SNIPPETS 20 JUNE 2026

Hiuen Tsang (629–645 CE) : He is a renowned Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller and translator of the Tang period+ He is best known for his 16-year pilgrimage to India+ In India, he Visited the court of Harshavardhan+ Participated in religious debates at Kannauj+ Studied at Nalanda Mahavihara university under the guidance of the venerable monk Shilabhadra+ Information provided by him: Harsha's empire (harsh punishment to criminals), incident of robbery on highway. Trade routes and duties at barriers, Social and religious systems, detailed account of Nalanda University, etc.

GRAPES-3: It is a high-energy cosmic ray observatory located at Ooty, Tamil Nadu, at an altitude of about 2200 metres above sea level+ Working: When high-energy cosmic rays or gamma rays enter Earth's atmosphere, they interact with atmospheric molecules and generate cascades of secondary particles called Extensive Air Showers (EAS)+ GRAPES-3 detects these air showers and analyses them to understand the properties of the original cosmic particles+ GRAPES-3 array is the highest density conventional EAS array in the world

World Gold Council: It is an international membership organization representing the global gold mining industry+ Objective: To promote gold as a strategic asset and support the development of a responsible, transparent, and sustainable gold market+ Founded: 1987+ Created by: leading global gold mining companies+ HQ: London+ Membership: 29 major gold mining companies