CSS, PCS, ISSB and other Competitive examination preparation

Poor vultures. They really get a bad rap. No one wants to be called a vulture. It means you’re lazy, just picking the scraps off someone else’s hard work. Vulture even became part of the 2012 presidential campaign vernacular. However, vultures are actually interesting creatures that play a vital role in their ecosystems. There are 23 species of vultures that can be split into two groups: the New World Vultures and the Old World Vultures. On this International Vulture Awareness Day, let’s learn a little about these super gross and fascinating birds.

Avoid these words in some countries you may be beaten-up  If you travel abroad frequently for work, or if you have an e-commerce store with customers from all over the world, it’s worth noting that there are a number of English words that, phonetically, don’t work in other countries and can lead to double entendre or unintended offence territory. Here are 20 of them to help you ensure that your communication isn’t lost in translation.

The Battle of Yarmuk, fought in 636 AD, was the turning point in Arab history that put a stop to any future Muslim attempt to expand into Europe. Fought between Arab general  Khalid ibn al Walid  and the Byzantine Emperor  Heraclius , it showed that Byzantine arms would not be tarnished by the newfound tactics of the Arabs.After the battle, the Arabs were eager to avoid battle with the Byzantines and instead shifted their efforts eastward into central and southern Asia.The Byzantines,on the other hand, learned from Arab Light Cavalry tactics, and utilized them in their later conquest of Central Europe and Russia.

source = dawn THERE are different approaches to worshipping God: out of fear, greed or sheer love and devotion. Most of us ordinary people worship God either out of fear of punishment or greed for reward in this world and in the hereafter. In Sufi lore it is said that once Rabia Basri, a great Sufi woman of 2nd century Hijrah (8th century CE) was carrying a bucket of water in one hand and a burning torch in the other. When people saw her they asked, “O! Rabia, why are you carrying this bucket of water and the burning torch?” She replied

source = weirdscience.com Even though you're around human bodies all day (after all, you have one of your very own), you probably don't know everything there is to know about them. Each of our bodies are a miracle; it's amazing they work the way they do, day in and day out. If you thought what our bodies could do before, once you read this list of insane facts about the human body, you'll be in awe. Never take your own body for granted, because some of the things it can do are mind-blowing. 1.) The average person produces enough saliva in their lifetime to fill 2 swimming pools.

Source =  http://www.thenews.com.pk President Barack Obama may have touched a billion hearts by insisting that terrorists do not speak for a billion Muslims. Hosting a first of its kind counterterrorism conference at the White House, Obama hit all the right buttons, emphasising that violent extremism is not peculiar to any religion. He also warned against casting the fight against extremism in terms of a civilisational conflict: “The notion that the west is at war with Islam is an ugly lie. And all of us, regardless of our faith, have a responsibility to reject it.” 

source =  http://www.express.co.uk  Having served four years on the Western Front the 40-year-old was killed at 9.30am, despite the armistice being signed at 5am. He was one of a staggering 11,000 tragic souls who became casualties on the last day of the war, even though an end to the conflict had already been agreed. Here, in the run up to Armistice Day and the 100th anniversary of the start of hostilities, we've put together 40 other incredible facts about the 1914-1918 war that was meant to end all wars... 1. Officially a British soldier had to be 19 years old to serve overseas but many lied about their age. About 250,000 under-age boys served. The youngest was discovered to be just 12.

source = www.bbc.co.uk World War One often conjures up images of a horrific bloodbath fought in the trenches of the Western Front. While this certainly captures some of the reality, did you know that the war spread as far as China? Or that it was fought by servicemen from Asia, North America, the Caribbean, Australasia and Africa? Here are 12 surprising facts about World War One that you probably didn't know. 1. An explosion on the battlefield in France was heard in Londo n While the war raged on in the mud and trenches, a very different war was taking place beneath the soldiers' feet. A group of miners, operating in total secrecy, dug tunnels up to 100ft underground, to plant and detonate mines beneath the enemy's trenches. Their biggest success was at Messines Ridge in Belgium where over 900,000lbs of explosives were simultaneously detonated in 19 underground tunnels. Much of the German front line was destroyed, and the explosions were heard 140 miles away by ...

Sources = wikipedia and trak.in Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela  (18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African politician and activist. On April 27, 1994, he was made the first President of South Africa elected in a fully represented democratic election. Mandela was also the first black President of his country.

Source = Cssforum I shall be dwelling upon the newly emerged threat of Da’esh, which is also known as Islamic State of Iraq & Sham (ISIS), which later morphed into Islamic State (IS), also called Da’esh. Its emergence has further disturbed the security situation of Middle East. It has created a stir and fears are expressed all over the world. Claims of the US and its strategic partners to degrade and destroy the ISIS are dubbed by many as a cover up to achieve their hidden objectives in Middle East.

source = dawn.com being a soldier, General Ziaul Haq was in the habit of planning well before it came time to implement. His plans of introducing an `Islamic code of life` in the country had been laid way back in December, 1978, on the beginning of the new Islamic year. In a lengthy address to the nation delivered on Dec 2, 1978, the General had first unveiled his plans of introducing `Islamic` laws in the country, claiming that in the past, `many a ruler said whatever they pleased in the name of Islam.` This was set to change.

source = wikipedia and various sources Q/ What do you know about imperialism, Capitalism, socialism,  radicalism, Zionism  fascism, communism, anarchism, pragmatism, existentialism and syndicalism ? The ism is defined as  a distinctive practice, system, or philosophy, typically a political ideology or an artistic movement. or simply it is a Doctrine of the thing it get attached to. like Confucianism, pen-Islamism, taoism etc Imperialism Imperialism  originated from the Latin word "imperium" meaning to rule over large territories. Imperialism is "a policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or other means"    Lewis Samuel Feuer  identifies two major subtypes of imperialism; 

source = wikipedia Electricity in Pakistan  is  distributed, and retail supplied by two vertically integrated public sector utilities:   (WAPDA) for all of Pakistan , and the  (KESC) for the city of Karachi and its surrounding areas. There are around 20 independent power producers that contribute significantly in electricity generation in Pakistan. There are four major power producers in country: WAPDA (Water & Power Development Authority), KESC (Karachi Electric Supply Company), IPPs (Independent Power Producers) and PAEC (Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission).

source wikipedia Pakistan  is home to many mountains above 7,000 metres (22,970 ft). Five of the world's fourteen mountains taller than 8,000 meters ("eight-thousanders") are in Pakistan, four of which are in Karakoram, near Concordia. Most of Pakistan's high peaks are located in the Karakoram range, the highest of which is K2 (8,611 m), the second highest peak on earth. The highest peak of Himalayan range in Pakistan is Nanga Parbat (8,126 m), which is the ninth highest peak of the world.

source = wikipedia and various piddle sources Early life and Career: Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta, was born in Tangier, Morocco, on the 24th of February 1304 C.E. (703 Hijra) during the time of the Marinid dynasty. He was commonly known as Shams ad-Din. His family was of Berber origin and had a tradition of service as judges. After receiving an education in Islamic law, he chose to travel. He left is house in June 1325, when he was twenty one years of age and set off from his hometown on a hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca, a journey that took him 16 months. He did not come back to Morocco for at least 24 years after that. His journey was mostly by land. To reduce the risk of being attacked, he usually chose to join a caravan. In the town of Sfax, he got married. He survived wars, shipwrecks, and rebellions.

source WHO website Q:  What is sleeping sickness? A:  Sleeping sickness, also called "human African trypanosomiasis", is a widespread tropical disease that can be fatal if not treated. It is spread by the bite of an infected tsetse fly ( Glossina  Genus), a species native to the African continent. Sixty million people who live mainly in rural parts of East, West and Central Africa are at risk of contracting sleeping sickness.

source = dawn W H EN it comes to immunisation, Pakistan has two very different reputations. On the one hand it is known for its heroic Lady Health Worl(ers (L H Ws), the 100,000 women who have played a key part in trying to provide vital health services such as immunisation to some of Pakistan`s most marginalised people. Yet at the same time the savage attacks on these women for their role in promoting health has sent shockwaves throughout the world.

The  Battle of Sallasil ( Dhat al-Salasil )   or the  Battle of Chains  was the first battle fought between the  Rashidun Caliphate  and the  Sassanid Persian Empire . The battle was fought in  Kuwait (Kazima) soon after the  Ridda Wars  were over and  Eastern Arabia  was united under the authority of  Caliph Abu Bakr . It was also the first battle of the  Rashidun Caliphate  in which the Muslim army sought to extend its frontiers.

The  Battle of the Bridge  was fought between Arab Muslims led by Abu Ubaid Thaqfi, and the Persian Sasanian Empireforces led by Bahman Jaduya. It is traditionally dated to the year 634, and was the only major Persian victory over the invading Muslim armies.

What does nuclear fission have to do with the birth of stars? Fission has nothing to do with it. Fusion does, however. Fission is the process by which large nuclei (like Uranium) split apart releasing energy. Fusion is the joining of nuclei to make larger nuclei, with the release of energy. A ball of contracting interstellar gas becomes a star like the Sun when fusion reactions start in its center. Then, we say "a star is born."

Why do some stars end up as black holes? The answer involves the gravity and the internal pressure within the star. These two things oppose each other -- the gravitational force of the star acting on a chunk of matter at the star's surface will want to cause that matter to fall inward, but the internal pressure of the star, acting outward at the surface, will want to cause the matter to fly outward. When these two are balanced (i.e., equal in strength) the star will maintain its size: neither collapse not expand. Such is the case for the Sun at the moment, and even, for that matter, for the Earth.

What is your definition of a quasar?  This is best answered with history. When radio telescopes were first turned on the heavens, point sources of radio waves were discovered (along with spread-out regions of emission along our Milky Way). Astronomers using ordinary visible-light telescopes turned toward these radio points and looked to see what was there. In some cases a supernova remnant was found, in others, a large star-birth region, in others a distant galaxy. But in some places where point sources of radio waves were found, no visible source other than a stellar-looking object was found (it looked like a point of like --- like a star does).

While the universe is a big place to study, we shouldn't forget our own backyard. With eight planets and a wealth of smaller worlds to look at, there's more than enough to learn for a few lifetimes! So what are some of the most surprising things about the  planets ? We've highlighted a few things below. 1. Mercury is hot, but not too hot for ice The closest planet to the Sun does indeed have ice on its surface. That sounds surprising at first glance, but the ice is found in permanently shadowed craters—those that never receive any sunlight. It is thought that perhaps comets delivered this ice to Mercury in the first place. In fact, NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft not only found ice at the north pole, but it also found organics, which are the building blocks for life. Mercury is way too hot and airless for life as we know it, but it shows how these elements are distributed across the Solar System.

IN an opinion piece in the New York Times of Feb 6, former United Nations secretary general, Kofi Annan, and Gro Harlem Brundtland, former prime minister of Norway, bemoan that the UN has failed to serve its primary purpose to `save succeeding generations from the scourge of war` and advance `Four Ideas for a Stronger UN`. The first and main `idea` is to add an unspecified number of quasi-permanent members to the 15-member Security Council.

SEVERAL significant developments have taken place in Afghanistan in the past few months that require fresh thinking and a review of the relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan. First, most of the Nato forces have withdrawn from Afghanistan while the presence of US forces has been considerably reduced and largely limited to support and training of the Afghan National Army. Second, the general elections in Afghanistan were successfully conducted with a large turnout and the majority of the population participated in this peaceful democratic transition. Third, the newly elected President Ashraf Ghani enjoys excellent credentials and is committed to the economic development of his country. He has therefore formed a national unity government with his opponent Abdullah Abdullah as chief executive.

i do bot own any text it is taken from encyclopedia bratanica and posted now by rana muddasar as for education purpose. Supernova ,  plural  supernovae  or  supernovas ,  any of a class of violently exploding  stars whose  luminosity  after eruption suddenly increases many millions of times its normal level. The term  supernova  is derived from  nova  (Latin: “new”), the name for another type of exploding  star . Supernovae resemble novae in several respects. Both are characterized by a tremendous, rapid brightening lasting for a few weeks, followed by a slow dimming. Spectroscopically, they show blue-shifted emission lines, which imply that hot gases are blown outward. But a supernova explosion, unlike a  nova  outburst, is a cataclysmic event for a star,

Big Bang Theory - The Premise The Big Bang theory is an effort to explain what happened at the very beginning of our universe. Discoveries in astronomy and physics have shown beyond a reasonable doubt that our universe did in fact have a beginning. Prior to that moment there was nothing; during and after that moment there was something: our universe. The big bang theory is an effort to explain what happened during and after that moment. 

This material (including images) is copyrighted!. See my copyright notice for fair use practices. Select the photographs to display the original source in another window. Links to external sites will be displayed in another window. All galaxies began forming at about the same time approximately 13 billion years ago. The origin of galaxies and how they changed over billions of years is an active field of research in astronomy today. Models for galaxy formation have been of two basic types: "top-down" and "bottom-up". The "top-down" model on the origin of the galaxies says that they formed from huge gas clouds larger than the resulting galaxy. The clouds began collapsing because their internal gravity was strong enough to overcome the pressure in the cloud. If the gas cloud was slowly rotating, then the collapsing gas cloud formed most of its stars before the cloud could flatten into a disk.

THE main objective of militants such as the Taliban is to expand. They were initially a small group of people with an extremist interpretation of their own, but as time passed, they formed into a larger movement with many smaller groups equally virulent merging into one. The interpretation offaith expounded by these extremists promotes exclusivity. But Islam is not exclusive; it is part of the whole, of a continuing process of faith in the Almighty. Let us look at the unity of religious belief through the prism of Islam, the teachings of the Quran and the message of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) to truly understand the dichotomy.

THE discovery of a large iron ore deposit in Chiniot is indeed good news but it is useful to keep in mind that the hard part begins now. By itself, the discovery is actually not new. The deposits were identified as early as 1989 by the Geological Survey of Pakistan, and verified in 1999 by the Department of Mines and Minerals of the Punjab government in a study using samples from 14 bore holes around the Chiniot area. Each bore hole yielded high-quality iron ore deposits at depths ranging from 120 to 160 metres below the surface, which make these the deepest deposits in Pakistan where all other iron ore extraction is done on the surface.

IN a recent undergraduate level class I taught, quite a few students did not know what rationing was. I asked them what they thought load-shedding was, or the closure of CNG pumps two to three days a week, or even the limit on each car getting Rs1,000 worth of petrol only during the oil supply crisis. They were flummoxed. So was L Most of the students were, of course, aware of load-shedding and the petrol crisis, but they had not connected the word `rationing` to load-shedding.

European Union (EU), organization of European countries dedicated to increasing economic integration and strengthening cooperation among its members. The European Union headquarters is located in Brussels, Belgium. As of 2007 there were 28 countries in the EU. The European Union was formally established on November 1, 1993. It is the most recent in a series of cooperative organizations in Europe that originated with the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) of 1951, which became the European Community (EC) in 1967.

By  Noah Feldman JORDAN`S King Abdullah II was in battle gear last week, quoting Clint Eastwood and bombing Islamic State targets in retaliation for the horrific burning alive of a Jordanian pilot. Is this a sign that Jordan is entering the war against the insurgent group in earnest, or is it a temporary show for a stunned Jordanian public? The complicated reality is that Jordan and IS are enmeshed in an extended, dynamic, repeat-play game in which the rules are just now being set. In fact, Abdullah was signalling to IS that if it engages in further public challenges to the Hashemite Kingdom, he`s prepared to devote real resources to the war against the militants.

All praise and thanks are due to Allâh. We praise and give thanks to Him. We seek His aid and ask for His forgiveness, and we seek Allâh's refuge from the evil of ourselves and from our evil actions. Whomsoever Allâh guides then none can misguide him, and whomsoever He misguides then none can guide him. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allâh, alone, having no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger – to proceed:

Abhi kon tujh se wafa karay? Abhi kis ko fursatein hain is qadar Keh samait ker teri kirchiyan Tere haq mein khud se dua karay? Abhi zid na ker dil-e-be khabar Keh teh-e-ghubar-e-gham-e-jahan!

Following are the compilation taken from cssforum by their super moderator  Lost island. we don't own anything it is shared just for the purpose of education.  Muslim Scientists Ibne Rushd - 1987 Al Farabi - 1991 Ibn e Nafis - 1991 Al Kinidi - 1991 Ibn Hayyan - 1987, 2001, 2011 Ibn al Baitar - 1995, 2001 Abu Ali Sina - 1991, 2001, 2008, 2011 Biruni - 1995, 2005, 2010 Ibn Al-Haitham -1987, 1995, 2005, 2010, 2012 Muhammad bin Musa Al-Khawarizmi - 2008, 2012 Umer Al Khayam - 1991, 2001, 2009 Zakariya Al Razi - 1987, 2001, 2009

Gradually the Muslims who remained in Mecca left the city and traveled to Medina to join their beloved Prophet, and amongst them was a little girl called 'A'isha, the daughter of Abu Bakr. Soon after arriving in Medina, 'A'isha, who was now nine years old, as married to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who was now fifty-four years old. It was at this point that she left her family's household and joined that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). 'A'isha later reported that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had

Name: Ali Title: al-Murtada  Agnomen: Abu ' l-Hasan  Father's name: Abu Talib ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib  Mother's name: Fatimah bint Asad  Birth: In the Holy Ka'bah in Mecca on Friday, 13th Rajab 23 BH  Death: Died at the age of 63, in Kufah (Iraq) on Monday, 21st Ramadan 40 AH; murdered by an assassin who mortally wounded him with a poisoned sword in the mosque of Kufah during the morning prayer on 19th Ramadan; buried in an-Najaf al-Ashraf (Iraq)

Paper-I CIVILIZATION •  The Byzantine civilisation was the one of the major civilisation of its time, explain its major acievements and the causes of its downfall? (2013) •  Give an analytical study of Socio-political and economic conditions of Peninsula of Arabia at the advent of Islam. (2012) •  Comment on the moral, social and political conditions of the world at the advent of Islam. (2011) •  Point out the major world civilizations at the dawn of Islam, with special emphasis on their intellectual activities and socio-political institutions. (2010)

"All praise is due to Allah, so we praise Him, and seek His pardon and we turn to Him. We seek refuge with Allah from the evils of ourselves and from the evil consequences of our deeds. Whom Allah guides aright there is none to lead him astray; and there is none to guide him aright whom Allah leads astray. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, the One,

Caliph Umar's empire at its peak, 644 Al-Farooq Reign 23 August 634–7 November 644 Born 586–590 Mecca, Arabia Died 7 November 644 Medina, Arabia Predecessor Abu Bakr Successor Uthman Other titles Al-Farooq Umar bin al-Khattab (R.A) ({{lang-ar-at|a=عمر بن الخطّاب|t=`Umar ibn al-Khattāb{R.A}, c. 586–590  – 644 ) c. 2 November (Dhu al-Hijjah 26, 23 Hijri ), was a leading companion and adviser to the Islamic prophet [[Muhammad]S.A.W] who later became the second Muslim Caliph after Muhammad's death. Converting to Islam in the 6th year after Muhammad's first revelation, he spent 18 years as a companion of Muhammad. He succeeded Caliph Abu Bakr on 23 August 634, and played a significant role in Islamic history. Under his rule the Islamic empire expanded at an unprecedented rate, conquering the whole territory of the former Sassanid Persian Empire and more than two thirds of the Eastern Roman Empire.

One has to take in his mind that CSS is not an examination to get a degree Introduction and importance Islamic History is really a scoring subject and helps the candidates to get them allocated in the top groups of the CSS. One has to take in his mind that CSS is not an examination to get a degree but it is an exam where one has to compete with hundreds and thousands of candidates till the final allocation is done.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk. He is the spiritual leader of Tibet. He was born on 6 July 1935, to a farming family, in a small hamlet located in Taktser, Amdo, northeastern Tibet. At the very young age of two, the child who was named Lhamo Dhondup at that time, was recognized as the reincarnation of the previous 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso. 

SANAA: Yemen`s Shia Huthi militia on Saturday formed a `security commission`, consolidating its grip on power after a takeover denounced by opponents as a `coup` and condemned by the international community. The declaration was followed by a blast outside the Huthi-controlled presidential palace that wounded two people including a civilian, and a protest by thousands of people on the streets of Yemeni cities, witnesses said.

THERE was nothing new and surprising in the recent official statements, including those made by the foreign affairs and national security adviser Sartaj Aziz, that the Islamic State (IS) poses no serious threat to Pakistan. The statements nevertheless reflect the traditional, simplistic view of internal security taken by government officials.

About the national action plan agreed upon by all parties in today’s All Parties conference. The prime minister detailed 20 points of terrorism action plan in speech which is as follows: 1- Special courts headed by the officers of armed forces will be established for the speedy trial of terrorists. These courts will be established for the term of two years 2- Sources of terrorist funding will be blocked.

i love this anime due to the great storyline and the great director. it takes you back to the fall of BERLIN WALL and links you to the main story where The setting takes place in central Europe in the late 20th century  and it's about a neurosurgeon who, against the wishes of the hospital,  chooses to save the life of a newly orphaned boy who arrived first  instead of the city's mayor.  Nine years later the boy reappears revealing himself  to be a serial killer behind a reign of terror!  Who is this monster? What kind of secrets does his past uncover?! 

                   China’s triumph in overtaking Japan as the world’s number two economy masks a worrisome over-reliance on exports and investment, and lagging social development, analysts said. Japan lost its 42-year hold on the second spot behind the United States in 2010, according to full-year data released Monday in Tokyo, cementing China’s rebirth from poor communist backwater to global heavyweight.

Ben Ali was only the second ruler the Tunisians had known in 53 years of independence from France. The word Tunisia is derived from Tunis, known to the Ancient Greeks as Tynes, the capital city of modern-day Tunisia. The name Tunis can be attributed to different origins. It may be associated with the Phoenician goddess Tanith, or to the Berber rootens [which means "to lie down"]. The Tunisian flag features the crescent moon and five- pointed star, traditional symbols of Islam. It originated in about 1835 AD when the country was still officially under Turkish rule and was adopted after independence from France in 1956.