Jun 9, 2020 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 9th JUNE 2020

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 9th June 2020 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) inaugurated for Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-II – Statutory Bodies In News: Union Minister of Personnel & Public Grievances recently inaugurated the Bench of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) for the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.l Key takeaways  CAT Bench of Jammu shall deal exclusively with service matters of government employees.  It would reduce the burden of various Courts. Jammu (UT of J&K) and Srinagar (UT of Ladakh) shall be seats of these tribunals.  Important value additions  Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT)  It is established under Article 323 - A of the Constitution. Mandate:  To adjudicate disputes and complaints with respect to recruitment and conditions of service of persons appointed to public services and posts in connection with the affairs of the Union or other authorities under the control of the Government. Under Section 17 of the Administrative Tribunal Act, 1985, it has the power to exercise the same jurisdiction and authority in respect of contempt of itself as a High Court. It is guided by the principles of natural justice in deciding cases.  It is not bound by the procedure prescribed by the Civil Procedure Code. Salaries, allowances and conditions of service of the officers and other employees are specified by the Central Government. Distinct colour band made mandatory for BS-VI four-wheelers  Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-III – Environment In News: The Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways has issued an order under which distinct colour bands will be compulsory for number plate stickers for BS-VI four-wheel vehicles. A strip of green colour of 1 cm width on top of the existing sticker which carries details of registration for BS-VI vehicles of any fuel type will be mandatory.  Important value additions  The BS-VI emission standards have been mandated with effect from 1st April, 2020. It provides for stricter and cleaner emission norms and are at par with the emission standards being followed across the world. Anonymous: hacktivist group accused of carrying out a cyberattack in USA Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-III - Cyber security  In News: The ‘hacktivist’ group Anonymous has been accused of carrying out a cyberattack on the websites of Minneapolis city and its police department.  The attack made the websites temporarily inaccessible. Important value additions  Anonymous  It is a decentralised online collective with no particular political affiliation.  It protests against causes such as opposing censorship and government control and promoting freedom of speech. It also supported the Occupy movement and Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks. It is believed to include anyone who wants to join.  Its members are referred to as ‘anons’. A signature characteristic of Anonymous is the Guy Fawkes mask, portrayed in the dystopian novel and film ‘V for Vendetta’.  Cyber Attacks tactics used by Anonymous: Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks: hackers swamp a website’s server with data that causes it to crash, making the website inaccessible. Defacement: the target website’s pages are replaced with the hacktivists’ messages and graphics.  Redirection: a change in the chosen website’s address causes its users to be redirected to another page. Doxing: private or sensitive information is stolen,  Destroying data using computer viruses Phishing is used for extracting personal data.  Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China launched to counter China  Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-II - International Relations In News: A group of senior lawmakers from eight countries including the US have launched the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China.  These countries are: USA  Germany UK Japan Australia Canada Sweden Norway Members of the European parliament. It is a new cross-parliamentary alliance to help counter the threats posed by China’s growing influence to global trade, security and human rights. The group aims to achieve the following on issues related to China : to construct appropriate and coordinated responses to create a proactive and strategic approach  Advisories launched on World Environment Day by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-III – Environment In News: Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs recently launched advisories on the occasion of World Environment Day. Key takeaways  These advisories are:  Advisory on Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Advisory on Landfill Reclamation  Draft advisory on On-site and Off-site Sewage Management Practices. These advisories have been prepared by the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO) under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban). These are part of an effort to find and facilitate sustainable solutions to some of the key problems which prevent holistic sanitation and solid waste management.  A toolkit for a communication campaign on faecal sludge management titled ‘Malasur- The Demon of Defeca’ was also released. It aims at heightening the risk perception of faecal sludge. Important value additions  World Environment Day  It is celebrated on 5th June every year. This year’s theme is ‘Biodiversity’. In India, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change held virtual celebrations on this year’s theme with focus on Nagar Van (Urban Forests).  It relaunched a scheme (Nagar Van Scheme) for creating urban forest in 200 corporations and cities because all these cities have gardens but not forests.  The forests shall come up either on existing forest land or on any other vacant land offered by urban local bodies. Wajre Urban forest in Pune, Maharashtra has been developed on a 40 acre degraded land area. It sets right model for Nagar Van scheme.  The urban forests will help in reducing pollution in these cities.  Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) created by RBI Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-III – Economy, E-commerce In News: The RBI has announced the creation of a Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) with an initial contribution of ₹250 crore. It is created to encourage the adoption of Points of Sale (PoS) machines by businesses in tier-3 to Tier-6 centres and Northeastern States.  The POS machines allow businesses to accept e-payments, thereby reducing the need to deal in cash. Key takeaways  The PIDF will be governed through an Advisory Council.  It will be managed and administered by RBI. RBI will make an initial contribution of ₹250 crore which will cover half of the fund.  The remaining contribution will be from card-issuing banks and card networks operating in the country. RBI will also contribute to yearly shortfalls, if necessary. It is being set up according to the recommendations of the report of the committee on deepening of digital payments, chaired by Nandan Nilekani. Most of the POS terminals in the country are concentrated in tier-1 and tier-2 cities and towns only. Other regions have been left out. Thus, there was need to create such a kind of fund for such cities.  Miscellaneous  Airborne Rescue POD for Isolated Transportation (ARPIT) It is designed, developed and manufactured by The Indian Air Force.  It utilises High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) H-13 class filters and supports ventilation using Transport Ventilator.  This pod will be utilised for evacuation of critical patients with infectious diseases including COVID-19 from high altitude areas, isolated and remote places. COVID BEEP (Continuous Oxygenation & Vital Information Detection Biomed ECIL ESIC Pod)  It is India’s first indigenous, cost effective, wireless physiological parameters monitoring system for COVID-19 patients. The latest version of COVID BEEP has incorporated NIBP (non-invasive blood pressure) monitoring, ECG (electrocardiogram) monitoring and the respiratory rate.  Jaya Jaitly Task Force  It is a task force constituted by The Women and Child Development Ministry.  The taskforce will be headed by former Samata Party President Jaya Jaitly. Report is expected to be submitted in July.  It shall examine the issues related to:  Infant Mortality Rate Maternal Mortality Rate Total Fertility Rate Sex Ratio at Birth Child Sex Ratio (CSR)  Any other issues related to health and nutrition Objectives: To suggest measures for promoting higher education among women. To suggest suitable legislations and amendments in existing laws.  Chalk out a detailed roll-out plan with timelines to implement these recommendations. Nasopharyngeal (NP) swab  It is a medical device with stringent specifications of quality, polymer grade, dimensions and sterilization.  It consists of a cylindrical plastic stick with a brush-like tip of synthetic bristles/flocks. Prevention of Human and Animal Mortality on Highways Union Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways recently launched the UNDP national awareness campaign on ‘Prevention of Human and Animal Mortality on Highways’. It aims at generating awareness and education for the masses towards reducing or eliminating mortality on the roads. iCommit The Union Ministry of Power recently launched the ‘iCommit’ initiative on the occasion of World Environment Day. The initiative is a call to all stakeholders and individuals to continue moving towards: Energy efficiency Renewable energy Sustainability to create a robust and resilient energy system in the future. The ‘iCommit’ initiative is driven by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL).  It will also promote key undertakings of Government of India such as National Electric Mobility Mission 2020, FAME 1 and 2, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana etc. KOI-456.04: new exoplanet-star pair found Scientists have found a new exoplanet-star pair having resemblance to the Sun-Earth system. The Planet candidate, KOI-456.04 is similar to the Earth in size and orbit. It belongs to the system of the Kepler 160, a sun-like star, which is believed to have three planets in its system. 163348 (2002 NN4): Giant asteroid expected to pass Earth NASA has announced that 163348 (2002 NN4), a giant asteroid is expected to pass Earth in June at a safe distance.  The asteroid is a Near-Earth Object (NEO) and is classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA). It is classified as a PHA which means the asteroid has the potential to make threatening close approaches to the Earth Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) NEOs are defined as comets and asteroids which are pushed by the gravitational attraction of nearby planets into orbits which allows them to enter the Earth’s neighbourhood. They occasionally approach close to the Earth as they orbit the Sun.  These objects are composed mostly of ice with embedded dust particles. Comets and asteroids are relatively unchanged remnant debris from the solar system formation process over 4.6 billion years ago. (MAINS FOCUS) POLITY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 2: Devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.  Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability The critical role of decentralised responses Context: The novel coronavirus pandemic has brought home the critical role of local governments and decentralised responses What are the issues that plague local bodies that needs to be addressed? Health Delivery: The new normal demands a paradigm shifts in the delivery of health care at the local body level.  Prevalence of Parastatal bodies: The parallel bodies (Ex. District Water and Sanitation Committees) that have come up after the 73rd/74th Constitutional Amendments have considerably undermined authority of local bodies. Multiple oversight bodies have distorted the functions-fund flow matrix at the lower level of governance.  Administrative Challenges: There is yet no clarity in the assignment of functions, functionaries and financial responsibilities to local governments. Functional mapping and responsibilities continue to be ambiguous in many States.  Lack of Politico-administrative Will: The critical role of local governments will have to be recognised by all How resources can be mobilized for Local bodies in the wake of COVID pandemic? 1. Local Finance The Economic Survey 2017-18 points out that urban local governments generate about 44% of their revenue from own sources as against only 5% by rural local governments. Property tax collection with appropriate exemptions should be a compulsory levy and preferably must cover land. Land monetisation and betterment levy may be tried in the context of COVID-19  When they are not taxed, people remain indifferent. All States should take steps to enhance and rationalise property tax regime The share of property tax in GDP has been declining since 2002-03, In India in 2017-18 it is only 0.14% of GDP as against 2.1% in the OECD countries. Municipalities and even suburban panchayats can issue a corona containment bond for a period of say 10 years, on a coupon rate below market rate to increase its funds 2. MP fund scheme MPLADS suspended now and appropriated by Centre must be assigned to local governments, preferably to panchayats on the basis of well-defined criteria. 3. Fifteenth Finance Commission (FFC) The local government grant of ₹90,000 crore for 2020-2021 by the FFC is only 3% higher than that recommended by the 14th FC. For panchayats there is only an increase of ₹63 crore Untied Grants: The ratio of basic to tied grant is fixed at 50:50 by FFC. In the context of the crisis under way, all grants must be untied for freely evolving proper COVID-19 containment strategies locally.  A special COVID-19 containment grant to the local government by the 15th-FC to be distributed on the basis of State Finance Commission-laid criteria is needed now. Further the 13th Finance Commission’s recommendation to tie local grants to the union divisible pool of taxes to ensure a good and predictable source of revenue to LGs (accepted by the then Union government) must be restored by the commission. Conclusion COVID-19 has woken us up to the reality that local governments must be equipped and empowered. Relevant action is the critical need. Connecting the dots: 15th Finance Commission 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Act – Critical Analysis AGRICULTURE/ ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 2,3: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources  Land Leasing – Much needed reform Context: While the slew of reforms announced by government empower the farmers economically, tenancy reform is arguably that ‘last-mile’ intervention that would complement these bold initiatives Agrarian distress in India is due to reasons like Increased frequency of natural calamities due to Climate Change Shocks in farm income triggered by crash in commodity prices  Increasing input cost Inadequate access to formal credit Bad agronomic practices – preference to water intensive commercial crops Informality of land tenure affecting the tenant farmers Did You Know? As per NABARD All India Rural Financial Inclusion Survey (2016-17), All-India, 12% households leased-in agricultural lands. The incidence of tenancy is under-reported as tenancy in most states is not permissible legally. As per 70th round of NSSO Report (2013), the share of small and marginal farmers in the total leased-in land is 52% Why tenancy reform is needed? Inclusiveness: Land tenure security is the cornerstone to achieve broader goals of inclusive agriculture growth. Efficiency: Many empirical studies validate the hypothesis that productivity of leased-in land can be comparable to that of owner-operated land if legal recognition is provided to tenancy. Access to services: Legal recognition and formalisation of land leasing would enable tenants to access credit, insurance and high-yielding input It facilitates a paradigm shift in disbursement of fertiliser subsidy: Formalisation of tenancy helps to switchover from product subsidy to delivery of fertiliser subsidy through DBT. To increase the outreach of direct income support schemes: Rs 18,253 crore has been disbursed to 9.13 crore farmers under PM-KISAN during the lockdown (till May 10). However, it excluded tenants in the absence of authentic and credible database of tenant cultivators Migrants welfare in post-COVID times: Migrant labourers who have returned to their villages during the lockdown may not go back to their host states in the near term. They may prefer to work as tenant farmer and legalisation of tenancy will prevent their livelihoods from disaster Way Ahead – Nudging the States Even though land is a state subject, Centre can nudge States to undertake various reforms:  Unique Opportunity to push reforms: In the 2020-21Budget, Finance minister proposed to encourage state governments to undertake implementation of model Central laws issued such as  Model Agricultural Land Leasing Act, 2016;  Model Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2017;  Model Agricultural Produce and Livestock Contract Farming and Services (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2018.  Leveraging Technology: Computerisation of land records and their updation in all states is needed to have data bank which helps in evidence based policy making Change in Mindset:  Land leasing should be viewed as an ‘economic necessity’ and not merely as a feature of ‘semi-feudal agrarian structure’ Much Needed: Tenancy reform is arguably that ‘last-mile’ intervention that would complement these bold initiatives and enhance the equity and inclusivity of the resultant growth process. Connecting the dots: Contract Farming Green Revolution 2.0 (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 article deals with the Central Administrative Tribunal?  Article 323-A  Article 332  Article 112  Article 234 Q.2 Anonymous group, recently seen in news, is associated with which of the following?  Militant group of Jammu and Kashmir Activist group accused of cyber attacking Hongkong support for Tiananmen Square protests A group helping the migrant workers of India during lockdown Q.3 Which of the following country is not a part of recently launched Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China? Germany USA  Japan India Q.4 Which of the following Ministry of India recently launched iCommit initiative?  Ministry of Health and Family Welfare  Ministry of Environment Ministry of Power Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways  ANSWERS FOR 8th June 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 D 3 A 4 C 5 B 6 C 7 B 8 B Must Read About India-China LAC Stand-off: The Hindu About Monetisation of deficit: The Hindu About need for bold food security measures: The Indian Express

Jun 9, 2020 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 14]

To Know More about the Initiative -> Click Here Archives 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. 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

Jun 9, 2020 PIB

PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU (PIB) IAS UPSC – 1st June to 7th June – 2020

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 1st June to 7th June – 2020 ARCHIVES GS-2 One Nation One Card scheme (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors) Three more states namely - Odisha, Sikkim and Mizoram have been included in the scheme on ‘Integrated Management of Public Distribution System’ (IM-PDS) Under this system nation-wide portability of the benefits under NFSA through “One Nation One Ration Card” plan is implemented to enable the NFSA ration card holders to lift their entitled quota of subsidised foodgrains from any ePoS enabled FPS of their choice anywhere in the country, by using the existing/same ration card after Aadhaar authentication on ePoS device. What is One Nation One Ration Card (ON-ORC)? The scheme seeks to provide portability of food security benefits all across the nation. Families who have food security cards can buy subsidized food from any ration shop in the country.  Ration cards should be linked with Aadhar Number to avail this service.  It was started in mid-2019 with pilot project in 4 states and was supposed to be rolled-out across country by June 2020 However, the government has extended the deadline of March 2021 in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic What are the challenges with ON-ORC? First, the fiscal implications: ON-ORC will affect how the financial burden is shared between states.  Second, the larger issues of federalism and inter-state coordination: Many states are not convinced about a “one size fits all” regime. This is because States have customised the PDS through higher subsidies, higher entitlement limits, and supply of additional items.  Third, the technology aspect: ON-ORC requires a complex technology backbone that brings over 750 million beneficiaries, 5,33,000 ration shops and 54 million tonnes of food-grain annually on a single platform. Learning from GST to resolve above challenges of ON-ORC 1. About Fiscal Challenges – Compensation to States Fiscal concerns had troubled GST from the start Ex: States like Tamil Nadu and Gujarat that are “net exporters” were concerned they would lose out on tax revenues to “net consumer” states like UP and Bihar  Finally, the Centre had to step in and provide guaranteed compensation for lost tax revenues for the first five years The Centre could provide a similar assurance to “net inbound migration” states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka that any additional costs on account of migrants will be covered by it for the five years. 2. Issues of Federalism- Creation of inter-state council In the spirit of cooperative federalism, the central government created a GST council consisting of the finance ministers of the central and state governments to address the issues of inter-state coordination The government could consider a similar national council for ON-ORC.  To be effective, this council should meet regularly, have specific decision-making authority, and should operate through consensus building. 3. Technology Aspect – A special Vehicle for faster implementation GST is supported by a sophisticated tech backbone, housed by the GST Network (GSTN), an entity jointly owned by the Centre and states. The Nilekani-led task force recommended setting up of a PDS network (PDSN)  PSDN would track movement of rations, register beneficiaries, issue ration cards, handle grievances and generate analytics. Such a platform should incorporate principles such as inclusion, privacy, security, transparency, and accountability.  4. Learning from the shortcomings and challenges of the GST rollout. Delay in GST refunds led to cash-flow issues. Similar delays in receiving food rations could be catastrophic Compliance burden for MSMEs during GST implementation. Likewise, PDS dealers need to be brought on board with adequate training Did You Know? Portable welfare benefits mean that a citizen should be able to access welfare benefits irrespective of where she is in the country.  In the case of food rations, the idea was first mooted by a Nandan Nilekani-led task force in 2011.  45.36 crore people or 37% of the population is that of migrant labourers. Discuss: Cooperative Federalism and Competitive Federalism Energising the MSME Sector through entire gamut of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Package' (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors) In the package announcement, the definition of micro manufacturing and services unit was increased to Rs. 1 crore of investment and Rs. 5 crore of turnovers. The limit of small unit was increased to Rs. 10 crore of investment and Rs 50 crore of turnovers. Similarly, the limit of a medium unit was increased to Rs 20 crore of investment and Rs. 100 crore of turnovers. It was decided to further increase the limit for medium manufacturing and service units. Now it will be Rs. 50 crore of investment and Rs. 250 crore of turnovers.  It has also been decided that the turnover with respect to exports will not be counted in the limits of turnover for any category of MSME units whether micro, small or medium. This is yet another step towards ease of doing business. This will help in attracting investments and creating more jobs in the MSME sector. Approval for provisioning of Rs 20,000 crore as subordinate debt to provide equity support to the stressed MSMEs. This will benefit 2 lakh stressed MSMEs. Approval for equity infusion of Rs. 50,000 crore for MSMEs through Fund of Funds (FoF). This will establish a framework to help MSMEs in capacity augmentation. This will also provide an opportunity to get listed in stock exchanges. To provide immediate relief to MSME sector, various announcements have been made under the Package- Rupees Three lakh crore collateral-free automatic loans for MSMEs to meet operational liabilities, buy raw material and restart businesses. Revision of MSME definition to render maximum benefits to the sector; Disallowing global tenders in procurements upto Rs. 200 crores- to create more opportunities for domestic players, And clearing of MSME dues by the Government and Public Sector Units within 45 days. Policy decisions  The scheme for Rs. 3 lakh crore collateral-free automatic loans was earlier approved by CCEA and has been formally launched. Modalities have been worked out for Upward revision of MSME Definition making it more inclusive broad-based providing greater avenues to MSMEs to harness their potentials. Similarly, amendments in General Financial Rules mandating no global tenders for procurement upto 200 crore have been carried out. The new rules have already been issued and effected. This will open up new business avenues for Indian MSMEs. MSME payments to be released within the timeframe of 45 days To further ease the burden on MSMEs, RBI has extended moratorium on repayment of loans for another three months. To manage all this, a robust ICT based system called CHAMPIONS has also been launched by the Ministry of MSME.  CHAMPIONS: Technology Platform to empower MSMEs Stands for: Creation and Harmonious Application of Modern Processes for Increasing the Output and National Strength For making the smaller units big by solving their grievances, encouraging, supporting, helping and handholding Grievance Redressal: To resolve the problems of MSMEs including those of finance, raw materials, labor, regulatory permissions etc., particularly in the Covid created difficult situation; To help them capture new opportunities:  including manufacturing of medical equipments and accessories like PPEs, masks, etc., and supply them in National and International markets; To identify and encourage the sparks:  i.e. the potential MSMEs who are able to withstand the current situation and can become national and international champions. As part of the system a network of control rooms is created in a Hub & Spoke Model. Atmanirbharta in Electronics and IT (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors) A clarion call for Aatma Nirbhar Bharat - a self-reliant India does not mean India in isolation but India as a major country of the world with appropriate technology, capital including FDI and extraordinary human resource contributing significantly to the global economy. With a view to building a robust manufacturing ecosystem which will be an asset to the global economy, there is a need to develop a strong ecosystem across the value chain and integrating it with global value chains. Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing: The PLI Scheme shall extend an incentive of 4% to 6% on incremental sales (over base year) of goods manufactured in India and covered under the target segments, to eligible companies, for a period of five years subsequent to the base year. Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS): The SPECS shall provide financial incentive of 25% on capital expenditure for the identified list of electronic goods, i.e., electronic components, semiconductor/ display fabrication units, Assembly, Test, Marking and Packaging (ATMP) units, specialized sub-assemblies and capital goods for manufacture of aforesaid goods. Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0) Scheme: The EMC 2.0 shall provide support for creation of world class infrastructure along with common facilities and amenities, including Ready Built Factory (RBF) sheds / Plug and Play facilities for attracting major global electronics manufacturers, along with their supply chains. The triology of Schemes entail an outlay of about Rs. 50,000 crore (approximately USD 7 billion) and will – Help offset the disability for domestic electronics manufacturing and hence, strengthen the electronics manufacturing ecosystem in the country Enable large scale electronics manufacturing, domestic supply chain of components and state-of-the-art infrastructure and common facilities for large anchor units and their supply chain partners Contribute significantly to achieving a USD 1 Trillion digital economy and a USD 5 Trillion GDP by 2025. Attract substantial investments, increase production of mobile phones and their parts/ components to around Rs.10,00,000 crore by 2025 Generate around 5 lakh direct and 15 lakh indirect jobs Consultation process for new Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy (STIP) initiated (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors) The fifth S&T policy of India is being formulated at a crucial juncture when India and the world are tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. This is only the latest among the many important changes in the past decade that have necessitated formulation of a new outlook and strategy for Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI). As the crisis changes the world, the new policy with its decentralized manner of formation will reorient STI in terms of priorities, sectoral focus, the way research is done, and technologies are developed and deployed for larger socio-economic welfare. The STIP 2020 formulation process is organised into 4 highly interlinked tracks:  Track I involves an extensive public and expert consultation process through Science Policy Forum - a dedicated platform for soliciting inputs from larger public and expert pool during and after the policy drafting process.  Track II comprises experts-driven thematic consultations to feed evidence-informed recommendations into the policy drafting process. Twenty-one (21) focused thematic groups have been constituted for this purpose.  Track III involves consultations with Ministries and States, while Track IV constitutes apex level multi-stakeholder consultation. For Track III nodal officers are being nominated in States and in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government of India for extensive intra-state and intra-department consultation  Track IV consultation with institutional leadership, industry bodies, global partners and inter-ministerial and inter-state consultations represented at the highest levels are being carried out. The STI Policy for the new India will also integrate the lessons of COVID-19 including building of an Atmanirbhar Bharat (self- reliance) through ST&I by leveraging our strengths in R&D, Design, S&T workforce and institutions, huge markets, demographic dividend, diversity and data Cabinet approves MoU between India and Bhutan on Cooperation in the areas of Environment The MoU will enable establishment and promotion of closer and long-term cooperation between the two countries in the field of environment protection and management of natural resources on the basis of equity, reciprocity and mutual benefits, taking into account the applicable laws and legal provisions in each country. Keeping in view the bilateral interest of both sides and mutually agreed priorities, a Memorandum of Understanding covering the following areas of environment has been considered: Air Waste Chemical Management Climate Change GS-3 President promulgates two Ordinances with the aim of giving a boost to rural India and agriculture (Topic: Agriculture) 1. The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Ordinance 2020: It will provide for the creation of an ecosystem where the farmers and traders enjoy the freedom of choice relating to sale and purchase of farmers’ produce which facilitates remunerative prices through competitive alternative trading channels.  It will promote efficient, transparent and barrier-free inter–State and intra-State trade and commerce of farmers’ produce outside the physical premises of markets or deemed markets notified under various State agricultural produce market legislations.  Besides, the Ordinance will provide a facilitative framework for electronic trading and matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. 2. The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance 2020 Will provide for a national framework on farming agreements that protects and empowers farmers to engage with agri- business firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters or large retailers for farm services and sale of future farming produce at a mutually agreed remunerative price framework in a fair and transparent manner and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. The above two measures will enable barrier-free trade in agriculture produce, and also empower the farmers to engage with sponsors of his choice. The freedom of the farmer, which is of paramount importance, has thus been provided. Agroecology and Natural Farming Could Accelerate Inclusive Economic Growth in India (Topic: Agriculture) Agroecology: Agroecology is the study of ecological processes applied to agricultural production systems. Agroecologists study a variety of agroecosystems recognised worldwide. The field of agroecology is not associated with any one particular method of farming. However, it has much more in common with organic and integrated farming Agroecology impacts: Enhances fertile landscapes,Increases yields, Restores soil health and biodiversity, Promotes climate resilience and  Improves farmers’ well-being Its practices are supported by many agricultural scientists, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), farmers’ groups and several NGOs Natural farming avoids use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, while focusing on reviving the beneficial soil organisms that contribute to fertility and good nutrition of the plants. Experts explained that well-nourished plants lead to well-nourished human beings. Both together can avoid excessive and wasteful use of water, prevent farmer indebtedness, and contribute to mitigating greenhouse gases while supporting farmer incomes and their ability to adapt to climate change. It is based on cutting-edge science of the future that recognises the need for systemic approaches to dealing with complex adaptive systems that are the basis of a healthy natural world. Working with nature, understanding how to do so will help us ‘build back better’ Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana launched in 2015 to promote organic farming among small and marginal farmers has in the last four years covered 7 lakh hectares and 8 lakh farmers. About ‘zero budget natural farming’ (ZBNF): Pioneered by Subhash Palekar, an innovative farmer from Maharashtra The technique replaces fertilisers and pesticides with concoctions of cow dung, cow urine, jaggery and pulse flour, and ensure perfect soil conditions for plant growth. It does so by keeping the top soil covered with crop residues to increase water retention, coating of seeds with cow dung and urine, concoction made of dung, urine, jaggery and pulse flour to multiply soil microbes, concoction to protect plants from pests etc. Is ZBNF useful for the farmers? In 2019 annual budget, Prime Minister stressed on ZBNF that it will be an advantage for the farmers to reduce chemical residue in the soil. It will help the farmers to grow organic products without any chemicals which fetch more prices in the market than the chemically grown produce. Help the farmers to double their farm income. Reduces use of chemicals as there are enough nutrients available to plants by air, soil and water, helps to reduce carbon emission rates. Conclusion More research is required to ensure that natural farming could truly live up to its expectations. The need for innovation, science and technology – the importance of regenerating soils and building on biodiversity as two key elements, along with use of natural inputs readily available to farmers in this knowledge intensive approach. To protect our planet there is need for change in our attitude towards use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Technology can help in changing the way we farm and will enable the poorest of the poor to enhance their nutrition status and livelihoods. It is not man vs nature, but man in nature or man with nature. Humans need to realize their responsibility in protecting other species and nature. We need knowledge-intensive agriculture and the metrics need to be redefined where production is not the only criterion for good performance. It has to include the entire landscape and the positive and negative externalities that are generated by alternative forms of agriculture practices Note: India’s first organic State: Sikkim Discuss: Agroecology-based farming is not regressive, but rather a technology of the future with a traditional idiom. Mindmap:  Zero Budget Natural Farming Organic Farming Major Impact on climate due to extension of Amery Ice Shelf (AIS), NCPOR study (Topic: Climate Change) The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) predicts that there would be a 24% increase in the expansion of Ameri Ice Shelf (AIS) boundaries by 2021 and another 24% expansion by 2026 from its 2016 positions. The prediction made by NCPOR is based on a 16-year-long satellite-based observation that covered an area of 60,000 sq. km across the AIS. Scientists feel that this study would help understand the ongoing changes in the ocean and atmospheric forces better. The floating sheets of ice called the ice shelves play a multi-faceted role in maintaining the stability of a glacier. Ice shelves connect a glacier to the landmass. The ice sheet mass balance, sea stratification, and bottom water formation are important parameters for the balancing of a glacier. Latent and sensible heat processes do play important roles here.  The insulation of ice shelves from atmospheric forcing is dependent on a temperature gradient that the ocean cavity beneath the ice shelves provides. It is the pressure exerted by the ice shelves upon the ocean cavity that determines this temperature gradient. There is always a stress on the sea ice and ice sheets itself plays an indirect role in reducing the amplitude of the ocean swell. This is assisted by the freezing atmospheric temperature, which is capable of promoting a change in the morphology of ice shelves. The AIS is one of the largest glacier drainage basins in the world, located on the east coast of Antarctica, at about 70ºS Latitude, 70ºE Longitude. The AIS dynamics and mass balance help in understanding the changes in the global climate scenario. Aerosol characterization and radiative effects at High Altitude site in Western-Trans Himalayas (Topic: Environment, Climate change) The study can help better understanding the aerosol optical and microphysical properties and improving the modelling of aerosol effects in view of aerosol-climate implications Why is the study important: The atmospheric aerosols play a key role in the regional/global climate system through scattering and absorption of incoming solar radiation and by modifying the cloud microphysics. Despite the large progress in quantifying the impact of different aerosols on radiative forcing, it still remains one of the major uncertainties in the climate change assessment. Precise measurements of aerosol properties are required to reduce the uncertainties, especially over the oceans and high altitude remote location in the Himalayas where they are scarce. The transport of light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosols and dust from the polluted Indo-Gangetic Plain and desert areas over the Himalayas constitutes a major climatic issue due to severe impacts on atmospheric warming and glacier retreat. This heating over the Himalayas facilitates the “elevated-hat pump” that strengthens the temperature gradient between land and ocean and modifies the atmospheric circulation and the monsoon rainfall. A better understanding of the aerosol optical and microphysical properties through the study can improving the modelling of aerosol effects in view of aerosol-climate implications via modifications in atmospheric warming and changes in the snow/glacier albedo over the trans-Himalayan region. Technology CeNS develops low-cost catalyst for hydrogen generation from water Hydrogen can be generated from water and produces water on energy generation without any carbon footprint. Electrolytic splitting of water is a promising method to generate hydrogen but requires energy input that can be brought down in the presence of a catalyst. Hydrogen can be directly used as a fuel similar to natural gas or as input for fuel cells to generate electricity. It is the future energy for a clean environment and an alternative to fossil fuels, underlining the necessity of low-cost catalysts for its production. ARCI develops Rare earth based magnetocaloric material for cancer treatment Magnetocaloric materials can provide controlled heating required to kill the tumor cells Used in conjunction with radiation therapy, the method would reduce the side effects, and also the treatment time IASST develops an artificial intelligence-based computer diagnosis framework for rapid and accurate diagnosis of oral cancers Around 16.1% of all cancers amongst men and 10.4% amongst women are oral cancer. Oral cavity cancers are also known to have a high recurrence rate compared to other cancers due to the high consumption of betel nut and tobacco. The advent of deep learning in AI holds an extraordinary prospect in digital image analysis to serve as a computational aid in the diagnosis of cancer, thus providing help in timely and effective prognosis and multi-modal treatment protocols for cancer patients and reducing the operational workload of pathologists while enhancing management of the disease. Please Note: Cyclones in India in 2020 Cyclone Amphan: East coast – West Bengal, Odisha Cyclone Nisraga: West coast – Maharashtra, Gujarat World Environment Day: 5th June #iCommit initiative: A clarion call to all stakeholders and individuals to continue moving towards energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainability to create a robust and resilient energy system in the future. The pre-requisite for that goal is to create a flexible and agile power system. A healthy power sector can help the nation in meeting the objective of energy access and security for all. Market Integration and Transformation Program for Energy Efficiency (MAITREE): This initiative is a part of the US-India bilateral Partnership between the Ministry of Power and USAID and is aimed at accelerating the adoption of cost-effective energy efficiency as a standard practice within buildings, and specifically focuses on cooling. Prevention of Human and Animal Mortality on Highways: UNDP’s initiative Ethics, economy and ecology are the three most important pillars of our country. India witnesses nearly five lakh road accidents every year, in which about 1.5 lakh lives are lost. Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has identified over five thousand black spots, and the process for their rectification including temporary and permanent measures is being carried out on urgent basis - rectification of Black Spots, traffic calming measures, Crash Barriers, Repairing, rehabilitation and reconstruction of dilapidated and narrow bridges, Road Safety Audit, Reduction of fatalities on vulnerable roads, Highway Patrolling, and Safety during Construction “Eco friendly measures to mitigate impacts of linear infrastructure on wildlife” for making road or any linear infrastructure and take care of wildlife accordingly. Urban Forest scheme to develop 200 ‘Nagar Van’ across the country: On the occasion of World Environment Day, the government announced implementation of the Nagar van scheme to develop 200 Urban Forests across the country in next five years with a renewed focus on people’s participation and collaboration between Forest Department, Municipal bodies, NGOs, Corporates and local citizens. Malasur- The Demon of Defeca: A toolkit for a communication campaign on faecal sludge management which aims to heighten the risk perception of faecal sludge. Conceptualized and designed in support from BBC Media Action, the toolkit has a host of creative outputs in 10 Indian languages along with English. Launch of pan-India Real Time Market in electricity: This has placed Indian electricity market amongst a league of few electricity markets in the world, which have real time market.  Real time market is an organized market platform to enable the buyers and sellers pan-India to meet their energy requirement closer to real time of operation.  Introduction of real time market will bring required flexibility in the market to provide real time balance while ensuring optimal utilization of the available surplus capacity in the system.  It will also help manage diversity in the demand pattern in the country with an organized market at national level. The Government of India’s target of 175 GW RE Capacity by 2022 is driving accelerated renewable penetration pan-India. The real time market would help to mitigate challenges to the grid management due to intermittent and variable nature of renewable energy generation and therefore, help to integrate higher quantum of renewable energy resources into the grid. The distribution companies would be able to manage their power purchase portfolio optimally and need not tie up excess capacity. It would lead to cost optimization of power purchase and serving the consumers with reliable supply as any last minute requirement of power can easily be bought from the Real Time market. Government to conduct skill mapping of citizens returning from overseas With the aim of making the best of our skilled workforce returning to the country due to the ongoing pandemic, the Government of India has launched a new initiative SWADES (Skilled Workers Arrival Database for Employment Support) to conduct a skill mapping exercise of the returning citizens under the Vande Bharat Mission.  This is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of External Affairs which aims to create a database of qualified citizens based on their skillsets and experience to tap into and fulfil demand of Indian and foreign companies. Establishment of Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) as Subordinate Office under Ministry of AYUSH The merger is aimed at  Optimizing the use of infrastructural facilities, technical manpower and financial resources of the three organizations for enhancing the standardization outcomes of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs towards their effective regulation and quality control Facilitating focused and cohesive development of standards of AYUSH drugs and publication of pharmacopoeias and formularies Launch of TULIP - Urban Learning Internship Program for providing opportunities to fresh Graduates in all ULBs & Smart Cities TULIP is a program for providing fresh graduates experiential learning opportunities in the urban sector. TULIP- “The Urban Learning Internship Program” would help fulfill twin goals of providing interns with hands-on learning experience as well as infusing fresh energy and ideas in the functioning of India’s ULBs and Smart Cities. The Government proposes to start a program whereby the urban local bodies across the country would provide internship opportunities to fresh engineers for a period up to one year.”  Such a program will help reap the benefits of India’s demographic dividend as it is poised to have the largest working-age population in the world in the coming years. India has a substantial pool of technical graduates for whom exposure to real world project implementation and planning is essential for professional development. General education may not reflect the depth of productive knowledge present in society. Instead of approaching education as ‘doing by learning,’ our societies need to reimagine education as ‘learning by doing.’ Land of Rising Sun – Arunachal Pradesh A. Geography Dafla, Miri, Abor and Mishmi hills in Arunachal Pradesh are part of the Shivalik range. Shivaliks are known by different names in different areas. They are called  Jammu Hills in Jammu  Dafla, Miri, Abor and Mishmi hills in Arunachal Pradesh.  Dhang range  Dundwa range of Uttarakhand Chiria Ghat hills of Nepal About Shivaliks: The Shivalik comprises the outermost range of the Himalayas and is called the outer Himalayas. It assumes a HogBack appearance due to its steep slopes. It runs almost parallel to lesser Himalayas for a distance of about 2400 kms from the Potwar Plateau to the Brahmaputra valley. The width of the Shivaliks varies from 50 kms in Himachal Pradesh to less than 15 kms in Arunachal Pradesh. The Shivaliks have been formed of sands, gravels and conglomerates of the MidPleistocene period. Name of the passes: Bom Di La, Dihang Pass, Yonggyap Pass, Dipher Pass, Kumjawng Pass, Hpungan Pass, Chankan Pass River Brahmaputra enters India in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh where it is known as the Siang river or Dihang locally. B. School Categorisation by Arunachal Pradesh: In Arunachal Pradesh, State where teacher absenteeism has been a major issue in the public education system, schools will be marked ‘hard’, ‘soft’ and ‘medium’-— based on topography, accessibility and degrees of difficulty in staying at the place of posting Geography, lack of infrastructure and reluctance of teachers to work beyond their comfort zones are the reasons for this categorisation According to new teachers posting policy:  All new recruits will be given a hard posting for a mandatory three years, inclusive of their probation period The next five years will be in schools with levels of medium difficulty, followed by posting in soft schools. This ensures need-based distribution of teachers to protect the academic interest of students and optimise job satisfaction among the teachers in a free and transparent manner C. Tribal rituals for lockdown In News: Various tribal communities of Arunachal Pradesh performed rituals to observe lockdown in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.  Key takeaways: Arr-Rinam was performed by the Galos community.  The Adi community performed Motor ritual.  The Nyishi community observed Arrue involving self-quarantine.  Galos community They belong to the Tani group inhabiting Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, besides Tibet. Only the Galos maintain genealogy through given names. The Galos perform Popir dance.  They have been recognized as a Scheduled Tribe under the constitution.  Adi community They are one of the most populous groups of indigenous peoples in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.  Their prime festivals are Aran, Donggin , Solung, and Etor. The majority of Adi traditionally follow Donyi-Polo religion.  Nyishi community It is the largest ethnic group in Arunachal Pradesh.  The Nyishi language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family.  Polygyny is prevalent among the Nyishi.  D. Chakma and Hajong  The Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) has directed the Arunachal Pradesh government to include the Chakma and Hajong communities in the COVID-19 relief programme. The Chakmas and Hajongs are ethnic people.  Chakmas are predominantly Buddhists while Hajongs are Hindus. They were inhabitants of the Chittagong Hill Tracts of erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) who migrated to India due to: Submergence of their land by the Kaptai dam on the Karnaphuli River in the 1960s. Religious persecution they faced in East Pakistan as they were non-Muslims. The Indian government set up relief camps in Arunachal Pradesh and a majority of them continue to live there even after 50 years. E. ‘Tawang Monastery’:  Located in Arunachal Pradesh, it is the largest monastery in India and second largest in the world after the Potala Palace in Lhasa.  It was founded in 1680-81, by a monk named Merag Lodre Gyatso of the Gelug sect after the 4th Dalai Lama gave him a painting of goddess Palden Lhamo to be kept in the monastery.  An 8-metre high gilded statue of Lord Buddha dominates the sanctum of the monastery. It belongs to the Gelug school of Mahayana Buddhism and had a religious association with Drepung Monastery of Lhasa. The library of the monastery has valuable old scriptures, mainly Kangyur and Tengyur. F. Environment and Ecology: A new species of green pit viper has been discovered in Arunachal Pradesh recently which was named Trimeresurus Salazar. They are distinguished by their heat-sensing pit organs between the eye and the nostril It has been collected from the Pakke Tiger Reserve in Pakke-Kessang district in Arunachal Pradesh. Lies in the foothills of the eastern Himalaya in the East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. It is also known as Pakhui Tiger Reserve. Falls within the Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot.  Known for its amazing sightings of four resident hornbill species. India is home to nine species of hornbills. Three of them, the wreathed hornbill (Aceros undulatus), the brown hornbill (Anorrhinus austeni) and the Rufous-necked hornbill (Aceros nipalensis) great hornbill is the state bird of Arunachal Pradesh and Kerala.  It is ‘vulnerable’ under the IUCN Red list. Hornbill festival celebrated in Nagaland is named after the bird – Hornbill which is the most revered and admired bird for the Nagas. G. Decision on Dibang Multipurpose Project postponed In News: The Forest Advisory Committee (FEC), has once again deferred (postpone) its decision on Dibang project in Arunachal Pradesh. The project has been delayed for over six years because it requires diverting 1,165 hectares of forest which is rich in biodiversity. Dibang Multipurpose Project It is located on river Dibang, in Lower Dibang Valley District of Arunachal Pradesh. The project shall generate 2, 880 MW power.  This is the largest ever Hydro Electric Project to be constructed in India. The dam will be Concrete Gravity Dam.  Forest Advisory Committee (FEC): It is the apex body of the Environment Ministry responsible for deciding whether forest land can be diverted for industrial projects.  ESSAY TOPIC: Catalyzing Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) in India

Jun 9, 2020 Motivational Articles

[MOTIVATION] UPSC Prelims 2020 Extended: What Does It Mean and What Should You Be Doing?

Dear Friends,   Humans are shaped by circumstances. Often, the circumstances are beyond our control. Humans may have developed an arrogance that makes them believe that they can control their milieu and that their control over the environment is insurmountable. However, this notion goes for a toss as and when the fury of nature brings with it the devastations that we have no control over. We become helpless spectators. Having said that, there is is one thing quite remarkable about humans. They can be helpless sometimes but never hopeless. Even in the hardest of circumstances, humans have the tenacity to innovate and keep going. This is what makes us remarkable. This is what we must remember today.  With the extension of the Civil Services Preliminary (CSP) examination to 4th Oct, we are observing three types of responses.  The HAPPY lot: Many students are happy. They think they have got 4 more months to prepare for prelims. They were somewhat ambivalent about their current level of preparation. Therefore, the extension has come as a blessing in disguise for them. They will prepare harder for the next 4 months and appear in the examination with higher levels of confidence on the 4th of Oct, provided the dates don’t get extended further. But it also means that even the others would be more prepared. Will it not increase the competition further?   The SAD lot: These are people who were ready to go on 30th May. Their preparation was on full throttle and they were confident of clearing Prelims. However, with the extension, they are thinking that they have lost their edge over others. Their preparation has reached a plateau now and therefore after 4 months, they will face stiffer competition. This lot has other categories of people as well. For example, the ones who were preparing while working full time. They had taken leave for the examination and now their bosses are ringing them up to join the office. The momentum that they had gathered for the past few months is now gone. Since they have to join their work back, will they be able to compete with the highly focussed group on 4th Oct? These thoughts must be giving them sleepless nights.  The INDIFFERENT lot: These are candidates who were either planning to appear next year or were planning to appear this year for fun and take the “feel” of examination! They are like the birdwatchers in a park. It doesn’t matter if Prelims gets extended. They have their eyes on 2021. But in this indifferent lot, there is a small bunch of sincere candidates who are getting paranoid by a distant but scary possibility. What if Prelims gets extended further and UPSC decides to combine CSE 2020 with CSE 2021? It is very much possible. After all, Bihar used to conduct the examination for 4-5 years combined! If that happens, imagine the level of competition.  It doesn’t matter which lot do you belong to. You will have your insecurities and feelings. The very objective of talking about the spectrum of feelings and all possible futures of CSP 2020 is to put across a simple point- Don’t Worry! If you have no control over the circumstances, the best you can do is to bring the focus back on yourself.  This extension has given you the golden opportunity to do all the course corrections that you wanted to do initially. This course correction has to be done keeping in mind that the Mains examination might happen within sooner than the usual. Since UPSC must be aware that they will have another cycle of examination in 2021, they will try to stick to the timeframe.   Let us simplify it: If you are underprepared today, utilize this time well to cover the topics that you are not confident in. However, keep an eye on Mains. For example, you can divide your preparation time into two chunks- invest 70% on preparing for Prelims and the remaining 30% on Mains. While you are preparing for Prelims, don’t forget that you might have lesser time after Prelims to prepare for Mains. Keep writing at least 3-4 answers daily. You can also focus on those areas that are common to Prelims and Mains both- Polity, Economy, History, Culture, Environment, Science & Tech, etc. What we mean is that in these subjects, you should extend the Prelims concepts and study from the Mains point of view also. It will be really handy after Prelims. If you were ready to appear on the 30th or you had taken leave from your office to prepare, don’t panic with the extension. Just keep revising. Divide your day into two parts. In the first, revise the Prelims concepts and in the second, prepare for Mains. A daily revision schedule will ensure that you will never lose your edge over others. It is important to invest more time in Mains preparation, at least during June, July, and August. In September, you can turn your focus completely on Prelims.   We are all affected by the pandemic, albeit to different extents. What we must realize is that the ongoing crisis is teaching us a lot of things. It is teaching us to face adversity and uncertainty at the same time. It is making us learn the art of adapting to changing circumstances. It is making us appreciate the virtues of gratitude and empathy. In the entire scheme of things that shape your life, the Civil Services Examination is an important but small factor. However, what you are learning during this process will go a long way in shaping you into a well-rounded individual.  Therefore, accept things as they come to you and get ready for the future. Remember the quote by Albert Einstein- “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change”.   To keep your Preparation more Focused for the next 4 months, we have launched a NEW INITIATIVE- [UPSC 2020 – STRATEGY]: IASbaba’s INTEGRATED REVISION PLAN (IRP) 2020 – Road Map for the next 100 Days! FREE INITIATIVE! P.S: IRP 2020 will be starting from tomorrow (10th June, 2020)   All the Best IASbaba Team 

Jun 9, 2020 TLP Mains 2020

IASbaba's TLP 2020: UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies) - High Ordered Thinking (HOT) Questions [Day 14]

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 14]. 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 Each Question (Link), it will open in a new tab and then Answer respective questions! 1. The mass exodus of migrant labourers and the resulting economic slump have brought in focus the need to create robust institutions that can handle such crises with more deft and compassion. Discuss.  2. What are the emerging geopolitical challenges for India during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic? How its India handling it? Examine.  3. With favourable tropical geography, huge domestic demand, and high export potential, India can be a world leader in the field of tapping and utilising solar energy. Do you agree? What are the challenges? Discuss.  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 :)

Jun 9, 2020 Important Articles

NEW INITIATIVE [UPSC 2020 – STRATEGY]: IASbaba’s INTEGRATED REVISION PLAN (IRP) 2020 – Road Map for the next 100 Days! FREE INITIATIVE!

Hello Everyone, Now that the date of UPSC Prelims Exam 2020 is announced (4th October), you have to change gears and start moving forward without wasting any time. All your energies should be focused towards one single Goal, that is, to get a single digit rank in UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2020. You need to keep that fire burning if you want your engine to carry you forward. In the last post as we promised, we are here with an amazing plan to give you a push till the finish line. The plan is called Integrated Revision Plan (IRP). Integrated because we will be covering your mains and prelims syllabus together. As the date has been pushed to 4th of October, we know that there is a good enough time. Good enough in the sense that it is not enough to start a full fledged mains preparation covering all mains topics but it is too long a time to neglect mains preparation and focus only on prelims preparation. Now the next big question is, how to balance the two? And this is where IRP is going to help you out. The program will run for 100 days starting from 10th of June. Daily 5 current affairs questions and 10 topic wise static questions will be posted in quiz format. Parallel to these prelims questions, GS mains syllabus will be covered. Daily 3 questions will be posted, where 2 Mains (Static) questions will be from the topic similar to prelims portion and one will be from current affairs. This will help you to continue your writing practice and you won’t have to spend extra time in reading something new. This will actually give you a lot of confidence as you’ll see that by the end of it, almost 80% of your GS mains syllabus will be over. Apart from it, it won’t take unnecessary toll on your prelims preparation. Hence you will be able to maintain focus with almost zero distraction. Apart from it, we will be covering complete ethics syllabus. Right now you have enough time to finish ethics syllabus completely. Every Friday, ethics questions will be published for your practice. Ethics is one paper which is taken very lightly by the candidates. But you need to remember that it is also a 250 mark paper and with almost one third of the effort as compared to paper 1, you can score much higher than the other 3 GS papers. Your GS answers will be evaluated and feedback will be provided so that you can improve every single day. We are giving 3 Mains Questions on Daily basis (unlike our regular TLP which has 5 questions) so that every student can actively participate and keep your preparation focused. Last but not the least, now is also the time for you to work on your Essay skills. Every Saturday, essay topics (General Theme Based and Philosophical) will be posted for your practice. It is advised to write at least one essay a week and make structure for 3 – 4 essays.  By the end of this 100 day program, you will be able to cover almost 40 – 50 topics this way. There is a very high probability that you might get a similar topic in exam.   IMPORTANT HIGHLIGHTS OF IRP 2020: IRP 2020 is a Free initiative designed to keep you focused for the next 100 Days! The Program will start from 10th June 2020. It will run for 6 days a week. Sunday is a holiday – you can use this time for Revision and Optional. It covers both your Prelims and Mains Practical Planning- The Daily Schedule comes with Daily Targets and covers both Prelims and Mains Syllabus with adequate time for your Optional Preparation. On Daily Basis - Prelims –5 Current Affairs Mcq’s (Quiz), 10 Static Mcq’s (Quiz). On Daily Basis - Mains – TLP –3 Mains Questions will be posted covering GS1, GS2, GS3. Out of 3 Questions, 2 will be from Static and 1 from Current Affairs. Special Emphasis on GS4 (Ethics) and Essay – Every week (on Friday’s) 3 Questions will be posted. 2 covering Ethics Theory and 1 Question on Case Studies. On Every Saturday’s there will be 4 Essay’s ( 2 each from General Theme Based and Philosophical Topics) SCHEDULE/DETAILED PLAN - > CLICK HERE We will make sure that, 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. Do remember that, "the difference between Ordinary and  EXTRA-Ordinary is PRACTICE!!" Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative.  We will give our 100% and expect the same from you. If you are up for the  challenge comment below with the #100dayschallenge.   MUST WATCH: To get more clarity on - What should be your Preparation Strategy for the next 4 Months? How to make the best use of the next 120 days? Watch this video by Mohan Kumar S Founder IASbaba.   P.S: Make sure that you have revised our 60 Day Plan - The Most Trusted initiative of IASbaba for UPSC Prelims Exam!     For the time being, get yourself engaged with other Important Initiatives running on the website! IMPORTANT UPDATES ON IASbaba: FOR PRELIMS STRATEGY: PRELIMS SIMPLIFIED SERIES (Part 1,2,3): How to crack UPSC PRELIMS- IMPORTANT TIPS & TRICKS (using Common Sense - KCT Approach) by Mohan Sir MUST WATCH – STRATEGY [VIDEO]: PRELIMS  Tips (Do's & Don'ts) from Mohan Sir, IASbaba Founder TOPPER’S STRATEGY (PRELIMS): Muthu Somasundaram, Rank 23 Indian Forest Service (IFoS) 2019, a regular follower of IASbaba -> CLICK HERE   CURRENT AFFAIRS: Beat the Heat of Current Affairs this year (2020) –PRELIMS EXCLUSIVE: CURRENT AFFAIRS CLASSES (12 SESSIONS-By Tauseef Sir): JOIN NOW! BABAPEDIA - One Stop Destination for Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains) -> CLICK HERE   NEW INITIATIVES: NEW INITIATIVE: Prelims 2020: Babagiri-The Game Show (Season 1 Episode 1) CONNECT WITH BABA: IASbaba’s Dedicated HOTLINE for UPSC/IAS Aspirants !! LOCKDOWN & YOU – Catharsis- Unlock Your Talent & Creativity! -> CLICK HERE BRAINSTORMING THROUGH MIND-MAPS! -> CLICK HERE   MUST READ – For Motivation: Do read these articles. Mark the words/lines in your dairy. These very lines can be the driving force’ in the time of uncertainty. The ABCD of Self Management During Crisis and Uncertainty MUST READ: PRELIMS in Testing Times – Don’t Forget the ‘WHY’; IASbaba’s dedicated HOTLINE for Aspirants and Prelims Postponing Rumours [STRATEGY] MUST READ: 21 Days of Lockdown -What to do? Introspect, Ideate and Improve !! Coronavirus: Awareness, Myths, Solidarity and Message to All UPSC Aspirants by Mohan Sir Founder IASbaba   To get Regular Updates from IASbaba, follow- TELEGRAM Channel – https://t.me/IASbabaOfficialAccount YOUTUBE  –  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChvbVdio9Wgj7Z3nQz1Q0ZQ FACEBOOK  – https://www.facebook.com/iasbaba/ Also, SUBSCRIBE to the WEBSITE Below, so that you don’t miss out on important posts!   Thank You IASbaba Team

Jun 8, 2020 Catharsis -Unlock Your Talent and Creativity

Catharsis -Unlock Your Talent & Creativity: POEM by AKSHI SHEKHAWAT & ROSHNI M!

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 POEM by AKSHI SHEKHAWAT & ROSHNI M! Well done, Keep it up !! POEM by AKSHI SHEKHAWAT POEM by ROSHNI M! 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

Jun 8, 2020 Daily Static Quiz

UPSC Static Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba's Daily Static Quiz - HISTORY [Day 13]

To Know More about the Initiative -> Click Here DAILY STATIC QUIZ will cover all the topics of Static/Core subjects – Polity, History, Geography, Economics, Environment and Science and technology. After completing the 5 questions, click on 'View Questions' to check your score, time taken and solutions. Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :)  To take the Test - Click Here

Jun 8, 2020 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 8th JUNE 2020

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 8th June 2020 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) 7.75% savings (taxable) bonds discontinued  Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-III – Economy In News: The Government of India has discontinued 7.75% savings (taxable) bonds, 2018 recently.  Key takeaways  Recently, repo rate (by RBI) deposit rates (by banks) and small savings rate (by the government) were also decreased. Investors were looking for safer investment rather than high returns.  This led to the high demand for such bonds due to which the government decided to discontinue this option.  Only fresh issuance of such bonds is discontinued. Important value additions  7.75% RBI Savings Bonds, 2018 These were issued in 2018.  These were available for subscription to resident citizens/Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) to invest in a taxable bond. These bonds were first introduced in 2003 as 8% GOI Savings (Taxable) Bonds. The interest rate was brought down to 7.75% in January 2018. One bond was of Rs 1,000 each.  The bonds had no maximum limit for investment. The bonds had a 7-year lock-in period from the date of issue.  Premature encashment was permitted to individuals who were 60 years and above. Interest on these bonds is taxable under the Income-tax Act, 1961. Great knots & Indian skimmers: Dredging activity halted at Kakinada coast due to possible threat to the species Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-III – Environment; Biodiversity In News: The Forest Department has directed GMR Energy Limited to stop dredging activity in the Kumbabhishekham mudflat with immediate effect.  It has also ordered the removal of the bund around the mangrove cover on the Kakinada coast, Andhra Pradesh.  The decision was taken after taking into account the threats to the mudflat and the mangrove cover and destruction of the prime habitat of birds — endangered Great knots (Calidris tenuirostris) and vulnerable Indian skimmers (Rynchops albiocollis). Important value additions  Great knots The great knot (Calidris tenuirostris) is a small wader.  It is the largest of the calidrid species.  These birds forage (search for food) on mudflats and beaches, probing or picking up food by sight.  They mainly eat molluscs and insects. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. Their breeding habitat is tundra in northeast Siberia.  They are strongly migratory wintering on coasts in southern Asia through to Australia.  IUCN status: Endangered  Image source: Click here  Indian skimmers It (Rynchops albicollis) is one of the three species that belong to the skimmer genus Rynchops in the family Laridae.  It is found in southern Asia, where it is patchily distributed and declining in numbers.  They are mainly found in rivers or estuaries.  They are very brightly marked in black, white and orange, making them difficult to miss.  IUCN status: Vulnerable  Image source: Click here  Dredging  It means clearing the bed of (a harbour, river, or other area of water) by scooping out mud, weeds, and rubbish with a dredge. It can create disturbance to aquatic ecosystems, often with adverse impacts.  Dredge spoils may contain toxic chemicals that may have an adverse effect on the disposal area.  It often dislodges chemicals residing in benthic substrates and injects them into the water column.  Image source: Click here  Mudflats  They are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers.  A recent global analysis suggested they are as extensive globally as mangroves. They are found in sheltered areas such as bays, bayous, lagoons, and estuaries. Image source: Click here  New National Numbering Plan recommended by TRAI  Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-II – Statutory Bodies & GS-III – Telecommunications In News: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended a new National Numbering Plan to be issued so that a uniquely identifiable number can be provided to every subscriber in India. Key takeaways  TRAI has recommended: Switching to a 11-digit mobile number. Reallocation of mobile numbering resources surrendered by operators who have shut shops.  Prefixing zero for all mobile calls made from fixed lines. Shifting of SIM-based M2M (machine to machine) connections to the 13-digit numbering series allocated by DoT at the earliest. The government should enlist all newly allocated numbering resources for fixed line as well as mobile services every year.  Automated allocation of numbering resources using number management system software to speed up the process of allocation in an efficient and transparent manner.  The mobile number should be changed from 10 to 11 digits only if all the efforts to continue with the 10-digit numbering are exhausted. Presently, adequate availability of numbering resources is threatened because of an increase in the range of services and number of connections, especially in the mobile segment.  Adequate availability of resources is necessary for sustainable growth of the telecommunication services.  Challenges involved in migrating to 11 digits: Widespread modifications in the configuration of switches involving cost.  Inconvenience to the customers in the form of dialing extra digits and updating phone memory.  More dialing errors Unnecessary traffic Loss of revenue to service providers. Changes will be required in the databases of all services which require telephone numbers for identity like financial banking services, e-commerce, government welfare schemes, etc. The Department of Telecommunications administers the numbers for fixed and the mobile networks based on the International Telecommunication Union’s Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) Recommendations.  The management of numbering resources is governed by the National Numbering Plan. Important value additions  National Numbering Plan (NNP), 2003 NNP (2003) provides a set of rules and guidelines for the use and assignment of numbers to telephone services delivered over the public networks. It also describes the assignment of numbers to international services, trunk service, emergency service, etc.  The management of numbering resources is governed by the NNP. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India It was established by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 to regulate telecom services, including fixation/revision of tariffs for telecom services. It provides a fair and transparent policy environment which promotes a level playing field and facilitates fair competition. The TRAI Act was amended to establish a Telecommunications Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to take over the adjudicatory and disputes functions from TRAI. International Telecommunication Union It is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs.  It is the oldest among all the 15 specialized agencies of UN. It is based in Geneva, Switzerland.  It is an intergovernmental public-private partnership organization.  State of India’s Environment report , 2020 released Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-III – Environment In News: The State of India’s Environment report, 2020 was released by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a research and advocacy organisation.  Key takeaways  19 major extreme weather events claimed thousands of lives last year. Internal displacement: More than 50 lakh internal displacements were reported in India in 2019 which is the highest in the world.  Floods, Cyclones - Fani, Vayu and Bulbul, droughts were major factors.  Migrants:  The report also broke down 2011 census data on migrant populations. There were over 45 crore migrants in the country at the time, with the vast majority migrating within their own State. In 2011, new migrants had moved for employment purposes, mostly from rural to urban areas.  "Healthy and Energy Efficient Buildings" initiative launched  Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-III – Energy; Environment; Climate change In News: On occasion of World Environment Day, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) MAITREE program, launched the “Healthy and Energy Efficient Buildings” initiative to make workplaces healthier and greener.  It will address the challenges of retrofitting existing buildings and air conditioning systems so that they are both healthy and energy efficient. Important value additions  Market Integration and Transformation Program for Energy Efficiency (MAITREE) It is a part of the US-India bilateral Partnership between the Ministry of Power and USAID.  It is aimed at accelerating the adoption of cost-effective energy efficiency as a standard practice within buildings, and specifically focuses on cooling. Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) It is a joint venture of PSUs under the administration of Ministry of Power.  It works towards mainstreaming energy efficiency and is implementing the world’s largest energy efficiency portfolio in the country. Miscellaneous  National Career Service Project The Ministry of Labour and Employment has started offering free online career skills training through its National Career Service (NCS) project for job-seekers registered with it. The training will assist the learners in enhancing personality development.  The training module is available in Hindi and English on the NCS portal. National Career Service (NCS) project is a Five Year Mission Mode Project launched by the Prime Minister in 2015. It provides a wide array of employment and career related services to the citizens of India. It is implemented by Directorate General of Employment, Ministry of Labour & Employment. No fees are charged for the registration.  About 1 crore job seekers and 54,000 employers are registered on the portal.  Aditya: India’s first solar-powered ferry  India’s first solar-powered ferry, Aditya, which runs on the Vaikom-Thavanakadavu route in Kerala, has been shortlisted for the Gustave Trouvé Award.  It is the sole entrant from Asia. Gussies Electric Boat Awards were instituted in memory of Gustave Trouvé, a French electrical engineer and pioneer in electric cars and boats. (MAINS FOCUS) GOVERNANCE/ ECONOMY/ SOCIETY Topic: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources  Pandemic and Urbanisation Context: The pandemic has given us an opportunity to reconsider our habitation model Did You Know? Between the year 1 CE and the start of the Industrial Revolution (around the early 1800s), the decadal growth of the global population was around 0.8 per cent However, in the last 180 years, the global population clocked a decadal growth rate of over 11 per cent. Possible reasons attributed to population explosion post the industrial revolution  Concentrated production centres i.e. rise of Cities. London became the first modern city to cross the one million population mark around 1800. By 1960, world had 111 such cities. By 2018, there were 548 such cities in India and China alone. Improved medicine – This increased the average lifespan of humans Technological progress – Electrical, Electronics and Cyber revolutions The era of fossil fuels – which provided vast amount of energy at cheaper cost Relative peace at global levels post WW-II due to emergence of International institutions like UN, WHO & WTO Criticism of present-day Urbanisation Concentrated: The population growth rate has been largely urban and metro-centred.  Requires Heavy investment: Going by present trends, India will build a new Chicago every year to accommodate new urban dwellers. This will require about $2.5 trillion of investment until 2030 Energy intensive: Today, cities consume two-thirds of the global energy consumption  Environmental Degradation: Cities account for more than 70% of greenhouse gas emissions. Increased Population densities. For Ex: The Dharavi slum in Mumbai has a mind-boggling density of 3.75 lakh persons per sq km. Productivity: An average Mumbaikar daily spends 95 minutes commuting between office and home, wasting nearly 10% of his time. Safety issues: Eight people die every day in Mumbai in local train-related accidents, and in Delhi, five people lose their lives in road accidents. The “Domino” effect: In megacities even a minor and local failure is compounded into a catastrophe. In China in 2010, due to some broken cars and road repair work, a minor traffic problem expanded quickly into a massive jam of 120 kilometres Prone to Natural and man-made disasters:  Nearly every hot-spot of the COVID-19 outbreak is a congested urban centre. Unequal in its effects: Congested low-income urban spaces not only bear disproportionate disease burden, they also bear the brunt of air pollution, water contamination and crime infestation Ever-dwindling space and choked infrastructure: UN projected that by 2030, 28 per cent of the world population will live in dense, congested spaces Despite the criticism why megacities are aspired? The advantages claimed for megacities are: Economies of agglomeration  Generation of jobs Generation of new ideas and innovations through multi-disciplinary interactions. However, the above advantages are no longer valid: Once cities expand beyond one million, they start to experience dis-economies of scale with pressure on every urban necessity increasing exponentially  More people means more vehicles, more vehicles mean need for more roads and increased pollution, which mean more hospitals, more energy and more waste Also, these advantages have been largely nullified with advances in digital technologies that have made online interactions numerous, equally rich in content and covering a wider range of disciplines Digitisation has apparently resulted in the loss of cities’ innovative advantage. Way Ahead: Alternative habitation philosophies: - Gandhiji’s model of gram Swaraj APJ Abdul Kalam’s vision of providing urban amenities in rural areas  Nanaji Deshmukh’s idea of self-reliant village development The basis of all these three models is that agriculture, industry and service sectors move in sync for sustainable development, which is in harmony with nature.  Conclusion New technology, the carbon constraint and diseconomies of congestion and density must force us to review our urbanisation landscape. Connecting the dots: Smart Cities mission Chennai Floods in 2016 - reasons S&T/ ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 2,3: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.  Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources  Factory Farming and alternative protein Context: The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought attention to the dietary habits of people, especially the dependence on meat for proteins What is factory farming? Large-scale, industrial animal agriculture for meat, eggs, and dairy is called factory farming It involves raising food animals that concentrates large numbers of animals into confined spaces.  To prevent disease spreading and encourage growth, drug programs such as antibiotics, vitamins, hormones and other supplements are heavily administered to these animals It is also known as intensive animal farming or industrial livestock production Hazards of factory farming Energy Intensive: Our need for animal protein uses vast tracts of land and quantities of water to raise those animals, to graze them, and to grow crops to feed them Global Warming: It contributes more to climate change than emissions from the entire transportation sector.  Environmental Degradation: Factory farming leads to imbalance in ecology causing species loss, and habitat destruction. Health risk: It creates and increases planetary health risks at every scale. These animals are also the sources of viral outbreaks of swine flu and avian flu Unethical: Confining animals in closed spaces usually leads to their discomfort, pain, injuries and distress. This is against welfare of animals and is protested by civil society. Antibiotic resistance: Antibiotic use in livestock may create antibiotic-resistant pathogens which then infiltrate into the entire food-chain. Against Small farmers: Factory farming requires heavy investment on land and machineries so as to achieve economies of scale. Thus, it is biased in favour of corporate players and affects livelihood of small & marginal players Prone to market Shock: These products are dependent on global forces of demand & supply. Hence, a policy change in developed country will impact this industry in developing countries as well. Way Ahead Stimulating research and entrepreneurship in alternative proteins Alternative protein involves making upgraded versions of meat, eggs, and dairy from plant or crop ingredients, or directly from animal cells. These foods satisfy consumers and producers without taking away their choice, because they taste the same, are used in exactly the same way, but are vastly better for planetary health Countries like Singapore and Canada are already making alternative protein a central piece of their food security story, with an emphasis on research, entrepreneurship, and self-sufficiency. (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 Recently, the Government of India has discontinued 7.75% savings bonds, 2018. Consider the following statements regarding the same:  Each Bond was of Rs.1000 each. The maximum limit for investment was Rs.10,000.  Premature encashment was permitted to individuals who were 75 years and above. Which of the above is/are correct?  1 only  3 only  1 and 2 only  1, 2 and 3  Q.2 Consider the following statements regarding Great knots:  These birds are usually found in tundra region of Northeast Siberia.  They usually eat molluscus and insects. They are endangered species according to IUCN status. Which of the above is/are correct?  1 only  2 only  1 and 3 only  1, 2 and 3  Q.3 Indian skimmers, recently seen in news, are accorded which of the following IUCN status: Vulnerable  Threatened  Endangered  Extinct  Q.4 Dredging is an activity of clearing the bed of a river by scooping out mud. Which of the following is/are harmful impact(s) of the activity:  It creates disturbance to the aquatic ecosystems.  The spoils may contain toxic chemicals.  It dislodges chemicals and injects them into the water column.  Select the correct code:  1 and 2 only  1 and 3 only  1, 2 and 3  3 only  Q.5 Consider the following statements regarding Telecom Regulatory Authority of India:  It is a non-statutory body regulating telecom services of India. It has recently recommended switching the mobile numbers from 10 to 11 digits. Which of the above is/are correct?  1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.6 State of India's Environment report, 2020, was recently released by which of the following?  Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change  United Nations Environment Programme  Centre for Science and Environment  Amnesty International  Q.7 MAITREE is a part of bilateral relationship between which of the following countries? India and Nepal  India and USA  India and South Africa  India and Brazil  Q.8 Energy Efficiency Services Limited is a joint venture of PSUs under the administration of which of the following Ministry of India?  Ministry of Environment  Ministry of Power  Ministry of Urban Affairs  Ministry of Finance ANSWERS FOR 6th June 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 B 3 C 4 A 5 B 6 B Must Read About locusts and extremism: The Hindu About COVID-19 tests and its pricing: The Hindu  An article by Vice-President of India on importance of self-reliance: The Indian Express

Jun 8, 2020 60 DAYS PROGRAMME-PRELIMS 2020

[VIDEO]UPSC Prelims Exam 2020 New Date (4th October) – What should be your Preparation Strategy for next 4 months? by Mohan Sir Founder IASbaba

Now that the date of UPSC Prelims Exam 2020 is announced (4th October) . What should be your Preparation Strategy for the next 4 Months? How to make the best use of the next 120 days? Mohan Kumar S Founder IASbaba, gives more clarity on these aspects. IMPORTANT VIDEOS to watch 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 NEW INITIATIVE: Prelims 2020: Babagiri-The Game Show (Season 1 Episode 1) MUST WATCH: UPSC PRELIMS Tips/Strategy (Do's & Don'ts) from Mohan Sir, IASbaba Founder What should be your DAILY SCHEDULE?   Thank You IASbaba