Final Cut Off 2020: UPSC Civil Services (Prelims, Mains, Final) Examination 2020
Dear Students Final Cut off 2020: UPSC Civil Services (Prelims, Main, Final) Examination 2020
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[UPDATE] BABA’S GURUKUL 2022 – FINAL RESULTS OUT!!
Dear Students, Over 1824 students had registered and around 1638 had taken the Entrance Test (Prelims+Mains) of Baba’s Gurukul on 18th September. Out of which, 350 Students were shortlisted for the next round, the Personality Test. Finally, 60 Students have been selected, after a rigorous process of screening on the lines of UPSC. Congratulations to all those who have been selected for Baba’s GURUKUL targeting UPSC 2022. Confirmation Mails have been sent to the Selected Students with details regarding Enrolment Process and Payment Link. We welcome you all, to an ecosystem which provides the students where they can grow organically through intensive tests and mentorship under Mohan Sir (Founder, IASbaba), which will help you sail through the examination. Here, instead of spoon-feeding, we believe in enabling the students to tackle all the challenges thrown at them by UPSC. Those who could not clear, the Entrance Test and still wish to be part of the Program can take the 2nd Entrance Test, which will be held on 16th October. REGISTER FOR ENTRANCE TEST - CLICK HERE DETAILS OF THE ENTRANCE TEST The entrance test will be exactly like UPSC-CSE where you will be facing a Prelims test, a Mains test, and a Personality test. Prelims and Mains exam will be on the same day and based on the merit list, students will be short-listed for the interview. The selection process will be similar to UPSC standards, comprising of one Prelims Test (75 MCQ’s – 150 marks; Syllabus will include current affairs of last six months and static GS topics + Objective CSAT questions), one Mains Test – 150 marks (it will include an essay based on Current Issues and case studies of Ethics to check the approach of candidates) and a Personality Test (it will be conducted to check the dedication of candidates and their level of understanding of Current Issues). The 2nd entrance test will be held on 16th October (Saturday) at 11 AM. The test will be held ONLINE and OFFLINE (Bangalore, Delhi, and Lucknow Centres) The Results of the 1st Entrance Test will be out on the 18th of October (Monday) Interviews will be starting from 19th Octoberber (Tuesday) Final Results will be out on 22nd October (Friday) To Know More About Baba’s Gurukul 2022 – CLICK HERE For any Queries: Email ID: support@iasbaba.com Contact No.: 9169191888 (10 AM – 6 PM) Please do not make calls before or after the given timing. THANK YOU IASbaba
DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 27th September 2021
Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) GoMs set up to rationalise GST rates Part of: Prelims and GS III - Economy Context The government has formed Group of Ministers (GoM), led by Karnataka Chief Minister, to rationalise GST rates. What will be its role? The GoM shall review the current tax slab rates and recommend changes in the same as may be needed to garner required resources (and) review the current rate slab structure of GST. It shall recommend rationalisation measures, including merger of tax rate slabs, required for a simpler rate structure in GST. GoM on GST System Reforms GoM on GST System Reforms is also formed. Maharashtra Deputy CM has been made its convenor. It will look at tapping IT tools to minimise tax evasion and make compliance easier for taxpayers. This group will subsume two existing ministerial groups on IT challenges and revenue mobilisation owing to the overlap in their mandates. Do you know? Currently, the GST regime has five broad tax rate slabs of zero, 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%, with a cess levied over and above the 28% on some goods, and special rates for items like precious stones and diamonds. Kathaprasangam Part of: Prelims and GS I - Art and culture Context: At a time when Kathaprasangam is literally on the verge of extinction, a youth from Koodaranhi village in Kozhikode is making people aware of social issues through the art form. What is Kathaprasangam? Kadhaprasangam (lyrical narrative or story telling performance) is a performing art of Kerala, India. It combines speaking, acting, and singing to present a story. Costumes, make-up, or settings are not used. The main artist, the Kaadhikan, tells the story, acts and sings with two or three accompanying instrumentalists. themes are largely from classical and popular literature. It originated from an earlier art form Harikathakalakshepam. Steering Committee for Local Value Addition, Manufacturing and Exports (SCALE) Part of: Prelims and GS - III - Manufacturing sector Context: Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Manufacturing industry have set up the Steering Committee for Local Value Addition, Manufacturing and Exports or SCALE to revive manufacturing. Key takeaways Aim: Navigating Indian manufacturing away from the import-dependence pitfalls exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Composition: The SCALE includes the top officials from three industry bodies — CII, FICCI and Asshocham — three representatives from government and three industry leaders. The group is working on ideas for 17 sectors — from toys, textiles, furniture and e-cycles to drones, and even fisheries. It shall have no deadlines and will follow a rigorous process of consultations to align different factions of industry with varying agendas at multiple levels. Do you know? A sunset industry is an industry in decline, one that has passed its peak or boom periods. Assam’s Rice Wine Judima gets GI tag Part of: Prelims and GS III - Intellectual Property Rights Context Judima, the wine brewed by the Dimasa community in Assam, has been awarded the geographical indication (GI) tag. This wine is made from rice and a certain herb. It is the first beverage from the north-eastern region to earn this label. Judima is intrinsic to the social and cultural life of the Dimasas. The GI tag for the drink came 14 years after the ginger of the adjoining Karbi Anglong district received its geographical indication. A week ago, Manipur saw two of its indigenous products get the GI tag. These were the Tamenglong orange and Hathei chilli grown in the hills. What is GI tag? It is an indication which is definite to a geographical territory. It is used for agricultural, natural and manufactured goods. The goods need to be produced or processed or prepared in that region. The product must have a special quality or reputation. The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 provides registration and also protection of GI goods in India. The Geographical Indications Registry for India is located in Chennai. A registered GI tag prohibits a third party to use such products. GI is a collective intellectual property right and is thus owned by all the producers within the defined GI territory. Patents and trademarks are owned by an individual or a business entity. ICMR's ‘Clinicopathological Profile of Cancers in India' Report Part of: Prelims and GS-II- Health Context The Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) has recently released ‘Clinicopathological Profile of Cancers in India: A Report of the Hospital Based Cancer Registries, 2021’. What are its key findings? Gender specific: The proportion of all cancer cases was higher in males (52.4%) than females (47.4%) Prevalent cancer in Female: Gynaecological cancers, including breast cancer, comprised over half of all cancers in females. Childhood (0-14 years) cancers constitute 7.9% of all cancers. Most affected age-group: The highest proportion of cancer from all sites was reported in the 45 to 64 years age group, except for prostate cancer in males, which was higher in those over 65 years. Cancer due to tobacco use: 48.7% of cancers among males and 16.5% among females. Most common mode of treatment: Chemotherapy was the most typical treatment modality for many cancers regardless of the clinical extent of disease at presentation. Do you know? ICMR, New Delhi is the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination, and promotion of biomedical research. It is funded by the Government of India through the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. The Governing Body of ICMR is presided over by the Union Health Minister. Place in news: Nagqu and Kio Dhura pass Part of: Prelims and GS II - International Relations China has completed a key section of the Beijing-Lhasa expressway, a 295-km stretch from Lhasa to Nagqu in Tibetan region. Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Nagqu is city in North Tibet. The Lhasa-Nagqu section is part of the G6 Beijing-Lhasa expressway. In June, China had launched a high speed bullet train connecting Lhasa with Nyingchi, a strategically located Tibetan town located close to Arunachal Pradesh In another development, China has set up surveillance equipment and cameras opposite the Kio Dhura pass in Uttarakhand. Miscellaneous Cyclone Gulab Cyclonic storm Gulab made landfall in Andhra pradesh on 26th September evening. It has particularly affected states of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Cyclones are low-pressure systems that form over warm tropical waters, with gale force winds near the centre. The tropical cyclone season in the Bay of Bengal and neighbouring Arabian Sea has two peaks around May and November, according to the World Meteorological Organisation. (News from PIB) U.S.-India Joint Leaders’ Statement: A Partnership for Global Good Part of: GS-Prelims ad GS-II: India and other countries In News: First in-person Leaders’ engagement, renewing their close relationship and charting a new course to advance the partnership between the world’s largest democracies. A. Building a strategic partnership and working together with regional groupings, including ASEAN and Quad members, to promote shared interests in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond – B. Developing a trade and investment partnership that increases prosperity for working families in both countries Reconvening the India-U.S. Trade Policy Forum before the end of 2021, to enhance the bilateral trade relationship by addressing trade concerns, identifying specific areas for increased engagement and developing an ambitious, shared vision for the future of the trade relationship. Looked forward to convening the U.S.-India CEO Forum and the Commercial Dialogue in early 2022, leveraging the talents of the private sector. Noted ongoing negotiations on an Investment Incentive Agreement that facilitates investment in development projects and committed to an early conclusion. Welcomed increased collaboration through the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the upcoming Indo-Pacific Business Forum. C. Finishing the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and other health challenges D. Galvanizing global efforts to scale up climate action: Through the two main tracks of the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP) and the Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue (CAFMD) under the U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership, the United States and India will accelerate clean energy development and deployment of critical technologies to advance a clean energy transition. India welcomed the United States joining the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT). E. Strengthening democratic values and institutions in support of our respective peoples F. Enhancing people-to-people ties that have made both countries stronger G. Efforts to fight terrorism: Commended the U.S.-India Counter Narcotics Working Group and are committed to finalizing a new Bilateral Framework which would facilitate joint efforts to combat drug trafficking, illicit narcotics production and precursor chemical supply chains. Resolved that the Taliban must abide by UNSC Resolution 2593 (2021), which demands that Afghan territory must never again be used to threaten or attack any country or to shelter or train terrorists, or to plan or finance terrorist attacks, and underscored the importance of combating terrorism in Afghanistan. The Leaders called for an end of the use of violence, for release of all political detainees, and for a swift return to democracy in Myanmar. They further called for the urgent implementation of the ASEAN Five Point Consensus. News Source: PIB SAUBHAGYA Scheme Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-II: Government policies In News: SAUBHAGYA completes four years of successful implementation 2.82 crore households have been electrified since the launch of SAUBHAGYA A dedicated toll-free helpline in place to identify and provide electricity connections to remaining unelectrified households About Saubhagya Scheme Saubhagya Scheme aims to achieve universal household electrification in all parts of the country. The scheme primarily benefits rural areas, which have vast majority of households without power connections. The beneficiaries for free electricity connection would be identified using Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data. Expected outcomes – Environmental upgradation by substitution of Kerosene for lighting purposes Improvement education services Better health services Enhanced connectivity through radio, television, mobiles, etc. Increased economic activities and jobs Improved quality of life especially for women News Source: PIB Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission Part of: GS-Prelims and Mains GS-III- Health Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will announce the nationwide roll-out of Pradhan Mantri Digital Health Mission on September 27. Based on the foundations laid down in the form of Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile (JAM) trinity and other digital initiatives of the government, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission will Create a seamless online platform through the provision of a wide-range of data, information and infrastructure services, duly leveraging open, interoperable, standards-based digital systems while ensuring the security, confidentiality and privacy of health-related personal information. The Mission will enable access and exchange of longitudinal health records of citizens with their consent. Create interoperability within the digital health ecosystem, similar to the role played by the Unified Payments Interface in revolutionizing payments. Citizens will only be a click-away from accessing healthcare facilities. The key components of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission include A health ID for every citizen that will also work as their health account, to which personal health records can be linked and viewed with the help of a mobile application; A Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR) and Healthcare Facilities Registries (HFR) that will act as a repository of all healthcare providers across both modern and traditional systems of medicine. This will ensure ease of doing business for doctors/hospitals and healthcare service providers. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission Sandbox, created as a part of the Mission, will act as a framework for technology and product testing that will help organizations, including private players, intending to be a part of National Digital Health Ecosystem become a Health Information Provider or Health Information User or efficiently link with building blocks of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. News Source: PIB MUST READ: Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya (Mains Focus) INTERNATIONAL/ SECURITY GS-2: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. GS-2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests AUKUS and India Context: A new trilateral security partnership called AUKUS (Australia-U.K.-U.S.) has been formed recently. US President stated its aim is to “update and enhance our shared ability to take on the threats of the 21st century just as we did in the 20th century: together.” What are the terms of the grouping? The summit announcement specifically referenced its intent for AUKUS to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific in the long term. As expected, it drew a sharp response from China, whose territorial ambitions across the Indo-Pacific is one of the key factor behind the formation of this group. Beijing stated that AUKUS will “undermine” regional peace and “intensify” an arms race in the region. The security partnership also includes a proposal whereby the U.S. and the U.K. will transfer technology to build a fleet of nuclear-powered (not nuclear-armed) submarines for Australia within 18 months. With this submarine deal, Australia cancelled a $90-billion conventional submarine purchase order placed with France. Will AUKUS be a game changer? The short answer is that it is unlikely, and the reasons are several. First, the U.S. already has a strong presence in the Indo-Pacific, especially in a grouping that includes Australia, India, and Japan — the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad. QUAD involves joint military presence, and a wide array of war games and more in the region. Similarly, the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Canada, and New Zealand are members of Five Eyes, an intelligence-sharing alliance, which also has regional security implications. It is unclear what additional signalling could be achieved through the new trilateral security arrangement that does not fall within the ambit of the Quad, or ASEAN. This assessment is consistent with India’s response to the creation of AUKUS, which saw Indian Foreign Secretary say, “From our perspective, this is neither relevant to the Quad nor will it have any impact on its functioning.” Secondly, AUKUS will not likely deter Beijing’s strategic calculus across the region, particularly relating to its maritime ambitions and territorial expansionism. The one element of AUKUS that has potential to cause a recalibration of China’s plans in this realm is the nuclear-powered submarines. The countries that have such submarines operational are the U.S. (68), Russia (29), China (12) the U.K. (11), France (8) and India (1). AUKUS facilitating the development of a nuclear fleet for Australia may alter the power balance in the Indio-Pacific. This will heighten China’s anxiety over its nuclear-powered submarine fleet which has potential of intensifying arms race in the region. Does India stand to gain from this development? India may indeed derive secondary benefits from having three advanced nations with arguably the most sophisticated military know-how in the world coming together to support a free and open Indo-Pacific. Given the inroads that China has made in recent decades with its Belt and Road Initiative in India’s neighbourhood, fears over ‘encirclement’ of India by China may be partially mitigated by AUKUS. Concerns It would likely be well over a decade before the submarine construction plans in Adelaide come to fruition and Australia operationalises a nuclear-powered fleet. To what extent and in what direction the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific would have shifted by then remains to be seen. From New Delhi’s perspective, the business-as-usual approach is the best answer to such ambiguities: it implies that India will work with the transnational institutional arrangements in place, roping in like-minded nations into symbiotic partnerships, and calibrate future alliance plans to evolving security situations across one of the most complex strategic ecosystems in the world. Connecting the dots: QUAD China’s Belt and Road Initiative Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Reviving SAARC to deal with China HEALTH/ INTERNATIONAL GS-2: Foreign Policy GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Vaccine Export Context: With close to 85 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine doses given in India so far, government has disclosed plans to resume export of the India-made vaccine from October, under a programme called ‘Vaccine Maitri’, to foreign countries as well as COVAX. Regarding the resumption of exports, India has said only “excess supplies” will be eligible for exports. What is COVAX? The COVAX program is led by the vaccine alliance GAVI, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in partnership with UNICEF, vaccine manufacturers and the World Bank, among others. The aim is to ensure equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines globally in what is being called the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history. The program wants to vaccinate roughly 20 per cent of the population in the 92 Advance Market Commitment (AMC) countries, which include middle and lower-income nations that cannot afford to pay for COVID-19 vaccines. This means countries with a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of less than US $4000 and some other countries which are eligible under the World Bank International Development Association (IDA). The funding target for this program for 2021 is about US $6.8 billion, of which it has raised about US $4 billion. The funding is partly coming from high and middle-income countries that will also receive a share of the vaccines produced for COVAX The latest supply forecast for global vaccine-sharing platform, COVAX, is that it will have distributed 1.4 billion doses by the end of 2021, less than the 2 billion doses it had aimed for earlier this year. How many doses has India supplied abroad? According to data from the Ministry of External Affairs, as of May 31, 6.6 crore doses of locally made vaccines have gone out of India either as grants, exports or supplies to COVAX. The last despatch was on March 29. Close to 99% of the vaccines supplied were Covishield. Why did India stop vaccine exports? India’s vaccination drive began in January 2021 for healthcare workers and was gradually expanded to those aged over 60. Until February, the uptake was slow. The first two months were also marked by a declining trend in daily fresh cases of infection. By February, the daily count had dipped to an all-time low of below 10,000 — something not witnessed since June 2020. Some government-backed epidemiological forecasts as well political messaging began giving out the impression that India had likely passed the worst of the pandemic. By March the increase in infection cases was rapid enough for a growing public demand that vaccines be made freely available. To cater to the domestic demand in the backdrop of slow supply, India placed “restrictions” on the export of Covishield, and stopped it by mid-April. What has changed now? Vaccine production has nearly doubled since April and could rise to over 30 crore doses by October. There is also steady decline in new cases, over half the adults have got at least one dose and, despite reports of fully inoculated people catching the infection, there is no worrying rise in severe disease or mortality. However, Covishield continues to be India’s vaccine mainstay. The supply of Covaxin has increased, but it still accounts for only around 11% of India’s total vaccine output. Millions of doses of Sputnik V, Sputnik Light, Corbevax and ZyCoV-D are projected to be available in the next few months but so far none has started rolling off the shelves. With nearly 100 crore doses needed to fully vaccinate all adults, it is unlikely that all will be fully vaccinated by the year-end. For that, one crore doses need to be administered every day. India’s average daily pace now is about 70 lakh doses. Connecting the dots: Vaccine Nationalism Vaccine Diplomacy Approaches to Vaccine Making (Sansad TV- Special Report) Sep 23: QUAD Summit 2021 - https://youtu.be/B5D10_0zc84 INTERNATIONAL/ SECURITY GS-2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests QUAD Summit 2021 In News: On September 24, President Biden hosted Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan at the White House for the first-ever in-person Leaders’ Summit of the Quad. The leaders have put forth ambitious initiatives that A. Deepen our ties and advance practical cooperation on 21st-century challenges: Ending the COVID-19 pandemic, including by increasing production and access to safe and effective vaccines; Through $3.3 billion in the COVID-19 Crisis Response Emergency Support Loan program, Japan will continue to help regional countries to procure safe, effective, and quality-assured vaccines. Australia will deliver $212 million in grant aid to purchase vaccines for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Australia will allocate $219 million to support last-mile vaccine rollouts and lead in coordinating the Quad’s last-mile delivery efforts in those regions. Japan, through Japan Bank for International Cooperation, will work with India to enhance key investments of approximately $100 million in the healthcare sector related to COVID-19, including vaccine and treatment drugs. Further strengthen their science and technology cooperation in support of the 100-Day Mission—collaboration on current and future clinical trials, such as launching additional sites for the international Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) trials, which can expedite investigation of promising new vaccines and therapeutics, while at the same time supporting countries in the region to improve their capacity to undertake scientifically sound clinical research. Will support the call for a "global pandemic radar” and will improve our viral genomic surveillance, including by working together to strengthen and expand the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS). B. Infrastructure Launch the Quad Infrastructure Coordination Group: Share assessments of regional infrastructure needs and coordinate respective approaches to deliver transparent, high-standards infrastructure. Lead on High-Standards Infrastructure C. Climate Will focus their efforts on the themes of climate ambition, including working on 2030 targets for national emissions and renewable energy, clean-energy innovation and deployment, as well as adaptation, resilience, and preparedness. Commit to pursue enhanced actions in the 2020s to meet anticipated energy demand and decarbonize at pace and scale to keep our climate goals within reach in the Indo-Pacific. Additional efforts include working together on methane abatement in the natural-gas sector and on establishing responsible and resilient clean-energy supply chains. The Quad will: Form a Green-Shipping Network: Uniquely situated to deploy green-port infrastructure and clean-bunkering fuels at scale, Quad partners will launch a Quad Shipping Taskforce which will organize its work around several lines of efforts and aims to establish two to three Quad low-emission or zero-emission shipping corridors by 2030. Establish a Clean-Hydrogen Partnership: To strengthen and reduce costs across all elements of the clean-hydrogen value chain, leveraging existing bilateral and multilateral hydrogen initiatives in other fora. This includes technology development and efficiently scaling up the production of clean hydrogen (hydrogen produced from renewable energy, fossil fuels with carbon capture and sequestration, and nuclear for those who choose to deploy it), identification and development of delivery infrastructure to safely and efficiently transport, store, and distribute clean hydrogen for end-use applications, and stimulating market demand to accelerate trade in clean hydrogen in the Indo-Pacific region. Enhance Climate Adaptation, Resilience, and Preparedness: Quad countries commit to increasing the Indo-Pacific region’s resilience to climate change by improving critical climate information-sharing and disaster-resilient infrastructure. The Quad countries will convene a Climate & Information Services Task Force and build a new technical facility through the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure that will provide technical assistance in small island developing states. D. People-to-People Exchange and Education: Launch the Quad Fellowship: The Fellowship will sponsor 100 students per year—25 from each Quad country—to pursue masters and doctoral degrees at leading STEM graduate universities in the United States E. Critical and Emerging Technologies: Quad leaders are committed to working together to foster an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem. Publish a Quad Statement of Principles: On technology design, development, governance, and use Establish Technical Standards Contact Groups: On Advanced Communications and Artificial Intelligence focusing on standards-development activities as well as foundational pre-standardization research. Launch a Semiconductor Supply Chain Initiative: To map capacity, identify vulnerabilities, and bolster supply-chain security for semiconductors and their vital components. Support 5G Deployment and Diversification: Launched a Track 1.5 industry dialogue on Open RAN deployment and adoption, coordinated by the Open RAN Policy Coalition Monitor Biotechnology Scanning: Will monitor trends in critical and emerging technologies, starting with advanced biotechnologies, including synthetic biology, genome sequencing, and biomanufacturing. In the process, we will identify related opportunities for cooperation. F. Cybersecurity-Launch a Quad Senior Cyber Group: To advance work between government and industry on driving continuous improvements in areas including adoption and implementation of shared cyber standards; development of secure software; building workforce and talent; and promoting the scalability and cybersecurity of secure and trustworthy digital infrastructure. G. Space- Share Satellite Data to Protect the Earth and its Waters: To exchange Earth observation satellite data and analysis on climate-change risks and the sustainable use of oceans and marine resources. Sharing this data will help Quad countries to better adapt to climate change and to build capacity in other Indo-Pacific states that are at grave climate risk, in coordination with the Quad Climate Working group. Enable Capacity-Building for Sustainable Development: To manage risks and challenges. Conclusion As new geopolitical and geo-economic realities emerge in the Indo-Pacific, India is now a critical node in the emerging network of variable geometries in the region. There are important opportunities in the evolving dynamic for New Delhi, as new alliances are crafted and new goals enunciated. The Quad is here to stay and its outlines are becoming clear as a ‘flexible group of like-minded countries’ that will work together on diverse and urgent areas. The question now is the willingness and ability to forge ahead. Can you answer these questions? Essay: India- Pharmacy of the World The Quad offers a great opportunity for reforming China-centred economic globalisation. Comment. Quad fills important gap that has emerged in contemporary times. Do you agree? Substantiate your views. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Q.1 Which of the following does not come under 28% GST slab? Dishwasher Automobiles Motorcycles Aircraft for personal use Steel products Q.2 ICMR, New Delhi is the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination, and promotion of biomedical research. It is funded by which of the following? Ministry of Science and Technology Ministry of Health Ministry of Education Ministry of Entrepreneurship Q.3 Judima, the wine brewed by the Dimasa community has been awarded the geographical indication (GI) tag recently. The community belongs to which of the following states of India? Chhattisgarh Assam Odisha Meghalaya ANSWERS FOR 25th Sept 2021 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 B 3 C Must Read On NEET: The Hindu On MSP: Indian Express On Tourism and Inclusive growth: Hindustan Times
UPSC HINDI Quiz– 2021: IASbaba की दैनिक करेंट अफेयर्स क्विज़ 27th सितंबर 2021
For Previous Daily Quiz (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE करेंट अफेयर्स के प्रश्न 'द हिंदू', 'इंडियन एक्सप्रेस' और 'पीआईबी' जैसे स्रोतों पर आधारित होते हैं, जो यूपीएससी प्रारंभिक परीक्षा के लिए बहुत महत्वपूर्ण स्रोत हैं। प्रश्न अवधारणाओं और तथ्यों दोनों पर केंद्रित हैं। दोहराव से बचने के लिए यहां कवर किए गए विषय आम तौर पर 'दैनिक करंट अफेयर्स / डेली न्यूज एनालिसिस (डीएनए) और डेली स्टेटिक क्विज' के तहत कवर किए जा रहे विषयों से भिन्न होते हैं। प्रश्न सोमवार से शनिवार तक दोपहर 2 बजे से पहले प्रकाशित किए जाएंगे। इस कार्य में आपको 10 मिनट से ज्यादा नहीं देना है। इस कार्य के लिए तैयार हो जाएं और इस पहल का इष्टतम तरीके से उपयोग करें। याद रखें कि, "साधारण अभ्यर्थी और चयनित होने वाले अभ्यर्थी के बीच का अंतर केवल दैनक अभ्यास है !!" Important Note: Comment अनुभाग में अपने अंक पोस्ट करना न भूलें। साथ ही, हमें बताएं कि क्या आपको आज का टेस्ट अच्छा लगा । 5 प्रश्नों को पूरा करने के बाद, अपना स्कोर, समय और उत्तर देखने के लिए ‘View Questions’ पर क्लिक करें। उत्तर देखने के लिए, इन निर्देशों का पालन करें: 1 - 'स्टार्ट टेस्ट/ Start Test' बटन पर क्लिक करें प्रश्न हल करें 'टेस्ट सारांश/Test Summary'बटन पर क्लिक करें 'फिनिश टेस्ट/Finish Test'बटन पर क्लिक करें अब ‘View Questions’बटन पर क्लिक करें - यहां आपको उत्तर और लिंक दिखाई देंगे। To take the Test - Click here
UPSC Quiz – 2021 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 27th September 2021
For 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
Creative Guidance – Staying Motivated – Inspirational Educative Articles
Staying Motivated: Why is it difficult to stay inspired and motivated all the time? What is it in the nature of life that makes it so hard to keep our motivation going? Let’s try to understand the science of motivation. More importantly, let’s try to understand why we lose the ability to stay motivated as we grow up. There is no debate in the argument that we were a lot more motivated during our younger days. Irrespective of our age now, we can all reflect back on the time when we had more energy and enthusiasm. We can all recollect a time from our past when we were a lot more inspired and motivated. One important reason it’s difficult for us to stay inspired as we grow up is our changing understanding of life. As we grow, our understanding of life changes and so does our attitude toward what inspires and motivates us. Since the very definition of “growing up” is a process of changing, staying motivated is a big challenge The trick to staying inspired most of the time lies in our mind. If we are able to understand the nature of our minds clearly, we will be able to learn how to keep ourselves motivated. As far as the mind is concerned, motivation is simply a state. In fact, our mind doesn’t understand motivation at all. The main thing it understands and recognizes is different states of our mind; positive and negative states. Being in a positive state of mind corresponds to being motivated, and a negative state of mind corresponds to demotivation and lack of enthusiasm. It is amazing how much time, money and effort is spent in trying to motivate people. Most people understand motivation as a surge of energy; hence they fall into the age old trap of instant energizing, only to lose their energy all too quickly. We cannot approach our personal motivation in this manner. Rather, we need to understand it as a way of keeping our mind in a positive state of mind. The biggest secret to motivation is knowing the difference between a negative and a positive state of mind. When we know what triggers a negative or a positive state of mind, it becomes possible for us to control our motivation levels. The easiest way to stay motivated is by listening to the continuous conversation of our minds and not encouraging negative conversation. This sounds too simplistic to work, but it works brilliantly. Just by listening to our thoughts we can weed out negative and unnecessary conversations and cultivate an internal atmosphere of positivity and energy. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Nirvana Foundation and IASBABA.”
[MI-STORIES]MOTIVATIONAL AND INSPIRATIONAL STORIES - A Gift of Love!
For Previous Story -> CLICK HERE Inspirational Stories: Here is the story for this week from the new series of Inspirational and Motivational stories. One of the oldest known forms of communication is story telling. There is something primordial within us that loves stories and their tremendous impact. In this series, we aim to bring you the best of real-life stories that can inspire and motivate you. Stories always try to teach us something useful. It is one of the best ways of learning from other's mistakes and avoiding our own. Although each story has its own moral, in the comments section you can share your opinion on the moral of the story. If you are able to see something that others might have missed, you can share it for the benefit of all. Apart from just reading these awesome stories, you can also share some of the stories that have inspired you. If we find the story appropriate and useful, we will share it with all. More importantly, read these stories every week without a miss, and stay inspired. So Here is the story for this week - A Gift of Love ! “Can I see my baby?” the happy new mother asked. When the bundle was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears. Time proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was marred. When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaks. He blurted out the tragedy. “A boy, a big boy … called me a freak.” He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. “But you might mingle with other young people,” his mother reproved him, but felt a kindness in her heart. The boy’s father had a session with the family physician. Could nothing be done? “I believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears, if they could be procured,” the doctor decided. Whereupon the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man. Two years went by. Then, “You are going to the hospital, Son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’s a secret,” said the father. The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged. His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college became a series of triumphs. Later he married and entered the diplomatic service. “But I must know!” He urged his father, “Who gave so much for me? I could never do enough for him.” “I do not believe you could,” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know … not yet.” The years kept their profound secret, but the day did come … one of the darkest days that a son must endure. He stood with his father over his mother’s casket. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to reveal that the mother had no outer ears. “Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut,” he whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they?” Real beauty lies not in the physical appearance, but in the heart. Real treasure lies not in what that can be seen, but what that cannot be seen. Real love lies not in what is done and known, but in what that is done but not known.
125+ Ranks UPSC CSE 2020 Topper's from IASbaba- 20 in Top 100 Ranks makes it even more special!
Dear Friends, It is wonderful news for us here at IASbaba. The sense of joy has no bounds today as something that we started with pure passion has borne the fruit. At IASbaba the focus from day one has been on quality and every year thousands of students realise why we are the most trusted and reliable portal! We are happy to announce that our students have bagged 20 out of the top 100 ranks, and over 125+ have been successful in UPSC Civil Services Examination, 2020. These 125+ students have been part of our Baba's Foundation Couse (Baba's FC), Integrated Learning Program (ILP), Gurukul, Think Learn Perform (TLP) Mains Test Series, TLP Connect (Prelims + Mains Test Series) and Prelims Test Series and Interview Mentorship Program (IMP) List of IASbaba’s Toppers UPSC CSE 2020 Rank Roll No. Name 2 415262 Jagrati Awasthi 16 819435 Arth Jain 20 1019374 Podishetty Srija 21 828175 Vaishali Jain 26 812086 Pulkit Singh 28 2625904 DIVYA MISHRA 30 1140688 Divyanshu Choudhary 38 801725 Varuna Agrawal 40 820057 Anant Dwivedi 46 7802027 Jubin Mohapatra 52 846320 Ashish Kumar Mishra 59 1114379 Jayant Singh Rathore 62 1905919 APARNA M B 70 809926 Saloni Verma 78 2107398 Srishti Singh 84 1132553 Ravi Kumar 90 403743 PRAKHAR JAIN 93 7603033 Challapalle Yaswanth Kumar reddy 98 859920 Ayush Gupta 104 1107621 Rishabh Kumar Rewar 118 6306481 Deepak Agarwal 120 6205445 BADDELI CHANDRAKANTH REDDY 135 1911513 Malini S 138 1311770 Darshan Prakashchand Dugad 140 3527570 Mehak Mittal 149 2608054 Adarsh Kant Shukla 150 1901811 MINNU P M 151 869525 Shrey Shashank 159 631551 Mayuri Mukherjee 166 419636 AVHAD NIVRUTTI SOMNATH 181 1215108 Priyanga RA 186 845280 Sandeep Kumar 211 1210900 Gobbilla Vidyadhari 232 400024 Shubham Bajaj 233 854146 Harsh Parashar 235 3906903 Shrinivas MP 244 5203187 Purvi Nanda 245 1411419 Saureesh Sahai 252 328570 Anirudh 253 2620685 Vaibhav Jindal 261 3534869 Shivia Hangloo 268 813045 Nitish Rajora 274 803989 Abhishek Vashishtha 275 3523545 SHRUTI BANSAL 276 5916366 PRIYA YADAV 279 844592 Arpit Jain 285 848592 Nidhi 287 6309789 NITISH GUPTA 292 5417903 Abhilasha Kour 295 6418209 Prince Kumar 306 1403250 Tushar Mehra 318 600206 INDRASHIS DATTA 325 6628638 Patil Anand Ashok 332 7004948 Pawanjot Kaur 340 7811158 Pallavi Verma 341 412599 Abhi Jain 346 6123623 SAURABH YADAV 347 6804670 Rohit Nema 348 6001651 ANAMIKA 351 1221427 Siva Raman 354 311208 Megha Jain 372 7903082 Bhanu Pratap Singh 388 851928 PARAS RANA 391 1542798 ADITYA SAURABH 398 1000810 Ankita Surana 399 1316499 Aditya Chandrabhan Jiwane 405 809470 Bharat Singh 409 6408511 PUSHKAR VERMA 413 853576 Varshitha Adepu 419 1206807 Hari Prasanth M R 420 2601218 RAVINDRA KUMAR GUPTA 422 841269 Gavit Gogna 423 7815605 ZEBA KHAN 424 1201718 THAMARAI PRIYA M 427 4912182 Akash Kumar Shukla 428 6316644 Sachin Yadav 431 1414831 Amit Ranjan 433 810422 SHIVENDRA PRATAP 437 858729 Ayush Srivastava 438 827998 RAVI KUMAR MEENA 440 868228 Abhishek Yadav 443 5914018 Gaurav 445 6626680 Shubham Yadav 451 4118833 RITESH SINGH 453 3801725 Shubham Nagargoje 454 818472 Rishabh 457 1522523 RASHMI RANI 461 843193 SHIVAM SIDDHARTH 462 6409488 Mohit Rawat 468 304207 Bindu Mani R N 472 6619268 Pooja Kumari 476 1313463 Pranav Vinod Thakare 481 1906413 Aswathy S 494 4110487 Rakesh Ranjan 504 328962 MALASHREE M V 507 6809925 Prakhar Pandey 522 865256 Ankit Mishra 524 854939 Aakash Sharma 532 825558 Urvashi Sengar 533 802436 Anand Kumar Singh 534 7000668 Chandni Chauhan 536 1104754 Pankaj Rathi 552 829908 SHUBHAM YADAV 557 203487 Vipin Kumar Dwivedi 581 822521 Manish Kumar 584 8204102 Kote Anil Kumar 587 3807755 Palwe Vikas Balasaheb 589 4002961 MOHAMED RISWIN I 592 6312365 Animesh Ranjan 600 4200379 Dipendra Adhikari 601 7303192 Pramod Aradhya 640 6705505 Kunal Uttam Shrote 661 6301955 Avnish Tripathi 665 6307947 Vishal Chaudhary 674 6310247 Udit Pushkar 676 1211341 KUDIARASU D 686 1016792 Eadula Vegini 695 3507896 RAVINDER KUMAR 699 415490 Shlok Waikar 726 5810504 Divyanshi Singh 727 803971 Shubham Bhaisare 730 7203017 KAUSHIK MANGERA 734 3520118 Amandeep Kaur 744 309301 Vaishakh Bagee 752 332830 Amruth HV 759 833767 Jaijeetsinha Jarichand Umap 761 3500134 VISHWAJEET CHAUDHARY P.S: If you have been following our FREE initiatives or a Regular Follower of IASbaba and we have not mentioned your name in the list, we are sorry. Kindly conatct us at support@iasbaba.com and we will be proud to share your Name and Rank too.
DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 25th September 2021
Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Scheme to promote medical device parks notified Part of: Prelims and GS II - Policies and interventions Context The Union government recently notified a scheme to promote medical device parks at a financial outlay of Rs. 400 crore till financial year 2024-2025. Key takeaways The scheme aims to ensure easy access to testing and infrastructure facilities. It is expected that this will bring down the cost of production of medical devices, thereby making them more affordable for domestic consumption. The financial assistance for a selected medical device park would be 90% of the project cost of common infrastructure facilities for the northeastern and hilly States. For the rest, it would be 70%. However, a maximum assistance under the scheme for one such park will be Rs. 100 crore. About Medical device The medical device industry is a unique blend of engineering and medicine. It involves the creation of machines that are used to support life within the human body. Medical devices include Surgical Equipment, Diagnostic equipment like Cardiac imaging, CT scans, X-ray, Molecular Imaging, MRI and Ultrasound-imaging including hand - held devices; Life Support equipment like ventilator, etc. as well as Implants and Disposables. Do you know? As per industry estimates, the Indian medical devices market will grow to USD 50 billion by 2025 100% FDI is permitted in Medical devices through the automatic route Medical Device Parks are planned across India, including Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone Limited (AMTZ), a park in Sultanpur village (Telangana) and HLL Lifecare Mediparks in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Anti-dumping duty Part of: Prelims and GS-III- Economy Context Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has recommended the imposition of anti-dumping duty on a pharma raw material — Ceftriaxone Sodium Sterile — from China to guard local players from cheap imports. Ceftriaxone Sodium Sterile is an API used in formulation for treating diseases such as lower respiratory tract infection, skin and surgical prophylaxis. The Finance Ministry will take the final decision on imposing the duty. About the DGTR authority DGTR functions as an attached office of the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. DGTR deals with Anti-dumping, Countervailing Duty (CVD) and Safeguard measures. It also provides trade defence support to our domestic industry and exporters in dealing with increasing instances of trade remedy investigations instituted against them by other countries. DGTR provides a level playing field to the domestic industry against the adverse impact of the unfair trade practices About Anti-dumping Duty An anti-dumping duty is a protectionist tariff that a domestic government imposes on foreign imports that it believes are dumped. The imposition of anti-dumping duty is permissible under the World Trade Organization regime. It is aimed at ensuring fair trading practices and creating a level-playing field for local producers vis-a-vis foreign producers and exporters. These tariffs can also lead to higher prices for domestic consumers. What is Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API)? Part of any drug that produces its effects. Intended to furnish pharmacological activity or other direct effect in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease. Ministry of defence and Airbus sign ₹22,000 crore deal Part of: Prelims and GS III - Defence and security Context The Ministry of Defence (MoD) recently signed an estimated Rs. 22,000-crore deal with Airbus Defence and Space S.A., Spain, for 56 C-295MW transport aircraft to replace the Indian Air Force’s ageing 56 Avro aircraft that were procured in the 1960s. This is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India under technology transfer by the private sector. About C-295 The C295, having 5-10 tonne capacity, is used for tactical transport of up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers, and for logistic operations not accessible to current heavier aircraft. It also has a proven capability of operating from short or unprepared airstrips. Arctic Sea Ice Decline Part of: Prelims and GS - III - Climate change Context Recently, the Arctic sea ice reached its minimum extent, coming in at 4.72 million square miles. It is the 12th lowest on record and the record minimum melting of the ice occurred in 2012. The ‘Last Ice Area’ (LIA), located in the Arctic’s Ice north of Greenland, has also started melting earlier than what the scientists had expected. Key takeaways Sea ice cover has dropped by roughly half since the 1980s as a direct result of increased carbon dioxide from human activities. At this stage of the melt season (summer), the sea ice pack is at its weakest and is highly responsive to the weather conditions of a given day or week. Subtle shifts can have big impacts. Factors Causing Rapid Melting of Ice Albedo Feedback Loop: Ice is more reflective (has a higher albedo) than land or water surfaces. Counterclockwise Ice Circulation: Cyclones entering the Arctic from Siberia generated counterclockwise winds and ice drifts which reduced the amount of sea ice moving out of the Arctic through the Fram Strait, east of Greenland. This likely contributed to the record low summer sea ice conditions observed in the Greenland Sea. Low Pressure System: The low pressure system also increases cloudiness over the Arctic which can also trap heat lost from the surface. Solar DC Cooking System Part of: Prelims and GS III - Solar Energy Context Recently, the solar DC cooking technology was developed by the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI). The CMERI is an institute under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). About the system It is a Solar Energy based Cooking System which consists of a solar PV panel, charge controller, battery bank and cooking oven. It provides a Clean Cooking Environment, Inverter-Less Direct Operation, Fast and Uniform Heating and a potential to save 1 ton Carbon Dioxide emissions per year/household. It has 20-25% better efficiency and is more Economical in comparison with Conventional Solar based Cooking Systems. Government Schemes Related to Solar Energy: Rooftop solar scheme Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) International Solar Alliance One Sun, One World, One Grid (OSOWOG) National Solar Mission (a part of National Action Plan on Climate Change) (News from PIB) Scheme for Promotion of Medical Device Parks Part of: GS-Prelims ad GS-II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health In News: In a bold move that would make India ‘Aatmanirbhar’, and recognizing the need for higher levels of investments for the creation of proper infrastructure in the sector, the Scheme for Promotion of Medical Device Parks has been notified with the following objectives: Easy access to standard testing and infrastructure facilities through creation of world class common infrastructure facilities for increased competitiveness will result into significant reduction of the cost of production of medical devices leading to better availability and affordability of medical devices in the domestic market. Reaping the benefits arising due to optimization of resources and economies of scale thereby creating a robust ecosystem for the medical device manufacturing in the country and also reducing the manufacturing cost significantly. News Source: PIB PLI Scheme for Automobile & Auto components Part of: GS-Prelims ad GS-III: Indian Economy In News: The Government has issued notification regarding Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Automobile & Auto components. The scheme has two components viz Champion OEM Incentive Scheme and Component Champion Incentive Scheme, and will be implemented over a period of five years starting from FY 2022-2023. Envisages to overcome the cost disabilities of the industry for manufacture of Advanced Automotive Technology products in India. The incentive structure will encourage industry to make fresh investments for indigenous global supply chain of Advanced Automotive Technology products. It is estimated that over a period of five years, the PLI Scheme for Automobile and Auto Components Industry will lead to fresh investments of over Rs 42,500 crores, incremental production of over Rs 2.3 lakh crore and will create additional employment opportunities of over 7.5 lakh jobs. Increase India’s share in global automotive trade. Must read: Link 1 + Link 2 News Source: PIB Quad Leaders’ Summit Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests In News: At the Quad summit, leaders are expected to – Take stock of the progress made by the group since their virtual meeting in March and plan on extending their reach in the Indo-Pacific region, which has become important in US geopolitical strategy to face a confrontational China. The recent signing of the AUKUS pact between the U.S., U.K., and Australia makes it clear that new alliances are being worked in the region. The United States still remains a potent force even after the pullout from Afghanistan. The in-person Quad summit shows that U.S. involvement in the Indo-Pacific region seems to be growing in many ways. Likely to announce ways to work together to secure the semiconductor supply chain There are also signs that a new security architecture is in the works in the region. This includes players like the U.K., which recently sent a carrier group to the region. The French have also been very active in the region. The four countries are also likely to try to work on an alternative to the China-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This includes merging initiatives like the Japan’s “Partnership for Quality Infrastructure” and the Biden administration’s “Build Back Better World” Initiative. They are also looking at tying up on the tech front, especially in the field of telecommunications, as Chinese firms like Huawei are seen as security risks. Ahead of the first in-person Quad meeting, PM Modi and his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Suga have reaffirmed their commitment towards a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, as they reviewed the multi-faceted bilateral relationship and exchanged views on recent global developments, including in Afghanistan. Quad is a strategic dialogue between the United States, Japan, Australia and India. The dialogue was initiated in 2007 by Japan. All these four countries have common interests in the Indo-Pacific region. It is seen as an emerging bloc of countries positioning itself as a check against China’s growing aggression in the Indo-Pacific and outside. News Source: PIB Induction of C-295MW in Indian Air Force (IAF) Part of: GS-Prelims In News: Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with M/s Airbus Defence and Space, Spain for acquisition of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force. A significant step towards modernisation of the transport fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) – It is a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology that will replace the ageing Avro transport aircraft of IAF. Capable of operating from semi-prepared strips and has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and para dropping of troops & cargo. The aircraft will give a major boost to tactical airlift capability of IAF, especially in the Northern and North-Eastern sector and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Will give a boost to aerospace ecosystem in India wherein several MSMEs spread over the country will be involved in manufacturing of parts of the aircraft. Offers a unique opportunity for the Indian private sector to enter into technology intensive and highly competitive aviation industry. The program will also involve development of specialised infrastructure in the form of hangars, buildings, aprons and taxiway. News Source: PIB Electronic polymer based low-cost sensor developed to detect explosives rapidly Part of: GS-Prelims In News: Indian scientists, for the first time, have developed a thermally stable and cost-effective electronic polymer-based sensor for rapidly detecting nitro-aromatic chemicals used in high-energy explosives. Why is it essential: The detection of explosives without destroying them is essential for protection, and criminal investigations, minefield remediation, military applications, ammunition remediation sites, security applications, and chemical sensors play a vital role in such cases. News Source: PIB Nataji Subhash Chandra Bose’s contribution and legacy Part of: GS-Prelims GS-I – Personalities in Indian national movements In News: Inauguration of the Digital Exhibition on Life and Contribution of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Twice elected President of the Indian National Congress, (1938-Haripur and 1939-Tripuri). Owing to political differences, he resigned from the Congress Presidentship in 1939 and organised the All India Forward Bloc a faction within the Congress in Bengal. In Calcutta, Bose organised mass protests and was arrested. He was later put under house arrest from where he escaped. Azad Hind Fauj Leader of Azad Hind Government Head of State of this Provisional Indian Government-in-exile Bose was convinced that armed struggle was the only way to achieve independence for India. He had been a leader of the radical wing of the Indian National Congress in the late 1920s and 1930s, rising to become Congress president in 1938 and 1939 but was ousted following differences with Mahatma Gandhi and the Congress leadership. Subhas Chandra Bose had escaped from India in 1941 and gone to Germany to work for India’s Independence. In 1943, he came to Singapore to lead the Indian Independence league and rebuild the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) to make it an effective instrument for the freedom of India. Netaji went to the Andaman which had been occupied by the Japanese and hoisted there the flag of India. In early 1944, three units of the Azad Hind Fauj (INA) took part in the attack on the north-eastern parts of India to oust the British from India. The Azad Hind Fauj, with the slogan of ‘Delhi Chalo’ and the salutation Jai Hind was a source of inspiration to Indians, inside and outside the country. Netaji rallied together the Indians of all religions and regions, living in south-east Asia, for the cause of India’s freedom. A women’s regiment of Azad Hind Fauj was formed, which was under the command of Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan. It was called the Rani Jhansi regiment. The Azad Hind Fauj became the symbol of unity and heroism to the people of India. Bose’s death was seen as the end to the Azad Hind movement. Note: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep: Ross Island of Andaman & Nicobar Island Birthday of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to be celebrated as Parakram Diwas News Source: PIB (Mains Focus) GOVERNANCE/ HEALTH GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Disease Surveillance System Context: John Snow is often referred to as the father of modern epidemiology and William Farr as founder of the modern concept of disease surveillance system. Both had worked extensively to control Cholera outbreak in London during 1850s. Epidemiology is the branch of medicine which deals with the incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases and other factors relating to health. Surveillance in India A major cholera outbreak in Delhi in 1988 and the Surat plague outbreak of 1994, pushed the Government of India to launch the National Surveillance Programme for Communicable Diseases in 1997. In 2004, India launched the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP). The focus under the IDSP was to increase government funding for disease surveillance, strengthen laboratory capacity, train the health workforce and have at least one trained epidemiologist in every district of India. Issues The disease surveillance system and health data recording and reporting systems are key tools in epidemiology; however, these have performed variably in Indian States As per data from the fourth round of sero-survey, Kerala could identify one in every six infections. While in States such as MP, UP & Bihar, only one in every 100 COVID-19 infections could be detected, pointing towards a weak disease surveillance system Due to weak surveillance system, viral illnesses, most likely dengue, are causing hospitalisation but not being correctly identified. 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has failed to fulfil the promises of strengthening disease surveillance and health systems. Way Ahead First, the government resources allocated to disease surveillance need to be increased by the Union and State governments. Second, the workforce in the primary health-care system in both rural and urban areas needs to be retrained in disease surveillance and public health actions The vacancies of surveillance staff at all levels need to be urgently filled in Third, the laboratory capacity for COVID-19, developed in the last 18 months, needs to be planned and repurposed to increase the ability to conduct testing for other public health challenges and infections. Fourth, the emerging outbreaks of zoonotic diseases are a reminder of the interconnectedness of human and animal health. The ‘One Health’ approach has to be promoted and made functional on the ground Fifth, there has to be a dedicated focus on strengthening the civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems and medical certification of cause of deaths (MCCD) because these are complementary to disease surveillance systems. Sixth, it is also time to ensure coordinated actions between the State government and municipal corporation to develop joint action plans and assume responsibility for public health and disease surveillance. Conclusion We cannot prevent every single outbreak but with a well-functioning disease surveillance system and with application of principles of epidemiology, we can reduce their impact. Connecting the dots: Biological Threats & Diseases Surveillance System Nuclear Proliferation & Surveillance System POLITY/ SECURITY GS-2: Federalism and Challenges GS-3: Internal Security Peace Process for Naga Accord Stuck Context: R N Ravi (who was earlier also the Governor of Nagaland) has resigned as interlocutor for the Naga peace talks. Naga sources have said the NSCN(IM) views Ravi’s removal as Governor of Nagaland and interlocutor as a victory. What is the Naga peace process? It refers to ongoing talks between the Indian government and Naga insurgent groups, in particular the NSCN(IM), since 1997 with the aim to sign a Naga Peace Accord. The Naga insurgency, rooted in Naga nationalism, is one of the oldest insurgencies in the country. The Naga-inhabited areas of the Northeast never considered themselves part of British India, and on August 14, 1947, the Naga National Council (NNC) led by Angami Zapu Phizo declared independence for Nagaland. Phizo formed an underground Naga Federal Government (NFG) and a Naga Federal Army (NFA) in 1952, in response to which the Centre sent in the Army and enacted the Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act, or AFSPA. After years of talks, the Shillong Accord was signed in 1976 with underground groups of Nagaland, but it was rejected by many top NNC leaders on the ground that it did not address the issue of Naga sovereignty. Five years later, Isak Chishi Swu, Thuingaleng Muivah, and S S Khaplang split from the NNC and formed the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) to continue the armed struggle In 1988, the NSCN split again into NSCN(IM) led by Isak and Muivah and NSCN(K) led by Khaplang. In 1997, the NSCN(IM) entered into a ceasefire with the Indian government, which gave rise to hope for a final settlement. What has happened since? There have been nearly 100 rounds of talks. In August 2015, the NSCN(IM) group signed a framework agreement with the Indian government for the Naga Peace Accord. Ravi was appointed interlocutor to take the talks to their conclusion. But while both the government and Naga groups said the talks successfully concluded on the government’s deadline of October 31, 2019, no accord was signed. Relations between Ravi and the NSCN(IM) unravelled after the talks concluded. In January 2020, the government had IB special director Akshay Mishra step in and continue the engagement. How did things go wrong? Things started to go bad after Ravi realised that the NSCN(IM) and the Indian government differed in their understanding of the framework agreement. The group was insistent on a Naga constitution, and was pushing for a Greater Nagalim stretching beyond the boundaries of the present Nagaland state. In November 2017, Ravi signed an agreement with seven groups who had come together under the banner of the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs), which did not include the NSCN (IM). The NSCN (IM), which considers itself the principal representative of Naga aspirations, has been a rival of many of the NNPG groups. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2020, the IM accused Ravi of attempting to “segregate the Naga civil society”. After becoming Nagaland Governor in 2019, Ravi expressed uneasiness at the delay in concluding the deal. He accused NSCN (IM) for delaying the settlement by raising the contentious symbolic issues of separate Naga national flag and constitution. Ravi wrote a scathing letter to Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, calling the NSCN(IM) an “armed gang”, and accused it of running a “parallel government” and engaging in extortion. Ravi’s open criticism made the NSCN(IM) publicly harden its position. It demanded that the Naga flag and Naga constitution were non-negotiable. NSCN(IM) claimed the framework agreement included the idea of unification of all Naga inhabited areas in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur. It accused Ravi of twisting the document by deleting key words that suggested Nagaland would co-exist with India as a sovereign. The counter by Ravi that “any misadventure to disintegrate the nation shall not be tolerated” angered NSCN(IM) and called for his ouster as Governor & interlocutor. Amid all this, what are the real issues? The Naga issue is very complex, and the NSCN(IM) is in a delicate position. It is led by a Tangkhul from Manipur, for whom it is difficult to abandon the demand for a Greater Nagalim. But India cannot accept that demand, and a middle path has to be found, which may take some time, On the other hand, Naga flag and Naga constitution which is one of the core demands of NSCN(IM) cannot be accepted by Indian Government given the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. The enthusiasm with which the framework agreement in 2015 was announced led to unreasonable expectations of a final Accord. What is the way forward? The government has roped in former IB officer Akshaya Kumar Mishra as the new pointsperson for talks. Mishra, who sources say could be formally appointed the new interlocutor, is known to be a quiet worker, and has been talking to Naga groups since January 2020. It is important to understand that there cannot be an accord without the NSCN(IM) because it continues to get young recruits and wields considerable influence in the region. The idea is to slowly bring NSCN(IM) to accept what India can give. Some demands that need ironing out include Bicameral Assembly with at least 40 nominated members representing different tribes; Absorption of cadres as local armed forces or in the Indian paramilitary; Setting up of autonomous councils in Naga-dominated areas of neighbouring states; Use of the Naga flag for at least customary events. Connecting the dots: Article 371 Schedule V & Schedule VI- Concept of Asymmetrical Federalism (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Q.1 Where is the Headquarters of International Solar Alliance located? Gurugram Moscow Paris Beijing Q.2 Antidumping duties applied to imported goods? are abolished by the World Trade Organization result in decreases in consumer surplus for domestic households are imposed by industrial countries but not developing countries result in lower-priced goods for domestic consumers Q.3 Consider the following Statements About medical device industry: 100% FDI is permitted in Medical devices through the automatic route Medical Device Parks are planned across India, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Select the correct answer from the codes given below: 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 24th Sept 2021 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 B 2 B 3 A Must Read On AUKUS: The Hindu On building inclusive schools for LGBTQ+ children: Indian Express
UPSC HINDI Quiz– 2021: IASbaba की दैनिक करेंट अफेयर्स क्विज़ 25th सितंबर 2021
For Previous Daily Quiz (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE करेंट अफेयर्स के प्रश्न 'द हिंदू', 'इंडियन एक्सप्रेस' और 'पीआईबी' जैसे स्रोतों पर आधारित होते हैं, जो यूपीएससी प्रारंभिक परीक्षा के लिए बहुत महत्वपूर्ण स्रोत हैं। प्रश्न अवधारणाओं और तथ्यों दोनों पर केंद्रित हैं। दोहराव से बचने के लिए यहां कवर किए गए विषय आम तौर पर 'दैनिक करंट अफेयर्स / डेली न्यूज एनालिसिस (डीएनए) और डेली स्टेटिक क्विज' के तहत कवर किए जा रहे विषयों से भिन्न होते हैं। प्रश्न सोमवार से शनिवार तक दोपहर 2 बजे से पहले प्रकाशित किए जाएंगे। इस कार्य में आपको 10 मिनट से ज्यादा नहीं देना है। इस कार्य के लिए तैयार हो जाएं और इस पहल का इष्टतम तरीके से उपयोग करें। याद रखें कि, "साधारण अभ्यर्थी और चयनित होने वाले अभ्यर्थी के बीच का अंतर केवल दैनक अभ्यास है !!" Important Note: Comment अनुभाग में अपने अंक पोस्ट करना न भूलें। साथ ही, हमें बताएं कि क्या आपको आज का टेस्ट अच्छा लगा । 5 प्रश्नों को पूरा करने के बाद, अपना स्कोर, समय और उत्तर देखने के लिए ‘View Questions’ पर क्लिक करें। उत्तर देखने के लिए, इन निर्देशों का पालन करें: 1 - 'स्टार्ट टेस्ट/ Start Test' बटन पर क्लिक करें प्रश्न हल करें 'टेस्ट सारांश/Test Summary'बटन पर क्लिक करें 'फिनिश टेस्ट/Finish Test'बटन पर क्लिक करें अब ‘View Questions’बटन पर क्लिक करें - यहां आपको उत्तर और लिंक दिखाई देंगे। To take the Test - Click Here