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TLP Mains 2020

IASbaba's TLP 2020: UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies) - High Ordered Thinking (HOT) Questions [Day 1]

To Know More about the Initiative -> Click Here Hello Friends, Welcome to IASbaba's TLP 2020, UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies) - High Ordered Thinking (HOT) Questions [Day 1]. Questions are Current Affairs focused touching upon the 4 GS Papers (GS1, GS2, GS3, GS4). HOT Questions are designed to probe your analytical faculties. Note: Click on the Links and then Answer respective questions! 1. Why is the rural sector critical to the economy? Do you agree with the assertion that the rural sector can be the engine of economic recovery post COVID-19? Substantiate your views.  2. How far do you support the decision of the Government to cap air fares? What impact will it have on the airlines? Critically examine.  3. The announcement of the revival package for kick-starting the economy is fiscally prudent. Elucidate.    P.S: The review from IASbaba will happen from the time the question is posted till 10 pm everyday. We would also encourage peer reviews. So friends get actively involved and start reviewing each others answers. This will keep the entire community motivated. All the Best :)  

MindMaps

MIND-MAPS: FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS PART 1 – General Studies 2

MIND-MAPS: FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS PART 1 – General Studies 2 For Previous Important Topics (Mind Maps) - ARCHIVES Hello Friends, Recently we have come up with a NEW INITIATIVE - BRAINSTORMING THROUGH MIND-MAPS! Mind-map is an incredible powerful thinking tool, an innate human language that will have immense benefit in your preparation. The main idea is to brainstorm different aspects of an issue - think in multi-dimensions; what we call 360 degrees of an issue. The whole of this exercise will unleash your creativity to push your brain cells to recall the data learnt and to make it more relevant for your preparation. It will help you to make your Revision and Retention a far better apart from giving you more Clarity in the topics/issue at hand and improve your Concentration. You can see the drastic impact mind-maps will have in a few weeks, provided you are regular with this exercise. So here we are with Today’s TOPIC! FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS PART 1 - General Studies 2 NOTE – Instructions to download Mind Maps/Images Right Click on the image and ‘Open image in new tab’ Remove/Delete the resolution part from the URL. Eg. “-1536x757” and Press Enter/Load Again Right Click and Save Image As/Download (You’ll get the maximum resolution) FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS PART 1  YOUR PARTICIPATION? – VERY IMPORTANT Unlike what we were doing before, in this initiative we want students to learn and brainstorm through mind-maps (It is not necessary that you use a software/tool to design mind maps. You can prepare mindmaps using a pen and a sheet of paper). We will share the final printable mind map on every Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday (3 times a week). We will also provide specific inputs on your mind maps to improve your skill of mind mapping.  So, Enlist the topics you feel as important for MAINS Issues in Current Affairs you find difficult to understand Share your own mind-maps on the given topics in the comment section of the post published on TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS, and SUNDAYS (every week). We will provide specific inputs on your mind maps to improve your skill of mind mapping. TOPICS FOR THIS WEEK* - Fundamental Rights will be covered in four mind maps which will be posted on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday. To Know More about the initiative, Benefits and How to use a mind-map ->CLICK HERE Together we can, we will. The strength of the community is more powerful than individual effort. We have started it. You have to strengthen it” You can Start sharing Your Mind-maps (get feedback from IASbaba) & Topics of your interest in the comment section below!!   Thank You IASbaba

Important Articles

UPDATE: IASbaba’s Think, Learn and Perform (TLP) Daily Mains Answer Writing - FREE Initiative!

JOIN – IASBABA’S INTEGRATED LEARNING PROGRAMME (ILP) ONLINE-2021 – With New Paradigms and Surprising Features – BOTH in ENGLISH and HINDI (हिंदी) – ADMISSIONS OPEN!! IASbaba’s ALL INDIA PRELIMS TEST SERIES (AIPTS) and AIPTS+ (Prelims Test Series with Video Discussions) 2021-ENGLISH and HINDI (हिंदी) – ADMISSIONS OPEN!! TLP CONNECT 2021 (Prelims + Mains+ Interview) INTEGRATED TEST SERIES BASED MENTORSHIP Programme and TLP PLUS(+) 2021 MAINS Mentorship Based Programme (OFFLINE and ONLINE)- ADMISSIONS OPEN!!   Dear Friends, We do realise that uncertainty and ambiguity are the worst enemies of strategic planning. When everything is off track, it becomes difficult to concentrate. However, uncertain times also provide an opportunity to excel and develop skills that will give you an edge over the ones who let go of this forced yet wonderful opportunity. Keeping this in mind, we are restarting an abridged version of Think, Learn and Perform (TLP) – IASbaba’s Daily Mains Answer Writing initiative (FREE). Just to make sure that you don’t get rusty with your answer writing skills, we shall post 3 questions daily (Monday to Saturday) till there is clarity from UPSC over examination dates. We won’t follow any schedule as such. The questions may belong to any of the four GS Papers (GS1, GS2, GS3, GS4)  but the content would be current affairs oriented. Your Answers will be reviewed by IASbaba and Synopsis will be provided as usual. We would also like to mention Peer-Reviews are appreciated. Extend your support to others. Trust us, you will learn a lot reviewing others answers. If you don’t believe, just try and experience yourself. Let’s learn together! Start writing again and you will have enough food for thought! P.S: We will also come up with Answer Writing Video Sessions in a few days, where we will explain the basic ingredients of answer writing and also a few questions from TLP will be discussed. Stay tuned!   If you are confused about what should be the strategy, way ahead in the time of unceratnity, then watch the video below- [VIDEO] UPSC/IAS Prelims 2020 Uncertainty: Change in Strategy and Preparation – 10 IMPORTANT CHECKLIST- By Mohan Sir Founder IASbaba   All the Best IASbaba 

Important Articles

UPDATE: IASbaba’s PRELIMS DAILY STATIC QUIZ and DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ

JOIN – IASBABA’S INTEGRATED LEARNING PROGRAMME (ILP) ONLINE-2021 – With New Paradigms and Surprising Features – BOTH in ENGLISH and HINDI (हिंदी) – ADMISSIONS OPEN!! IASbaba’s ALL INDIA PRELIMS TEST SERIES (AIPTS) and AIPTS+ (Prelims Test Series with Video Discussions) 2021-ENGLISH and HINDI (हिंदी) – ADMISSIONS OPEN!! TLP CONNECT 2021 (Prelims + Mains+ Interview) INTEGRATED TEST SERIES BASED MENTORSHIP Programme and TLP PLUS(+) 2021 MAINS Mentorship Based Programme (OFFLINE and ONLINE)- ADMISSIONS OPEN!! Dear Friends, Every single day we are getting a lot of calls and messages to provide topic wise practice questions on the lines of 60 Day program. As the program has ended, and full mocks are scheduled, 60 Day program cannot be extended. So as promised in the previous post, Rejuvenate your Preparation with IASbaba’s RENEWED and FREE INITIATIVES! We are restarting our DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ initiative, TLP MAINS ANSWER WRITING initiative from tomorrow (25th May, 2020). Also, in continuation with 60 Day initiative to tickle your Grey cells we have come up with a NEW initiative on the lines of our Daily Current Affairs Quiz. This is called DAILY STATIC QUIZ. The program will cover all the topics of static subjects – Polity, History, Geography, Economics, Environment and Science and technology. Details of the program – Daily 5 questions will be posted from static topics. The level of difficulty will be from moderate to difficult and they will be designed in such a manner that you learn something new from the topics that you have already covered. The questions will be in the quiz format so you will be able to answer them directly on the portal. The Detailed Schedule of the program has been shared below. P.S: The Schedule might change, as per the announcement of UPSC Prelims Exam 2020 date. DAILY STATIC QUIZ SCHEDULE -> CLICK HERE Food for Thought- The Three most powerful warriors at the time of adversity are TIME, PATIENCE and DISCIPLINE!   Stay focused. We will be with you! We will keep you engaged! If you are confused about what should be the strategy, way ahead in the time of unceratnity, then watch the video below- [VIDEO] UPSC/IAS Prelims 2020 Uncertainty: Change in Strategy and Preparation – 10 IMPORTANT CHECKLIST- By Mohan Sir Founder IASbaba   Thank You IASbaba

Catharsis -Unlock Your Talent & Creativity: SKETCH by DIVYANSHI BHATNAGAR

ARCHIVES 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 SKETCH by DIVYANSHI BHATNAGAR! Well done, Keep it up !!   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 on the website. We believe each one of you have some hidden talent. It’s time that you explore more about yourselves and remain positive throughout this journey. Make the best use of this opportunity! Thank You IASbaba

Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Being Alive – Inspirational Educative Articles

Being Alive: Accepting all emotions of life and everything life can throw at you with equal-mindedness is the whole essence of being alive in the moment. Being alive in the moment is not to choose between happiness and sadness. If there is happiness, experience it; laugh and rejoice in that happiness. If there is pain and suffering; suffer in that suffering. Both pain and pleasure complement the way of life. You must accept both equally to be able to experience life in its completeness. If happiness is not the highest objective, then what is man searching for? Why does someone climb Mt. Everest? What happiness is he getting from that? What happiness is there in skydiving? There is no happiness in these things. In all this, you are searching for something else. You are searching for some kind of certainty; a moment of bliss that is beyond all pain and pleasure. This is why there is so much addiction to sex, drugs, and alcohol. These things don’t induce happiness in you. They induce only a momentary sense of bliss, which you are craving. What is this bliss? What is this internal certainty? Whether you accept it or not, what you are searching for in everything, is bliss. Bliss is a moment of absolute freedom. It is a moment when you are beyond all the limitations of your mind and body. It is a moment when you are truly yourself. But, you don’t know how to get to this bliss directly. Sex, alcohol and drugs are just a few indirect ways of experiencing momentary bliss. A direct path to lasting bliss is spirituality and meditation. In everything, you are searching for yourself. Your entire life is one long journey into self-discovery. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Meditation Farm and IASBABA.”

Important Articles

TLP CONNECT 2021 - INTEGRATED (Prelims + Mains+ Interview) TEST SERIES Based MENTORSHIP Programme and TLP PLUS(+) 2021 - MAINS TEST SERIES MENTORSHIP Based Programme (OFFLINE and ONLINE)- ADMISSIONS O

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!  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 100INCENTIVE – BASED PRAGRAMMEBABAPEDIASUPER 100 (You have to enrol for TLP 2021 and then fill the form) Last Date to Register 15th June, 2020 TO REGISTER FOR ‘SUPER 100’ -> CLICK HERE Based on the performance in the Test, FREE UPGRADATION will happen to TLP Connect for the TOP 100 Students. An ESSAY and ETHICS TEST will be conducted on 16th June, 2020. Test will consist of 2 Case Studies (Ethics)- 50 Marks and an Essay – 125 Marks. Total 175 Marks. 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. If you want to be part of ‘SUPER 100’, subscribe by 15th June 2020 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 18 Months (1 Year 6 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 = 50 TESTS 24 SECTIONAL TESTS(GS1, GS2, GS3, GS4) 10 ESSAY TESTS 16 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.32,000 + 18 % (GST) = Rs.37,760/- Make Payment for ONLINE ProgrammeMake 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 = 50 TESTS 24 SECTIONAL TESTS(GS1, GS2, GS3, GS4) 10 ESSAY TESTS 16 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.25,000 + 18 % (GST) = Rs.29,500/- Make Payment for ONLINE ProgrammeMake Payment for OFFLINE Programme DOWNLOADS - SCHEDULE TLP Connect ScheduleTLP Plus Schedule SAMPLE DOCUMENTS BabapediaTLP - SynopsisTLP - SynopsisTLP - Approach PaperTLP - Evaluated CopyTLP - Evaluated Copy FEEDBACK BY PREVIOUS STUDENTS TLP - Feedback 1TLP - Feedback 2TLP - Feedback 3TLP - Feedback 4 PROGRAMME FEATURES - IN DETAIL TLP CONNECT 2021TLP PLUS (+) 2021TLP 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-BASEDPROGRAMME, which runs in 3 phases. In Total 18 Months (1 Year 6 months) Programme. Phase 1: July 2020 – June 2021 [12 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 4th July (Saturday) with Prelims Test followed by Mains Test on 5th July (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)= 50 TESTS 24 Sectional Tests GS1, GS2, GS3, GS4 (Based on Basics, Conceptual Understanding + Analytical nature) of 2 hours duration each) 10 Essay Tests(3 Tests only on Philosophical Essays, 3 Tests only on Theme Based and 4 Tests (Philosophical + Theme Based). In total, you will be writing 20 Essays of 3 hours duration each. 16 Comprehensive Mock Tests of 3 hours duration each. 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. Once you understand the art of answer writing in the initial phase, we will move on to the 3 hours Comprehensive Full-length Mock Tests, which are 20 in number!  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. 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. We have planned such that, Mains Tests are over by April (1st Week) and the Prelims Tests continues till the month of June 2021.  So you get close to 3 months exclusive for Prelims Preparation and it syncs with IASbaba’s flagship initiative 60 Day Plan as well.  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. Based on the feedback received from toppers, students, subject experts and faculties we believe that 2-3 months of exclusive preparation is required to clear the preliminary stage of examination. We have planned such that, Mains Tests are over by April (1st Week) and the Prelims Tests continues till June 2021.  So you get close to 3 months exclusive for Prelims Preparation. Immediately after winding up of the Mains Test, our much famed and free initiative 60 days Prelims Programme begins ensuring continuity and integration in the preparation. 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. Along with the regular GS4 Tests, you will have 3 Tests Exclusively on Ethics Case Studies and in 10 Essay Tests - 3 Tests only on Philosophical Essays, 3 Tests only on Theme Based and 4 Tests (Philosophical + Theme Based). You would be writing 2 Essays per Test=20 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.32,000 + 18 % (GST) = Rs.37,760/- Make Payment for ONLINE ProgrammeMake Payment for OFFLINE Programme TLP PLUS (+) 2021 Price: Rs.25,000 + 18 % (GST) = Rs.29,500/- Make Payment for ONLINE ProgrammeMake 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 4th July, 2020 and TLP+ from 5th July, 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: 97556 87426 / 92055 02677 (Please call between 10 am – 6 pm ONLY) Office Address: BANGALORE CENTRE: IASbaba’s TLP Centre 2- No. 1443/1444, 2nd Floor, Above Carzspa, 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

Catharsis -Unlock Your Talent & Creativity: SKETCHING by SOHAN KALLUR

ARCHIVES 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 SOHAN KALLUR! Well done, Keep it up !! Check out some amazing Sketches by Sohan.     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 on the website. We believe each one of you have some hidden talent. It’s time that you explore more about yourselves and remain positive throughout this journey. Make the best use of this opportunity! Thank You IASbaba

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 23rd MAY 2020

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 23rd May 2020 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Rht14 & Rht18: Dwarfing genes in wheat mapped Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-III – Science & Technology In News: Scientists at Pune based Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) have mapped two alternative dwarfing genes Rht14 and Rht18 in wheat. ARI is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology.  Key takeaways  These genes have better seedling vigour and longer coleoptiles (sheath protecting the young shoot tip). Dwarfing genes were mapped on chromosome 6A in durum wheat.  DNA-based markers were developed for a better selection of genes.  Advantages of wheat lines having these genes are: Suitable for sowing under rice stubble-retained conditions and dry environments. Reduce crop residue burning Allow deeper sowing of wheat seeds to avail advantage of residual moisture in the soil under dry environments.  Measures announced by RBI for strengthening the economy  Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-III - Economy In News: RBI announced another set of measures for strengthening the economy recently.  Key takeaways  Repo rate: It is reduced from 4.4% to 4.0%.  Marginal Standing Facility rate & Bank rate: Reduced from 4.65% to 4.25%.  Reverse repo rate: Reduced from 3.75% to 3.35%. States have been allowed to borrow more from the Consolidated Sinking Fund. It is being maintained by state governments as a buffer for repayment of their liabilities. The RBI had announced a special refinance facility of ₹15,000 crore to SIDBI at RBI’s policy repo rate for a period of 90 days. This facility has now been extended by another 90 days. A line of credit of ₹15,000 crore will be given to the EXIM Bank, for financing India’s foreign trade.  The loan facility has been given for a period of 90 days, with a provision to extend it by one year. The maximum credit which banks can extend to a particular corporate group has been increased from 25% to 30% of the bank’s eligible capital base. Important value additions: Repo rate  It is also known as the benchmark interest rate.  It is the rate at which the RBI lends money to the banks for a short term.  When the repo rate increases, borrowing from RBI becomes more expensive. Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate  It refers to the rate at which the scheduled banks can borrow funds overnight from RBI against government securities.  MSF is a very short term borrowing scheme for scheduled commercial banks. Bank rate  It is the interest rate at which a nation's central bank lends money to domestic banks, often in the form of very short-term loans.  Managing the bank rate is a method by which central banks affect economic activity. Reverse repo rate  It is the rate at which the RBI borrows money from commercial banks within the country.  It is a monetary policy instrument which can be used to control the money supply in the country. Consolidated Sinking Fund (CSF)  CSF was set up in 1999-2000 by the RBI to meet redemption of market loans of the States.  Initially, 11 States — Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Uttaranchal and West Bengal — set up sinking funds.  Later, the 12th Finance Commission (2005-10) recommended that all States should have sinking funds for amortisation of all loans, including loans from banks, liabilities on account of NSSF National Small Saving Fund), etc.  The fund should be maintained outside the consolidated fund of the States and the public account.  It should not be used for any other purpose, except for redemption of loans. As per the scheme, State governments could contribute 1-3% of the outstanding market loans each year to the Fund.  The Fund is administered by the Central Accounts Section of RBI Nagpur.  Miscellaneous  Agappe Chitra Magna  It is a magnetic nanoparticle-based RNA extraction kit for use during testing for detection of COVID-19. It uses an innovative technology for isolating RNA using magnetic nanoparticles to capture the RNA from the patient sample. The magnetic nanoparticle beads bind to the viral RNA and, when exposed to a magnetic field, give a highly purified and concentrated RNA. This innovation enhances the chances of identifying positive cases.  SpaceX Demo-2 Mission  On May 27,2020, NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 test flight will lift off for the International Space Station (ISS).  It will become the first crewed flight to launch from American soil since the conclusion of the space shuttle era in 2011. International Day for Biological Diversity  International Day for Biological Diversity 2020 was celebrated on 22 May with the theme "Our solutions are in nature." The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the international legal instrument for "the conservation of biological diversity" that has been ratified by 196 nations. Khudol  The United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth has listed Manipur’s ‘khudol’ (gift) among the top 10 global initiatives for an inclusive fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.  Khudol is a crowdfunded initiative of Ya_All, an Imphal-based NGO. The initiative entails ensuring food supplies and health services for the LGBTQI+ community, people living with HIV, daily-wage earners, children and adolescents. (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNATIONAL/ HISTORY Topic: General Studies 1 & 2: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century  India and its neighborhood- relations. India-Nepal Border issue Context: The inauguration of a road from Dharchula to Lipu Lekh (China border) by India’s Defence Minister over videoconferencing on May 8th 2020. This has now been followed by Nepal’s charge claiming that the stretch passes though Nepalese territory. Did You Know? The Lipulekh Pass links Uttarakhand with China’s Tibetan Autonomous Region. The pass is near the tri-junction of India, Nepal and China Pic Source: Eenadu Significance of the route: The conversion of the trekking route to a metalled road is a boon to both pilgrims and traders. At present, the travel to Kailash Mansarovar takes around two to three weeks through Sikkim or Nepal routes. Lipulekh route had a trek of 90 Km through high altitude terrain and the elderly yartris faced lot of difficulties. Now, this yatra will get completed by vehicles. Additionally, this road follows the traditional pilgrim route for the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra. The Sugauli Treaty The Nepalese kingdom had stretched from the Sutlej river in the west to the Teesta river in the East.  However, Nepal lost the Anglo-Nepalese War and the resulting Treaty of Sugauli, 1816 limited Nepal to its present territories. The Sugauli Treaty stated that Nepal ceded to British the whole of the lowlands between the Rivers Kali and Rapti. The Survey of India maps since the 1870s showed the area of Lipu Lekh down to Kalapani as part of British India. Both the Rana rulers of Nepal and the Nepalese Kings accepted the boundary and did not raise any objection with the government of India after India’s Independence What is the present controversy? The present controversy has arisen since the Nepalese contest that the tributary that joins the Mahakali river at Kalapani is not the Kali river.  Therefore, Nepal now contends that the Kali river lies further west to the Lipu Lekh pass and claims both Kalapani & Susta belong to Nepal By 2007, the Nepal-India Technical Level Joint Boundary Working Group agreed on 182 strip maps covering almost 98% of the boundary, except the two disputed areas of Kalapani and Susta.  Nepal’s reaction has been unusually aggressive towards India Force Deployment: Nepal has deployed its armed police close to Kalapani. The timing and the manner in which it was deployed has raised concerns in New Delhi India’s passive presence: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police is also located in Kalapani since it is close to the India-China border. Indian forces are not there because of Nepal. New Nepalese Maps: Nepal’s actions of authorising a new map extending its territory across an area sensitive for India’s defence, has further complicated the situation Political Opportunism: The controversy has given Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli an opportunity to divert attention about criticism of his own government’s shortcomings China’s Politics: Nepal at the behest of China has objected to India’s initiative as China is bound to benefit by deteriorating India-Nepal relations  Way Ahead The approval of the strip maps by the respective governments (that of the Nepalese Government is still awaited),  The resolution of the differences of opinion over Kalapani and Susta Speeding up the erection of damaged or missing border pillars. Conclusion Compared to what was accomplished between India and Bangladesh, the India-Nepal border issues appear more easily solvable Connecting the dots: China’s Belt and Road Initiative & India’s Neighbourhood First Policy India- Bangladesh Border (maritime & land) dispute resolution ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 2,3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources  Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors  An insufficient relief Context: Union government announced a relief package of Rs 20 trillion, about 10 per cent of the country’s GDP, for the economy in crisis Click here for details Did You Know? The US has committed to the largest rescue package by any country in pure dollar terms of USD 2.7 trillion at an estimated 13% of GDP. Japan has announced a package equivalent to 21.1% of its GDP totalling USD 1.1 trillion Sweden – stimulus equal to 12 per cent of its GDP and Australia (10.8 per cent). Germany has announced a spending of around USD 815 billion, equal to 10.7 per cent of its GDP. Criticism of the relief package The design of this relief package seeks to focus on the supply side, with an emphasis on providing liquidity through lines of credit This is with the aim of minimising the cost to the government. Even in normal circumstances, the speed of adjustment of the supply-side is slow because supply responses take time Also, producers would not wish to pile up inventories of unsold goods Rather it should have focused on the demand side by stepping up government expenditure Difficulties in Agricultural package implementation There is relief for agriculture in the form of a concessional credit line of Rs 2 trillion, but loans are neither automatic or assured Agri-marketing reforms and infrastructure creation are long-term promises.  There is nothing for the corporate sector in manufacturing or services.  The distressed sectors such as airlines, automobiles, hotels, restaurants, and tourism have been ignored.  There is very little for public health, already in a dilapidated state. Structural difficulties of MSME sector The MSME sector, the backbone of the economy that provides 25% of employment, 32% of the GDP and 45% of exports.  For MSMEs, lenders are not always supportive in extending loans, despite government announcement of Rs 3 trillion line of credit for loans without collateral. Also, buyers (central and state governments, public sector firms and the private sector) owe MSMEs as much as Rs 5 trillion.  MSMEs just do not have the resources to pay wages or meet fixed costs on electricity, rent or interest during the lockdown period and relief package does not address this. There is a recycling of ideas or schemes from earlier budgets There is little cohesive focus on stabilisation and revival of the economy in the short-run Insufficient Fiscal Stimulus (government spending) There are 12 estimates by analysts in financial sector institutions, suggesting that the fiscal stimulus is in the range of 0.7 to 1.3% of the GDP Even then the fiscal stimulus’ contribution to domestic demand will be minuscule, given that private final consumer expenditure in India is about 60 per cent of the GDP. Suggestion is Extra Fiscal Stimulus The extra fiscal stimulus should have been Rs 7-9 trillion (3-4 per cent of the GDP) This enlarged fiscal deficit cannot be financed by market borrowing, which would simply drive up interest rates and nip recovery in the bud.  It would have to be financed by monetising the deficit - RBI buying government T-bills & printing money The concerns about inflation and downgrade by rating agencies are often exaggerated given that the entire world is going through similar phase Connecting the dots: 1930s Great Economic Depression Expansionary & contractionary fiscal (or monetary) policy (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 Rht14 & Rht18, often seen in news, are associated with which of the following? Alternative Dwarfing genes in wheat  Newly-discovered Spike proteins of coronavirus  Herbicide resistant gene of rice  Genes mapped in humans that could be used for AIDS treatment  Q.2 Consider the following statements: Repo rate is the rate at which the RBI borrows money from the banks for a short term Reverse repo rate is the rate at which RBI lends money to commercial banks Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate refers to the rate at which the scheduled banks can borrow funds overnight from RBI against government securities.  The Consolidated Sinking Fund should be maintained outside the consolidated fund of the States and the public account.  Which of the above is/are correct? 1  and 2 only 2 only 1 and 4 only 3 and 4 only Q.3 Theme for International Day for Biological Diversity 2020 was:  Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health Celebrating 25 years of Action for Biodiversity Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism Our solutions are in nature ANSWERS FOR 22nd May 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 D 3 B 4 D Must Read About RBI Repo Rate Cut: The Hindu About Digital Currency Plan of China: The Hindu About PMJAY’s success: The Indian Express