Background
To be included on the World Heritage List, a site must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria.
Criterion (i) asks a site to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius.
Criterion (iii) covers sites that bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization.
Criterion (vi) covers sites directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas or with beliefs, or with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance.
Criterion (vii) covers superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance.
Criterion (x) covers the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value.
Until the end of 2004 sites were selected on the basis of six cultural and four natural criteria; the revised Operational Guidelines brought them together as a single set of ten.
The protection, management, authenticity and integrity of properties are also important considerations.
Selection criteria:
10
Criteria a site must meet:
At least one
Cultural criteria before the merger:
6
Natural criteria before the merger:
4
Why it matters for exams: Questions on World Heritage sites often turn on how many criteria exist, how many a site must satisfy, and which criterion a given kind of site falls under.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Outstanding universal value The threshold a property must cross to be inscribed — A nominated site must be of outstanding universal value and satisfy at least one of the ten criteria.
Operational Guidelines The rules that govern how the World Heritage Convention is applied — The revised Guidelines replaced the separate cultural and natural lists with one set of ten criteria.
Background
Aranmula Kannadi, recorded in the register as Aranmula Kannadi (Aranmula Metal Mirror), carries geographical indication application number 3.
Its status in the Geographical Indications Registry is Registered.
The registered applicant is the Viswabrahmana Aranmula Kannadi Nirman Society, with its address at S. Fort, Aranmula, Kerala.
The indication falls under class 20 and the goods are classified as Handicraft.
The geographical area for the indication is Kerala.
The application was filed on 08-12-2003 and the certificate of registration bears certificate number 10.
GI application number:
3
Class and goods:
Class 20, Handicraft
Registered applicant:
Viswabrahmana Aranmula Kannadi Nirman Society
Why it matters for exams: Kerala's geographical indications are a recurring exam topic, and Aranmula Kannadi is asked for its product class, its registered proprietor society and its early application number.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
GI Geographical Indication — A sign used on goods that have a specific geographical origin and qualities due to that origin.
Class 20 The class of the goods classification that covers, among others, mirrors and articles of such materials — Aranmula Kannadi is registered in class 20 as a handicraft.
Background
The Vaikom Satyagraha was a non-violent agitation that lasted 603 days.
It was held for the right of backward communities to travel through the public road near the Vaikom Mahadeva Temple in Kottayam district.
The satyagraha started on the 30th of March 1924 and ended on the 23rd of November 1925.
It was supported by Sree Narayana Guru, Mannathu Padmanabhan, E. V. Ramasamy Naicker, T. K. Madhavan, K. Kelappan and K. P. Kesava Menon.
After the intervention of Mahatma Gandhi a compromise was reached with Regent Sethu Lakshmi Bayi of the princely State of Travancore.
The Regent released all those arrested during the agitation and opened the north, south and west public roads leading to the temple to all castes, but refused to open the eastern road.
Access to the eastern road and entry into the temple were allowed to the backward castes in 1936, after the Temple Entry Proclamation.
Duration:
603 days
Place:
Vaikom Mahadeva Temple, Kottayam district
Road left closed in the settlement:
The eastern road
Why it matters for exams: The duration of the satyagraha, the leaders who supported it, the Regent who settled it and the road that stayed closed are all standard questions on Kerala's reform movements.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Satyagraha Non-violent insistence on truth as a method of political struggle — The Vaikom agitation was one of the earliest satyagrahas against untouchability in Kerala.
Regent A ruler who governs on behalf of a sovereign who is a minor or otherwise unable to rule — Sethu Lakshmi Bayi ruled Travancore as Regent when the settlement was reached.
Background
Kottayam town was the first town in India to achieve 100% literacy, a feat achieved in 1989.
English education in South India began at the Old Seminary at Kottayam in 1813.
The first printing press in Kerala, the CMS Press, was established at Kottayam in 1821 by Rev. Benjamin Baily.
The first college in the State, CMS College, was started at Kottayam in 1840.
The first printed Malayalam-English and English-Malayalam dictionaries were published from Kottayam in 1846 and 1847 respectively.
The first and only co-operative society of writers, authors and publishers for publishing books and periodicals, the SPCS, was set up there in 1945.
Kottayam is called Akshara Nagari, the city of letters, and was the first town in India selected by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to be transformed into an Eco City.
First printing press in Kerala:
CMS Press, 1821
First college in the State:
CMS College, 1840
100% literacy achieved in:
1989
Why it matters for exams: Kerala PSC asks for the firsts of Malayalam printing, the first college and the first fully literate town, and all three belong to Kottayam.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CMS Church Missionary Society — The mission whose press and college at Kottayam were the first of their kind in Kerala.
SPCS The co-operative society of writers, authors and publishers set up at Kottayam — The district administration records it as the first and only co-operative society of writers, authors and publishers for publishing books and periodicals.
Background
The official state portal of the Government of Jharkhand lists four state symbols. The state animal is the Elephant (Elephas Maximus Indicus) and the state bird is the Koel (Eudynamys Scolopaceus). The state flower is Palash (Butea Monosperma) and the state tree is Saal (Shorea Robusta). The same portal records that forests and woodlands occupy more than 29% of the state, which it describes as amongst the highest in India. The name of the state bird is also carried by a river: the portal lists the Chota Nagpur Plateau as the source of the Koel, Damodar, Brahmani, Kharkai, and Subarnarekha rivers, whose upper watersheds lie within Jharkhand.
State animal:
Elephant (Elephas Maximus Indicus)
State bird:
Koel (Eudynamys Scolopaceus)
State flower:
Palash (Butea Monosperma)
State tree:
Saal (Shorea Robusta)
Forests and woodlands:
more than 29% of the state
Why it matters for exams: State symbols are among the most frequently asked single-mark questions, and Jharkhand's set is unusual because the state bird's name is also the name of one of the rivers rising on the Chota Nagpur Plateau.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Palash — A dry-forest tree with scarlet flowers, also called the flame of the forest.
Saal — A hardwood tree that dominates the dry deciduous forests of the Chota Nagpur Plateau.
Background
From 1823 onwards the Governors-General and later Viceroys of India moved between unsuitable summer residences at Shimla, until Lord Lytton chose Observatory Hill for what was to be the final Viceregal address in the town. The hill takes its name from Observatory House which was built in 1840 by Captain J. T. Boileau. The institute that occupies the building records that Observatory Hill is a watershed standing figuratively astride India: the waters from one side of the hill flow down to the Bay of Bengal, and the wash from the other heads towards the Arabian Sea. Lord Dufferin persuaded the Secretary of State for India, Lord Randolph Churchill, to sanction a project that was finally to cost thirty-eight lakh rupees, with the annual upkeep of the estate estimated at one and a half lakh rupees. Henry Irwin was appointed architect and chief superintendent of works, work on the site began in 1886, and Lord and Lady Dufferin moved into the building on 23 July 1888. The huge estate of 331 acres is somewhat smaller today, but the estate is still a princely 110 acres. The Simla Conference, called by the Viceroy Lord Wavell to propose the reconstitution of the Viceroy's Executive Council, was held at the Lodge from 25 June to 14 July 1945; after a Cabinet Mission was sent, a tripartite conference between the Congress, the Muslim League and the British took place at Viceregal Lodge from 5-12 May 1946. The estate passed to the President of India after Independence in 1947, the building was renamed Rashtrapati Nivas, and the Indian Institute of Advanced Study now works there.
Site:
Observatory Hill, Shimla
Architect and chief superintendent of works:
Henry Irwin
Final cost:
thirty-eight lakh rupees
Estate:
331 acres originally, 110 acres today
Simla Conference:
25 June to 14 July 1945
Cabinet Mission conference:
5-12 May 1946
Why it matters for exams: One Shimla building carries both the Simla Conference and the Cabinet Mission talks, so a freedom-struggle question and a Himachal Pradesh heritage question can land on the same answer.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Viceregal Lodge — The Viceroy of India's summer residence at Shimla, renamed Rashtrapati Nivas after Independence.
Watershed — A ridge that separates two drainage basins and sends rainfall to different rivers or seas.
Cabinet Mission — A British mission sent to work out the modalities by which power could be transferred to Indians.
Background
The World Heritage Centre's page for India lists the Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area among the country's Natural World Heritage properties.
The Press Information Bureau's state-wise table of India's World Heritage properties enters the Great Himalayan National Park against Himachal Pradesh, with 2014 as the year of inscription.
The same table groups it with the properties under the protection of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Its companions in that group include Kaziranga, Keoladeo, Manas, the Sunderbans National Park, Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks, and the Western Ghats.
The Western Ghats entry in the table is spread over Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, which makes it the only natural property in the table entered against more than one state.
Property:
Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area
State:
Himachal Pradesh
Year of inscription:
2014
Category:
Natural
Protecting ministry:
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Why it matters for exams: India's World Heritage list is asked almost every year, and the one natural property in Himachal Pradesh with its inscription year and protecting ministry is the exact detail examiners pick.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
World Heritage property UNESCO World Heritage property — A site inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List under the 1972 Convention.
Natural property Natural World Heritage property — A World Heritage property listed for its physical or biological value rather than for human work.
Background
UNESCO's World Heritage states parties page for Myanmar gives the count under the heading Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List 2, and places both in the Cultural category: Pyu Ancient Cities (2014) and Bagan (2019). The Pyu Ancient Cities was the earlier inscription, recorded by UNESCO as the country's first site inscribed to World Heritage List. The same page gives the Acceptance of the Convention: Friday, 29 April 1994, and lists Sites on the Tentative List 15. UNESCO explains that a Tentative List is an inventory of those properties which each State Party intends to consider for nomination, so the fifteen are candidates rather than inscriptions.
Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List:
2
Cultural properties:
Pyu Ancient Cities (2014), Bagan (2019)
Acceptance of the Convention:
Friday, 29 April 1994
Sites on the Tentative List:
15
Why it matters for exams: World Heritage counts by country are a standard prelims item, and the trap here is assuming Myanmar has a natural property or confusing the fifteen tentative sites with inscriptions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Tentative List World Heritage Tentative List — A state's own inventory of properties it intends to consider nominating for the World Heritage List.
Background
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre's State Party page for Afghanistan shows Cultural 2 and no natural or mixed property, so both inscribed properties are in the cultural category.
They are the Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam, inscribed in 2002, and the Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley, inscribed in 2003.
The same page records Ratification of the Convention: Tuesday, 20 March 1979.
There are four Sites on the Tentative List, which UNESCO describes as an inventory of those properties which each State Party intends to consider for nomination: City of Herat and City of Balkh (antique Bactria), both listed in 2004, Band-E-Amir, also 2004, and Bagh-e Babur, listed in 2009.
The page carries 43 State of Conservation Reports for Afghanistan and records 8 International assistance requests approved, for a total amount of 323,670 US dollars. Among the news items it lists is one on efforts towards removing the Bamiyan Valley from the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Inscribed properties:
Cultural 2
Minaret of Jam inscribed:
2002
Bamiyan Valley inscribed:
2003
Convention ratified:
Tuesday, 20 March 1979
Tentative List entries:
4
International assistance approved:
323,670 USD
Why it matters for exams: Examiners ask how many World Heritage properties a country has, in which category, and which famous site is only on the Tentative List.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Tentative List Inventory held under the World Heritage Convention — A State Party's own inventory of properties it intends to consider for nomination later.
State of Conservation report Monitoring report to the World Heritage Committee — A report on the threats a listed property faces, placed before the World Heritage Committee.
Background
A release of the President's Office of the Maldives records the ratification of the National Language (Priority) Bill passed by the People's Majlis, the country's legislature, and its publication in the Government Gazette. The release states that the Act aims to protect, develop, preserve and promote the use of the national language, Dhivehi, as declared in the Article 11 of the Constitution. It adds that the Act stipulates that all state communications and correspondences should be in Dhivehi, while not restricting the use of other languages in communicating with people who do not speak Dhivehi. The Act also states that the President should establish a Dhivehi Language Academy and appoint members to the Academy within 90 days of the commencement of the Act.
National language:
Dhivehi
Constitutional provision:
Article 11
Legislature that passed the Act:
People's Majlis
Body the Act requires:
Dhivehi Language Academy
Why it matters for exams: The official language of each neighbouring country, and the constitutional article that fixes it, is a recurring one-mark question in Kerala PSC and UPSC general studies.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
People's Majlis — The legislature of the Maldives, which passes Bills that the President then ratifies.
Dhivehi — The national language of the Maldives, named as such in Article 11 of its Constitution.
Background
The Government of Haryana's history page says of the state's name that Hariyana is an ancient name, and that regarding its origin there are diverse interpretations.
It records that during the olden period this region was known as Brahmavarta, Aryavarta and Brahomoupdesa, and that the other names Bahudhanyaka and Hariyanka suggest abundance of food supply and vegetation.
As per the inscription found from Bohar village, Rohtak district, this region was known as Hariyanak; the page adds that the inscription pertains to the period of Balban. It also records that the word Haryana was inscribed on a stone found during the reign of Sultan Mohammad-bin-Tughlaq.
The page sets out rival derivations it attributes to named scholars. One holds that this word comes from Haribanka, connected with the worship of Hari, the Lord Indra, reasoning that since the tract is dry one, its people worship Indra always for rain. Another traces it to the Rigveda, where Hariyana is used as a qualifying adjective with the name of a king who is said to have ruled the region.
On the region as an administrative unit, the page states that Haryana in the sense of geographical unit was not known before the 12th century A.D., and that the Haryana region was tagged with the Punjab in 1858 as what the page calls a political punishment to the people of this region.
Inscription village and district:
Bohar village, Rohtak district
Form recorded on the inscription:
Hariyanak
Older names for the region:
Brahmavarta, Aryavarta, Brahomoupdesa
Names suggesting abundance:
Bahudhanyaka, Hariyanka
Known as a geographical unit:
Not before the 12th century A.D.
Why it matters for exams: The derivation of a state's name, the inscription that first records it and the older names for the region are staple one-mark questions, and here they come from the state government's own published history rather than from a secondary retelling.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Brahmavarta Brahmavarta — One of the older names the state government's history gives for the region that is now Haryana.
Rigveda Rigveda — The oldest of the four Vedas, cited on the page as using Hariyana as a qualifying adjective with a king's name.
Background
In 1944, the Government of India accepted in principle a proposal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal that a National Cultural trust should be set up, consisting of three Academies including an Academy of letters. The Government of India decided to establish a National Academy of letters to be called Sahitya Akademi by its resolution No F-6-4/51G2(A) dated December 1952, and the Akademi was formally inaugurated by the Government of India on 12 March 1954. Though set up by the Government, the Akademi functions as an autonomous organisation, and it was registered as a society on 7 January 1956, under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. The Akademi describes itself as India's National Academy of Letters and as the only institution that undertakes literary activities in 24 Indian languages, including English. It gives 24 awards annually to literary works in the languages it has recognized and an equal number of awards to literary translations from and into the languages of India, each decided after a year long process of scrutiny, discussion and selection. It also gives special awards called Bhasha Samman for significant contribution to the languages not formally recognized by the Akademi, as also for contribution to classical and medieval literature, and it elects eminent writers as Fellows and Honorary Fellows. The Akademi has launched Centres for Translation in Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Delhi, and a project office for the promotion of Tribal and Oral literature in the North Eastern Hill University Campus, Shillong.
Government resolution:
No F-6-4/51G2(A) dated December 1952
Formally inaugurated:
12 March 1954
Registered as a society:
7 January 1956, under the Societies Registration Act, 1860
Languages:
24 Indian languages, including English
Annual awards:
24 for literary works, and an equal number for translations
Award for unrecognised languages:
Bhasha Samman
Why it matters for exams: The resolution of 1952, the inauguration of 1954, the registration of 1956, the count of 24 languages and the Bhasha Samman are the standard objective facts asked about the Akademi.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Bhasha Samman Bhasha Samman — A special Sahitya Akademi award for work in languages it has not formally recognised and for classical and medieval literature.
Background
The Kerala Forest Department's history page says Kerala retained three-quarters of its land as thick forests until the 18th century, and that the state's forestry history is best explored through Travancore, Cochin, and Malabar, regions that later merged to create Kerala State.
It records that in 1816 Lieutenants Ward and Coner conducted a survey of Travancore and Cochin, resulting in 'The Memoir of Travancore Survey'.
In 1844, rosewood and anjily were designated as royal trees, and the collection of cardamom and wax was monopolized by the government.
The Travancore Forest Act was enacted in 1887, leading to the declaration of Konni as the first Reserve Forest in 1888.
The Forest Department underwent a complete reorganization in 1896, aligning its structure with the British Forest Administration, which led to the division of the state into Divisions and Ranges.
The taungya system was introduced in Konni in 1910; the department says studies conducted at the Forest Research Institute later found it a significant contributor to soil erosion and forest land degradation.
The need for wildlife conservation was recognized in the 1930s, the first Game Warden was appointed in 1933, and the Periyar Lake Reserve was declared as Nellikkampetty Game Sanctuary, later becoming the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary.
First Reserve Forest in Travancore:
Konni, 1888
Enabling Act:
The Travancore Forest Act, 1887
Survey memoir:
The Memoir of Travancore Survey
Departmental reorganization:
1896, into Divisions and Ranges
First Game Warden appointed:
1933
Earlier name of Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary:
Nellikkampetty Game Sanctuary
Why it matters for exams: Kerala PSC asks for firsts and for the statutes behind them, and the chain from the Travancore Forest Act to Konni as the first Reserve Forest, and from the first Game Warden to the Periyar sanctuary, covers both in one item.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Reserve Forest Reserve Forest — Forest land notified under a forest law in which rights not expressly allowed are shut out.
Taungya taungya system — A practice of raising a tree crop together with food crops on the same cleared patch.
Royal trees royal trees — Tree species the state reserved to itself, so they could not be felled or traded privately.
7 October 2026
Transport Minister C. P. John said on 7 October 2026 that KSRTC will operate 45 special services for the Beemapally Urs and the Vettukad church festival in Thiruvananthapuram.
Twenty buses will run for the Beemapally Urs, up from 14 last year, on the Kizhakkekotta, Eanchakkal, Vallakkadavu and Kallumoodu routes.
Twenty-five special services will run for the Vettukad church festival, up from 18 last year, on the Kizhakkekotta, Palayam and Valiyathura routes.
Temporary station master offices will be set up at both shrines.
The Minister directed KSEB to replace faulty streetlights and the PWD to complete road repairs urgently, and ordered drinking water supply, waste management and septage cleaning to be ensured.
A police aid post, round-the-clock volunteer service and a health department control room were also decided at the review meeting held at the Thaikkad Guest House.
Total special services:
45
Buses for Beemapally Urs:
20 (14 last year)
Services for Vettukad church festival:
25 (18 last year)
Why it matters for exams: Festival transport arrangements show how a state transport corporation and the line departments are coordinated, and the bus figures are easily asked.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
KSRTC Kerala State Road Transport Corporation — The state-owned road transport corporation that runs Kerala's public bus services.
Urs — The annual commemoration held at a Sufi shrine, marking the death anniversary of the saint buried there.
Septage — The sludge and liquid waste removed from septic tanks, which has to be collected and treated separately.
7 October 2026
An extension counter of the State Central Library began working in the 'Bhavani' building at Technopark, inaugurated by Higher Education Minister Roji M John on 7 October 2026.
The counter is part of the state government's 100-day action programme and is meant for Technopark employees and entrepreneurs who cannot reach a library during working hours.
The Minister also launched a smart card system that brings member identification, book issue and other library services onto one card, along with a digital payment system.
The opening collection consists of classic novels in Malayalam and English and award-winning books, and more titles will be added on the request of staff at the park.
The State Central Library was founded in 1829, in the reign of Swathi Thirunal, and has about 200 years of history behind it.
Library founded:
1829
Inaugurated by:
Higher Education Minister Roji M John
Location:
'Bhavani' building, Technopark
Why it matters for exams: The State Central Library's founding year and royal patron are standard Kerala PSC questions, and this item ties them to a current government decision.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
State Central Library — Kerala's oldest public library, at Thiruvananthapuram, founded in 1829 and now the apex library of the state's public library system.
Swathi Thirunal — The Travancore ruler in whose reign the library was founded in 1829; also remembered as a composer.
100-day programme — A set of works a state government commits to completing within a hundred days, used in Kerala to time the delivery of specific projects.
7 October 2026
The eighth e-auction of mementos received by the Prime Minister is currently live, and has been extended until 31 October 2026.
A collection of 16 mementos from Chhattisgarh is on offer.
At the heart of the collection is Dhokra, the traditional lost-wax metal-casting craft with a history of more than 4,000 years in India, with works such as an Elephant Head Nandi, a Standing Nandi and a Madia-Madin Tribal Couple Bust.
The collection also has a traditional ceremonial headgear with a peacock-feather cluster, cowrie shells, metallic discs and brass bells, and a Ramnami Samaj chanting stole covered with repeated inscriptions of 'Ram Ram'.
Contemporary items include a woodcut panel depicting the Mahtari Vandan Yojana, a memento marking the Rajat Jayanti of the Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha, and models representing institutions in Nava Raipur.
Proceeds from the auction will support the Namami Gange Project. Bids are placed on the PM Mementos e-Auction portal at pmmementos.gov.in, and the release was issued by the Ministry of Culture.
Edition:
8th e-auction
Chhattisgarh items:
16
Last date:
31 October 2026
Proceeds to:
Namami Gange project
Why it matters for exams: The auction links a traditional craft, a welfare scheme and a river-cleaning mission, all of which appear separately in exams.
Kerala PSCSSC
In plain words
Dhokra Dhokra metal craft — A tribal metal-casting craft using the lost-wax technique, practised in Chhattisgarh and neighbouring regions.
Background
Kozhikode district was the capital of the erstwhile kingdom of the mighty Zamorins and once a renowned commercial center.
The city of Calicut, the Anglicized form of Kozhikode, is the headquarters of the district.
The district is 38.25% urban and is bordered by Kannur district to the North, Wayanad to the East and Malappuram to the South, with the Arabian Sea to the West.
It is situated between latitudes 11 degrees 08 minutes N and 11 degrees 50 minutes N and longitudes 75 degrees 30 minutes E and 76 degrees 8 minutes E.
The division of the district into 4 Taluks came into effect in 2001: Kozhikode, Vadakara, Koyilandy and Thamarassery.
As per the census of 2011, 12 block panchayats make up the district, namely Balusseri, Chelannur, Koduvally, Kozhikode, Kunnamangalam, Kunnummal, Melady, Panthalayani, Perambra, Thodannur, Thuneri and Vadakara.
Headquarters:
The city of Calicut
Taluks:
4, in effect from 2001: Kozhikode, Vadakara, Koyilandy, Thamarassery
Block panchayats:
12
Urban share:
38.25% urban
Why it matters for exams: The taluks and block panchayats of each district, and Kozhikode's link to the Zamorins, are routine Kerala PSC items.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Zamorin Samoothiri of Kozhikode — The ruler of the medieval kingdom whose capital was Kozhikode.
Block panchayat Block panchayat — The middle tier of rural local government between the grama panchayat and the district panchayat.
Background
A PIB feature from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting says the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) was founded in 1952.
The inaugural edition was held in Mumbai, and IFFI was organised by the Films Division under the Government of India.
From the 3rd edition in January 1965, IFFI became competitive.
In 2004 the festival found a permanent home in Goa, and has been organised there every year as a competitive event.
Founded:
1952
First edition organised by:
Films Division
Competitive from:
3rd edition
Moved to Goa:
2004
Why it matters for exams: Film festival hosts, founding years and organisers are common art, culture and general knowledge questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IFFI International Film Festival of India — India's international film festival, now held in Goa.
Background
International Mother Language Day is observed on 21 February.
UNESCO says the idea of celebrating it was the initiative of Bangladesh.
It was approved at the 1999 UNESCO General Conference.
It has been observed throughout the world since 2000.
UNESCO ties the day to its mandate for peace, preserving cultural and linguistic differences.
Date:
21 February
Approved at:
1999 UNESCO General Conference
Observed worldwide since:
2000
Why it matters for exams: International days and the country behind them are regular recall questions, and this one links Bangladesh to a global observance.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — The UN agency that approved this international day.
Background
UNESCO's World Heritage Convention page for Bangladesh lists two cultural and one natural property.
The Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat is listed as a cultural property, with the year 1985.
The Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur is also a cultural property, with the year 1985.
The Sundarbans is the natural property, with the year 1997.
The page also records state-of-conservation reports on the Sundarbans.
Cultural properties:
Bagerhat (1985), Paharpur (1985)
Natural property:
The Sundarbans (1997)
Why it matters for exams: World Heritage lists are asked by category (cultural or natural) and by year of inscription.
Kerala PSCUPSC