Did dinosaurs predate the Himalayas?
The Himalayas are the most dominant mountain ranges on planet Earth and much as we would imagine the Himalayas to have been present since time immemorial – or at least before any form of life evolved on Earth – there weren’t any Himalayas when the dinosaurs roamed the Earth!
Age of Dinosaurs
Geologists have broken up the Earth’s 4.5 billion year history into various eras. Dinosaurs lorded over Earth during the Mesozoic era – this time period is usually known as the ‘Age of the Dinosaurs’. The Mesozoic era was 250 million years ago and lasted up to about 60 million years ago – during this period, dinosaurs continuously evolved with new species evolving while others went extinct.
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| Dinosaurs were also separated by geography – not all species lived in the same location, unlike what is usually shown in movies. |
Formation of the Himalayas
The Himalayas also evolved with time – except that unlike natural species, Darwin’s theory of evolution was not behind it. When the supercontinent Pangaea broke up, the Indian landmass – which until then was in the Southern Hemisphere – started moving North and in an epic meetup collided with the south moving Eurasian plate. Of course, none of this happened in a day and it took about 30 million years for this rendezvous to happen – when the plates did collide about 50 million years ago, the immense pressure that was created caused the ground to rise and create the Himalayas as we know it.
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| Read more about plate tectonics here |
So, by the time the dinosaurs became extinct – around 60 million years ago – the Himalayas were just getting formed.
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| While the Dinosaurs may never have gotten to set gaze on the Himalayas, the northerly movement of the Indian plate triggered one of the most catastrophic volcanic eruptions in Earth’s recent past. The Deccan plateau and the northern half of the Western Ghats were a direct consequence of this; indirectly the greenhouse gases spewed out into the upper atmosphere is thought to have spread around the world, impacting flora & fauna throughout Earth and contributing to the extinction of the Dinosaur. |
How are judges appointed to the Supreme Court of India?
The Supreme Court of India is the apex judicial body in the country. By virtue of being the highest legal authority in the country, the right judges have to be selected for appointment as judges in the court.
Appointment of judges to the Supreme Court of India has undergone changes over the years. After independence, judges were appointed by the President of India based on recommendation by the Cabinet. This mechanism changed in 1993 and subsequently a Collegium (Latin for association) was established which includes the Chief Justice of India and four of the senior most judges of the court. This Collegium shortlists from amongst senior most judges in the High Courts and senior practicing advocates and recommends names to the President. After consultation with the union cabinet, the President picks names from this list.
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| The number of judges in the Supreme Court of India is 34, including the Chief Justice. This number has increased over the years – when India got independence the number was 8. The court sat for its first hearing on 28 January 1950. |
Which paramilitary force in India is responsible for security at airports?
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is responsible for security at most Indian airports. CISF was raised in 1969 and is a full fledged paramilitary force.
CISF plays a critical role in protecting key Indian infrastructure that enemy countries would target to cripple our economy and prevent our government from performing its duties. CISF’s operational area falls under three broad categories:
- Protecting key government offices – this includes Government Secretariats in Delhi, Parliament, currency printing presses, heritage monuments, Indian embassies and consulates
- Protecting key public installations & offices – this includes nuclear and space facilities, power plants, refineries, sea and airports
- Protecting key private institutions – this includes the Reliance refinery at Jamnagar and multiple Infosys campuses around the country
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| The central armed police forces in India come under the Ministry of Home Affairs. This is unlike the Indian forces – the Army, Navy, Airforce and Coast Guard – which come under the Ministry of Defence. Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) make up the central armed police force. |
Very nice and informative content, really good info!!!
Thank you Ajay!