All Important committees of 2016 - (For prelims 2017)

AK Bhargava committee:

·         To look into the issues of “Net neutrality"

A P Shah Committee:

·         Mandate to examine the matter relating to levy of MAT on FIIs/FPIs for the period prior to 1.04.2015.

A P Shah Committee (Oil pricing):    

·         To look into the dispute between Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) on Krishna Godavari (KG) gas fields.

Arvind Subramanian Committee:

·         On Possible Tax rates under Goods and Services Tax (GST)

Arvind Subramaniam Committee (Pulses):

·         The committee is tasked to study and suggest ways to contain the rising prices of pulses in the country.

·         The committee will consider a reasonable hike in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for pulses and bonus for the farmers to promote pulse cultivation.

Ashok Dalwai Committee:

·         To prepare a blueprint for doubling farmers’ income by 2022

BB Tandon Committee:

·         A three member committee constituted to address the issues related to Content Regulation in Government Advertising.

·         The committee would be chaired by Shri B.B. Tandon, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India.

BCCI - Lodha Committee:

·         Lodha committee was set up by the Supreme Court to recommend reforms in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The three-member panel was headed by Justice (Retd) RM Lodha.

Bezbaruah Committee:

·         Committee was formed by Ministry of Home Affairs to recommend measures for safety and better integration of natives of North East states in rest of India.

Deepak Mohanty committee:

·         To frame action plan on financial inclusion.

 Dhirendra Singh Committee :

·         To evolve a policy framework for facilitating ‘Make in India’ within the purview of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) and  streamline the procurement process.

Kamlesh Chandra Committee:

·         To examine the wage structure, service conditions of the Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) in the Department of Posts (DoP).

Kelkar- Oil Sector Reform:

·         To bring down the nation's oil import bill.

KS Valdiya Committee:

·         Committee has concluded that Saraswati River so far considered mythical, existed.

·         The committee comprising of geologists, archaeologists and hydrologists say that they have found evidence of the course of the river Saraswati.

·         Committee found that Saraswati River originated in the Himalayas. It was approximately 4,000 km in length and flowed through India and Pakistan before meeting Arabian Sea through Rann of Kutch.

·         Two-third stretch of river measuring nearly 3000 km in length fell in India and reaming one third of the river stretch fell in present-day Pakistan.

·         The river had two branches viz.

·         Western Branch: It represented by the Himalayan-born Satluj River of the past which flowed through the channels of present-day Ghaggar-Patialiwali rivulets.

·         Eastern Branch: Palaeochannels (remnants of defunct rivers) Sarswati-Markanda rivulets in Haryana were courses of eastern branch of river, known as Tons-Yamuna.

L Narasimha Reddy Committee:

·         Aim was to look into the implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme for the exservicemen. It has submitted its report.

Madhav Chitale Committee:

·         The Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has constituted this committee to prepare guidelines for desiltation of Ganga River.

Madhav Menon Committee:

·         Related to Government advertisements.

Madhukar Gupta Committee:

·         Ministry of Home affairs constituted a High Level committee to suggest ways to tighten security along Pakistan Border.

Munnialappa Committee:

·         The Union Agricultural Ministry has constituted a High-Level Committee to monitor the bird flu situation and help state governments take steps to contain the disease.

·         The committee was constituted after mortality among the birds in National Zoological Park, Delhi NCR and other parts of the country due to Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1) was found.

Mata Prasad Committee:

·         A committee appointed by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission.

·         It has suggested an overhaul in transmission planning to facilitate transfer of power on economic principles.

MB Shah Committee:

·         On Black Money.

Mihir Shah Committee:

·         Set up by the Ministry of Water Resources.

·         It has recommended setting up a National Water Commission.

N K Singh Committee:

·         To comprehensively review and give recommendations on the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) roadmap for the future.

Pam Rajput Committee (National Women Policy):

·         Committee was formed by Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2012. It submitted its recommendations last year, which had 2 major things:

·         It suggested a national policy for women and

·         An action plan to end violence against women.

R Gandhi committee:

·         Recommended conversion of Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) with business size of 20,000 crore rupees or more into regular banks.

Ratan P Watal committee:

·         To suggest steps to promote card payments with an aim to discourage cash transactions.

Ranjit Roy Choudhary Committee:

·         Committee related to corruption in Medical Council of India in particular and to suggest ways to improve medical education in general.

RV Easwar Committee:

·         To simplify the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

Sanjay Mitra Committee:

·         The Union Government has constituted a three member committee to prepare a policy framework for online taxi aggregators and other transport operators. The committee will be headed by Sanjay Mitra, Secretary of Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.

Shailesh Nayak Committee:

·         Related with Coastal Zone Regulation

Shankar Acharya Committee:

·         Related with : When should a financial year start and what are merits/demerits of different Dates.

Shyam Benegal Committee:

·         Shyam Benegal committee was tasked to look holistically into the functioning of the censor board and revamp the film certification nuances by Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). It was constituted by the Union Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry.

Sudarshan Sen Committee:

·         Set up by RBI to study the regulatory issues relating to Financial Technology (Fintech) and Digital Banking in India.

T Haque committee:

·         NITI Aayog constituted T Haque Expert Group on Land Leasing

T K Vishwanathan Committee:

·         To fix the issues with the current insolvency regime, the government had set up a high level Bankruptcy Law Reform Committee (BLRC) in August 2014 under Dr. T. K. Viswanathan (former Law Secretary).

T.S.R. Subramanian Committee (On Education):

·         Constituted to recommend a basic framework of new National Education Policy.

T V S N Prasad Committee:

·         To explore the other possible alternatives to pellet guns as non-lethal weapons.

Vijay Kelkar committee:

·         On Revisiting and Revitalizing the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Model of Infrastructure Development.

Y K Alagh Committee:

·         Alagh Committee on poverty estimation.

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IMPORTANT TERMS AND FACTS FROM MEDIEVAL INDIAN HISTORY-PART-3

Chhaya-stambha:

 The chhaya-stambha is among the earliest archaeological evidence, and it seems to be rooted in the social practices of the Buddhists.

Nisidhi:

The nisidhi represents the ritual death practices exclusively by the Jains.

Mudrakshasa:

The Mudrakshasa, a play written in Sanskrit by Vishakhadatta and generally ascribed to the fifth century, speaks of different regions whose inhabitants differ in customs, clothing and language.

Kuvalayamala:

The Kuvalayamala, a Jain text of the eighth century and largely concerned with western India, notes the existence of 18 major nationalities and describes the anthropological character of sixteen peoples, pointing out their psychological features and citing the examples of their language.

Temple architecture:

Shilpashastras:

 Shilpashastras that deal with the subject of temple architecture are

 Mayamata, Manasara, Shilparatna, Kamikagama, Kashyapashilpa and

Ishanagurudevapaddati.

Rehka,Bhadra,Kharkhara and Gaudiya:

 The local manuscripts of Orissa recognise four main types of Orissa style temples, viz., the Rehka, Bhadra, Kharkhara and Gaudiya.

Vimana, garbhagriha:

The sanctuary, which is the main part is called the vimana where the garbhagriha or the inner sanctum containing the main presiding deity is located.

Shikhara: The part surmounting the vimana is known as the Shikhara.

Mandapa:  pavilion for the assembly of devotees.

Antarala:

which is a vestibule connecting the vimana and mandapa and the pradakshiapath, i.e. circumambulatory passage surrounding these.

Natmandir/ bhogamandapa:

The natmandir or dance hall and bhogamandapa were evolved

subsequently in the Orissan temples such as the famous Sun temple at Konarka.

Gopurams:

A temple of the Dravida type is also notable for the towering gopurams or gate towers of the additional mandapas.

Kudu:

foliated arch on dravidian temple-ornamental motif derived

from the Buddhist Chaitya arch.

Apsidal: building with a ground plan of semi-circular termination.

Bhadra: flat face or facet of the Shikhara.

Bhattaraka: Jain religious teacher/preceptor.

Deul: general name for a temple as a whole.

Garbha-griha: sanctum sanctorum, the most sacred part of a temple.

Jagamohana: hall in front of the sanctum.

Kalasha: water-pot; pitcher-shaped element in the finial of a temple.

Nata-mandir: dancing/festive hall, usually in front of the jagamohana.

Irasada: palace/shrine; also used in the sense of favour by God/Lord.

Pustakaraka: clay-modeller.

Harshacharita:

Terracottas in the post-Gupta centuries were used by landed aristocrats and kings to decorate religious buildings and their own places on auspicious occasions such as marriages as rewarded by Bana in the Harshacharita.

Viharas, mathas:

Just as the Church was the principal organiser of education in Europe in the Medieval times, similarly the post-Gupta centuries saw the concentration of the centres of education in religious establishments, such as the Viharas, mathas and temples.

Vikramashila:

That tantra and mantra became a favourite subject of study may be inferred from the fact that a full-fledged department of Tantra was run in the University of Vikramashila.

Taranatha:

The Tibetan traveller Taranatha, who came to India in the 17th

century is very eloquent about tantrik curricula at Nalanda, Odantapuri and other prominent universities of Bihar and Bengal.

VATTELUTTU/ KOLELUTTU:

The Cheras used a cursive variety of Tamil Brahmi called VATTELUTTU

(rounded script). The Pandyas seem to have popularised the KOLELUTTU (script of straight lines) and the Cholas combined the two. This is not all.

Historical chronicles about different states:

Kashmir: Rajatarangini.

Gujarat: Rasmala. Prabandha, Chintamani, Vasanta Vilasa, etc.,

Sind: Chachnama and

Nepal: Vamshavalis supports the presumption that the archives of different states,

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