kapila river at Mysore district

Writer/Scholar Misc

Sahir Ludhianvi
  • 1921: Born, Ludhiana
  • Talkhiyan: his most well known and seminal work
  • 50s: used to write lyrics for bollywood.
  • Famous for “Yeh Desh hai vir Jawano ka..” song
  • Given Padmashri
  • 1980: Died.
Gurazada Venkata Apparao
  • Telugu poet and writer of Andhra Pradesh, India.
  • He wrote the first Telugu play, Kanyasulkam,
  • Died in 1915
Husain Ahmad Madan Islamic Scholar Deobandi Movement
Peerzada Ghulam Ahmad Kashmiri poet. Pen name Mahjoor
Acharya Gyansagar wrote many Sanskrit epics.
PRATAP NARAYAN MISHRA Hindi author

Defense related stamps

  1. SCINDE HORSE: cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army
  2. 3 para special force (parachute jumpers)
  3. AIRBORNE WARNING AND CONTROL SYSTEM

Some other stamps were also released e.g. Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force, Consumer protection Act, Olympics 2012 etc.