8th July 2026

Explanation – The Changpas are a semi-nomadic people found mainly in the Changthang region of the Trans-Himalayas of the Indian subcontinent. They are nomads who have been shepherding their world-class pashmina goats (or cashmere goats) for centuries.

• They were granted official status in India as a Scheduled Tribe.
• They can be identified by their conical yak-skin tents called reboo. Each reboo invariably accommodates the family deity, and a picture of their spiritual head, in most cases, the Dalai Lama.
• The Changpa who live nomadic lives are known as Phalpa and those who have settled down in fixed locations are called Fangpa — this division is based on lifestyle, not religious following, making statement 3 incorrect.

Festivals:

• One of the main purifying rituals of the Changpas is known as Jyabten, where they make different kinds of food as an offering to Lord Padmasambhava.
• Another festival is Tangpe Chona, observed on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar.

Explanation – It is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, on the banks of the Niranjana River. It is one of the four most sacred sites of Buddhism, marking the location where Buddha attained Enlightenment (not his first sermon, which happened at Sarnath), along with Lumbini (birthplace), Sarnath (first sermon), and Kushinagar (parinirvana).

• The original temple was constructed by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC. The present structure is estimated to have been erected between the 5th and 6th century AD during the Gupta Period.
• The temple was heavily restored in the 19th century by Myanmar (Burmese) Buddhists and then by British archaeologist Sir Alexander Cunningham. It was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2002.
• In 2013 (21st century), the upper portion of the temple was covered with gold, as a gift from the King and devotees of Thailand.
• A descendant of the Bodhi tree stands adjacent to the temple, and the Vajrasana (Diamond Throne) — a stone slab marking the exact spot where Buddha attained enlightenment — was originally installed by Emperor Ashoka.

Explanation – It is a government-backed dedicated digital marketplace that brings India's handloom and handicraft traditions into the online economy. Developed by the Digital India Corporation for the Ministry of Textiles and launched in 2023, it showcases some of the world's oldest and most traditional crafts of India.

Salient Features:

• The platform enables artisans and weavers to sell their products directly to consumers, reducing dependence on intermediaries and improving opportunities for fair compensation.
• It equips sellers with digital tools and greater online visibility, allowing them to participate more effectively in e-commerce.
• The marketplace showcases an extensive range of handmade products spanning apparel, home décor, furnishings, paintings, furniture, religious items, stationery, musical instruments, jewellery, bags, and footwear.
• The platform gives prominence to region-specific crafts through dedicated sections for GI-tagged and ODOP products.
• Buyers benefit from free shipping, secure payment systems, purchase protection, and buyer support mechanisms.
• Artisans who do not have GST registration can register using an Enrolment ID, although they are permitted to sell only within their own state — they are not barred entirely.

Explanation – Ethanol (C2H5OH) has a much simpler carbon chain compared to petrol (which ranges between C8 and C12) — meaning the carbon chain is shorter, not longer. This means burning ethanol produces less carbon dioxide compared to burning an equivalent amount of petrol — making it more environment-friendly. Ethanol also has a very high-octane number (around 108 Research Octane Number, or RON), enabling a cleaner burn inside engines. This is why ethanol has traditionally been favoured in high-performance sports cars, thanks to its anti-knock properties, higher power potential, and better cooling effect from its high latent heat of vaporisation. Indian carmakers say this high RON value could eventually allow them to design engines with higher compression ratios, extracting better mileage from higher ethanol blends — but this remains a future possibility, not a current reality.

Explanation – India's Constitution provides strong protection for an accused person's right to be defended: Article 22(1) guarantees every arrested person the fundamental right to consult and be defended by a legal practitioner of their choice. Article 14 ensures equality before law and equal protection of laws for everyone in India. Article 21 — the Supreme Court has recognised the right to a fair trial as part of the right to life and personal liberty. Article 39A, a Directive Principle of State Policy (not a Fundamental Right), requires the state to ensure justice is not denied to any citizen due to economic or other disabilities. This is the constitutional basis for free legal aid.

What Have Bar Council Rules Said? The Bar Council of India's "Standards of Professional Conduct and Etiquette" state that an advocate is bound to accept any brief in courts or tribunals, at a fee suited to their standing and the nature of the case. The rules do allow refusal in "special circumstances" — but courts have clarified what this actually means. In Kuldeep Agarwal v. State of Uttarakhand (2019), the Uttarakhand High Court held that "special circumstances" apply only to an individual advocate deciding not to take up a case personally. It does not give a Bar Association the power to collectively ban all its members from representing a particular accused.