Word Of The Day #2

Hey folks! Another day, another word. Today the word we're going to be looking at is Tchotchke.

Tchotchke

Informal noun

Singular: Tchotchke; Plural: Tchotchkes

Pronunciation:
/ˈtʃɒtʃkə/  (Chochki)

Definition

1. A small object that is decorative rather than strictly functional; a trinket.
Ex. Her desk was littered with an action figure and other tchotchkes.
2. A pretty girl or woman
Ex. Look how my little Tchotchke has grown up!

Synonyms:
Bauble, Curio, knick-knack

Origin:
Yiddish: tshatshke (Trinket)
The word Tchotchke was only used in the English language in the 1970s.

Usage cues of similar words:

The word Tchotchke can be replaced by a multitude of words. There's no specific situation where the replacement of the word 'Tchotchke' in a sentence causes any grammatical or semantic errors.

Knick-Knack:
The room was decorated with a multitude of knick-knacks

Curios:
He had an interest in collecting various Curios

All in all, Tchotchke is a word that can be replaced with multiple words. However, the addition of this word in your vocabulary (and it's usage in essays) can make for a very strong/ high funda essay. ;-)

All the best!

Lets Tackle World Affairs #3

 World War I (1914-18) or The Great War

"I declare World war I open"

                                    Gavrilo Princep on shooting Archduke Francis Ferdinard (not really!)

The Allies (Triple Entente) - UK, France, Russian Empire, Italy ( was part of Central powers but later shifted sides for getting  Terentina and Triesta of Austro-Hungarian Empire)

The Central powers (Triple Alliance) - German Empire, Ottoman Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire

• The immediate trigger was Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia (an ally of Russia) for the murder of Archduke
• The main feature of the war was the slow nature of Trench warfare, only Tanks provided mobility of some sort
• The Schlieffan Plan was the German plan to attack Russia on eastern front and France on western front  through Belgium
• The Battle of Tannerberg was a major defeat for Russian Empire against Germany in 1914
• The first battle of Merne saw Germany reaching within 30 miles of Paris but were defeated by both France and Britain
• The Second Battle of Yepres in 1915 saw the first use of Chlorine gas by Germans 
•  Gallipoli campaign was a joint Anglo-French operation to take over Constantinople (capital of Ottoman empire) in 1915 but failed miserably. It created a huge dent to Winston Churchill who had a major role in offensive to Turkey. 
• The Allied troops in Bulgaria is known as "forgotten army" since they didn't see any actual action against Serbs
• German submarines or "U-boats" caused major destruction to Allied shipping but was countered using "Convoy system"
• The Zeppelins were hot air vehicles used to bomb London by Germans. The Paris Gun (William's gun) was a massive rail gun with 130km range used by Germans to target Paris.
• Battle of Jutland, biggest naval battle of World war I, saw the first use of aircraft carriers
• Lord Kitchner, was the British Secretary of War, and used the famous "Britain wants You !  Join your Country's Army" poster for recruiting people
• Battle of Verdun between Germany and Anglo French joint force in 1916 was the longest battle in WW1
• US entered war under President Woodrow Wilson in 1917 following sinking of passenger ship RMS Louistania killing many Americans and reports of German assistance to Mexico
• Nivelle Offensive was planned by French General Nivelle which promised to end the war in 48 hours with hardly 10000 casualties but ended up in huge failure causing his dismissal
• General Petatin was credited for diffusing a major mutiny in French armed forces during 1917
• The war caused downfall of Russian empire and a provisional government was established in Petrograd (St.Petersburg) under Alexander Kerensky following February revolution
• Germans sent Lenin to Russia in a sealed train strengthening the October revolution that overthrew the provisional government in Russia and executed the Tsar Nicholas II with his family, and signed peace treaty with Germany
•  Colonel T.E Lawrence of British army had a major role in organizing Arab revolt against Ottoman empire. His life was portrayed by Peter Toole in the movie "Lawrence of Arabia"
• Battle of Vettorio Veneto in 1918 between Italy and Austro Hungarian Empire caused the downfall of the empire
• 11 November 1918 Armistice was signed. Woodrow Wilson put down '14 points' under which League of Nations was formed with Headquarters in Geneva
• The Treaty of Versailles was the treaty signed to officially end World War I
• Paul Von Hindenburg became the president of Weimer Republic which was followed after abdication of throne by Kaiser William I of German Empire
• Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, a Field Marshal established the secular republic of Turkey on the ruins of Ottoman Empire

Media

• Shoulder Arms (1914) was a Charlie Chaplin satirical film on WW1
• "They shall not be forgotten" is a 2018 restored documentary feature on Trench warfare by Peter Jackson
• "For the Fallen" is a poem by Lawrence Binyon, sang usually on anniversary of Armistice

Some more peace treaties

• Treaty of St. Germaine - for Austria
• Treaty of Trianon - for Hungary
• Treaty of Neuliy - for Bulgaria
• Treaty of Sevres- for Turkey

Word Of The Day

Happy new year, HSEE aspirants! To start off 2019 with a bang (and to help you with your preparation) we'll be introducing 'Word Of The Day', a means through which you can improve your vocabulary day by day.

'Word Of The Day' will basically explore one word a day and it will be covering the following:

- The definition of the word
- Its pronunciation
- Its usage
- Its synonyms and antonyms
- Its origins
- Usage cues for a few synonyms

We hope that this section will help you in your journey of preparing for HSEE!

All the best!

Word Of The Day #1

Hello folks!
The word we'll be covering today is 'Frenetic'.

FRENETIC

Adjective

Pronunciation:
/frəˈnɛtɪk/ (Freh-net-ick)

Definition:
-Fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way
-Involving a lot of movement or activity
Ex:  After weeks of FRENETIC preparation, the team managed to give an outstanding performance
Ex: She leads life at a FRENETIC pace

Synonyms:
Frantic, Frenzied, Fraught, Wild, Manic
Antonyms:
Calm

Origin:
The word Frenetic originates from the Greek word Phrenetis which translates to Delirium

The flowchart of the origin of this word is as follows:

Greek: Phrēn (Mind)

Greek: Phrenetis (Delirium)

Greek:  Phrenitikos

Latin

Old French: Frenetique

Usage cues of similar words:
FRANTIC:
She was frantic when he did not pick up her calls.
FRENZIED:
They danced in an overly frenzied manner
WILD:
It was a wild adventure.

So that was it for today's word. Stay tuned for more!

All the best!

Lets Tackle World Affairs #2

Arab Israel Conflict

Okay peeps this is gonna be a crash down....

Some history...

• First King of Jews was believed to be Saul followed by David (the most popular) and then Solomon
• Solomon Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylonian King Nebuchadneszzar I around 587 BC
• Jews returned to Israel during rule of Persian King Cyrus the Great
• The Second Temple was completed around 516 BC during Darius I (first Persian King to invade India)
• Meccabian revolt was against Seleucid Empire and its Hellenistic influence on Jews
• Israel was conquered by Romans in 64 BC under Pompeii. Under Romans, Herodth reclaimed Judea and refurbished the Temple Mount (holiest site for jews)
• The Second Temple was destroyed and Jews were expelled in 70AD under Titus and Romans renamed Judea as Palestina 
• When Roman empire split in 324 AD, Jerusalem was under Byzantine empire
• Islamic relic at the site of Second Jewish temple is Dome of the Rock built under Ummayath Khalifa (Abraham is believed to sacrificed his son here)
• Al Aqsa Mosque in Temple Mount is the third holiest site in Islam built around 705 AD and Prophet is believed to lead prayers towards Kabba in Mecca from here
• Palestine came under Ottoman Empire in 1517

Early 20th Century..

• Father of Zionist movement is Theoder Herzel who wrote the book Der Juden Staat, where he envisioned a state for Jews and reclaiming the lost lands which are the basic tenants of Zionism
• In 1897, First Zionist Congress was held at Basel in Switzerland
• Jews of European ancestry are known as Ashkenazi jews, those of Middle east origin are Mizrahi jews and those from Iberian peninsula are Sebhardi Jews
• The secret agreement for partition of Ottoman empire by Britain and France is called Syes-Picot agreement
• The Balfour deceleration is the statement of British Govt. for Jewish Homeland in 1917 in Palestine . Other offered regions for homeland were Uruguay and South America
• In 1937, a proposal for two state solution for Jews and Muslims in Palestine was proposed by Peel Commission 
• Israel declared Independence in 1948 under David Ben Gurion
• West Bank was initially under Jordan ( its the region to west of River Jordan) and Gaza under Egypt with Jerusalem planned to be under UN control as capital of both Israel and Palestine
• The Biblical name of the region is Judea and Samaria 

1948 onward...

• The Arab League was established in Cairo in 1945 under Alexandria protocol (with Egypt, Iraq,Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi, Syria) 
• First Arab Israel war took place in 1948 closely following the declaration of Israel state 
• Muslim brotherhood is a trans national Sunni Islamist Organisation founded in Egypt in 1928 by Hassan Al Banna
• The Egyptian mob attack on Israeli civilians were called Fedayeen
• In 1956, the closing of strait of Tiran and Blockade of gulf of Aquaba (essential for Israeli shipping) by Egypt triggered the Suez crisis. Also Egypt had nationalised the Suez canal upsetting the British. The Joint Israeli-British-French operation had invaded the Sinai region of Egypt following the crisis. It was defused by pressure from US and USSR which also signified the end of British Global power
• Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) was established in 1964 for liberation of Palestinian land but was considered a terrorist organisation by US and Israel until 1991 Madrid conference
• The Six Day War of 1967 gave Israel control of Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, Gaza, West bank, Sheba farms of Lebanon and Golan heights of Syria  
• Negotiations for Six Day War were held in capital of Sudan resulting in Khartoum resolution
• Following the Six Day War UNSC adopted a resolution for Arab Israel conflict called Resolution 242
• The limited war between Israel and Egypt between 1967-1970 was called War of Attrition
• In 1970 September King Hussein of Jordan expelled PLO from Jordan known as Black September raids. It was supported by Pakistan under Zia ul Haq
• Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack in 1973 along Sinai and Golan Heights during the Jewish day of Fasting called Yom Kippur War which ended in Camp David Accord. ( This is the first war in which US openly supported Israel)
• Operation Litani is the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1978 occupying uptill River Litani
• In 1982 Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) launched Operation Peace for Galilee invading South Lebanon. It was part of Lebanon civil war and led to formation of free Lebanon state and increasing Syrian dominance over Lebanon when Lebanon civil war ended in 1990
• Local uprising of Palestinians against Israeli occupation is known as Intifada in 1987 following disillusionment with PLO
• Agreements between Israel and Palestine for Peace after Intifada is known as Oslo Accords I &II [1991 &1993]. It created Palestinian authority for limited self governance and making PLO partner of Israel for peace process. PLO recognized existence of Israel state here/
• The second Infitada (2000-05) following visit of Ariel Sharon (Israel PM) to Temple Mount led Israel to launch Operation Defensive Shield and later build west bank barrier following withdrawal from Gaza.
• Fatah is an Palestinian nationalistic political party established by Yasar Arafat and controls West Bank region
• Gaza is under a Sunni Fundamentalism organisation called Hamas which came to power when Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005
• The Shia militant group in Lebanon supported by Iran is Hezbollah. Israel fought 2006 Lebanon war against Hezbollah fighters.
• In 2007 Israel bombed a Syrian nuclear complex under Operation Orchaid
• Qassam rockets are domestic made fired by Hamas from  Gaza targeting Israeli settlements. Israel counter it using the advanced Iron Dome anti missile system.
• Recently the city of Hebron was declared as a Palestinian heritage site by UNESCO

Lets Tackle World Affairs #1

Hola Amigos !

World Affairs Section of HSEE is one section where you can easily slide through with some minimal prep and smart work. It can easily give you solid 18 marks if you apply some brains, which I was able to pull off during my attempt.

What is World Affairs ?

Its not the American journal on International relations !. At least from HSEE point of view (World Affairs). 

But you got might have got an  idea from the title itself. It's interdisciplinary in nature, blending the fields of economics, history, and political science to examine topics such as human rights, global poverty, the environment, economics, globalization, security, global ethics, and the political environment.

That's the basic jargon...

The basic syllabus of the section is :

Emergence of the US and USSR; emergence of UN system; the Cold War and nuclear race; disintegration of Soviet Union, decline of Communism and rise of nationalism; Arab-Israel conflict; India and the World; NAM and role of India; India-China and India- Pakistan relations, China and the World, conflict and wars.

Democracy and Development; Challenges to democracy; North-South divide on issues of development; UN and its various developmental and peacekeeping operations; Nuclearisation and Non-proliferation; India in SAARC and ASEAN; International terrorism, fundamentalism and the War on Terror; Indo-US relations; New centres of power in Asia, Latin America and Africa.

Hunger and Poverty; Human Rights, Democracy and Development; Environmental degradation and green politics; Issues of Race, Ethnicity and Gender; Deprived Classes and minority politics; Religion in the contemporary world; Culture and Civilization; Globalization and changing economic, cultural and political landscape; Mass media and cultural change; Emergence of various popular mass movements.

Don't Freak out, basically a quick reading is enough to gain grasp on the above stuff. And keep an eye on current affairs as some stuff creep in from there. During exam make sure you try to eliminate options to reach the answers and importantly attempt all 18 ones. I will try on posting all stuff relevant to the above themes and keep you guys updated !

Peace 

Current Affairs Nugget #Week1 23-30 December 2018

Yeah, yeah we know that there are innumerable sources to get news and info about the current affairs, ranging from the cheesy apps to slipshod and substandard news debates...but hey! revision is important!! So here: 

  

India's fastest train- Train 18 

Train 18 officially became India's fastest train @180km/hr during its trial run. Train 18 is India's first indigenously built engine-less train, built by Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF) under the 'Make in India' initiative. PM Modi is expected to flag off the train in January, to serve the route between Delhi and Varanasi. And to spice things up, stones were pelted on the train during its first trial run on Bareilly-Moradabad route. #BreakInIndia

For more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Train_18

Longest Rail-cum-Road Bridge in India- Bogibeel Bridge

On December 25, the birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee which is celebrated as Good Governance Day, PM Modi unveiled the 4.69 km long Bogibeel Bridge on the Brahmaputra river linking Dibrugarh with North lakhimpur district of Assam and parts of Arunachal Pradesh. It is seen as a milestone in increasing connectivity in the North-east. Bogibeel is the gateway to the historic Stilwell Road, which connects Ledo in Assam to Kunming in China, passing through Myanmar’s Kachin state, via Arunachal Pradesh. The 1,800 km long route was used for transporting arms to the Chinese by the Americans during World War II.
See: https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/bogibeel-bridge-railroad-brahmaputra-assam-arunachal-pradesh-5514311/

Miss Universe 2018

Catriona Gray of Philippines won the 67th Miss Universe Pageant held on 17th December 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand. Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa (Miss Universe 2017) crowned her successor Catriona Gray of the Philippines at the end of the event.The show was hosted by comedian Steve Harvey and supermodel Ashley Graham, while television personality Carson Kressley and runway coach Lu Sierra provided commentary and analysis throughout the event. American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo performed during the competition. Contestants from 94 countries and territories participated in this year's pageant, surpassing the previous record of 92 contestants in 2017. Angela Ponce of Spain became the first openly transgender contestant to compete for the Miss Universe title.

For more: just google it!

GI Tag to Bihar's Silao Khaja

Geographical Indications Registry at Chennai has granted GI tag to Silao Khaja, the traditional delicacy of Nalanda district of Bihar. Silao Khaja is known for its crispiness and multi-layered appearance attributed to the local climate of Silao.

Read more at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/bihars-sweet-delicacy-silao-khaja-gets-gi-tag/articleshow/67116955.cms

First person to complete solo trek across Antarctica

Colin O'Brady from USA became the first person to complete a solo trek across Antarctica. He took 54 days to complete the 1482 km journey, traversing the continent.
More: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/american-adventurer-colin-obrady-completes-solo-trek-across-antarctica-1968557

Burundi announces new capital

Burundi announced its new political capital to be Gitega, replacing the old Bujumbura which is 100 km to the west on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. President Pierre Nkurunaziza kept his decade-old promise by naming the small city in the central highlands as the new political capital while Bujumbura will remain as the economic capital.
Visit: https://qz.com/africa/1507779/burundi-moves-capital-from-bujumbura-to-gitega/

India's new High Court

Country's 25th High Court is all set to be instituted in Amravati, Andhra Pradesh. It will serve as the High Court of Andhra as the old one in Hyderabad will function as the High Court of Telangana. Justice Praveen kumar will serve as the acting Chief Justice of the new Andhra Pradesh High Court. 

http://www.newsonair.com/Main-News-Details.aspx?id=357182

India's first 'Music Museum'

Tamil Nadu state assembly assented to establish country's first music museum in Thiruvaiyur, the birthplace of Thyagaraja, one of the trinities of Carnatic music (the other two being Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri). 

https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/india-s-first-music-museum-to-be-set-up-in-thiruvaiyaru-all-about-it-1416851-2018-12-25

Government to rename three islands

A new addition in the renaming spree, Government has proposed to rename three islands in Andaman and Nicobar union territory. Accordingly the names of Ross, Neil and Havelock islands may be renamed as Netaji SC Bose, Shaheed Dweep and Swaraj islands respectively. It is to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Netaji hoisting tricolour in Port Blair and his renaming of the said islands.

For more info: https://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/2/15877/75-Years-Since-PM-to-Rename-Three-Popular-Islands-in-Andaman-and-Nicobar

Awards, honours, appointments and stuff

• Sonam Kapoor becomes PETA person of the year
• Ashok Amritraj honoured with 'French Knight of National Order of Merit' 
• Harsh Vardhan Shringla appointed as next ambassador to US
• New award for national integration- Sardar Patel Award
• New stamp to commemorate Paika Rebellion of Odisha
• New commemorative 100-rupee coin on Atal Bihari Vajpayee
• LS Kudalkar and Usha Timothy bag the Rafi Award for Music
• Ricky Ponting inducted in ICC hall of fame
• Rajesh Subramaniam appointed as CEO of FedEx