Notes for UPSC-Biosphere, Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, Motion of the Earth and Weather and Climate

Biosphere

1. The part of the Earth where life exists is called the Biosphere ('bios' means 'life').
2. The Earth is the only planet of the solar system that supports life. Life is possible because of its unique lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere.

Lithosphere

1. The uppermost layer of the Earth's crust which is capable of supporting life is called Lithosphere.
2. The Lithosphere (or land) covers two-sevenths or 29.22% (14,90,41,182 sq. km.) of the total surface area of the earth.

Hydrosphere

1. Hydrosphere (or sea) covers five-sevenths or more accurately 70.78% (36,10,59,226 sq. km.) of the total surface area of the earth.
2. Water is freely available in the gaseous, liquid and solid state.
3. It is necessary for carrying out chemical reactions within the bodies of the living organisms.
4. Water also dissolves and transports nutrients from the soil to the plants.
5. It is used by plants for making food.

Atmosphere

1. The envelope of air that completely surrounds the earth is known as atmosphere.
2. The atmosphere extends to about 1000 km from the surface of the earth. But 99% of the total mass of the atmosphere is found within 32 km.
3. This is because the atmosphere is held by the gravitational pull of the earth.

Motion of the Earth

1. The Earth spins (rotates), west to east on its axis once in 24 hours approximately.
2. The Earth's axis is not vertical. It makes an angle of 23° 30' with the vertical or 66° 30' with the plane of the. Earth's orbit.
3. The Earth's axis always remains pointed in the same direction (towards the Pole Star) as the Earth moves around the Sun. The tilt of the Earth's axis is known as the inclination of the Earth's axis.

Weather and Climate

1. Weather is the description of the atmospheric conditions of a particular place at a particular time for a short period of time.
2. Climate is the composite or integrated picture of the weather conditions over a long period of time.
3. Climatic data is based on calculated averages of data recorded over a period of 35 years. The classical period is 30 years, as defined by WMO.

Notes for UPSC-The Advent of the Europeans

13. The Advent of the Europeans

                                          

                     Image-The Advent of the Europeans

Note : Danish company were forced to sell all their settlements in India to the British in 1845.

Portugese

1. The Cape route was discovered from Europe to India by Vasco da Gama. He reached the port of Calicut on May 17,1498 and was received by the Hindu ruler of Calicut (Known by the title of Zamorin).
2. This led to the establishment of trading stations at Calicut, Cochin and Cannanore.
3. Cochin was the early capital of the Portuguese in India. Later Goa replaced it.
4. Francisco de Almeida was the first governor of Portuguese. Almeida (1505-09) introduced 'the policy of Blue water'.
5. Alfonso d‘Albuquerque was the second governor of Portuguese. Albuquerque (1509-15) introduced 'the policy of Imperialism'. He captured Goa from the ruler of Bijapur in 1510.
6. Nino da Cunha (1529-38) transferred his capital from Cochin to Goa (1530) and acquired Diu and Bassein (1534) from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat.
7. Martin Alfonso de Souza (1542-45) : The famous Jesuit Saint Fransisco Xavier arrived in India with him.
8. The Portuguese power witnessed a decline by the end of the 16th century.
9. They lost Hugli in 1631 after being driven out by Qasim khan, a Mughal noble of Shahjahan.
10. In 1661 the King of Portugal gave Bombay to Charles II of England as dowry when he married the former's sister.
11. The Marathas captured Salsette and Bassein in 1739.
12. In the end they were left only with Goa, Diu and Daman which they retained till 1961.

Dutch

1. Formation of the company in March, 1602, by a charter of Dutch parliyament the Dutch East India Company was formed with powers to make wars, conclude treaties, acquire territories and build fortresses.
2. The Dutch set up factories at Masulipattam (1605), Pulicat (1610), Surat (1616), Bimilipatam (1641), Karaikal (1645), Chinsura (1653), Kasimbazar, Baranagore, Patna, Balasore, Negapatam (all in 1658) and Cochin (1663).
3. The Dutch replaced the Portuguese as the most dominant power in European trade with the East, including India.
4. Pulicat was main centre in India till 1690, after which Negapatam replaced it.
5. The Dutch conceded to English after their defeat in the battle of Bedera in 1759.

English

1. Before the English East India Company established trade in India, John Mildenhall, a merchant adventurer, was the first English man who arrived in India in 1599 by the over land route, ostensibly for the purpose of trade with Indian merchants.
2. The treaty of Pondicherry / Treaty by Godehu (new French governor in place of Dupleix) : 1754-ended the Second Anglo-French War.
3. Third Anglo-French war (1758-63) : French Count de Lally captured Fort St. David. French were defeated at Wandiwash (1760). It was a decisive defeat of French.
4. The treaty of Paris (1763) ended the Third and Final Anglo-French war in India. Pondicherry was returned to French by this treaty.

Notes for UPSC- Sources of the Indian Constitution

Different sources of the Indian Constitution

              Although the skeleton of the Constitution was derived from the GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ACT, 1935,many provisions Were imported from other Constitution of world. Some of them are listed  Along with the Government of India Act, 1935:

          

               

             PICTURE 1-Different sources of the Indian Constitution OF HAND WRITTEN NOTES. 

1.Government of India Act, 1935:-

              This act formed the basis or blueprint of the constitution of India with features of federal system, office of Governor, emergency powers etc. Besides the Constitution of India has borrowed from the-

2.Constitution of Britain (U.K.) :-

               Law making procedures, Rule of law, single citizenship, Bi-cameral Parliamentary System, office of CAG. 

3.Constitution of America (U.S.A.) :-

             Independence of Judiciary, judicial review, fundamental rights, removal of supreme Court and High  Judges, preamble and functions of president and vice-president. 

4.Constitution of Canada:-

             Federation with strong centre to provide reresiduary powers to the central, Supreme Court's advisory jurisdiction. 

5.Constitution of Ireland:-

             Directive principles of state policy, methods of presidential elections, and the nomination of members to Rajya sabha by the President. 

6.Weimar Constitution of  Germany:-

             Provisions concerning the suspension of fundamental rights during emergency. 

7.Constitution of Australia:-

             Idea, of concurrent list, trade and commerce provisions. 

       

       PICTURE 2-1-Different sources of the Indian Constitution OF HAND WRITTEN NOTES. 

8.Constitution of South Africa:-

              Amendment with 2/3rd majority in Parliament and election of the members of Rajya sabha on the basis of proportional representation. 

9.Constitution of France:-

              Republican system/principles of liberty, Equality and fraternity. 

10.Constitution of former U.S.S.R.:-

             Fundamental duties, Ideals of justice in preamble.