Prelims Focus 7th February 2026

Devnimori Relics

In News: The Exposition of the Holy Devnimori Relics was recently launched in Gangaramaya Temple and this is one of the key cultural and spiritual events in the intercultural connections between India and Sri Lanka and Buddhism.

• Location: Devnimori is a Buddhist archaeological site that is situated near Shamlaji of Aravalli district in Gujarat.
• Discovery and Excavation: Initially discovered in 1957 by an archeologist Prof. S. N. Chowdhry.
  • Digs showed great traces of early Buddhist cult and monasticism.
• Important Archaeological Discoveries Sharira Stupa was actually intended to house bodily relics (sarira) of the Gautama Buddha or great monks.
  • Relic Caskets of sacred ashes, copper box, gold and silver foil.
• Chronology: 3rd – 4th Century CE, which corresponds to post-Mauryan / early Gupta period.

Motion of Thanks

In News: The Motion of thanks to President Droupadi Murmu on her Address to the Joint Session of Parliament was adopted by the Rajya Sabha.

• The Indian Constitution under Article 87 requires the President to give a Special Address to both Houses of Parliament sitting together at the onset of the first session of every general election and at the outset on the first session of every year.
• In this address, the president gives the policies and programmes of the government of the previous year as well as the immediate year. 
• It is a speech of the president corresponding to the ‘speech from the Throne in England’ that is the subject of conversation in the Houses of Parliament on a motion known as the Motion of thanks. 
• Concluding the debate, the motion is voted and it has to pass in the House. Otherwise, it is the overthrow of the government.

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