Hello All, The result of Prelims 2022, UPSC/IAS Civil Services Examination has been announced. UPSC has been very quick this time with the results. To Download the Civil Services (Preliminary) Result Sheet/PDF – CLICK HERE To Download the Forest Services (Preliminary) Result Sheet/PDF – CLICK HERE Wish You Good Luck IASbaba
Previous Daily Quiz (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE The Current Affairs questions are based on sources like ‘The Hindu’, ‘Indian Express’ and ‘PIB’, which are very important sources for UPSC Prelims Exam. The questions are focused on both the concepts and facts. The topics covered here are generally different from what is being covered under ‘Daily Current Affairs/Daily News Analysis (DNA) and Daily Static Quiz’ to avoid duplication. The questions would be published from Monday to Saturday before 2 PM. One should not spend more than 10 minutes on this initiative. Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative. Do remember that, “the difference between Ordinary and EXTRA-Ordinary is PRACTICE!!” Important Note: Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :)After completing the 5 questions, click on 'View Questions' to check your score, time taken, and solutions.To take the Test - Click Here
Hello Students TLP has been an integral ingredient of success for many toppers and is no secret. In the ‘must do’ list for the civil services exam, TLP is by far the most popular initiative. The popularity stems from the unparalleled quality of questions and synopsis posted in TLP. We strive hard to ensure that you get the real feel of UPSC standards before you write the Mains. You already know the features of TLP. Just to reiterate briefly, in the TLP initiative, we post 5 questions daily for a certain number of weeks (11 for this one). We follow a micro plan that is designed to give you daily targets. The questions are from the day’s syllabus and also from current affairs and you are expected to write the answers and post them on the portal. This year onwards TLP will have a Dedicated Portal for Focused Preparation (tlpmains.iasbaba.com). There will be a separate dedicated portal similar to (The RaRe Series) which students loved and appreciated. The Portal will help you stay focused and keep your preparation streamlined. The Registration link for the dedicated portal is given at the end of the post. We are charging a token amount of 10/- for registration to the dedicated portal. We are doing it because we want to create a community of sincere aspirants who are focused and motivated till the Mains Examination. Please don’t take it otherwise. It is our honest effort to give you the best and at the same time expect students to come with the same energy and dedication to the dedicated platform specially designed for YOU! Join our bandwagon, you won’t regret it. UPSC 2023 Aspirants are encouraged to participate as well. Register Here - CLICK HERE To Know More About TLP 2022 (Phase 2) - CLICK HERE To Access Day 3 Questions - CLICK HERE P.S: The review from IASbaba will happen from the time the question is posted till 10 pm every day. We would also encourage peer reviews. So friends get actively involved and start reviewing each other’s answers. This will keep the entire community motivated. All the Best
Hello Everyone, We are going to start Geography Optional Foundation Course for 2023 Before we let you know the merits of Geography as an optional, please remove the notions and biases from your mind that might have developed as a result of your discussions on various online forums and maybe with your friends and seniors. UPSC doesn’t intentionally “butcher” a subject. All the optionals have their distinct advantages and drawbacks but by no stretch of imagination would UPSC give preference to one optional over the other. What may happen though is that some optionals might have scored more than the others in a particular year but that trend gets reversed also. That is the unpredictability of the Civil Services Examination that we have to live with. In fact, till the time optionals remain a part of CSE, this unpredictability will remain. Also every year there is at least one person getting a top 10 rank with the Geography optional and many who are failing by taking other optional subjects.Click Here to Read Complete Details
Archives (PRELIMS & MAINS Focus) [su_box title="National Chambal sanctuary" style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Environment In News: To end illegal mining, Madhya Pradesh plans to make it legal in parts of Chambal sanctuary To free its forest department from devoting too much time, resources, and efforts in fighting illegal mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary, the Madhya Pradesh government has proposed to open 292 hectares for mining in five stretches on Chambal and its tributary Parvati rivers. Sand mining has been banned in the sanctuary since 2006. Opening up the five stretches would minimise the conflict with illegal miners, gain local support, and fetch revenue from royalty, one-fourth of which could be used to strengthen protection measures. Additionally, the proposal sought to make the contractors of the soon-to-be legal quarries responsible for checking illegal mining on adjacent sanctuary land four times their leased areas, failing which their leases would be terminated. National Chambal sanctuary The National Chambal Sanctuary was set up in 1979 as a riverine sanctuary along an approximately 425 km length of the Chambal River and its ravines stretching over 2-6 km wide along the river. National Chambal Sanctuary is the main area for the species reintroduction programmme of the crocodilian species Gavialis gangeticus (Gharial) National Chambal Sanctuary is lying in three states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Chambal supports the largest population of Gharials in the wild One of the few places to spot the Platanista gangetica - Gangetic Dolphins. Chambal is one of the cleanest rivers in the country. The National Chambal Sanctuary is listed as an important bird area Chambal supports more than 320 resident and migrant birds. Source: Indian Express Previous Year Question Q.1) With reference to India’s Desert National Park, which of the following statements are correct? (2019) It is spread over two districts. There is no human habitation inside the Park. It is one of the natural habitats of Great Indian Bustard. Select the correct answer using the code given below: 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.2) If you want to see gharials in their natural habitat, which one of the following is the best place to visit? (2017) Bhitarkanika Mangroves Chambal River Pulicat Lake Deepor Bed [/su_box] [su_box title="Port of Odesa" style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Geography (places in news) Russian forces captured territory along a frontline river in eastern Ukraine Moscow’s separatist proxies claimed to have captured Toshkivka, a town on the mostly Ukrainian-held western bank of the Siverskyi Donets River, south of Sievierodonetsk, which has become the main battlefield city in recent weeks. In Odesa, Ukraine’s biggest Black Sea port, a food warehouse was destroyed in a Russian missile attack. Source: Financial Post Previous Year Questions Q.1) Consider the following pairs: (2022) Regions in News Country Anatolia - Turkey Amhara - Ethiopia Cabo Delgado - Spain Catalonia - Italy How many pairs given above are correctly matched? Only one pair Only two pairs Only three pairs All four pairs Q.2) Consider the following pairs: (2018) Regions sometimes mentioned in news Country Catalonia — Spain Crimea — Hungary Mindanao — Philippines Oromia — Nigeria Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched? 1, 2 and 3 3 and 4 only 1 and 3 only 2 and 4 only [/su_box] [su_box title="Lightning" style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Geography Mains – GS 1 (Geography) Context: Several deaths are being reported due to lightning across India Seventeen people have been killed by lightning over the last two days in various parts of Bihar Of all the atmospheric phenomena, lightning perhaps is the most dangerous and mysterious. In India, lightning kills about 2,000-2,500 people every year. What is lightning? Scientifically, lightning is a rapid and massive discharge of electricity in the atmosphere some of which is directed towards earth. The discharges are generated in giant moisture-bearing clouds that are 10-12 km tall. The base of these clouds typically lies within 1-2 km of the Earth’s surface, while the top is 12-13 km away. Temperatures in the top of these clouds are in the range of –35° to –45°C. As water vapour moves upward in the cloud, the falling temperature causes it to condense. As they move to temperatures below 0°C, the water droplets change into small ice crystals. They continue to move up, gathering mass until they are so heavy that they start to fall to Earth. This leads to a system in which, simultaneously, smaller ice crystals are moving up and bigger crystals are coming down. Collisions follow and trigger the release of electrons, a process that is very similar to the generation of sparks of electricity. As the moving free electrons cause more collisions and more electrons, a chain reaction ensues. This process results in a situation in which the top layer of the cloud gets positively charged, while the middle layer is negatively charged. The electrical potential difference between the two layers is huge, of the order of a billion to 10 billion volts. In very little time, a massive current, of the order of 100,000 to a million amperes, starts to flow between the layers. While the Earth is a good conductor of electricity, it is electrically neutral. However, in comparison to the middle layer of the cloud, it becomes positively charged. As a result, about 15%-20% of the current gets directed towards the Earth as well. It is this flow of current that results in damage to life and property on Earth. Direct lightning strikes are rare but even indirect strikes are fatal given the immense amount of charge involved. Which areas are lightning-prone? A recently released annual report on lightning by the Climate Resilient Observing Systems Promotion Council (CROPC), which works closely with government agencies like the India Meteorological Department, includes a lightning atlas which maps vulnerability at the district level. According to the report, Madhya Pradesh has reported the largest number of cloud to ground lighting strikes, followed by Chhatisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha and West Bengal. Other states with high strike rate include Bihar, UP, Karnataka, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu In 2019-20, about 1.4 crore lightning strikes were recorded, which increased to 1.85 crore in 2020-21. In 2021-22, about 1.49 crore strikes were recorded across the country. The reduction, in line with the trend observed globally, has been attributed to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The reason attributed to reduction in lightning is due to Covid-2019 pandemic induced reduction in aerosol level, pollution, environmental upgradation and relatively stable weather system in Indian subcontinent How can the effects of lightning strikes be mitigated? Lightning is not classified as a natural disaster in India. But recent efforts have resulted in the setting up of an early warning system that is already saving many lives. More than 96% of lightning deaths happen in rural areas. As such, most of the mitigation and public awareness programmes need to focus on these communities. Lightning protection devices are fairly unsophisticated and low-cost. Yet, their deployment in the rural areas, as of now, is extremely low. States are being encouraged to prepare and implement lightning action plans, on the lines of heat action plans. Source: Indian Express Previous Year Question Q.1) During the thunderstorm, the thunder in the skies is produced by the (2013) meeting of cumulonimbus clouds in the sky lightning that separates the nimbus clouds violent upward movement of air and water particles Select the correct answer using the codes given below. 1 only 2 and 3 1 and 3 None of the above produces the thunder [/su_box] [su_box title="Single-use plastic" style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Environment Mains – GS 3 (Environment) Context: The Centre has defined a list of single-use plastic items that will be banned from July 1. What is single-use plastic? It refers to plastic items that are used once and discarded. Single-use plastic has among the highest shares of plastic manufactured and used — from packaging of items, to bottles, polythene bags, face masks, coffee cups, cling film, trash bags, food packaging etc. Stats Single-use plastics account for a third of all plastic produced globally, with 98% manufactured from fossil fuels. Single-use plastic also accounts for the majority of plastic discarded – 130 million metric tonnes globally in 2019 On the current trajectory of production, it has been projected that single-use plastic could account for 5-10% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. India features in the top 100 countries of single-use plastic waste generation – at rank 94 What are the items being banned? The items on which the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) have announced a ban are earbuds; balloon sticks; candy and ice-cream sticks; cutlery items including plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, trays; sweet boxes; invitation cards; cigarette packs; PVC banners measuring under 100 microns; and polystyrene for decoration. Polythene bags under 75 microns is already under ban Why these items? The chosen items are difficult to collect for recycling, unlike the much larger items How will the ban be enforced? The ban will be monitored by the CPCB from the Centre, and by the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) that will report to the Centre regularly. Those found violating the ban can be penalised under the Environment Protection Act 1986 – which allows for imprisonment up to 5 years, or a penalty up to Rs 1 lakh, or both. How are other countries dealing with single-use plastic? Earlier this year, 124 countries, parties to the United Nations Environment Assembly, including India, signed a resolution to draw up an agreement which will in the future make it legally binding for the signatories to address the full life of plastics from production to disposal, to end plastic pollution. Bangladesh became the first country to ban thin plastic bags in 2002. As of July 2019, 68 countries have plastic bag bans with varying degrees of enforcement. Source: Indian Express Previous Year Question Q.1) Why is there a great concern about the ‘microbeads’ that are released into environment? (2019) They are considered harmful to marine ecosystems. They are considered to cause skin cancer in children. They are small enough to be absorbed by crop plants in irrigated fields. They are often found to be used as food adulterants. [/su_box] [su_box title="Black swan event " style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Current Affairs In News: A study by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has spoken about the possibility of capital outflows to the tune of $100 billion (around Rs 7,80,000 crore) from India in case of a major global risk scenario or a “black swan” event. What is a ‘black swan’ event? A black swan is a rare, unpredictable event that comes as a surprise and has a significant impact on society or the world. These events are said to have three distinguishing characteristics – they are extremely rare and outside the realm of regular expectations; they have a severe impact after they hit; and they seem probable in hindsight when plausible explanations appear. When did the term originate? The black swan theory was put forward by author and investor Nassim Nicholas Taleb in 2001, and later popularised in his 2007 book – The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. The term itself is linked to the discovery of black swans. Europeans believed all swans to be white until 1697, when a Dutch explorer spotted the first black swan in Australia. The metaphor ‘black swan event’ is derived from this unprecedented spotting from the 17th century, and how it upended the West’s understanding of swans. When have such events occurred in the past? Taleb’s book predated the 2008 global financial crisis – a black swan event triggered by a sudden crash in the booming housing market in the US. The fall of the Soviet Union, the terrorist attack in the US on September 11, 2001, also fall in the same category Is the Covid-19 pandemic a black swan event? The author called it a “white swan”, arguing that it was predictable, and there was no excuse for companies and governments not to be prepared for something like this. Source: Indian Express Previous Year Question Q.1) Which one of the following best describes the term “greenwashing:”? (2022) Conveying a false impression that a company’s products are eco-friendly and environmentally sound Non-Inclusion of ecological/ environmental costs in the Annual Financial Statements of a country Ignoring the disastrous ecological consequences while undertaking infrastructure development Making mandatory provisions for environmental costs in a government project/programme [/su_box] Baba's Explainer - Fragile State of Nuclear Disarmament [su_box title="Fragile State of Nuclear Disarmament" style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Syllabus GS-2: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. GS-3: Security Context: Recently, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its yearbook a few days back highlighting some worrying trends of the past year in international security. The expected rise of the global nuclear arsenal was the chief cause of concern among SIPRI experts. The comprehensive report claims that while absolute numbers of nuclear arsenal have reduced, they are expected to grow over the next decade. Read Complete Details on Fragile State of Nuclear Disarmament [/su_box] Daily Practice MCQs [su_box title="Daily Practice MCQs" style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Q.1) Consider the following statements National Chambal Sanctuary is lying in three states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra Gangetic Dolphins, the national Aquatic animal can be spotted in National Chambal Sacntuary National Chambal Sanctuary is the main area for the species reintroduction programmme of Gharial Choose the correct statements: 2 and 3 1, 2 and 3 3 only 1 only Q.2) Port of Odesa recently seen in news is loacted in? Ethiopia Romania Ukraine Israel Q.3) The term Black Swan Event recently seen in news, means? It is used to describe a potentially very significant event whose possible occurrence may be predicted beforehand but whose probability is considered small. A rare, unpredictable event that comes as a surprise and has a significant impact on society or the world. It is a highly obvious yet ignored threat. A question, problem or controversial issue which is obvious to everyone who knows about the situation, but is deliberately ignored. ANSWERS FOR 20th JUNE 2022 - Daily Practice MCQs [su_box title="Answers- Daily Practice MCQs" style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Q.1) - c Q.2) - d Q.3) - c [/su_box]
ARCHIVES Syllabus GS-2: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. GS-3: Security Context: Recently, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its yearbook a few days back highlighting some worrying trends of the past year in international security. The expected rise of the global nuclear arsenal was the chief cause of concern among SIPRI experts. The comprehensive report claims that while absolute numbers of nuclear arsenal have reduced, they are expected to grow over the next decade. [su_spoiler open="yes" title="What have been the trends in military spending? " style="fancy" icon="chevron"] Military spending Flattened: During 2012-2021, military spending as a percentage of GDP has largely been stable. If anything, the average worldwide trend has been slightly downward. US & Russia continue to dominate: Russia leads the charge in absolute numbers of nuclear inventory (5977 against the U.S.’s 5428). However, it is the U.S. that has the largest number of deployed warheads (1744 against Russia’s 1588). China has 350 nuclear weapons in its inventory France has 290 UK has 225 India has 160 Pakistan has 165. Israel is estimated to have 90 and North Korea 20. Distorted Focus on China: The global discourse has created a sense of fear around China’s military modernisation and their upward trend in nuclear weapons development while the thousands of nuclear weapons held by the U.S. don’t seem to attract a similar level of attention. Military modernisation by nuclear countries is seen to be a global trend that may result in aggravating security concerns for other countries. All nuclear weapon owning states have, over the years, stated and worked upon their intention to modernise multiple facets of their armed forces—ranging from the development of newer and more efficient nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, fighter jets, manned and unmanned aerial vehicles to the growing spread of the use of missile defence systems Such modernisation India Top arm Importer: The SIPRI yearbook has highlighted India as being the top weapons importer during the 2017-2021 period. Other countries to feature in the top five arms importers list include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China, and Australia. According to SIPRI, these five nation states account for 38% of total global arms import. [/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler open="no" title="What are the key developments/concerns flagged by the yearbook? " style="fancy" icon="chevron"] The yearbook mentions the following as worrying indicators of an unstable system: low level border clashes between India and Pakistan, Civil war in Afghanistan Armed conflict in Myanmar It also highlighted three cause of concern trends: Chinese-American rivalry Involvement of state and non-state actors in multiple conflicts Challenge that climatic and weather hazards pose. It is important to note here that the threat posed by climate change seems to feature in the report only nominally. Nuclear concerns over Ukraine tensions: The marginal downsizing observed in the nuclear arsenal has come mostly from the U.S. and Russia dismantling retired warheads. But the Russian invasion of Ukraine has raised some serious concerns because of the continuous rhetoric from the Russia over possible use of nuclear weapons. China’s growing Nuclear Arsenal: China’s recent activities surrounding construction of 300 new nuclear missile silos have also been cause of worry. China has stated that they have made “impressive progress” vis-à-vis their nuclear arsenal and the primary purpose of said arsenal continues to be self-defence. India-Pakistan rivalry continues: In the subcontinent, India and Pakistan seem to be making gains over their nuclear arsenal (in absolute numbers) while also looking at the development and procurement of newer and more efficient forms of delivery systems Controversy over Iran’s military expenditure: The report has stated that Iran increased its enrichment of Uranium-235 to 60% in 2021. It also reported that Iran’s military budget grew to $24.6 billion, growing for the first time in four years. However, some analysts believe that SIPRI has, over the years, overstated Iran’s military expenditure. This is based on there not being a single Iranian exchange rate, resulting in a hyperinflated estimation of expenditure by SIPRI analysts. [/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler open="no" title="What is the general attitude among countries about existing nuclear and arms related treaties? " style="fancy" icon="chevron"] There is a collective belief on dangers of nuclear weapons & need for multilateral agreements. Earlier in 2022, the leaders of the P5 countries (China, France, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S.) issued a joint statement affirming the belief that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought”. The joint statement also highlighted their collective belief that bilateral and multilateral arms control agreements and commitments were indeed important. Even though there is upward trend in absolute numbers of arms and nuclear arsenals, the nation states are making sure to remain well within the ambit of what the treaties and agreements ask for. The year 2021 also saw the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, 2017 coming into effect. The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the Missile Technology Control Regimes (MTCR) held their annual meetings despite decision making being limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler open="no" title="What are the various nuclear disarmament regimes?" style="fancy" icon="chevron"] The international nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament regime comprises principles, norms, rules and practices regulating nuclear weapons. Historically, the regime is built on the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT) The NPT entered into force in 1970 and was extended indefinitely in 1995, The following goals are often described as the NPT’s ‘three pillars’ To prevent the spread of nuclear weapons To promote peaceful uses of nuclear energy To move towards nuclear disarmament The non-proliferation commitments of non-nuclear weapon states are verified through International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) The treaty institutionalised the non-proliferation norm by de-legitimising ‘proliferation’ (production and transfer) of nuclear weapons, fissile materials and related technology by the non-nuclear weapon states (NNWS) However, the recognised five nuclear-weapon states (NWS) — namely the US, Russia, the UK, France and China, can continue to possess nuclear weapons. The treaty has attained a near-universal status with just four hold-outs — India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea and it is widely acknowledged that having a treaty to halt the spread of nuclear weapons was better than having none at all. India has opposed the international treaties aimed at non-proliferation since they were selectively applicable to the non-nuclear powers and legitimised the monopoly of the five nuclear weapons powers. As a result, India always considered the NPT as discriminatory and has refused to sign it. While regarded as the cornerstone of the international non-proliferation and disarmament regime, the NPT has been undermined by the lack of implementation of its disarmament pillar. 2. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) CTBT was negotiated at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1996. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty bans all nuclear explosion tests on Earth. A comprehensive test ban has been defined as a “zero yield” test ban that would prohibit supercritical hydro-nuclear tests but not sub-critical hydrodynamic nuclear tests. Hydronuclear tests study nuclear materials under the conditions of explosive shock compression. Their yield ranges from negligible all the way up to a substantial fraction of full weapon. Subcritical (or cold) tests are types of tests involving nuclear materials and possibly high-explosives that purposely result in no yield. It was opened for signature in 1996 and since then 182 countries have signed the Treaty, most recently Ghana has ratified the treaty in 2011. The Treaty will enter into force after all 44 States listed in Annex 2 to the Treaty will ratify it. These States had nuclear facilities at the time the Treaty was negotiated and adopted. 36 of these States have ratified the Treaty. Eight States still need to do so North Korea, India, and Pakistan have not even signed the treaty China, Egypt, Iran, Israel, and USA have signed but not ratified the CTBT The CTBT has therefore not entered into force and lacks legal authority. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) promotes the Treaty so that it can enter into force. The organization was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Vienna. It establishes a verification regime to monitor adherence to the Treaty. The verification system is built around a network of over 325 seismic, radionuclide, infrasound and hydroacoustic (underwater) monitoring stations. New START Treaty The New START Treaty is a treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on measures for the further reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms. It entered into force on 5th February, 2011. It is a successor to the START framework of 1991 (at the end of the Cold War) that limited both sides to 1,600 strategic delivery vehicles and 6,000 warheads. It continues the bipartisan process of verifiably reducing U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear arsenals by limiting both sides to 700 strategic launchers and 1,550 operational warheads. The treaty's original duration was 10 years (until February 5, 2021), with the option for the Parties to agree to extend it for up to an additional five years. USA and Russian have agreed on a five-year extension of New START to keep it in force through February 4, 2026. Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty INF Treaty is another treaty that was signed during the Cold War. It was a nuclear arms-control accord reached by the USA and the Soviet Union in 1987 in which the two nations agreed to eliminate their stocks of intermediate-range and shorter-range (or “medium-range”) land-based missiles (which could carry nuclear warheads). The United States withdrew from the Treaty on 2nd August 2019. Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty FMCT is a proposed international agreement that prohibits the production of two main components of nuclear weapons: highly-enriched Uranium and Plutonium. The consultations under the treaty laid down the most appropriate arrangement to negotiate a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. Those nations that joined the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) as non-weapon states are already prohibited from producing or acquiring fissile material for weapons. An FMCT would provide new restrictions for the five recognized nuclear weapon states (NWS—United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, and China), and four nations that are not NPT members (Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea). PFM estimates the global stockpile of separated plutonium at 520 ± 10 tons, of which, less than half was produced for use in weapons. About 88% of plutonium is held by states with nuclear weapons that are NPT signatories, and most of the remaining 12% is held by Japan, which has over 47 tons of plutonium. Though the five NWS no longer produce weapons-grade plutonium, production continues in India, Israel, North Korea and Pakistan. Discussions on this subject have taken place at the UN Conference on Disarmament (CD). The CD operates by consensus and is often stagnant, impeding progress on an FMCT. In order for negotiations to begin on an FMCT, Pakistan will have to remove its opposition vote, and a consensus to move forward with negotiations must be reached. Pakistan has been primarily concerned that an FMCT would lock them into a disadvantageous position relative to India’s superior nuclear stockpile. Conference on Disarmament The Conference on Disarmament (CD), was recognized by the Tenth Special Session on Disarmament of the United Nations General Assembly (1978) as a single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of the international community. It succeeded other Geneva-based negotiating fora, which include the Ten-Nation Committee on Disarmament (1960), the Eighteen-Nation Committee on Disarmament (1962-68), and the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament (1969-78). The Conference is comprised of 65 member States, including the five NPT nuclear-weapon States and 60 other States of key military significance. The CD and its predecessors have negotiated such major multilateral arms limitation and disarmament agreements such as the NPT, CTBT, Biological & Chemical Weaons Convention etc. Currently, the CD primarily focuses its attention on the following issues: Cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament. Prevention of nuclear war, including all related matters. Prevention of an arms race in outer space. Effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons. New types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons; radiological weapons. Comprehensive programme of disarmament. Transparency in armaments. Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin and United States President George W. Bush jointly announced the creation of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) during the G8 Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia on 15 July 2006. The GICNT is an international partnership intended to improve international capacity for prevention, detection and response to nuclear terrorism, particularly the acquisition, transportation or utilization of nuclear and radiological materials. Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) The MTCR is an informal, non-treaty association of governments sharing common interests in the nonproliferation of missiles, unmanned air vehicles, and related technologies. Formal discussions on controlling missile proliferation began in 1983 among France, Germany, Italy, UK & USA. They were later joined by Canada and Japan, and in 1985, an interim agreement to control the proliferation of nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles, including dual-use missile items, was reached. A nuclear-capable missile was defined as one capable of delivering at least 500 kilograms (kg) to a range of 300 kilometers (km) or more. The seven states formally announced the Missile Technology and Control Regime (MTCR) on in 1987. Since then, membership has expanded to the present 35 States. India became member in 2018. In addition to formal members, there are three “unilateral adherents” to the regime recognized as such by regime members: Estonia, Kazakhstan, and Latvia. Israel, Macedonia, Romania, and Slovakia have also adhered to the regime on a less formal basis. China has agreed to apply the MTCR guidelines. Its application for membership remains under review. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) is also known as the Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty. It is the first legally binding international agreement to comprehensively prohibit nuclear weapons, with the goal of leading towards their total elimination. It was adopted by UN in July 2017 and came into force in January 2021. As of March 2021, 54 states have ratified or acceded to the treaty For those nations that are party to it, the treaty prohibits the development, testing, production, stockpiling, stationing, transfer, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons, as well as assistance and encouragement to the prohibited activities. For nuclear armed states joining the treaty, it provides for a time-bound framework for negotiations leading to the verified and irreversible elimination of its nuclear weapons programme. Need for TPNW: The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) of 1968 contains only partial prohibitions, and nuclear-weapon-free zone treaties prohibit nuclear weapons only within certain geographical regions. Nuclear-armed states and their allies, however, have opposed the new treaty, arguing that it could undermine the NPT by creating parallel norms and weakening the alleged international stability created by nuclear deterrence. India had rejected the treaty for two main reasons. Not negotiated in the right forum: India believes that the appropriate forum for negotiating complex dimensions of nuclear elimination is the Conference on Disarmament, a UN body comprising 65 nations, that follows consensus-based decision making. India considers it critical to take all stakeholders along on this subject. Lack of attention to important areas: India’s second criticism has been on lack of attention to issues of verification and compliance. The treaty exhorts NWPs to join by removing nuclear weapons “from operational status immediately and to destroy them in accordance with a legally binding, time-bound plan…” [/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler open="no" title="What is India’s stand on Nuclear disarmament?" style="fancy" icon="chevron"] India being a declared nuclear power remains committed to the policy of No First Use (NFU) against nuclear weapon states and non-use against non-nuclear-weapon states. India is a key partner in global efforts towards disarmament and strengthening the non-proliferation order. India believes that nuclear disarmament can be achieved through a step-by-step process underwritten by a universal commitment and an agreed multilateral framework after meaningful dialogues among all States possessing nuclear weapons, for building trust and confidence. The Conference on Disarmament (CD) remains the “world’s single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum” and India supports holding of negotiations on a Comprehensive Nuclear Weapons Convention at the CD. India also remains committed to negotiations regarding a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) in the CD. [/su_spoiler] Mains Practice Question - Nuclear disarmament is required for international peace & security but realising it is next to impossible. Elaborate. Note: Write answers to this question in the comment section.
ARCHIVES Syllabus GS-2: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. GS-3: Security Context: Recently, Pakistan got a reprieve from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as FATF announced that the country could be removed from the grey list. FATF is expected to decide whether to take Pakistan off the ‘grey’ list at the end of its plenary session in Berlin in October. Pakistan has been on the FATF grey list continuously since June 2018. [su_spoiler open="yes" title="What is the FATF? " style="fancy" icon="chevron"] The Financial Action Task Force is an international watchdog for financial crimes such as money laundering and terror financing. It was established at the G7 Summit of 1989 in Paris to address loopholes in the global financial system after member countries raised concerns about growing money laundering activities. The seven countries are Canada, the USA, UK, France, Germany, Japan and Italy. In the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attack on the U.S., FATF also added terror financing as a main focus area. This was later broadened to include restricting the funding of weapons of mass destruction in 2012. The FATF currently has 39 members (37 member countries and two regional organizations (European Commission and Gulf Cooperation Council) India became an Observer at FATF in 2006 and on June 25, 2010 India was taken in as the 34th country member of FATF. Its Secretariat is located at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) headquarters in Paris. The decision-making body of the FATF, known as its plenary, meets thrice a year. Its meetings are attended by 206 countries of the global network, including members, and observer organisations, such as the World Bank, some offices of the United Nations, and regional development banks. [/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler open="no" title="What does FATF do?" style="fancy" icon="chevron"] The FATF sets standards or recommendations for countries to achieve in order to plug the holes in their financial systems and make them less vulnerable to illegal financial activities. It conducts regular peer-reviewed evaluations called Mutual Evaluations (ME) of countries to check their performance on standards prescribed by it. The reviews are carried out by FATF and FATF-Style Regional Bodies (FSRBs), which then release Mutual Evaluation Reports (MERs). For the countries that don't perform well on certain standards, time-bound action plans are drawn up. Recommendations for countries range from assessing risks of crimes to setting up legislative, investigative and judicial mechanisms to pursue cases of money laundering and terror funding. [/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler open="no" title="What are FATF’s ‘grey’ and ‘black’ lists? " style="fancy" icon="chevron"] While the words ‘grey’ and ‘black’ list do not exist in the official FATF lexicon, they designate countries that need to work on complying with FATF directives and those who are non-compliant, respectively. Grey List: Countries that are considered safe haven for supporting terror funding and money laundering are put in the FATF grey list. This inclusion serves as a warning to the country that it may enter the blacklist. For such countries, the watchdog does not tell other members to carry out due-diligence measures vis-a-vis the listed country but does tell them to consider the risks such countries possess. As of March 2022, there are 23 countries on the FATF’s increased monitoring list — officially referred to as “jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies” — that include Pakistan, Syria, Turkey, Myanmar, Philippines, South Sudan, Uganda, and Yemen. Some of these countries are known tax havens while others have faced trouble with terrorism. In all cases, they are on the 'grey list' because it is deemed that their financial structures are susceptible to being exploited for prohibited dealings. Black List: Tt means countries designated as ‘high-risk jurisdictions subject to call for action’. Countries knowns as Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories (NCCTs) are put in the blacklist. These countries support terror funding and money laundering activities. The FATF revises the blacklist regularly, adding or deleting entries. In this case, the countries have considerable deficiencies in their AML/CFT (anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing) regimens and the body calls on members and non-members to apply enhanced due diligence. In the most serious cases, members are told to apply counter-measures such as sanctions on the listed countries. Currently, North Korea and Iran are on the black list. Consequence of being listen in FATF Lists: Being listed under the FATF’s lists makes it hard for countries to get aid from organisations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the European Union. It may also affect capital inflows, foreign direct investments, and portfolio flows. What suffers is also the perception regarding such a country among the international community. [/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler open="no" title="What should a country do in order to be removed from the list?" style="fancy" icon="chevron"] To be pulled out of the grey list, a country has to fulfill the tasks recommended by the FATF, for instance, confiscating properties of individuals associated with terrorist groups. If the FATF is satisfied with the progress, it removes the country from the list. The FATF most recently took Zimbabwe, and before that Botswana and Mauritius, off the grey list. Zimbabwe has strengthened the effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime and addressed related technical deficiencies to meet the commitments in its action plan regarding the strategic deficiencies that the FATF identified in October 2019. AML/CFT refers to “Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism”. [/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler open="no" title="Why is Pakistan on the grey list? " style="fancy" icon="chevron"] Weakness in fighting terror financing: Pakistan has found itself on the grey list frequently since 2008, for weaknesses in fighting terror financing and money laundering. In 2009, the country began to cooperate with the FATF-like regional body, Asia Pacific Group (APG), for a ME process. Lack of adequate Action on Terrorist groups: Pakistan was retained on the grey list in March 2022 as it was yet to address concerns on the front of terror financing investigations and prosecutions targeting senior leaders and commanders of UN designated terrorist groups. Suspicion on permanence of Pakistani action: Diplomatic sources in Pakistan told The Hindu that steps had been taken in this direction such as the sentencing of terror outfit chief Hafiz Saeed, prosecution of Masood Azhar, arrest of about 300 other designated terrorists, and the seizure of more than 1,100 properties owned by terror groups. India meanwhile, a member of FATF, suspects the efficacy and permanence of Pakistani action. [/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler open="no" title="How does grey-listing impact a country?" style="fancy" icon="chevron"] Signal of increased risk of transactions: If a country is on grey list, it signals to the global financial and banking system about increased risks in transactions with the country in question. Challenges in dealing with International Financial Institutions: Also, given that major financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank are affiliated with FATF as observers, a grey-listed country faces complications in accessing international lending instruments. One instance is of a USD 6 billion IMF loan contract from July 2019 that emphasized the need for Pakistan to comply with the FATF’s action. Pakistan’s economy is in poor shape, and it is staring at low reserves of foreign exchanges, despite loan assistance from Saudi Arabia and China Loss in GDP: Pakistan’s grey-listing by the FATF from 2008 to 2019 may have resulted in a cumulative GDP loss of USD 38 billion. This is because, although being added to the grey list does not imply any economic sanctions (unlike the black list), it signals to the global financial and banking system about increased risks in transactions with the country in question [/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler open="no" title="Was Pakistan taken off the grey list at any point of time?" style="fancy" icon="chevron"] Since it was added to grey list in 2008, it was given an action plan which required demonstrating adequate criminalisation of money laundering and terrorist financing as well as showing adequate measures to identify, freeze and confiscate terrorist assets. It was taken off the list in 2015 owing to its progress but was put back on it in 2018. Pakistan was given a 27-point action plan to restrict terror financing activities and on combating money laundering. Subsequent meetings of the body noted Pakistan's progress on the action points although the country was kept on the list as FATF found that there were three areas in which the country had yet to make satisfactory progress. The three red flags that FATF concluded still needed work were: (1) demonstrating that terrorist financing investigations and prosecutions target persons and entities acting on behalf or at the direction of the designated persons or entities; (2) demonstrating that terrorist financing prosecutions result in effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions; and (3) demonstrating effective implementation of targeted financial sanctions against all 1,267 and 1,373 designated terrorists, specifically those acting for or on their behalf." In its Feb 2021 meeting, FATF had noted that while Pakistan had made “significant progress”, there are nonetheless “serious deficiencies” in mechanisms to check terror financing. [/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler open="no" title="Why Pakistan is seeking exclusion from grey list?" style="fancy" icon="chevron"] Progress on action items: In March 2022, Pakistan informed FATF that it had completed 32 of the total 34 action items in the two plans but was retained on the list. The FATF gave it time till January 2023 to complete the 2021 plan. The FATF encouraged Pakistan to address the remaining items by continuing terror financing investigations and prosecutions of senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terrorist groups. Need for IMF bailout: Pakistan is currently banking on its potential exclusion from the grey list to help improve the status of tough negotiations with the International Monetary Fund to get bailout money, that is required by the country to tide over its difficult economic situation. China, Malaysia, and some other allies of Pakistan were “quietly working” to get the country off the grey list. [/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler open="no" title="What is India's stand on Pakistan's grey list status?" style="fancy" icon="chevron"] The US terror report said that progress by Islamabad "remains unfulfilled" on "the most difficult aspects of its 2015 National Action Plan to counter terrorism". The report specifically notes that while Pakistan has indicted Lashkar-e Taiba (LeT) co-founder Hafiz Saeed and some of his associates, "they have made no effort to use domestic authorities to prosecute other terrorist leaders such as JeM founder Masood Azhar and Sajid Mir, the mastermind of LeT’s 2008 Mumbai attacks". India had at the time said "it has become routine for Pakistan to come up with such non-serious actions prior to important meetings so as to evade intense scrutiny by the body". India has deep misgivings about Pakistan's commitment to discourage terror actors from using its territory to launch attacks in India. India widely believes that terrorist groups in Pakistan have access to support at the official level inside the country. Because of all these reasons, India puts pressure on international community to continue to keep Pakistan in FATF list. [/su_spoiler] Mains Practice Question - What is the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)? What are its objectives and mandate? Discuss. Note: Write answers to this question in the comment section.
Previous Daily Quiz (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE The Current Affairs questions are based on sources like ‘The Hindu’, ‘Indian Express’ and ‘PIB’, which are very important sources for UPSC Prelims Exam. The questions are focused on both the concepts and facts. The topics covered here are generally different from what is being covered under ‘Daily Current Affairs/Daily News Analysis (DNA) and Daily Static Quiz’ to avoid duplication. The questions would be published from Monday to Saturday before 2 PM. One should not spend more than 10 minutes on this initiative. Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative. Do remember that, “the difference between Ordinary and EXTRA-Ordinary is PRACTICE!!” Important Note: Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :)After completing the 5 questions, click on 'View Questions' to check your score, time taken, and solutions.To take the Test - Click Here
Hello Students TLP has been an integral ingredient of success for many toppers and is no secret. In the ‘must do’ list for the civil services exam, TLP is by far the most popular initiative. The popularity stems from the unparalleled quality of questions and synopsis posted in TLP. We strive hard to ensure that you get the real feel of UPSC standards before you write the Mains. You already know the features of TLP. Just to reiterate briefly, in the TLP initiative, we post 5 questions daily for a certain number of weeks (11 for this one). We follow a micro plan that is designed to give you daily targets. The questions are from the day’s syllabus and also from current affairs and you are expected to write the answers and post them on the portal. This year onwards TLP will have a Dedicated Portal for Focused Preparation (tlpmains.iasbaba.com). There will be a separate dedicated portal similar to (The RaRe Series) which students loved and appreciated. The Portal will help you stay focused and keep your preparation streamlined. The Registration link for the dedicated portal is given at the end of the post. We are charging a token amount of 10/- for registration to the dedicated portal. We are doing it because we want to create a community of sincere aspirants who are focused and motivated till the Mains Examination. Please don’t take it otherwise. It is our honest effort to give you the best and at the same time expect students to come with the same energy and dedication to the dedicated platform specially designed for YOU! Join our bandwagon, you won’t regret it. UPSC 2023 Aspirants are encouraged to participate as well. Register Here - CLICK HERE To Know More About TLP 2022 (Phase 2) - CLICK HERE To Access Day 1 Questions - CLICK HERE P.S: The review from IASbaba will happen from the time the question is posted till 10 pm every day. We would also encourage peer reviews. So friends get actively involved and start reviewing each other’s answers. This will keep the entire community motivated. All the Best
Dear Students Anthropology has become one of the most preferred and popular optional subjects for UPSC/CSE aspirants in recent times. Relatively less syllabus and consistent top scores are the prime pullers. Nevertheless, the other side of the story is, that many aspirants are unable to understand the subject, scoring less and losing out on the Ranks. This is because of the false hype created in the market regarding Anthropology as optional. The syllabus may be less, but the subject demands greater conceptual clarity, the ability to connect the theory part to the latest developments, etc., To plug these gaps, IASbaba has come up with a Foundation Course for Anthropology Optional Anthropology Optional – Foundation Course 2023 is a comprehensive program of Anthropology, a complete scientific study of past and present humankind: the what, why, and how of us, within the auspices of the UPSC syllabus framework. Remember that the goal is not to become an anthropologist but become exam-ready.Click Here to Read Complete Details
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