Sep 26, 2020 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance: Book Review – The 5 AM club – Robin Sharma

The 5 AM Club: Robin Sharma Robin Sharma has established himself as a foremost authority on leadership, performance and success. His books have sold millions of copies worldwide. The 5 AM club is his latest book that talks about the importance of waking up early. He gives examples from the world of business, entertainment, and more to bring home a simple yet very important point of why it is important to wake up early in the morning. The solution to success and happiness he suggests seems to be too simpliscitc and unrealistic. More than a few would doubt his approach, yet, it is not that hard to see the importance of waking up early. Waking up early gives one enough time to go about their day's activities in a planned and organized manner. It helps one to build up the necessary focus and conviction needed to deal with the daily challenges of life. Give it a try and see for yourself if this book can change your life.

Sep 26, 2020 Catharsis -Unlock Your Talent and Creativity

Catharsis -Unlock Your Talent & Creativity: POEM by Ms. SABREENA SINGH, Asst. Director, State Finance Services, CG govt and a UPSC aspirant & ARTWORK by Jyothi Aggarwal!

Hello Friends, You must be aware of the term ‘catharsis’. It is the process of releasing and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions. Recently we have launched a new initiative by the name Catharsis -Unlock Your Talent & Creativity! Today's work is POEM by Ms.SABREENA SINGH, Asst. Director, State Finance services, CG govt and a UPSC aspirant & ARTWORK by JYOTHI AGGARWAL! Well done, Keep it up !! POEM by Ms.SABREENA SINGH, Asst. Director, State Finance Services, CG govt  ARTWORK by JYOTHI AGGARWAL Be creative and find your catharsis in whichever form of creativity you are comfortable with.  It could be anything- a song, a painting, a poem, a story, a dance performance, rangolis, jokes/humor, culinary skills, mimicry and whatnot. There is no limit to creativity. Just unleash and share it with everyone! Why don’t you share your moments of catharsis with us? UPSC is not only about academics but personality as well. And your personality is shaped by the creativity that you possess.   We encourage you to keep the comment section alive by sharing your talents and also by commenting and encouraging the talent of your peers. We are also going to be a regular visitor here and will keep on posting the creative works by our talented team members and staff. NOTE- You can also nominate by tagging anyone (if you know about the talent of your friend or anyone) ? You can share your talent/creativity with us on support@iasbaba.com P.S: Kindly share it in a format that can be published

Sep 26, 2020 IASbaba's Courses

[SESSION 27] - IASbaba's RAPID REVISION SERIES (RRS) of 500 HIGH PROBABLE TOPICS for UPSC PRELIMS 2020 – A FREE YouTube Initiative!

For Previous RRS (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE Dear Friends, The Last Lap is Here!! Revision and More Revision is the Key to Success!! We believe that you all are following FREE YouTube Initiative – “IASbaba's Rapid Revision Series (RRS) of 500 HIGH PROBABLE TOPICS for UPSC PRELIMS 2020”!! You should strive for at least 2-3 cycles of revision before the exam with special focus on topics which have high probability to appear in UPSC Prelims Question Paper. Each session is of 25-30 mins and would cover rapid revision of 15-20 high probable topics important for Prelims Exam this year. And trust us! This will make a huge difference in your revision process – in recalling little facts of information, going through important topics and concepts, and retaining the vital content and your final result. [VIDEO] Session 27 (Topics 441-460) - IASbaba's RAPID REVISION SERIES (RRS) of 500 HIGH PROBABLE TOPICS for UPSC PRELIMS 2020 To Download PPT PDF - IASbaba's RRS Session 27     Also, you can take up the Free Full Mocks (GS & CSAT in ENGLISH & (हिंदी)) available on the site. These mocks will give you the examination feel and will help you in coming up with a good strategy for UPSC Prelims. The question paper was made on similar lines of UPSC. The questions were designed with different difficulty levels – easy, moderate, difficult, and very difficult. This was done so that you can understand how to pick the questions for the attempt and how to leave the very difficult ones. You can read the Feedback of Students and Analysis of the Mock Tests here. Please Note that, more Mocks (GS & CSAT) will be announced soon 🙂 It will be available BOTH in English and हिंदी. Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative!! Kindly leave your feedback in the comment section below on this new initiative or on our YouTube. We would love to hear from you 🙂 All the Best :)    You can also go through the below important links, especially for aspirants appearing for UPSC Prelims 2020- PRELIMS SIMPLIFIED SERIES (Part 1,2,3): How to crack UPSC PRELIMS- IMPORTANT TIPS & TRICKS (using Common Sense – KCT Approach) by Mohan Sir  -> CLICK HERE MUST WATCH – STRATEGY [VIDEO]: PRELIMS  Tips (Do’s & Don’ts) from Mohan Sir -> CLICK HERE    

Sep 25, 2020 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 25th SEPTEMBER 2020

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Standards for Safety Evaluation 0f Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Energy Resources In news The Standards for Safety Evaluation of Hydrogen Fuel Cells vehicles were recently notified. Ministry: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Key takeaways The motor vehicles of Category M and Category N, running on compressed gaseous hydrogen fuel cell, shall be in accordance with AIS 157:2020, as amended from time to time, till the corresponding Bureau of Indian Standard Act, 2016, specification is notified. Also, the hydrogen fuel specification for fuel cell vehicles will be in accordance with ISO 14687. They were notified through an amendment to Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989. These standards are also at par with the available international standards. This would facilitate the promotion of Hydrogen Fuel Cell based vehicles in India. Hydrogen Fuel Cell based vehicles are energy efficient and environment friendly. World Rhino Day Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Environment; Biodiversity; Conservation In news World Rhino Day was celebrated on September 22. Objective: Generating awareness about the threats faced by Rhinoceroses all over the world. Important value additions World Rhino Day was first announced by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) - South Africa in 2010.  It celebrates all five species of rhino - Black, white, greater one-horned, Sumatran and Javan rhinos. It also generates awareness of issues regarding their well-being. Threats: Poaching, urbanization and pollution. It is the only large mammal species in Asia to be down-listed from endangered to vulnerable in the IUCN Red list in 2008. Do you know? Indian Environment Ministry has launched the National Rhino Conservation Strategy in 2019 to conserve the greater one-horned rhinoceros. This is a first of its kind for the species in India which aims to work for the conservation of the species.  Objectives: (1) Strengthening protection; (2) Expanding the distribution range; (3) Research and monitoring; (4) Adequate and sustained funding. India is home to the largest number of Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros in the world Its population is in the range of 3000 animals in Assam, West Bengal and UP. MPs Suspended for unruly behaviour  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Parliament In news Eight Rajya Sabha MPs were recently suspended for unruly behaviour in the House.  Important value additions Rule Number 373 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business: It deals with the Power of the Speaker who, under his discretion, may direct MP to withdraw immediately from the House for the remainder of the day’s sitting. Rule 374: The Speaker may name a Member who disregards the authority of the Chair or abuses the rules of the House by persistently and wilfully obstructing the business thereof. Rule 374A: It is invoked by Speaker for automatic suspension of member of the House – for five consecutive sittings or the remainder of the session, whichever is less in the event of grave disorder occasioned by a Member  Unlike the Speaker, the Rajya Sabha Chairman does not have the power to suspend a Member. Special Report on Sustainable Recovery released Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Economy In news Special Report on Sustainable Recovery’ was recently released. Presented by: International Energy Agency (IEA) and NITI Aayog Key takeaways It is a part of IEA’s flagship World Energy Outlook series. It proposes a number of actions that could be taken over the next three years to revitalize economies and boost employment while making energy systems cleaner and more resilient. According to report, Post the 2008–09 financial crisis, green measures accounted for around 16% of the total stimulus measures.  To recover from the pandemic, it is important to be more ambitious and decisive towards clean investments. Key sectors for creating jobs: Electricity, transportation, buildings, industry and sustainable biofuels and innovations. Do you know? The International Energy Agency is an intergovernmental organisation established in the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1974 in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis.  It is Headquartered in Paris, France. Queen Elizabeth II to be dropped as monarch by Barbados Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations In news Queen Elizabeth II, who is the head of state in the UK and 15 other Commonwealth realms will be dropped as monarch by Barbados in 2021. Key takeaways Barbados aims to complete the process of becoming a republic before its 55th anniversary of independence from Britain, in November 2021. With this, it will become the first country in almost three decades to sever ties with the British royal family and become a republic. Do you know? Barbados, a former British colony, gained its independence in 1966.  Although it is an independent state, Queen Elizabeth remains its constitutional head. It shall remain a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Commonwealth of Nations is the 54-nation club of mostly former British colonies which is led by the Queen, and includes India. World Risk Index 2020 released Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Climate Change In news According to the World Risk Index (WRI) 2020, India is ‘poorly prepared’ to deal with ‘climate reality’, due to which it is vulnerable to extreme natural disasters. Among continents, Oceania is at the highest risk, followed by Africa and the Americas. Important value additions World Risk Index It is part of the World Risk Report 2020 released by the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), Bundnis Entwicklung Hilft and the University of Stuttgart in Germany. It is calculated on a country-by-country basis, through the multiplication of exposure and vulnerability. It describes the disaster risk for various countries and regions. It is released annually since 2011. It indicates which countries are in the greatest need to strengthen measures for coping with and adapting to extreme natural events. New Brucellosis Vaccine by ICAR Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Health; Policies & GS-III – Achievements of Indians in Science and technology In news Brucella abortus S19Δ per vaccine is developed recently by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s -Indian Veterinary Research Institute (ICAR-IVRI) for brucellosis prevention in the dairy sector. Important value additions Brucellosis It is a bacterial zoonotic disease caused by various Brucella species. It mainly infect cattle, swine, goats, sheep and dogs. It is also known as Malta fever or Mediterranean fever. It is endemic in India causing huge economic losses to dairy industry due to: (1) Infertility; (2) Abortion; (3) Birth of weak off springs; (4) Reduced productivity Hundreds of long-finned pilot whales die Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Conservation In news Over 450 long-finned pilot whales have died in Australia's largest recorded mass-stranding event.  The whales were beached at a remote beach in Tasmania’s west coast. Important value additions Beaching  It refers to the phenomenon of dolphins and whales stranding themselves on beaches. There are around 2,000 strandings each year worldwide, with most resulting in the death of the animal. Whales strand themselves on beaches either singularly or in groups.  While individual strandings are mostly attributed to injury or sickness, it is not clear why exactly whales beach themselves in groups. Long-finned pilot whales Scientific Name: Globicephala melas These are one of two species of pilot whale, along with short-finned pilot whales. These prefer deep temperate to subpolar oceanic waters. They have been known to occur in coastal waters in some areas. They have been documented near the Antarctic sea ice and associated with the colder Benguela and Humboldt Currents, which may extend their normal range. Protection Status: (1) CITES: Appendix II; (2) IUCN: Least Concern CAG Survey Report on School Toilets Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Education In news Recently, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has flagged irregularities in the construction of toilets in schools by Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) in an audit report tabled before Parliament. Key takeaways The CAG audit conducted a physical survey of a sample of 2,695 toilets built by CPSEs in 15 States. Out of the 1,967 schools surveyed, 99 schools had no functional toilets while 436 had only one functional toilet. Thus, the objective of providing separate toilets for boys and girls was not fulfilled in 27% of the schools. Norm for daily cleaning (at least once a day) not followed: 75% of toilets  No running water facilities inside: 72% of constructed toilets  No hand washing facilities: 55% of the toilets Almost 40% of toilets were non-existent, partially completed or unused. Do you know? There are 10.8 lakh government schools in the country. Overall, more than 1.4 lakh toilets have been built by 53 CPSEs, with significant support coming from power, coal and oil companies as part of the Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyan. Important value additions Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyan: Launched by: Ministry of Education in September 2014. Aim: To have separate toilets for boys and girls in all schools all over India. The programme norms required the CPSEs to build toilets with running water and hand washing facilities. Science & Technology Indicators, 2019-20 Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – IPR; Science & Technology In news According to the latest Science & Technology Indicators (STI) report for 2019-20, India performs very dismally in the field science & technology innovation. Released by: Department of Science and Technology (DST). In these 13 years, just 24% of patent claims came from Indians. Reasons for Dismal Performance Poor investment in research and development (R&D)  The poor state of higher education. Lack of employable personnel, who lack skills and the aptitude in a variety of fields. Lack of conducive environment for start-ups. Non-utilisation of Cesses & Levies Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Taxes In news Recently, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) told Parliament that the Centre has only transferred 60% of the proceeds from cess/levies in Fiscal Year 2018-19 to the relevant Reserve Funds and retained the balance in the Consolidated Fund of India (CFI). Do you know? Cesses and levies collected are required to be first transferred to designated Reserve Funds and utilised for the specific purposes intended by Parliament. Funds collected through Central taxes along with cesses and other levies go to the CFI. Taxes and surcharges in CFI are parked in a divisible pool and 42% of the total is given to States as devolution. Important value additions Consolidated Fund of India It was constituted under Article 266 (1) of the Constitution of India. Composition: All revenues received by the Centre by way of taxes (Income Tax, Central Excise, Customs and other receipts) and all non-tax revenues. All loans raised by the Centre by issue of Public notifications, treasury bills (internal debt) and from foreign governments and international institutions (external debt). All government expenditures are incurred from this fund except exceptional items which are met from the Contingency Fund or the Public Account. No amount can be withdrawn from the Fund without authorization from the Parliament. The CAG audits the fund and reports to the relevant legislatures on the management. Cess Cess is a form of tax levied over and above the base tax liability of a taxpayer. Surcharge A surcharge is an extra fee, charge, or tax that is added on to the cost of a good or service, beyond the initially quoted price. Miscellaneous Women Officers as Observers In a first, two women officers have been selected to join as ‘Observers’ (Airborne Tacticians) in the Indian Navy’s helicopter stream. Sub Lieutenant (SLt) Kumudini Tyagi and SLt Riti Singh would be the first set of women airborne tacticians in India who would operate from the deck of warships. Earlier, entry of women was restricted to the fixed wing aircraft that took off and landed ashore. Yamin Hazarika Award Historian-author Rana Safvi has been conferred Yamin Hazarika award. It is an award instituted in memory of Yamin Hazarika. She was the first woman from the Northeast to join the central police service. Rana Safvi, who has published several books on culture, history, and monuments of India, was chosen for her "contribution to the syncretic culture of India". The award is given every year by a collective of women professionals since 2015. G4 Foreign Ministers Meeting Recently, Foreign Ministers from the Group of 4 (G4), consisting of India, Brazil, Japan and Germany, participated in a virtual meeting. G4 is a group of countries that are seeking permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). (MAINS FOCUS) GOVERNANCE/ SOCIETY / ECONOMY Topic: General Studies 2: Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections (STs) Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation Tribal welfare: GI tag can help ST entrepreneurs thrive Context: In the era of Inclusive development the empowerment of scheduled tribes (ST), which are largely economically and socially backward, has assumed special significance. A sustainable way to empower Schedule Tribes is help them become self-employed entrepreneurs. Self-employment is already high amongst STs According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2018-19 report, a large proportion of scheduled tribe workers (57%) are self- employed, basically in the agriculture & allied activities and handicrafts. Around 30% are casual and agricultural labour and only around 13% are engaged in salaried employment. Hence, it is essential to explore skilling avenues which would help them earn more in the same occupation. Would the GI tag help the tribes to become entrepreneurs? A geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin GI holds the potential for increasing the value and market price of a wide variety of potential GI forest products for local ST communities. Many communities have benefited enormously economically from the GI recognition granted to their traditional products. For instance, post the GI tag, the price of Kadaknath Chicken, a native breed of the Dhar and Jhabua districts in Madhya Pradesh and primarily nurtured by the Bhil tribals, has gone up significantly.  The GI tagged aromatic Araku Valley Coffee, originally produced by the tribal population of Andhra Pradesh, is now being exported as a premium lifestyle and health product Will getting the GI tag be enough to economically upstage the tribal population? There are various challenges associated post giving GI Tag to traditional products of STs, some of which are: Challenges of Middlemen: The benefit of the GI registered tribal product, in many cases, accrues not to the artist but to traders or middlemen. Issue of duplicate and fake products: Traditional hand-woven designs are often duplicated and sold at a lower price through mass production, which deprives the tribes of their legitimate income A case in point is the GI registered unique hand-woven embroidery and textile designs made by the Toda tribe of the Nilgiris. Challenges of Marketing and brand promotion: The GI tag enhances the value—in terms of sales and profits—of only those products which are known, are already profitable Way Ahead Proactive State Governments: States should try to identify traditional products, which incorporate the knowledge and skills of the scheduled tribes, and strive to get GI tag for such products Effective Implementation of GI Provisions: Any infringement of GI provisions, such as cases of proliferation of duplicate and fake products, should be dealt severely. Inclusive GI Tag recognition: There is a need to upgrade the GI Act, 1999, and make it more inclusive and responsive to ground realities so that more products are GI registered. Civil Society Support: It is also critical that NGOs and corporates support the branding and marketing of GI products. In fact, the credit for establishing Araku Valley coffee as an international brand owes essentially to the marketing efforts of an NGO and select corporates. Enterprise-facilitating platform such as a chamber of commerce, governmental help desk or a voluntary organisation dedicated to GI must be constituted. This would help connect the buyer with the original seller/tribal, thereby helping in reducing the exploitative gap between owner and seller within the GI ecosystem Legal Support: The inclusion of legal support services within the chamber of commerce and voluntary organisations also helps protect the rights of tribes. Conclusion At a time when the government is working on the ‘One District, One Product’ plan and considers the use of GI tag for better results, the experience of scheduled tribes could hel ENVIRONMENT/ GOVERNANCE / ECONOMY Topic: General Studies 2,3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation. Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development Environmentalism: A Green Supply Chain Context: The United Nations Millennium Development Goals and the World Bank Group’s global practices have recognised environment sustainability as an essential issue of global importance. Environmental sustainability is understood as  Buying greener products Avoiding hazardous materials Energy optimisation Waste reduction.  Present Challenges of achieving Environment Sustainability Fear of losing Profits: Some firms are still reluctant to engage in environmentally beneficial activities as they are afraid to compromise on the economic benefits Adoption by Force:  Some firms have positioned environmental practices at the forefront due to legislation and government commitments but not on voluntary basis. Short term green practices: Manufacturing sector, get so serious about the low-hanging fruits of waste reduction and energy efficiency improvements that they fail to recognise the need for restructuring their learning imperatives and see the big picture of environmentalism Way Ahead - Green supply chain These include green procurement, green manufacturing, green distribution, and reverse logistics.  With practices starting from acquisition of eco-friendly raw material to disposal/ reuse/ recycle of used products,employees, suppliers, distributors, retailers and customers will be able to integrate environmental concerns in the daily operations of a firm This ensures that environmental sustainability is from the source (willingness) and not through force (regulations). Benefits of Green Supply chain Enables Restructuring of Firms & ecosystem: Green supply chain practices enable organisational learning in environmental sustainability. This further promotes environmentalism across all players in manufacturing supply chains.  Helps firms Better Strategize to future needs: The resultant learning system smoothens the knowledge flow in the organisation and help firms to strategise for better performance, bearing in mind the environmental aspects. Leads to Higher Economic performance in long run: Research shows that green Supply Chain not only lead to a long-lasting natural drive towards environmental performance, but also to higher economic performance  Society will be prioritised over Profits: Understanding environmental links will enable managers and experts to shape their organisational values, work practices, and performances for the greater good of society. Conclusion Policymakers should support this thinking (Green Supply Chain) by not merely imposing environmental practices as regulatory norms but by emphasising on the creation of green supply chain-based learning systems in manufacturing. (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.  Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1 India is home to the largest number of which of the following Rhinos? Black Rhino Sumatran rhino Greater One-Horned Which of the above is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 3 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.2 Special Report on Sustainable Recovery was recently released. Consider the following statements: It was presented by Ministry of Finance. It is a part of World Energy Outlook series. Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3 Consider the following statements regarding International Energy Agency: It was established in the framework of the International Monetary Framework in 1974. Its headquarter is in Washington. Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4 World Risk Index was recently released. Consider the following statements: According to the report, India is well prepared to deal with climate reality. It is part of the World Risk Report 2020 released by the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS). Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 24th September 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 D 3 B Must Read About FCRA Amendments: The Hindu About farm bills and whether it will benefit farmers: The Hindu About MSP and how it is fixed: The Indian Express

Sep 25, 2020 Catharsis -Unlock Your Talent and Creativity

Catharsis -Unlock Your Talent & Creativity: SKETCHING by DHRUV VERMA & POEM by SHRIYA MAHESHWARI !

Hello Friends, You must be aware of the term ‘catharsis’. It is the process of releasing and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions. Recently we have launched a new initiative by the name Catharsis -Unlock Your Talent & Creativity! Today's work is SKETCHING by DHRUV VERMA & POEM by SHRIYA MAHESHWARI ! Well done, Keep it up !! Indisputable Monalisa the creation of Great leonardo de vinci  SKETCHED by DHRUV VERMA POEM by SHRIYA MAHESHWARI ! Be creative and find your catharsis in whichever form of creativity you are comfortable with.  It could be anything- a song, a painting, a poem, a story, a dance performance, rangolis, jokes/humor, culinary skills, mimicry and whatnot. There is no limit to creativity. Just unleash and share it with everyone! Why don’t you share your moments of catharsis with us? UPSC is not only about academics but personality as well. And your personality is shaped by the creativity that you possess.   We encourage you to keep the comment section alive by sharing your talents and also by commenting and encouraging the talent of your peers. We are also going to be a regular visitor here and will keep on posting the creative works by our talented team members and staff. NOTE- You can also nominate by tagging anyone (if you know about the talent of your friend or anyone) ? You can share your talent/creativity with us on support@iasbaba.com P.S: Kindly share it in a format that can be published

Sep 25, 2020 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 93]

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. This is a part of our recently launched, NEW INITIATIVE IASbaba’s INTEGRATED REVISION PLAN (IRP) 2020 – Road Map for the next 100 Days! FREE INITIATIVE!We will make sure, in the next 4 months not a single day is wasted. All your energies are channelized in the right direction. Trust us! This will make a huge difference in your results this time, provided that you follow this plan sincerely every day without fail.Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative. Do remember that, “the difference between Ordinary and EXTRA-Ordinary is PRACTICE!!” To Know More about the Initiative -> CLICK HERE 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

Sep 24, 2020 TLP Connect/TLP+

TLP CONNECT 2021 (Prelims + Mains+ Interview) INTEGRATED Mentorship Based Programme and TLP PLUS(+) 2021 MAINS Mentorship Based Programme (OFFLINE and ONLINE)- ADMISSIONS OPEN!

UPSC IAS 2021 Preparation Strategy- IASbaba’s ILP 2021 or TLP 2021 Programme? Which Programme is Best for YOU? -> Click Here for Video Hello Friends,   To have an outstanding performance at any competitive event, one needs to stand out from the crowd. To stand out, one needs to achieve some degree of excellence. To achieve that degree of excellence, one requires right guidance throughout the journey on a consistent basis. A few sparks of excellence can’t sustain the light of outstanding capabilities. But why are we telling this to you? Are civil services such a big deal? Do you really need to have capabilities par excellence to crack this examination? The answer for all these questions is simple and straight – YES. With each passing year, UPSC is reducing the number of seats. However, the candidates appearing in the civil services examination is steadily growing. The end result is the cut-throat competition. Above-average is never adequate for this examination process. Candidates are working their hearts out to make their names appear in the coveted list. But is that the solution? Can hard work alone lead to success in this examination? Well, without undermining the significance of hard work, we want to convey a simple message – in the age of social media and internet revolution, you have to be SMART. Smartness should be understood as a way of life. It can also be understood as one’s ability to think and act out of the box, achieve goals faster and reduce one’s cost to benefit ratio. We at IASbaba have always believed in the philosophy of smartness. From Day 1, we have come out with initiatives that are smart, efficient and outcome – oriented. This belief has earned us lakhs of followers and their faith and love. The same faith and love have motivated us to come with better planning, better initiatives and more focused strategies to let us help you write your own success story. You are all aware of the quality of TLP which in many ways has become one of our identity brands. The quality of questions, synopsis and feedback in TLP and TLP Plus has been praised by a number of toppers. Rank 1, Rank 4 and many other successful candidates of last year (2018-19) have strongly recommended TLP for answer writing practice. “Answer writing is an art which cannot be mastered in one day. It is similar to any other art form, you might be gifted, but until and unless you learn and practice and practice more to achieve that refinement in your art, you can't master it. You may think that it is easy to play a cover drive like Dravid while watching him on TV, but it is a totally different ball game when you yourself are standing on a pitch and facing a ball from Brett Lee. The need of practice cannot be emphasised more.” Hitting the bull’s eye year after year: IASbaba’s journey so far In the last four years, TLP has been bang on target with a hit ratio of more than 82%, a figure remarkably high keeping in mind the unpredictable nature of UPSC. With a knack of getting it right, TLP has become a reliable name: AIR - 1 Kanashik Kataria's Words About The Programme In UPSC 2019, 150+ (from ILP and TLP ONLY) students from IASbaba got an Interview call. It’s a Proud moment!  All Credit goes to the efforts of our students put in the right direction!  100+ Ranks UPSC CSE 2019 Topper’s from IASbaba – 5 in Top 20 Ranks makes it even more Special! -> CLICK HERE Going by the success of last year, we are re-launching both the versions of Think Learn Perform (TLP) Programme. TLP PLUS (+) 2021 (Available in BOTH OFFLINE and ONLINE) TLP CONNECT 2021 (Available in BOTH OFFLINE and ONLINE) SPECIAL FEATURES SUPER 50 INCENTIVE – BASED PRAGRAMME BABAPEDIA SUPER 50 Last Date to Register 9th October, 2020 Like other initiatives of IASbaba, a scholarship test to select Super 50 will be conducted. The top 25 students will be given 100% fee waiver and the next 25 students will be given 50% discount. Details of Super 50 Test: All the students will be eligible for the test. No pre-conditions. FREE Registration !! (Please find the registration link below) An ESSAY and ETHICS TEST will be conducted on 10th October, 2020. Test will consist of 2 Case Studies (Ethics)- 40 Marks and an Essay – 120 Marks. Total 160 Marks. Duration 1 hour 30 minutes. Interested aspirants, kindly fill the above form. Selected candidates will be intimated through email. Please do not call us or mail us. Discretion lies with IASBaba on admission to this program. Please Note that, All the students who have enrolled/paid for the TLP Plus / TLP Connect 2021 course will also be eligible for the scholarship test. If you qualify, complete fee amount will be refunded!! TO REGISTER FOR ‘SUPER 50’ -> CLICK HERE INCENTIVE – BASED PRAGRAMME Students of BOTH the programs – TLP Connect & TLP+ 2021, who will be clearing UPSC Prelims 2020: TLP Phase 2 (3 months Mentorship Based Mains Test Series) – FREE! Post Mains Result, Interview Mentorship Programme (IMP) will be given FREE (both for Online and Offline students)!! Please Note: This 2nd Phase and 3rd Phase of the Programme will be Free, only if you are a part of TLP Connect/Plus 2021 and have cleared UPSC Prelims 2021. BABAPEDIA One-Stop Destination for All your Current Affairs needs covering both Prelims & Mains. Please Note: This is ONLY for students who have enrolled for TLP CONNECT IMPORTANT FEATURES - In a Nut-Shell Now, let us give you a brief idea on what is the difference between TLP Connect and TLP+ Please Note: Both TLP Connect and TLP+ Programs are available OFFLINE & ONLINE. But given the present conditions you can take the programme ONLINE and when conditions are back to normal you can change to OFFLINE Mode. TLP CONNECT 2021 INTEGRATED PROGRAMME Covering Prelims, Mains, Interview. One-One MENTORSHIP and top notch feedback. It is an INCENTIVE-BASED PROGRAMME, which runs in 3 phases. Total Duration 15 Months (1 Year 3 months) (Check the details below) BABAPEDIA – One-Stop Destination of Current Affairs Preparation MAINSPEDIA (MAINS DATAHUB) – (GS1, GS2, GS3, GS4 & Essay) PRELIMSPEDIA – Prelims Current Affairs MAINS TESTS & SYNOPSIS– TOTAL = 40 TESTS 24 SECTIONAL TESTS(GS1, GS2, GS3, GS4) 8 ESSAY TESTS 8 COMPREHENSIVE MOCK TESTS APPROACH PAPER, DISCUSSION (VIDEO & OFFLINE), SYNOPSIS, EVALUATION, RANKING after every MAINS TEST. A few highly specialised sessions under the SERIES OF INTERACTIVE LECTURES (SOIL) to help you grow your analytical ability in areas like Essay and General Strategy, Ethics, International Relations, Internal Security among others will be taken by People in Services and Toppers on Pro-bono basis. PRELIMS TEST SERIES – TOTAL = 53 TESTS 43 GS (Paper -1) PRELIMS TESTS 10 CSAT (Paper -2) PRELIMS TESTS ALL INDIA PRELIMS RANKING & SELF-ASSESSMENT SYSTEM Available both OFFLINE (Bangalore, Delhi (Depending on lockdown situation)) and ONLINE Mode PRACTICAL PLANNING maintaining quantity and quality. TESTS are FLEXIBLE Price:  Rs.30,000 + 18 % (GST) = Rs.35,400/- Make Payment for ONLINE Programme Make Payment for OFFLINE Programme TLP PLUS (+) 2021 EXCLUSIVE FOCUS on MAINS TEST SERIES One-One MENTORSHIP and top notch feedback. It is an INCENTIVE-BASED PROGRAMME. (Check the details below) MAINS TESTS & SYNOPSIS– TOTAL = 40 TESTS 24 SECTIONAL TESTS(GS1, GS2, GS3, GS4) 8 ESSAY TESTS 8 COMPREHENSIVE MOCK TESTS APPROACH PAPER, DISCUSSION (VIDEO & OFFLINE), SYNOPSIS, EVALUATION, RANKING after every MAINS TEST. A few highly specialised sessions under the SERIES OF INTERACTIVE LECTURES (SOIL) to help you grow your analytical ability in areas like Essay and General Strategy, Ethics, International Relations, Internal Security among others will be taken by People in Services and Toppers on Pro-bono basis. Available both OFFLINE (Bangalore, Delhi (Depending on lockdown situation)) and ONLINE Mode PRACTICAL PLANNING maintaining quantity and quality. TESTS are FLEXIBLE. Price:  Rs.22,000 + 18 % (GST) = Rs.25,960/- Make Payment for ONLINE Programme Make Payment for OFFLINE Programme DOWNLOADS - SCHEDULE TLP Connect Schedule TLP Plus Schedule SAMPLE DOCUMENTS Babapedia TLP - Synopsis TLP - Synopsis TLP - Approach Paper TLP - Evaluated Copy TLP - Evaluated Copy Evaluated Copy of Saranya Ramachandran AIR 36 - UPSC 2019 Evaluated Copy of Saranya Ramachandran AIR 36 - UPSC 2019 FEEDBACK BY PREVIOUS STUDENTS TLP - Feedback 1 TLP - Feedback 2 TLP - Feedback 3 TLP - Feedback 4 PROGRAMME FEATURES - IN DETAIL TLP CONNECT 2021​ TLP PLUS (+) 2021 TLP CONNECT 2021​ CONNECT WITH IASBABA (TLP – Connect):Prelims + Mains + Interview Mentorship Based Programme. Available both OFFLINE and ONLINE Mode. The Programme will be conducted BOTH at Delhi and Bengaluru Centers. MENTORSHIP BASED PROGRAMME, AVAILABLE FOR BOTH ONLINE (ON-CALL) AND OFFLINE– the most important component of the initiative. A highly trained & dedicated mentor shall be assigned to all the candidates registering for this programme. The mentors would be constantly guiding the aspirants, giving them feedback on their performance in the tests, clarifying their doubts, giving tips to improve the quality and structuring of answers and supplying the regular dose of motivation. This is for both Online and Offline. DURATION: It is an INCENTIVE-BASED PROGRAMME, which runs in 3 phases. In Total 15 Months (1 Year 3 months) Programme. Phase 1: October 2020 – June 2021 [9 Months] – Common to all students. Phase 2: July 2021 – September 2021 [3 Months] – If you are clearing UPSC PRELIMS 2021, then 2nd Phase will be completely FREE!! Phase 3: Post Mains Results – Interview Mentorship Programme (IMP) -if you are clearing UPSC MAINS 2021, then 3rd Phase will be completely FREE!! The programme starts on 17th October (Saturday) with Prelims Test followed by Mains Test on 18th October (Sunday). BABAPEDIA – ONE-STOP DESTINATION OF CURRENT AFFAIRS PREPARATION (PRELIMS + MAINS): We understand that covering current affairs is going to be a real challenge for many aspirants. Given the huge sources to refer to, n’ number of materials flooded in the market, most of the times students are confused about which sources to refer to? what to read? what not to read? to what depth to read? Here comes Babapedia to your rescue. Babapedia is divided into Prelimspedia and Mainspedia for both your prelims and mains preparation. It is one of its kind compendium of current affairs. Prelimspedia gets updated on a daily basis. You will never be required to do the drudgery of note making for current affairs. The only thing required of you is to log into your ILP account every morning and go through the precise and crisp current affairs notes updated daily on Babapedia! Isn’t that awesome? Mainspedia (Mains Datahub) – One of its kind platform (another Unique feature of ILP) for Mains Answer Writing Skills; best data organisation and usage for examination. This is updated on a weekly basis. It is arranged and organized into various subtopics for all the contemporary aspects related to Paper 1, 2, 3 and 4. Under each topic, various subsections will be created and it will be updated regularly for you to have the best material/data at one place. You can keep making your own notes taking inputs from the data updated in Mainspedia on a regular basis. Mainspedia will have inputs from all possible contemporary issues and from all possible resources like Newspapers (The Hindu, Indian Express, Economic Times), PIB, PRS, RSTV, and important Government Websites. Refer to the sample document section above. Please Note: You will get unlimited access to Current Affairs content since the year 2016-2020. Babapedia is categorized Day-wise, Month-wise and Subject-wise, to make it very user-friendly and easily accessible! NUMBER OF MAINS TESTS (TOTAL)= 40 TESTS 24 SECTIONAL TESTS(GS1, GS2, GS3, GS4) 8 ESSAY TESTS 8 COMPREHENSIVE MOCK TESTS  Each test to have UPSC standard high-quality questions with a focus to let you develop the ability to answer any question asked by UPSC in the stipulated time frame while maintaining the quality of answers. Each test shall be complemented by a high quality of synopsis for easy reference and revision. The Standard of Questions – In the initial phase of the programme– Out of 14 Questions in the 2 hour Test, 6Q will be checking your basic knowledge/conceptual understanding and 8Q will be of analytical nature where you have to link statically with dynamic. APPROACH PAPER, DISCUSSION, SYNOPSIS, EVALUATION, RANKING AFTER EVERY TEST:  Approach paper – Each test shall be preceded by an approach paper detailing the sources, focus areas, and the overall strategy to approach the subject. (Refer to Sample Documents Above) Discussion– Each test will be followed by a Detailed Discussion in the Offline mode and the same will be available in the Online Mode. The post-test discussions shall be taken by the expert faculties of IASbaba. You need not worry about the coverage of the tests and guidance pertaining to relevant content and structuring of the answers. The post-test discussions followed with the synopsis would impart 360-degree preparedness. A few highly specialised sessions under the Series of Interactive Lectures (SOIL) to help you grow your analytical ability in areas like Essay and General Strategy, Ethics, International Relations, Internal Security among others will be taken by People in Services and Toppers on Pro-bono basis. Synopsis – Our synopsis for each test is prepared after extensive research and discussions among the Mentors. It ensures that the best quality content in the most lucid fashion reaches you, which acts as easy reference and revision. (Refer to Sample Documents Above) Evaluation and Ranking – Evaluations are done by subject experts and not by novices having 4-5 months of experience as content creators. The marking and feedback that our subject experts give are based on real experience and visible expertise. If the answer scripts are uploaded (online) or written in the IASbaba’s exam centre (offline) within 24 hours of the scheduled test time, then the copies will be evaluated before the next test date (i.e, within 4-5 days). However, if test copies are uploaded later then it will be evaluated within 8-10 working days.  Evaluation, marking and ranking to be done and list to be published for both Online and Offline Combined. After the weekly test, when the evaluation is done, you can have one – one session with your mentor. These sessions are meant to personally groom your skills, polish the rough edges of your preparation, point out your areas of strength and weaknesses and make sure that with each passing test, your intellect and understanding grows. NUMBER OF PRELIMS TESTS (TOTAL)= 53 TESTS    43 GS (Paper -1) TESTS and 10 CSAT (Paper -2) TESTS IASbaba is known for its quality coverage and it is a testimony that we have been able to HIT the bull’s eye in Prelims and Mains both over the period of last 4 years. The closeness and exact repetition of Questions from our Tests needs no mention. The Prelims Tests are designed carefully and with a lot of efforts to match the standards set by UPSC. Questions are graded. easy, moderate, difficult and very difficult. The overall level of the test is kept a notch higher than UPSC so that students of IASbaba can have an edge and can handle uncertainty much better than the rest. DETAILED SOLUTIONS will be provided after the tests. Detailed Solution Techniques to Decipher the Correct Answer (Elimination Technique). The solution document is made very exhaustive and revision friendly at the same time. The Detailed Solution itself will act as a Source of learning and Revision. With increasing IMPORTANCE OF CURRENT AFFAIRS (CA) in the exam, we have a separate Current Affairs Test held every month. These Separate CA Tests will help you in quick revision and consolidation. REVISION TESTS AND FULL MOCK TESTS- Tests intended to make the candidates revise the previously covered topics shall be posted on a regular basis along with detailed solutions, scores, and ranking (as per the given Plan). CSAT TESTS-10 FULL MOCKS – CSAT papers are designed on the standard’s, difficulty level and pattern followed by UPSC. DOUBTS RESOLUTION PAGE- We have a comment section for every question in a Test. So this gives you a scope to clear your doubts which are question-specific. All your doubts will be resolved by IASbaba’s team within 48 hours (maximum). ALL INDIA RANKING – the scores and ranks will be displayed after every test, one can clearly monitor his/her progress in a continuous manner. Since our subscriber base is huge, you will not only get to know the real competition but will also bring in seriousness and discipline in your preparation DETAILED ASSESSMENT of your Performance-based on Time-Analytics’ and Subject-wise Analytics’. This will help you gauge your efficiency per question (assist you in time-management) and to introspect your strength and weaknesses in a particular subject. There is no fixed time to take the tests. It’s flexible! But we would advise you to strictly follow the schedule as this will bring in discipline in your preparation and you will cover the syllabus on time. PRACTICAL PLANNING: It is not just about writing too many tests but quality Tests with quality feedback, proper guidance and revision of the same that matters. It is much more important for you to be part of this programme to avail Timely Feedback before the next test, so that you improve and follow the learnings. Timely and effective sessions with your Mentors to learn required skills and implement it in the very next test. Post Discussions and Synopsis, you should get to learn important aspects to be utilised in the next test. Most important of all, you need time to prepare and write the tests with confidence (If you write Tests after Tests, will you have time to prepare?) If you have a practical mindset, the preparation will never be a burden on you. You should never get bogged down by the hypes created around it in terms of doing everything.  Think for a while! It is about Quality-Practicality-Correct Guidance-Revision. Our programme gives you all of these!  Prelims tests would be conducted on every Saturdays followed by Mains Test on Sundays. The Schedule is prepared such that your preparation has an integrated approach. For instance, if you have History Prelims Test (Art and Culture /Modern History) on Saturday, it would be followed by Mains Test on the same topics on Sunday. So that you can carry forward the same facts and apply it in Mains as per the demand of the question. TLP PLUS (+) 2021 TLP Plus is an EXCLUSIVE (MENTORSHIP-BASED) MAINS TEST SERIES Programme. This program is for those aspirants who are very confident about cracking prelims on their own and need to focus on mains answer writing practice. IMPORTANT NOTE: TLP(+) CONSISTS OF ALL THE  FEATURES OF TLP CONNECT, EXCEPT FOR PRELIMS TEST SERIES AND BABAPEDIA. EXCLUSIVE FOR ONLINE MODE Apart from the Features mentioned above in the Offline mode, the TLP Connect- ONLINE will have a Separate platform designed for this initiative. Tests will be uploaded on this Platform on the day of the exam and you will be given a time-domain to write and upload your answer sheets. Evaluated answer sheets will be uploaded back on your profile before the next scheduled test, provided you are submitting the Answer copies within 24 hours. This will help us in timely evaluation and publication of Offline + Online Ranking and will also ensure discipline in your preparation. For those who will be submitting the answer copies after 24 hours from the time of the test, you will get your answer copies within 8-10 days. We shall evaluate and upload the answer copy with detailed feedback and comments/improvements on the same platform. You can talk to the MENTOR weekly once if you have any doubts related to the test or having any difficulties with regard to ANSWER WRITING. Though the Tests are flexible, we would advise you to stick to the schedule to ensure discipline in your preparation. If you have joined All India Prelims Tests 2021, you can join TLP Plus 2021 only for Mains Mentorship. If you are a veteran and do not need Prelims Tests or Guidance, you can join TLP Plus 2021 only for Mains Mentorship. WHAT DIFFERENTIATES IASBABA FROM OTHERS? Practical Planning to accommodate both GS (Prelims, Mains) and Optional Preparation. Our focus is not just on the number of tests but on their quality. A sufficient number of tests for Mains will keep you focused on completing the syllabus and also on developing a thought process which is very much essential for building concepts, linking dynamic with static part and tackling analytical nature of the exam – both in Prelims and Mains. Practically speaking, after writing a Test, sufficient time is required for a mentor to evaluate his/her group of students and give you detailed feedback. From a student’s perspective, sufficient time is required to work on feedbacks given by the mentors. There is no point writing tens of tests without investing adequate time on preparation. Moreover, after each test, you need time to recuperate and freshen up before you are ready for the next one. With the quality of questions in TLP, be rest assured that you will be facing the most relevant and standard questions. Our schedule is designed in such a way that the aspirants get ample time to prepare for OPTIONAL subjects and ensure balanced preparation. In a week, there will be 1 Prelims Test and 1 Mains Test, so you get enough time to not only to cover both GS and Optional but also work on the feedback given by your mentors. Some test series available in the market drag the test series till June-July without providing sufficient time for prelims preparation. Out of 4-5 lakhs appearing in the preliminary stage of the exam, only 10-12 thousand will make it to next stage. Due to the increased uncertainty and unpredictability nature, the prelims exam is getting tougher and tougher.   Why 2 hours duration in 24 Sectional Tests? The beginners would find it difficult to cope up with 3 hours test schedule right from the first test itself, and would often get demotivated. Our tests will train the beginners to acquire a strong foundation and basics. For veterans, it will help them to streamline their preparation, work on their writing speed to complete the paper and maintain consistency. If you are able to complete 14Q in 2 hours, then you can easily complete 20Q in 3 hours. Standard of Questions –Out of 14 Questions in the 2 hour Test, 6Q will be checking your basic knowledge/conceptual understanding and 8Q will be of analytical nature where you have to link statically with dynamic. We believe that there is a learning curve in everybody’s preparation and this is a gradual process. It comes with time, preparation and practice!! So after the first 6 cycles of 2 hours of Test (except for Essay to be 3 hours) which would cover entire GS1, GS2, GS3, GS4, you will leap to the next level of comprehensive Test with 3 hours duration. Special Emphasis on Ethics Case Studies and Essay Tests.  In 8 Essay Tests - 3 Tests only on Philosophical Essays, 3 Tests only on Theme Based and 2 Tests (Philosophical + Theme Based). You would be writing 2 Essays per Test=16 Essays in total of 3 hours duration. Each mentor would know you and your strengths closely and customize the feedback and guidance accordingly. Just imagine the impact that a coach would have on your journey! Please Note: A separate Portal will be developed for ONLINE students and Mentorship over phone call will be made available. FEE DETAILS Considering the Comprehensive features, New highlights, Support and Quality of the Programme, we have kept the pricing to as minimum as possible. Please Note: Both TLP Connect and TLP+ Programs are available OFFLINE & ONLINE. But given the present conditions you can take the programme ONLINE and when conditions are back to normal you can change to OFFLINE Mode. TLP CONNECT Price: Rs.30,000 + 18 % (GST) = Rs.35,400/- Make Payment for ONLINE Programme Make Payment for OFFLINE Programme TLP PLUS (+) 2021 Price: Rs.22,000 + 18 % (GST) = Rs.25,960/- Make Payment for ONLINE Programme Make Payment for OFFLINE Programme PLEASE NOTE: OFFLINE PAYMENT DETAILS - Please mail us the acknowledgment at tlp@iasbaba.com if making offline payment.  Bank details BANK Name CANARA BANK BANK BRANCH BANGALORE KLE SOCIETY ACCOUNT NAME IASBABA ACCOUNT NUMBER 8418201003836 IFSC CODE CNRB0008418 ACCOUNT TYPE CURRENT ACCOUNT AFTER MAKING PAYMENT ONLINE You will receive a Receipt/Mail with Login Details. Do not worry it may take 2-3 hours time since it is automated. You can always mail for any technical issue on given email ID (below) You will be able to login to your TLP account ONLY when the platform is activated. The platform will be activated one week before the start of the Program. The TLP Connect Program will start on 17th October, 2020 and TLP+ from 18th October, 2020. Go through the TLP 2021 Detailed Course Plan/Schedule Document and Topic Listing Document. To Know More about ILP Basic, ILP+ & ILP Connect+>CLICK HERE To Know More about IASbaba’s All India Prelims Test Series (AIPTS) and AIPTS+ > CLICK HERE We are the ship and you are the sailor.  We will make sure that the ship is strongly built to sail you through all the up’s and down’s in the journey. But finally it is YOU, the sailor who has to manoeuvre and reach your destination! So what are you waiting for? Come, join us and let us make you write your success story! We reiterate our AIM – “To help an aspirant preparing in the remotest part of the country to secure Rank 1” FOR ANY QUERIES (Related to TLP): You can reach us on Email id: tlp@iasbaba.com Mobile No: 63664 56458 / 88829 79568 (Please call between 10 am – 6 pm ONLY) Office Address: BANGALORE CENTRE: IASbaba’s TLP Centre - No. 1443/1444, 2nd Floor,  Ganapati Circle, Chandra Layout, Vijaynagar, Bangalore 560040. DELHI CENTRE: IASBABA, 5B, Pusa Road, Karol Bagh, New Delhi – 110005. Landmark: Just 50m from Karol Bagh Metro Station, GATE No. 8 (Next to Croma Store) All the Best IASbaba Team

Sep 24, 2020 IASbaba's Courses

[SESSION 26] - IASbaba's RAPID REVISION SERIES (RRS) of 500 HIGH PROBABLE TOPICS for UPSC PRELIMS 2020 – A FREE YouTube Initiative!

For Previous RRS (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE Dear Friends, The Last Lap is Here!! Revision and More Revision is the Key to Success!! We believe that you all are following FREE YouTube Initiative – “IASbaba's Rapid Revision Series (RRS) of 500 HIGH PROBABLE TOPICS for UPSC PRELIMS 2020”!! You should strive for at least 2-3 cycles of revision before the exam with special focus on topics which have high probability to appear in UPSC Prelims Question Paper. Each session is of 25-30 mins and would cover rapid revision of 15-20 high probable topics important for Prelims Exam this year. And trust us! This will make a huge difference in your revision process – in recalling little facts of information, going through important topics and concepts, and retaining the vital content and your final result. [VIDEO] Session 26 (Topics 421-440) - IASbaba's RAPID REVISION SERIES (RRS) of 500 HIGH PROBABLE TOPICS for UPSC PRELIMS 2020 To Download PPT PDF - IASbaba's RRS Session 26 Also, you can take up the Free Full Mocks (GS & CSAT in ENGLISH & (हिंदी)) available on the site. These mocks will give you the examination feel and will help you in coming up with a good strategy for UPSC Prelims. The question paper was made on similar lines of UPSC. The questions were designed with different difficulty levels – easy, moderate, difficult, and very difficult. This was done so that you can understand how to pick the questions for the attempt and how to leave the very difficult ones. You can read the Feedback of Students and Analysis of the Mock Tests here. Please Note that, more Mocks (GS & CSAT) will be announced soon 🙂 It will be available BOTH in English and हिंदी. Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative!! Kindly leave your feedback in the comment section below on this new initiative or on our YouTube. We would love to hear from you 🙂 All the Best :)    You can also go through the below important links, especially for aspirants appearing for UPSC Prelims 2020- PRELIMS SIMPLIFIED SERIES (Part 1,2,3): How to crack UPSC PRELIMS- IMPORTANT TIPS & TRICKS (using Common Sense – KCT Approach) by Mohan Sir  -> CLICK HERE MUST WATCH – STRATEGY [VIDEO]: PRELIMS  Tips (Do’s & Don’ts) from Mohan Sir -> CLICK HERE    

Sep 24, 2020 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 24th SEPTEMBER 2020

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Bilateral Netting of Qualified Financial Contracts Bill, 2020 passed Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Economy In news Parliament has passed the Bilateral Netting of Qualified Financial Contracts Bill, 2020 with the Rajya Sabha approving it. Key takeaways The bill provides a legal framework for bilateral netting of qualified financial contracts. Applicable to: Qualified Financial Contracts between two qualified financial market participants where at least one party is an entity regulated by the specified authorities RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, PFRDA or the IFSCA. Significance Without bilateral netting, Indian banks have had to set aside higher capital against their trades in the over-the-counter market, which impacts their ability to participate in the market. Moreover, it also increases the systemic risk during defaults. Bilateral netting would also help reduce hedging costs and liquidity needs for banks, primary dealers and other market-makers, thereby encouraging participation in the over-the-counter derivatives market.  It would also help develop the corporate default swaps market, which, in turn, would provide support to the development of the corporate bond market. It would also improve investor confidence and to expand the scope of credit default swaps. Do you know? Bilateral netting is a legally enforceable arrangement between a bank and a counterparty that creates a single legal obligation covering all included individual contracts.  This means that a bank’s obligation, in the event of the default or insolvency of one of the parties, would be the net sum of all positive and negative fair values of contracts included in the bilateral netting arrangement. Netting refers to offsetting of all claims arising from dealings between two parties to determine a net amount payable or receivable from one party to another. State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Disaster Management In news Recently, the limit of using the State Disaster Response Fund for COVID-19 specific infrastructure has been increased from 35% to 50%.  The decision will help States have more finances at their disposal to fight the virus. Important value additions The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) It was constituted under Section 48 (1) (a) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. It is the primary fund available with State Governments for responses to notified disasters. The Central Government contributes 75% of SDRF allocation for general category States/UTs and 90% for special category States/UTs (NE States, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir).  Laser Guided ATGM successfully test fired Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Defence In news Laser Guided Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) was successfully test fired from MBT Arjun Tank at KK Ranges, Ahmednagar recently. Developed by: Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune in association with High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) Pune, and Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE) Dehradun  Important value additions Lasers guided ATGMs lock and track the targets with the help of laser designation to ensure precision hit accuracy. The missile employs a tandem HEAT warhead to defeat Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) protected armoured vehicles.  It has been developed with multiple-platform launch capability. It is currently undergoing technical evaluation trials from gun of MBT Arjun. Successful flight-tests of Abhyas High-speed Expendable Aerial Target conducted Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Defence In news Recently, successful flight-tests of the indigenously-designed Abhyas High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) in Balasore (Odisha) were conducted. Conducted by: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)  Designed and developed by: Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) of DRDO Key takeaways Two demonstrator vehicles of Abhyas cleared all the evaluation parameters like 5 km flying altitude, vehicle speed of 0.5 mach (half the speed of sound), endurance of 30 minutes etc. Important value additions Abhyas High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) It is a drone (UAV) that will be used as a target for various missile systems. It is powered by a small gas turbine engine. Navigation by: Micro-electromechanical (MEMS) systems based Inertial Navigation System (INS). It is lightweight and reliable, consumes less power and is cost-effective. It is programmed for fully autonomous flight. Do you know? MEMS is a process technology used to create tiny integrated devices or systems that combine mechanical and electrical components. KRITAGYA hackathon planned for enhancing farm mechanization Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Agriculture In news A hackathon named “KRITAGYA” has been planned by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP). Objective: To promote potential technology solutions for enhancing farm mechanization with special emphasis on women friendly equipment. Key takeaways Eligibiliy: Students, faculties and innovators/entrepreneurs from any university / technical institution across the country can apply and participate in the form of a group. Participating students can collaborate with local start-ups, students from technology institutes.  Cash prizes are included. Important value additions National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) The ICAR commenced NAHEP in 2017. It is a Government of India and World Bank project. Objective: To support the National Agricultural Research and Education System providing more relevant and better quality education to the students. Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020 Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Ports In news Lok Sabha passed the Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020. Key takeaways The Bill seeks to provide for regulation, operation and planning of major ports in the country and provide greater autonomy to these ports.  It seeks to replace the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963. The legislation provides for the creation of a Board of Major Port Authority for each major port.  These Boards will replace the existing Port Trusts. The bill will help the ports develop world class infrastructure. It will also enhance transparency in their functioning. YuWaah Platform launched Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Welfare schemes In news Recently, the Government has launched YuWaah. It is a multi-stakeholder platform to make young people career ready. Launched by: The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) A 'Statement of Intent' has also been signed to establish Generation Unlimited in India (YuWaah). Objectives of YuWaah Providing career guidance support to young people through career portal. Job-readiness and self-exploration sessions to make young people career-ready. Supporting young people by providing entrepreneurship classes with successful entrepreneurs and experts. Creating linkages with aspirational economic opportunities to connect young people with jobs or self-employment. For this, innovative solutions and technology platforms will be engaged to maximize the scale and reach. Upskilling young people on 21st century skills, life skills, digital skills and supporting them through self-learning, for their productive lives and the future of work. Important value additions Generation Unlimited in India (GenU - YuWaah) It was founded in September 2018. Aim: To transform education, employment and entrepreneurial outcomes for young people around the world at a global and local level It was launched by UNICEF at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly. Miscellaneous PASSEX The Indian and the Australian navies are undertaking Passage Exercise or PASSEX exercises on September 23-24 in the Indian Ocean. From the Indian side, Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri and Karmuk will be present and Australia will be represented by HMAS Hobart. PASSEXs are regularly conducted by the Indian Navy with units of friendly foreign navies. Australia is the third country, since June, with which India has conducted conduct the exercises.  The first was with US Navy's USS Nimitz and the second was the Russian Navy. (MAINS FOCUS) GOVERNANCE/ JUDICIARY / ECONOMY Topic: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation  On regulation of Digital media (Sudarshan TV Case) Context: Government has filed an affidavit in Sudarshan TV case stating that the regulation of web-based digital media is the need of the hour. What is Sudarshan TV Case? Sudarshan TV’s ‘Bindas Bol’ programme had accused Muslims of “infiltrating” the civil services with the help of funding from terror-linked organisations abroad. Petitions were filed in Supreme Court where it was maintained that the episode is an example of vilifying a community and the content amounts to hate speech. The court had orally observed it would set up a committee of five citizens who can come up with standards for electronic media A three-judge Bench had asked the government for suggestions to improve the self-regulatory mechanism for electronic media.  What was government’s response? Central government submitted that while regulations already exist for the print and television media, there was a need to regulate digital media as it has faster reach, and its content has the potential to go viral. The centre termed digital media as ‘parallel media’ which is ‘completely uncontrolled’, and uses spectrum or radio airwaves and the internet, which is public property The Centre also cautioned that regulating television content could have the undesired impact of media organisations pushing similar content on digital platforms, which are unregulated Regulatory policies for television and print media would also have to apply to digital media, and vice versa, to curb the spread of fake news and misinformation Governments View on Self-regulation of electronic media The central government has opposed the apex court’s idea of setting up a panel to suggest standards for electronic media.  The government has argued that the self-regulatory mechanisms currently in place are effective, ensure impartiality and may only require a little fine tuning to remove the lacunae. Self-regulatory bodies at present can only govern those who voluntary choose to be its members. And for television channels which aren’t members of the self-regulating bodies, the matter is taken up directly by the ministry There is, however, a need to regulate the digital media space What are the issues involved in this case of regulating digital media? Constitutional Rights involved: The content of the episodes in question goes against and demeans the constitutional right of access to equality of employment Balancing contending interests: The court has to balance the right to freedom of speech versus right of dignity of a community and hate speech Public interest issue: Since the case deals on issues of “foreign funding” and “reservation”, there has to consultation with government before any order Role of Courts: Constitutional values, human dignity are needed to be protected but the court cannot “become the enforcers of programme code” (which falls under the domain of Executive) Extent of Courts Power: There is debate on whether the court could order a blanket injunction of a programme or should restrict itself to only those portions which hurt a community. Complex Nature of Hate Speech: Hate speech comes dressed as small nuggets of facts, and a lot depends on the tenor, tone and manner of their presentation. Thus any regulation of speech has to be on case-to-case basis. Sophisticated Nature of Media Space: The lines between the different platforms for media and journalism today are increasingly blurring. For example, Sudarshan TV also has a dedicated YouTube channel, where all of its programs are uploaded. Ineffective implementation of existing rules: The laws to tackle incendiary content and hate speech that fuels violence is already in place. What is seen lacking is a will to uniformly apply these rules, irrespective of political affiliations.  Ability to survive legal scrutiny: Earlier attempts at imposing a high degree of liability on intermediaries (like Google & Facebook) for content posted on their platforms have not survived legal scrutiny, with Section 79(1) of the IT Act, 2000, giving them some immunity in this regard. Conclusion An intervention that is light and well considered is what will work. Connecting the dots: Net Neutrality Shreya Singhal Case GOVERNANCE / POLITY Topic: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation  Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability A culture of Secrecy Context: While transparency is a cornerstone of democracy, today’s India is cultivating secrecy Some of the recent examples where culture of secrecy is being promoted Electoral bonds introduced in February 2017 They allowed anonymous donations to political parties and, therefore, protected the privacy of the donors. The Election Commission of India (ECI) criticised the opacity of this financial mechanism and described it as “a retrograde step”. ECI held that Electoral Bonds would prevent the state from ascertaining whether a political party has taken any donation in violation of provisions under Section 29B of the Representation of the People Act, which prohibits the political parties from taking donations from government companies and foreign sources Electoral bonds also made it impossible to check whether a company was giving to parties more than what the Companies Act (2013) permitted, that is 7.5 per cent of the net average profit of the three preceding financial years. Sealed Envelope Procedures Sealed envelope has become modus operandi in several Indian institutions, including the Supreme Court (SC) In the case of political funding (by electoral bonds or otherwise), SC in 2019 directed political parties to submit the details of donations received to the ECI in sealed cover.  The Assam administration had to show the progress it was making in the implementation of the National Register of Citizens by submitting reports in sealed covers When Justice Gogoi was accused of sexual harassment, the panel formed by the SC found “no substance in the allegations” on the basis of a report it had received in a sealed cover that was not disclosed even to the complainant. RTI Act diluted Vacant Posts: Government did not fill vacant information commissioner posts in the Central Information Commission (CIC) between 2016 and 2018 After the SC intervened, some appointments were made in January 2019, but four posts remained vacant, a clear indication of the government’s lack of interest. Huge Backlogs: The backlog of pending appeals had reached 30,000 cases in late 2019 as the CIC has become a rather dysfunctional body. Restriction on RTI: Queries about phone tapping are not responded to anymore by CIC.  High Rejection of RTI requests: In 2016-17, the home and finance ministries rejected close to 15 per cent of the applications they received while the RBI and public sector banks rejected 33 per cent.  The RBI, for instance, refused to give any information about the decision-making process that led to demonetisation. Government amended the RTI Act to limit the power of the CIC.  The five-year fixed tenure for the Chief Information Commissioner and information commissioners was abolished.  Their salaries were not fixed any more — as with Election Commissioners — but notified separately by the government. Whistleblower’s Protection Act diluted Whistleblowers can now be prosecuted for possessing the documents on which the complaint has been made. Issues flagged by them have to be in “public interest” and should not be “affecting the sovereignty and integrity of India”, related to “commercial confidence” or “information received in confidence from a foreign government”. Data Phobia Data phobia has resulted in the non-publication or alteration of some statistical information by government organisations.  108 social scientists wrote an open letter in 2019 inviting the government to “re-establish institutional independence and integrity to the statistical organisations”. The National Crime Records Bureau has been affected by delays (its 2017 report was released in October 2019) and deletions. Conclusion Transparency is not only necessary for maintaining a democratic polity, it is also necessary for making the economy work Connecting the dots: Critically assess the efficacy of the Right to Information (RTI) as a tool of accountability and transparency in governance. (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.  Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1 Which of the following is true regarding Bilateral Netting? It is a legally enforceable arrangement between a bank and a counterparty that covers all included individual contracts.   It is a legally enforceable arrangement between two individuals that covers all included individual contracts.  It is a legally enforceable arrangement between India and USA that covers all included individual contracts.  It is a legally enforceable arrangement between Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry if Finance that covers all included individual contracts. Q.2 Consider the following statements regarding The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF): The Central Government contributes 50% of SDRF allocation for general category States/UTs and  It also contributes 75% for special category States/UTs. Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3 Consider the following statements regarding Abhyas High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT): It is a satellite that will be used as a target for various missile systems. It consumes less power. It is highly expensive. Which of the above is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 ANSWERS FOR 23nd September 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 D Must Read About efficacy of female leadership: The Hindu About opening of schools and colleges in COVID times: The Hindu About US withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan: The Indian Express

Sep 24, 2020 RSTV Video

Global Biodiversity Outlook - Target 30x30 – The Big Picture – RSTV IAS UPSC

Global Biodiversity Outlook - Target 30x30 Archives TOPIC: General Studies 3 Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. In News: The UN Convention on Biological Diversity has released its fifth Global Biodiversity Outlook report. The report notes the importance of biodiversity in addressing climate change, and long-term food security, and concludes that action to protect biodiversity is essential to prevent future pandemics.  None of the 20 agreed conservation targets of the past 10 years could be fully met by the world.  Experts believe that all nations will now have to implement the ambitious new target of protecting at least 30% of the planet by 2030 – popularly known as 30x30 target – under the UN Convention.  The Wake-up Call - A decade ago, the world agreed to 20 biodiversity targets. It did not meet any of them. The study acts as a wake-up call, and an encouragement to consider the dangers involved in mankind’s current relationship with nature: continued biodiversity loss, and the ongoing degradation of ecosystems, are having profound consequences of human wellbeing and survival. The setbacks have been many. Pollution levels are high.  The global rate of deforestation has fallen by a third compared to the previous decade. A number of places have successfully eradicated invasive species. More than 60 percent of the world’s coral reefs are under threat.  Only 66 percent of the stocks fished worldwide were at biologically sustainable levels in 2017, down from 71 percent seven years earlier. Some countries have introduced good fisheries management policies, which helped build back marine fish stocks that have been hard hit by overfishing and environmental degradation. Experts warn ecosystem loss and the wildlife trade, which reduce biodiversity, can also increase the likelihood that novel pathogens will spread to humans. Habitat loss and degradation remains high, especially in forests and tropical regions. Global wetlands are declining and rivers are fragmenting, posing a "critical threat to freshwater diversity Indigenous communities are still largely excluded from these conversations, and their valuable knowledge on sustainable resource management isn't reflected in national legislation. This year’s study is considered to be particularly significant, because it serves as a “final report card” for the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, a series of 20 objectives set out in 2010, at the beginning of the UN’s Decade on Biodiversity, most of which were supposed to be reached by the end of this year. However, none of the targets – which concern the safeguarding of ecosystems, and the promotion of sustainability – have been fully met, and only six are deemed to have been “partially achieved”. Aichi Biodiversity Targets Strategic Goal A: Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society Strategic Goal B: Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use Strategic Goal C: To improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity Strategic Goal D: Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services Strategic Goal E: Enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building The six targets partially met are: preventing invasive species, conserving protected areas, access to and sharing benefits from genetic resources, biodiversity strategies and action plans, sharing information, and mobilizing resources. What do we need to do? Many of the actions needed have already been identified and agreed upon under international treaties like the Paris Climate Change Agreement (which the United States is currently withdrawing from). The report outlined eight areas where we need to transition to sustainability: land and forests, agriculture, food systems, fisheries and oceans, cities and infrastructure, freshwater, climate action and an integrated "One Health" global framework. Finding these solutions is "challenging" but critical, and we've seen what happens when we fail. The Covid-19 pandemic, for example, has illustrated "the link between our treatment of the living world and the emergence of human diseases. As long as humanity is putting more resources into destroying biodiversity rather than protecting it, the ability of ecosystems to provide everything from pollinators, clean water, and fertile soil, to inspiration and joy, will deteriorate. If we continue business as usual, it could cost the world economy some $10 trillion by 2050, with poorer countries bearing the brunt Connecting the Dots: Aichi Biodiversity Targets Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) A decade ago, the world agreed to 20 biodiversity targets. It did not meet any of them. Discuss. Humanity stands at a crossroads with regard to the legacy it leaves to future generations. What are your views? Is there any solution to it?