Notes:
These are folk dances. Veedhi is of Andhra, Tamasha is of Maharastra, Rauf is of J & K and Thora is of Uttar Pradesh.

Notes:
First statement is incorrect because biofuel obtained from algae is third generation biofuel. Second generation biofuels are fuels that can be manufactured from various types of biomass. These may include wood, organic waste, food crop waste and specific biomass crops. Second statement is incorrect because India’s first-second generation biofuel plant has been inaugurated at Kashipur in Uttarakhand and not in Haryana.

Notes:
To mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in November 2019, the Union Cabinet has recently approved the building and development of the Kartarpur Corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district of Punjab to the international border with Pakistan. The corridor will facilitate pilgrims from India who visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur, on the banks of the Ravi River in Pakistan every year, where Shri Guru Nanak Devji spent 18 years. The Kartarpur corridor will be implemented as an integrated development project with Government of India funding, to provide smooth and easy passage, with all the modern amenities. The corridor was proposed by the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999. If connected on the both sides, this could also provide a major tourism boost as more pilgrims would be able to visit the holy shrine throughout the year.

Notes:
In Assam and many parts of the North East, the festival of Magha Bihu is celebrated as the start of harvest season. Gujarat celebrates it in the form of the convivial kite festival of Uttarayan. In Shimla it is known as Magha Saaji. The festival is known as Kicheri in Uttar Pradesh and involves ritual bathing.

Notes:
In the year 1993, the Union government merged the New Bank of India with Punjab National Bank. Total nationalised banks came down to 19 with this.

Notes:
There are total seven rajya sabha seats in Punjab. Unlike lok sabha or state assembly, these members are not representing an electoral constituency, rather the members from these seats are representatives of the state.

Notes:
Oudh – 1856
Punjab – 1849
Upper Burma- 1885

Notes:
The principal cause of soil damage in Punjab and Haryana is Salinity and water logging. The area is totally damaged due to salinization of sub soil water and did not allow any plant to grow.

Notes:
The book titled “The Legacy of Militancy in Punjab: Long Road to Normalcy” have been authored by civil rights activist Inderjit Singh Jaijee and journalist Dona Suri. The book provide details how militancy in Punjab affected judiciary by delaying trials, how it influenced the popular culture and how the youth today are still responding to conditions in the northern state. It also aims at holding up a mirror to developments in post-militancy Punjab regarding politics, government policies, and functioning of police and courts among other things.

Notes:
Statement 1 is incorrect:
Stubble burning is the practice of setting fire to the stubble after harvesting. In India, the practice is prevalent in northern states like Punjab, UP and Haryana. It is done to clear away the paddy stubble to help speed up wheat cultivation in the winter.
Statement 2 is correct:
The stubble burning helps in reducing incidence of pest and weeds. While this helps in reducing the need for pesticides and herbicides, it causes rampant pollution. The air quality deteriorates affecting the health of the farming community and also far off urban places like Delhi.
Statement 3 is incorrect:
The stubble burning is mostly practiced during the start of Rabi season. The season starts in late September- early October. The practice is used in autumn to clear off the paddy stubble and sow wheat. The government has banned the practice and instead calls for the use of Happy Seeders and Super SMS.