Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations MCQs on Security Council of the United Nations, Tel Aviv and more (Week 114)
🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for May 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨
Consider the following countries:
1. Argentina
2. Bolivia
3. Brazil
4. Chile
5. Peru
6. Colombia
Which of the above countries forms the Lithium triangle?
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2, 3 and 6
(c) 1, 2 and 4
(d) 4, 5 and 6
Explanation
— Because lithium-ion batteries are constructed of rare and expensive materials like cobalt, nickel, copper, and lithium, technological companies throughout the world have been exploring alternatives. Sodium has numerous advantages: it is far more abundant than lithium and can be extracted from seawater at relatively lower costs, unlike lithium, where availability is concentrated in a few countries and mining includes hard-rock excavations in regions other than the Li-triangle comprising Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile; and sodium is more environmentally friendly and can be transported at zero volt, making it safer, unlike lithium, which is less environmentally friendly.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
The places Haifa, Kirya, Tel Aviv were in the news. They are located in:
(a) Syria
(b) Iran
(c) Israel
(d) Lebanon
Explanation
— As Israel and Iran swapped missiles as their war escalated, a CNN-verified video captured the moment an Iranian missile landed near a vital military base in Tel Aviv.
— Iran unleashed a volley of missiles at Israel, with sirens heard throughout the country as Tehran targeted Israel's port city Haifa. Five people were reportedly killed in the assault.
— The footage, captured by a witness from an adjacent structure, shows many interceptor projectiles being launched into the night sky. Seconds later, a missile strikes the ground near Kirya, causing a tremendous explosion and sending plumes of smoke upward.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
Consider the following statements:
1. It is an island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
2. It is situated near Turkey and Syria.
3. It is a member of the European Union (EU) despite being geographically in Asia.
4. The island nation gained independence from the British in 1960.
The above mentioned statements refer to:
(a) Cyprus
(b) Greece
(c) Lebanon
(d) Israel
Explanation
— Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Cyprus on June 15 for the first leg of his three-nation tour, which will also see him visit Canada for the G7 summit and then Croatia.
About Cyprus
— Cyprus is an island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, near Turkey and Syria. It is a member of the European Union (EU), despite its geographical location in Asia.
— The island nation gained independence from the British in 1960. Its two largest groups, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, shared an uneasy power dynamic that erupted into violence three years later, necessitating the deployment of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
Which of the following countries are coastal nations of the Red Sea?
1. Egypt
2. Eritrea
3. Oman
4. Jordan
5. Turkey
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1, 4 and 5
(b) 1, 2 and 4
(c) 2, 3, 4 and 5
(d) 1, 4 and 6
Explanation
— Just as global shipping lines and traders were beginning to breathe a sigh of relief from high freight rates, with vessels returning to the critical Red Sea route from the longer Cape of Good Hope passage, a direct conflict between two major West Asian powers reignited fears of rising oil prices and further trade disruptions.
— The Red Sea borders the following coastal nations: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, Sudan, Israel, Yemen and Jordan.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
(Other Source: http://www.un.org)
Which of the following African countries is struggling with poor internet connectivity and has denied the Starlink services?
(a) Niger
(b) Sierra Leone
(c) Zimbabwe
(d) Bolivia
Explanation
— Websites load at a low speed. Video streams glitch and freeze. Outside of Bolivia's major cities, the nearest internet service is often hours distant via hazardous mountain roads.
— Starlink, Musk's private space company's satellite internet service, has made remarkable progress in South America, reaching almost every country and providing high-speed internet to the region's most remote locations, including isolated Indigenous people living deep in the Amazon rainforest.
— However, Bolivia has denied Starlink's development, refusing to grant it an operational licence last year, citing concerns about its unfettered dominance wherever it has set up shop, instead opting to rely on the country's own ageing Chinese-made satellite.
Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.
Consider the following statements:
1. The French Air and Space Force (FASF) and IAF participate in bi-lateral exercise called TARANG SHAKTI.
2. France was the first country with which India launched its first-ever Strategic Partnership on 26 January 1998 to deepen bilateral relations.
Which of the statements given above is/are true?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation
According to India-France bilateral brief, mea.gov.in:
— French Air and Space Force (FASF) and IAF have been participating in bi-lateral Ex GARUDA till last year in 2023. In 2024, the IAF expanded the scope by inviting multiple nations in the form of a new exercise TARANG SHAKTI in lieu of Ex GARUDA. Statement 1 is not true.
— France was the first country with which India launched its first-ever Strategic Partnership on 26 January 1998 to deepen bilateral relations.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
With reference to the Security Council of the United Nations, consider the following statements:
1. While other organs of the United Nations make recommendations to member states, only the Security Council has the power to make decisions that member states are then obligated to implement under the United Nations Charter.
2. The presidency of the Security Council shall be held only by one of the Permanent Member States, who are granted a special voting power known as the 'right to veto'.
Which of the statements mentioned above is/are true?
(a) Only 1
(b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation
— Rule 18 of the Security Council's Provisional Rules of Procedure states: 'The presidency of the Security Council shall be held in turn by the members of the Security Council in the English alphabetical order of their names. Each President shall hold office for one calendar month.' Statement 2 is not true.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
(source: un.org)
Consider the following operations and their corresponding events:
1. Operation Spider's Web : Russia-Ukraine Conflict
2. Operation Desert Sabre : Persian Gulf War
3. Operation Overlord : Israeli hostage rescue operation
Which of the above given pairs is/are correctly matched?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Explanation
— Ukraine carried out Operation Spider's Web, one of the most sophisticated drone operations in history, using 100–150 FPV drones, transported clandestinely in trucks deep into Russia. The target: five key Russian airfields. Ukrainian officials claim to have hit more than 40 Russian aircraft, including strategic bombers like the Tu-22 and Tu-95, and inflicted losses of around $7 billion.
— World leaders gather on the coast of southern England in 2019 to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the largest seaborne invasion in history and a feat that helped bring World War Two to an end. In the early hours of June 6, 1944, more than 150,000 allied troops set off from Portsmouth and the surrounding area to begin the air, sea and land attack on Normandy that ultimately led to the liberation of western Europe from the Nazi regime. The invasion, codenamed Operation Overlord, remains the largest amphibious assault in history and involved almost 7,000 ships and landing craft along a 50-mile (80-km) stretch of the French coast. Thousands were killed on both sides.
— On August 2, 1990, Iraq annexed Kuwait, its south-eastern neighbour 25 times smaller in size. Although Hussain claimed Kuwait to be a part of Iraq, he invaded the region so that Baghdad could cancel a massive debt that it owed Kuwait, as well as acquire Kuwait's large oil reserves. Hussain also sought to link the annexation with the Palestinian conflict. As Hussain refused to pay heed to the UN's many warnings, a US-led coalition, consisting of 7 lakh troops from 35 countries assembled in Saudi Arabia — Iraq's neighbour also threatened by Hussain's adventures in the region. After the January 15 deadline was flouted by Baghdad, coalition forces first launched Operation Desert Storm, which destroyed Iraq's air defences, oil refineries, and key infrastructure. This was followed by Operation Desert Sabre, a ground offensive that went on to free Kuwait. The war finally ended on February 28, 1991, when the US declared a ceasefire.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 114)
Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 114)
Daily subject-wise quiz — Science and Technology (Week 114)
Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 114)
Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 114)
Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 113)
Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.
Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.
Manas Srivastava is currently working as Senior Copy Editor with The Indian Express (digital) and leads a unique initiative of IE - UPSC Essentials. He majorly writes on UPSC, other competitive exams and education-related projects. In the past, Manas has represented India at the G-20 Youth Summit in Mexico. He is a former member of the Youth Council, GOI. A two-time topper/gold medallist in History (both in graduation and post-graduation) from Delhi University, he has mentored and taught UPSC aspirants for more than four years. His diverse role in The Indian Express consists of writing, editing, anchoring/ hosting, interviewing experts, and curating and simplifying news for the benefit of students. He hosts the YouTube talk show called 'Art and Culture with Devdutt Pattanaik' and a LIVE series on Instagram and YouTube called 'You Ask We Answer'.His talks on 'How to read a newspaper' focus on newspaper reading as an essential habit for students. His articles and videos aim at finding solutions to the general queries of students and hence he believes in being students' editor, preparing them not just for any exam but helping them to become informed citizens. This is where he makes his teaching profession meet journalism. He is also the editor of UPSC Essentials' monthly magazine for the aspirants. He is a recipient of the Dip Chand Memorial Award, the Lala Ram Mohan Prize and Prof. Papiya Ghosh Memorial Prize for academic excellence. He was also awarded the University's Post-Graduate Scholarship for pursuing M.A. in History where he chose to specialise in Ancient India due to his keen interest in Archaeology. He has also successfully completed a Certificate course on Women's Studies by the Women's Studies Development Centre, DU. As a part of N.S.S in the past, Manas has worked with national and international organisations and has shown keen interest and active participation in Social Service. He has led and been a part of projects involving areas such as gender sensitisation, persons with disability, helping slum dwellers, environment, adopting our heritage programme. He has also presented a case study on 'Psychological stress among students' at ICSQCC- Sri Lanka. As a compere for seminars and other events he likes to keep his orating hobby alive. His interests also lie in International Relations, Governance, Social issues, Essays and poetry. ... Read More
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scroll.in
17 hours ago
- Scroll.in
How I died, briefly, and felt more alive than ever
How I died, briefly, and felt more alive than ever The day I died, briefly The day someone else told me I had died My brief death Death by a thousand texts Kyrham died, but I was mourned This is the story of my death. It occurred when one of my cousins, AK Nongkynrih, known to everybody as Kyrham, passed away. Kyrham was a fine figure of a man, tall for a Khasi, about five foot ten, and quite handsome. We from the Nongkynrih clan were very proud of him. He was a well-known sociologist. People spoke admiringly of him, critics commended his scholarly books very highly, and the government and sundry organisations frequently sought his expertise. He went to deliver lectures everywhere, and everywhere he went, he mesmerised his audience. We were so proud that he belonged to the clan – one of the leading personalities of the state, and he was ours, a son of the clan. He was our achiever, our treasure. When I heard about his sudden passing, I went into deep gloom. He was only in his early 50s – too young to die. 'What a loss!' I said to myself. 'Imagine the things he could still have contributed to the state and the country! Imagine the books he still could have written!' I was personally affected because, although we both taught at the North-Eastern Hill University, we hardly met. Why didn't I fraternise with him more frequently? I remember how he regaled us, whenever we met him, with many of his humorous anecdotes. Why couldn't I have interacted with him more often and learnt more of his stories? One of the stories he told us was about Mudong from Jowai who nearly killed a man because he could not stay away from his drinks. The incident happened during the staging of the famous drama of Kiang Nangbah in Jowai. All Khasis know, I think, the story of Kiang Nangbah, the freedom fighter, and how, in the end, he was captured and publicly hanged to death by the British. Because of that, the organisers placed a noose on stage where Kiang Nangbah, the actor, was supposed to be hanged. The plan was to let old Mudong pull the noose at a signal from the director, and for that reason, they made him sit alone behind the scenes, where the end of the rope was. They gave him careful instructions and asked him to pull the rope only a little just to take the slack away and make the hanging scene more realistic. But the trouble was that the hanging scene was the very last one, and the drama was very long, interspersed with songs and dances to allow the organisers to prepare the layout of the scenes to come. Sitting there alone, behind the scenes, with nothing to do, old Mudong got bored. Fortunately, he had come prepared with a bottle of yiad pynshoh, the local rice spirit. Consequently, as the play progressed from scene to scene, old Mudong progressed from the top to the bottom of the bottle. That top-down progress made him feel quite sleepy, and almost against his will, he leaned against the wall and went to sleep. Meanwhile, Kiang Nangbah was about to be hanged. The British soldiers put the noose around his neck. Kiang Nangbah made his famous speech about freedom if his head should turn to the east. Then, the commanding officer gave the signal for the hanging. The director, too, gave the signal to old Mudong to pull the rope and stiffen the noose. But old Mudong was fast asleep. When no response came, the director shouted, 'Mudong, the rope, the rope!' Old Mudong suddenly woke up, heard something about the rope, stood up and pulled it as hard as he could, and then held on to it for quite some time, partly because he was still not sure what was going on and partly because he was supporting himself on it, for there was a slight dizziness in his head which threatened to toss him to the floor. Back on stage, Kiang Nangbah was lifted about three feet from the ground and was dangling at the end of the noose, emitting all sorts of desperate sounds. Luckily, his hands were only loosely tied, and he was able to claw at the rope and relieve the pressure a bit. The spectators watching the scene thought it was a splendid show. So lifelike! So realistic! They started clapping and shouting. 'Shabash, shabash! Bravo, bravo!' they roared. But the director saw what was happening and shouted at old Mudong to let go. The old man also suddenly realised what he was doing and quickly let go of the rope as if it were burning his hand. Kiang Nangbah fell three feet to the ground with a loud thud. The organisers rushed to get him out of the noose and rubbed his throat to help him breathe. The moment Kiang Nangbah was able to speak, he cursed Mudong and cried, 'Chai won itu i dahbei?' Where's that motherfucker? Realising what was happening, the crowd roared with laughter and Kiang Nangbah rushed towards the motherfucker with terrible oaths of vengeance. But Mudong had left from the back door and was running for his life. I was not the only one shocked and gloomy about Kyrham's passing. At the time, he had just been voted as the most popular teacher in the university. My colleagues talked of nothing else but his untimely death. One of my writer friends with whom I used to discuss all things literary was so disturbed by the news of his early death that she said to me, 'Please don't die, okay? What would I do without you?' Was I that beloved to some of my friends? It warmed my heart, and I wrote a poem, Death on a Birthday, in which I discussed the terrors of living too long and the anguish of dying too early. Is there a right time for dying? All we can do is be ready for death even as we toil for life. Then my phone started pinging. It was my sister, Thei. She was sharing a WhatsApp message from one of her childhood friends. The message read: 'Dear Thei, I'm shocked to hear about Kynpham's death! Compared to us, he's so young. What happened? How was he ill? Was it a long illness? Why didn't you tell me that he was ill? I would have come to see him. He was such a dear boy. I remember when you and I were school kids…May God grant him eternal rest.' My phone pinged again. It was one of my nieces on WhatsApp. She was asking, 'Maduh, are you all right?'' 'Yes, I'm all right,' I answered. 'Why wouldn't I be?' After that, she called me. When I said, 'Hello,' she said, 'Hello, Maduh! My God! It gave me such a fright' and started laughing loudly, nervously. 'What happened?' I asked. 'So many people called me... They asked me if you were dead. One even said, 'May he eat betel nut in the house of God!' It was crazy!' We had a good, long laugh at that. I was to hear this expression about the betel nut often in the next few hours. When a Khasi refers to a dead person in a conversation, he also says, 'Bam kwai ha ïing U Blei' (May he eat betel nut in the house of God). The invocation points to the Khasi belief that the original home of man is heaven. So, when he dies, if he has earned virtue in life, his soul and his essence go to heaven to be united forever with all the cognate and agnate members of his clan who died before him. The practice properly belongs to the Khasi religion, which accords a great symbolic significance to the betel nut. Nevertheless, every Khasi, without exception, uses this invocation to wish the dead well and as a charm to avert evil or ill luck whenever they mention the dead. In the next few minutes, more people enquired about my death. Some were very nice about it. After that, my phone began to ping without stopping. It was a WhatsApp group created by a local society of authors. I was a member, though I didn't know many of the people active in the group. 'Ei, I just heard Kynpham is dead!' 'Kynpham!? Kynpham Nongkynrih?' 'God! When?' 'How did he die? How was he ill?' 'My God! Just the other day, I met him! What happened?' 'How old was he?' 'Not very old, I think. Maybe early fifties: 51 or 52.' 'That's too young to die.' 'Maybe it was a long illness or what?' 'Or maybe a sudden illness?' 'It could be cancer, you know? Sometimes, cancer strikes out of the blue, haa! You are normal; you feel normal, except for minor complaints here and there, and then bam! It hits you, and within days, you are dead.' 'God, dead, haa? What a loss!' 'Yeah, still a lot of contributions from him!' 'Hey! Was he eating too well or what?' This was a euphemism for hard drinking. 'Yeah, yeah! Maybe that was it, otherwise 52 was too young, you know?' 'Among us, what do we say when a man between 30 and 45 dies?' 'He was stabbed by broken glass?' 'Yeah, yeah! That could have been it.' 'I don't know. I have never seen him drunk …' 'Maybe he's one of those 'standard' drinkers ... Drinking at night, at home.' 'Death is so unpredictable …' 'Life, you mean?' 'To think Kynpham is gone, just like that!' I was getting irritated with all these exchanges, so I wrote, 'I'm still alive!' That made many of them laugh. But I didn't know what else they were saying because I left the group for good. They were not behaving like writers, I thought, just like common gossips. Next, it was my cousin from Sohra, Just, who called. 'Ei, everybody in Sohra is saying you are dead? Are you dead or alive?'' he asked and laughed aloud. 'Yeah. Many people have texted and called me asking about my death. Tet teri ka! Sngew jem daw pynban!' I was feeling a bit fed up with all the messages about my death, that was why I said, 'Sngew jemdaw pynban.' Among us, jemdaw or jemrngiew means a souring of one's luck, an enfeeblement of one's essence or destruction of one's personality. My cousin said, 'Jemdaw nothing! The old ones used to say if someone dreams about your death, you will live long! Don't worry; people are just confused between you and Kyrham.' 'I know, but it amazes me how people keep mistaking me for him, you know? I'm just the opposite of him, small and frail …' 'It's your name! Kynpham: so very much like Kyrham! Many things, too. You and he were born and raised in Sohra: he, from Pdengshnong, and you, from Khliehshnong. Both of you are NEHU professors, and both of you are quite well-known. But the main thing is ignorance. Those ignorant of you take you for Kyrham, and those ignorant of Kyrham take Kyrham for you.' I knew all that, of course. But it still amazed me that people could have been so confused about us. He was from the Department of Sociology; I'm from the Department of English. He was so outgoing and visible, lecturing everywhere and all that, while I'm almost a recluse, willing to let my books do the talking for me. How could they have made such a mistake? Then, I started receiving messages from some of my students. It seemed many people were mourning my passing on social media. One obituary especially caught my attention. The girl, Meba, quoted the following words from the website of Northeast Beats: '...One of the most talented and prolific poets from the Northeast, Nongkynrih's poetry encompasses a staggering gamut of impulses and thematic concerns, thus lending to his poetry a touch of unparalleled brilliance and splendour. For the uninitiated, please do go ahead and google his name, and you will see a staggering list of publications … ' From the Northeast Reads, she quoted this: 'Immerse yourself in the exquisite verses of Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih's The Yearning of Seeds, a poetic odyssey that transcends borders and resonates with readers across the globe. This captivating collection, rooted in the essence of Meghalaya, envelops you in a tapestry of emotions both familiar and profound.' Having quoted the texts, she superscribed her obituary on them in bold, white letters, saying, 'I will remember you! Humbleness and respect are what I have learnt from you. Thank you (thank you for being with us all those days).' Meba interspersed her obituary with red hearts, broken hearts and appropriate emojis everywhere. The student who sent me Meba's obituary was livid with rage. She thought it was a forbidden thing to grieve the death of a living person. It was sacrilege. She asked me to give her a befitting reply. But my heart warmed to Meba. Living, I was witnessing my death mourned with such deep feeling. And that, too, by a total stranger. How glad I was that my death would be missed and lamented this way! How unique to witness heartfelt condolences from far and near (the writers excluded, obviously) expressed on your own death! It was a privilege few, if any, would ever have. Thank you, Kyrham, for the confusion. As you were missed, so was I.
India.com
19 hours ago
- India.com
When did pensions begin worldwide? How much did Indians receive back then? The numbers will shock you!
A pension is one of the most important factors for senior citizens. Every retired person receives a fixed payment each month that helps support their living expenses. Today, it's not only government employees but also those employed in a private corporation who depend on their pension when retiring. But have you ever wondered how much pension Indians received during the British rule? Pensions have a history of more than 2,000 years. In the 1770s, the practice of granting pensions began in Europe with various European dignitaries. Within a few years, pensions were awarded to Indian sepoys and civil servants. Historians suggest that the first pensions were issued to British military officers, many of whom are still widely recognized, such as Lord Cornwallis. It has not been recorded who the first Indian pensioner was, but more than likely, a sepoy or havildar on retiring from service was the first individual to receive a pension. According to the media reports, an ordinary sepoy was entitled to a pension of 4 to 7 rupees per month, while a British officer received a pension of 100 to 200 rupees per month; today, these amounts are comically small, but back then, Re 1 could sustain an entire family for a month. Later, in 1889, German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck introduced the first public pension for elderly people over 70 years old, making pensions go from being an honor to a right, and this became the basis for social security systems worldwide. The history of pensions in India goes back to the era of British rule. The East India Company made provision for its officers and soldiers to receive some income on retirement, so the concept of pension was very much born out of necessity. For government employees, pensions are said to have been formally introduced in 1881. The amount was, during the years following that date, at least socially recognized to be enough to provide a modicum of income to allow a retiree to live without worry about food, water, or shelter.
Hans India
19 hours ago
- Hans India
Who am I? The ultimate question on the path to enlightenment
This profound reflection explores the timeless question — Who am I? — guiding us beyond body, mind, and ego toward the realisation of our true self as the Soul. It reveals how self-realisation is the gateway to inner peace, divine connection, and ultimate liberation Enlightenment is realising the truth about who we are. It is eliminating the darkness of ignorance that we live in. It is about going within on a journey of self-discovery. It begins with the single most important question that we can ever ask and find an answer to — Who am I? The answer to this question holds the key to a life of peace, love, and bliss. Realising 'Who I Am' or self-realisation leads to God-realisation, and ultimately to Moksha – liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth, the ultimate goal of human life. So, who are we? From the moment we are born, society assigns us labels. 'You are John,' they say, but that is merely a name. 'You are British,' they add — that's nationality. 'You're a doctor,' they proclaim — but that's a profession. We accumulate identities, accolades, possessions, and roles. But none of these truly define who we are. These are what we have or do, not what we are. And so, the question remains, elusive yet essential: Who am I? Ironically enough, human beings have reached astounding heights in science and technology — from exploring the ocean's depths to launching probes into space. Yet, in all this external discovery, we have forgotten the most important discovery of all: the self — a journey that is not outward but inward. It is only when man discovers himself and experiences a spiritual awakening that leads him to self-realisation and God-realisation, that he will be able to live with true joy. We think that we are 'me'. But who is this 'me'? The best way to find out who or what we are is to discover what we are not. Are we this body? But just like we have a car and a house but are neither of these, we also have a body but are not the body. The body came later. It was formed over 9 months in a mother's womb. We were born before that, as a single cell that ultimately divided to become 25 billion cells and arrived in this world as a baby. When we die, people will burn or bury our body and say that he or she has departed. Who departed? If not the body, then we must be the mind. But when we try to find the mind, we cannot find it. The mind doesn't even exist! If we are not the body and the mind, then we could be the ego. But the ego is invisible and intangible. It is an illusion. Then, how can we be the ego? Clearly, we are the ones who have an ego, mind, and body — but we are different from these. We say, 'my body', 'my mind', 'my ego' — doesn't that imply a separate 'me' that owns all of these? There remains only one unanswered question after we know what we are not — 'Who am I?' Not the body. Not the mind. Not the ego. We are the Soul — a Spark Of Unique Life, a part of the Supreme Immortal Power we call God. We are all manifestations of the Divine. Scientifically, when the smallest particles in the cells of the human body are examined under sophisticated instruments, they are proved to be nothing but energy. And that is our truth too. We are Energy — the Life Energy that causes our breath and without which, there would be death. In fact, everything is Energy — the animate and the inanimate. But knowing this is not enough. Enlightenment is not the gathering of information — it is the dawning of realisation. It is evolving from living in darkness to living in light, from ignorance to wisdom. And to walk this path, we need not only contemplation and introspection but also the guidance of a realised spiritual master — one who has crossed the ocean of illusion and can show others the way. The moment we realise who we truly are, we become free from the triple suffering — the pain of the body, the misery of the mind, and the agony of the ego. In this realisation lies peace. In this realisation lies liberation. This is Enlightenment, spiritual awakening. In the moment of death, we attain Moksha — liberation from the cycle of death and birth — as we becomeone with the Divine. (Writer is a Happiness Ambassador and Spiritual Leader)
