OPSC OCS key terms

A method of non-violent resistance developed by Gandhi, combining truth (satya) and firmness (agraha). It seeks to convert an opponent through self-suffering rather than coercion, and shaped India's freedom movement including the Odisha Salt March of 1930.

An armed uprising in Khurda, Odisha, in 1817 led by Bakshi Jagabandhu and the Paika landed militia against British revenue and administrative interference. It predates the 1857 revolt and is often cited as an early anti-colonial struggle.

A people's association formed in princely states to demand civil rights, representative institutions and merger with the Indian Union. In Odisha, such movements in states like Nilgiri and Dhenkanal pressed for democratic reform in the late colonial period.

A peasant uprising in 1922 in the Kanika estate of coastal Odisha against oppressive zamindari levies and forced labour. It reflected agrarian distress and the spread of nationalist consciousness among tenant farmers.

A nationwide campaign launched by Gandhi in 1920-22 urging Indians to withdraw cooperation from British institutions through boycott of schools, courts and foreign goods. It drew significant participation in Odisha and was suspended after the Chauri Chaura incident.

A socio-political organisation founded in 1903 to campaign for the unification of Odia-speaking tracts under one administration. Its agitation culminated in the creation of a separate Odisha province on 1 April 1936.

An Odia lawyer, industrialist and nationalist known as the architect of modern Odisha. He founded the Utkal Sammilani and championed Odia identity, education and economic enterprise in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Observed on 1 April each year to mark the formation of Odisha as a separate province in 1936 on linguistic grounds. It commemorates the culmination of the movement for Odia self-determination within British India.

A major Vaishnava temple at Puri dedicated to Lord Jagannath, central to Odia religious and cultural life. Its annual Rath Yatra draws pilgrims nationwide, and its administration has historically involved state supervision and reform legislation.

An annual chariot festival at Puri in which the deities Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are drawn in massive wooden chariots to the Gundicha temple. It is a defining symbol of Odia devotional tradition and public culture.

Asia's largest brackish-water lagoon, located on the Odisha coast and connected to the Bay of Bengal. It supports rich fisheries, migratory birds and dolphin habitat, and is designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance.

A wetland designated under the 1971 Ramsar Convention for its ecological significance and for conservation of waterfowl habitat. India is a signatory, and Odisha's Chilika and Bhitarkanika are among the country's listed sites.

A mangrove ecosystem and wildlife sanctuary in Kendrapara district, Odisha, known for saltwater crocodiles and nesting olive ridley turtles. It is also a Ramsar site and a designated national park area.

A major east-flowing river rising in Chhattisgarh and flowing through Odisha to the Bay of Bengal. It sustains agriculture and the Hirakud reservoir, and its waters are subject to inter-state disputes between the two states.

One of the longest dams in the world, built across the Mahanadi near Sambalpur in Odisha and completed in 1957. It provides flood control, irrigation and hydroelectric power and is a landmark of post-independence river valley development.

A biosphere reserve and national park in Mayurbhanj district, Odisha, noted for sal forests, tigers and the rare melanistic tiger population. It is a key conservation area under India's biosphere reserve programme.

The system of rural local self-government established by constitutional amendment, with elected bodies at village, block and district levels. Odisha was an early adopter and has experimented with participatory planning and community forest rights.

The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, which extends Panchayati Raj to Scheduled Areas while protecting tribal customary law and granting gram sabhas special powers over land, resources and minor minerals.

The assembly of all registered voters in a village, forming the foundation of participatory local governance. It approves plans, audits accounts and, in Scheduled Areas, exercises consent powers over land acquisition and resource use.

A constitutional provision allowing the President, on the Governor's report, to assume functions of a state government when constitutional machinery fails. Its frequent misuse prompted judicial scrutiny and the landmark S.R. Bommai judgment.

The principle, established in Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973), that Parliament cannot amend the Constitution so as to destroy its essential features. It limits amending power and underpins constitutional supremacy.

The power of courts to examine laws and executive actions for conformity with the Constitution and to declare them invalid if inconsistent. It is a cornerstone of Indian constitutionalism and protects fundamental rights.

A formal application to a high court or the Supreme Court seeking a constitutional remedy for violation of fundamental rights or for other legal relief. Common writs include habeas corpus, mandamus, certiorari, prohibition and quo warranto.

Non-justiciable guidelines in Part IV of the Constitution directing the state towards social and economic welfare, such as equitable distribution of resources and protection of vulnerable groups. They inform policy and are read with fundamental rights.

A list in Article 51A of the Constitution obliging citizens to respect the Constitution, protect sovereignty, promote harmony and safeguard public property and the environment. They were added by the 42nd Amendment on the recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee.

The excess of total government expenditure over total receipts excluding borrowings, expressed as a share of GDP. It measures the government's borrowing requirement and is a key indicator in budget analysis and macroeconomic stability.

The interest rate at which the Reserve Bank of India lends short-term funds to commercial banks against government securities. Changes in it transmit to lending and deposit rates and are the principal tool of monetary policy.

A monetary policy framework in which the central bank commits to a numerical inflation target and uses interest rates to achieve it. India adopted flexible inflation targeting in 2016 with a target of four per cent consumer price inflation.

A constitutional body under Article 279A that recommends rates, exemptions and thresholds for the goods and services tax. It includes the Union Finance Minister and state finance ministers, and decisions require a weighted three-fourths majority.

A composite measure published by the United Nations Development Programme combining life expectancy, education and per capita income to rank countries by average human wellbeing. It is used to compare development beyond purely economic growth.

A measure of poverty that counts overlapping deprivations in health, education and living standards rather than income alone. The national MPI is used to track deprivation reduction across Indian states, including Odisha.

The economic growth potential arising when a country's working-age population is large relative to its dependent population. Realising it requires adequate jobs, skills and health investment, failing which it becomes a liability.

The minimum support price at which the government promises to buy specified crops from farmers, announced on the recommendation of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices. It aims to shield growers from price crashes.

Reliable physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food for an active life. In India it is pursued through procurement, buffer stocks and statutory entitlements under the National Food Security Act.

A biogeographic region with exceptional species richness and endemism that has lost a large share of its original habitat. The Eastern Himalayas, Western Ghats and Indo-Burma region are recognised hotspots relevant to India.

A transition zone between two ecological communities, such as forest and grassland, where species from both overlap and edge effects are pronounced. Such zones are often biologically rich but ecologically fragile.

A written paper testing the candidate's ability to structure argument, marshal evidence and express ideas clearly within a word limit. Success depends on a clear thesis, coherent paragraphs, balanced perspectives and disciplined language.

A single sentence stating the central argument of an essay, usually placed in the introduction. It guides the structure of the paper and should be specific, arguable and consistently supported by the body paragraphs.

The quality of a text in which ideas follow logically and connect smoothly through transitions and consistent referencing. It operates at the level of the whole essay, distinguishing it from cohesion at the sentence level.

A concise, faithful summary of a passage that preserves its essential ideas and tone while cutting length, usually to about one-third. It avoids personal opinion, examples and direct quotation of the original wording.

The ability to read a passage and correctly identify its explicit content, implied meaning and tone. Objective tests examine it through questions on main idea, inference, vocabulary in context and author's purpose.

A conclusion drawn from evidence in a text rather than stated outright. Comprehension questions on inference require reading between the lines while remaining strictly supported by the passage.

Restating a passage's meaning in different words while keeping the sense intact. It is a test of vocabulary range and grammatical control, and must not blur the original's emphasis or technical terms.

The phonological process by which sounds at the boundary of two words or morphemes change or combine in Odia and other Indian languages. Its rules govern correct spelling and pronunciation in formal writing.

The compounding of two or more words into a single compound term in Odia grammar, classified by the relation between components, such as tatpurusha and dvandva. Recognising compounds aids precise translation and comprehension.

The interview stage of the civil services examination, assessing the candidate's judgment, awareness, communication and suitability for public administration. It is not a test of factual recall but of personality and balanced outlook.

The ability to evaluate a realistic administrative dilemma and choose a course of action that is lawful, fair, transparent and effective. Interviewers test it through hypothetical field problems involving conflicting pressures.

Consistency between stated values and actual conduct, especially when no one is watching and when personal cost is involved. In the interview it is probed through questions on honesty, conflicts of interest and accountability.