Category Civics

How did the British establish themselves in New Zealand?

          New Zealand is a country spread across the Pacific Ocean, near Australia. It is made up of two large islands- North and South islands.

          The history of New Zealand cannot be told without mentioning the British interventions. Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer was the first European to discover the island. With the arrival of Captain James Cook, Britishers founded Wellington in the North Island. New Zealand became a British colony in 1840. Maoris were the original inhabitants of the island. William Hobson, New Zealand’s first governor made an agreement with 500 Maori chiefs to establish British sovereignty over the country. This landmark document is known as the Treaty of Waitangi. This treaty helped the British to establish their government.

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How did the ban on the White Australia policy give shape to the Australia that we know today?

          Like many other British colonies, Australia too experienced the ill effects of racism. The British settlers wanted to establish White supremacy over the country.

          Moreover, traders from Asian countries, especially China were posing a threat to the British trade. To counter it, the government came up with the White Australia Policy in 1901. The policy banned all non-White immigrants.

          The White Australia Policy was in the rule books till the 1960s. It was ultimately banned in 1966 and the country invited immigrants from all parts of the world. It also opened its gates to the refugees of the Vietnam War! People all over the world now move in to Australia for quality education and employment. And it has people of all races; 26 percent of its population is immigrants!

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Why did the British settle in Australia?

          Australia is unique in many ways. The country has pink lakes like Lake Hillier. It has more than ten thousand beaches. There are more kangaroos than people in the country. The Great Barrier Reef, the largest living structure in the world is in Australia. It also shares a legacy with many other countries in the world- Australia too was once a British colony!

          Australia was inhabited by the Aboriginals alone till the British settlers came. In the 1700s, criminals of Britain were given two options- either to die or to live in the difficult bushes of the newfound continent. As many as 700 convicts were sent to Australia in the beginning, who struggled hard to survive the harsh climate, the difficult land and of course, the Aboriginals. More convicts were transported and Australia became an established penal colony of the British. By the 1800s, there were many such penal colonies.

          The 1850s witnessed a historical discovery! Gold was discovered in Victoria which created a boom. The Victorian gold rush was so massive that the government had to resort to issuing miners’ licenses to regulate the crowd.

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Why did settlers come to Australia and the Pacific islands?

          The British expanded their colonies all over the world in search of natural resources and wealth. Australia was no exception.

          The British came to Australia and the Pacific islands to exploit the mineral wealth of these countries. Nauru was mined for phosphate while some other islands had nickel and bauxite. Many islands were fertile and were utilized for plantations, especially sugarcane.

          Many English convicts were sent to some of these islands including Australia and New Zealand as punishment for their crimes. To survive, these people had to struggle with the harsh weather, difficult terrains and the natives.

         The continent of Australia now consists of fourteen countries spread across the Pacific Ocean. Australia, New Zealand and thousands of tiny islands are collectively known as Oceania. Today, many of these islands are bustling tourist destinations.

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What are political parties and pressure groups?

               The origin of social science and art of politics can be traced back to the times of Aristotle. In his opinion, politics was a prime subject which he used for finding an ideal set of rules for attitudes, values and firm beliefs of human society. In late 15th century a French philosopher Montaigne pointed out that ‘Liberty’ is the key concern of all human beings.

               Later thinkers like John Stuart Mill and Karl Marx made significant contributions to the study of politics — although in a different ideological leanings. These beliefs or ideas ultimately led to the formation of political parties or groups. Now the question arises: what are the goals and functions of an ideal political party? According to social scientists political parties serve as dynamic agents within different political systems. They formulate policies of a government of their own party and set goals for the welfare of society which according to them would be best suited for their people. All political parties are supposed to bridge the gaps between rulers and the ruled. The mode of political systems however, differs from country to country. 

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What are different National Awards?

               National Awards can be divided mainly into four groups; (a) Civilian Awards (b) Gallantry Awards (c) Distinguished Service Awards and (d) Arjuna Awards. 

Civilian Awards

There are four civilian awards; (i) Bharat Ratna (ii) Padma Vibhushan (iii) Padma Bhushan and (iv) Padma Shri.

(i) Bharat Ratna: This is the highest award in India and is given for exceptional work for the advancement of Art, Literature and Science and in recognition of public service of the highest order. It was awarded for the first time in 1954 and the recipients in 1954 were C. Rajagopalachari, S. Radhakrishnan and C.V. Raman.

The decoration is in the form of a peepal leaf, about 5.8 cm long, 4.7 cm wide and 3.1 mm thick. It is of toned bronze. On one side there is a replica of the sun below which the words Bharat Ratna are inscribed in Hindi. On the other side are the National Emblem and the motto also in Hindi. The emblem, the sun and the rim, are of platinum.

(ii) Padma Vibhushan: This award is given for exceptional and distinguished services in any field, including outstanding services rendered by government officials.

The decoration is a circular design, with a geometrical pattern superimposed on the circle. The diameter of the circular part is 4.4 cm and thickness about 0.6 mm. On one side there is a lotus flower with the ascription Padma Vibhushan in Hindi. On the other side are the National Emblem and motto. It is of toned bronze. All embossing on either side of the decoration is in white gold.

(iii) Padma Bhushan: This award is given for distinguished services of a high order in any field including services rendered by government personnel. It has the same design as the ‘Padma Vibhushan’. On one side the word “Padma” appears above and the word “Bhushan” below the lotus flower. All embossing on either side of the decoration is in standard gold.

(iv) Padma Shri: This award is given for distinguished services in any field including services rendered by government personnel. Above the lotus, the word ‘Padma’ and below, the word ‘Shri’ is embossed in Hindi. On one side there is a geometrical pattern. All embossing on either side is in stainless steel.

All these awards are presented on the Republic Day.

 

Gallantry Awards

The Gallantry awards are six in number and awarded to the personnel of the armed forces for their acts of bravery and sacrifice for the security and welfare of the nation.

  1. Param Vir Chakra: It is the highest decoration of valour awarded for the most conspicuous bravery or self-sacrifice in fighting the enemy on land, sea or air. The decoration is made of bronze and is circular in shape. On this four replicas of ‘Indra’s -Vajra’ are embossed round the state emblem in the centre. On the other side the words ‘Param Vir Chakra’ are embossed both in Hindi and English with lotus flowers in the middle.
  2.  Maha Vir Chakra: The medal is made of standard silver and is circular in shape. Embossed on the obverse is a five pointed star and on the reverse the word ‘Maha Vir Chakra’ in Hindi and English with two lotus flowers in the middle. It is the second highest decoration.
  3. Vir Chakra: This is the third highest award for acts of conspicuous gallantry. The medal is circular in shape and made of standard silver. Embossed on the obverse is a five pointed star with an ‘Ashoka Chakra’ in the middle and on the reverse the word ‘Vir Chakra’ both in Hindi and English with two lotus flowers in the middle.
  4. Ashoka Chakra: This award is given for conspicuous bravery or self-sacrifice. The Chakra is made of gilt gold and is circular in shape. On the obverse there is an embossed replica of Ashoka Chakra surrounded by a lotus wreath. Along the edge is patterned lotus leaves, flowers and buds. On the reverse, the word ‘Ashoka Chakra’ are embossed with lotus flowers in the intervening space.
  5. Kirti Chakra: This is given for conspicuous gallantry. Made of standard silver, it is circular in shape. The obverse and reverse are same as the ‘Ashoka Chakra’.
  6. Shaurya Chakra: This is awarded to the defence personnel for the act of gallantry. Its shape is like the Ashoka Chakra except that it is made of bronze. 

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