Archaeologists at Göbekli Tepe in Turkey discovered a pillar that may be the world’s oldest calendar, dating back nearly 13,000 years.
The pillar is located at the ancient site of Göbekli Tepe in the Şanlıurfa province, which is one of the oldest known farming communities in the world.
The markings on the pillar appear to show solar and lunar cycles, and may have been used to record dates by ancient humans using precession, the wobble in Earth’s axis that affects the movement of constellations.
The markings also depict the summer solstice as a special day, represented by a “V” around the neck of a bird-like beast.
Science & Technology
3. DRDO successfully tested long range glide bomb, what is it named? – ‘GAURAV‘
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the first test of Long Range Glide Bomb (LRGB), ‘GAURAV’ from Indian Air Force’s Sukhoi-30 Mk-I.
Gaurav is an air-launched, 1,000-kg class glide bomb capable of engaging targets at long ranges.
It was tested off the coast of Odisha.
4. Where was the test of Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MP- ATGM) conducted by DRDO on August 13?- Pokhran
Sports
5. In which state will the first Global Overseas Women’s Kabaddi League be organized? – Haryana
The Maharashtra government recently declared the geoglyphs and petroglyphs in Ratnagiri as ‘protected monuments’ under the Maharashtra Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1960.
According to a notification from the state culture department, the group of petroglyphs at Deud, Ratnagiri dates back to the Mesolithic era (around 20,000-10,000 years ago).
12. Tungabhadra Dam, recently seen in the news, is located in which state? – Karnataka
The 19th crest gate of the 71-year-old Tungabhadra Dam collapsed, causing a flood alert in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Tungabhadra Dam, also known as Pampa Sagar, is a multipurpose dam on the Tungabhadra River, a tributary of the Krishna River.
It is located in the Ballari district of Karnataka, near the town of Hospet.
It was initially a joint project of the Hyderabad state and Madras Presidency, later becoming a joint project of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh after its completion in 1953.
The dam has a storage capacity of 101 TMC, with a catchment area of 28,000 sq. km, standing 49.5 meters high with 33 crest gates.
It is one of two reservoirs in India built using mud and limestone, along with the Mullaperiyar Dam in Kerala.
Miscellaneous
13. Which institution remained on the top spot in the National Institute Ranking Framework, 2024? – IIT Madras
The India Rankings 2024 were released by the Union Education Minister, based on the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).
IIT Madras ranked 1st in the Overall Category for the sixth year and in Engineering for the ninth year.
IISc Bengaluru topped the Universities Category for the ninth year and Research Institutions for the fourth year.
IIM Ahmedabad ranked 1st in Management for the fifth year. AIIMS Delhi topped the Medical Category for the seventh year.
Jamia Hamdard, Delhi, ranked 1st in Pharmacy. NLSIU Bengaluru retained 1st position in Law.
NIRF was launched in 2015 and uses five broad parameters for ranking.
The 2024 edition introduced three new categories: State Public Universities, Open Universities, and Skill Universities, and integrated “Innovation” rankings.
