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Creative Guidance – You are in control – Inspirational Educative Articles

You are in control: How often have you thought to yourself that you are not in control of a situation? I am sure more than a few times. In fact most people think that they are not in control of a situation most of the time. The feeling of not being in control is a very common feeling indeed. So, why do we feel this way? Are we really not in control is it just a feeling? The reality is almost always that we have control over what is happening within and around us. Very rarely are we in a situation that we absolutely cannot control. How do we know this? The simple way to know this is to recollect a situation when it was next to impossible for you to be in control. When was the last time you totally lost it? I am sure even if you can recollect, it is not very often that you lose complete control. The reason why we feel that we are not in control is because we somewhere deep down want to believe that we are not in control. It is infinitely easy to put the blame on another person or a situation just to escape the pain of taking the responsibility. Very often things go wrong in our lives. But very rarely do we accept that it is our fault. This escapism mentality is what pushes us to believe that we are not in control of a situation. Let us take a simple example of a heated argument with a friend. We almost always at the end of the heated conversation realize that it is our mistake – more often than not. And yet, during the conversation we absolutely believe that what’s happening is not our fault. We purposely push things too far just to prove that the situation is totally out of control. Just think about how many daily challenges of life can be handled easily if only we can take full responsibility for our actions. The moment we take full responsibility for everything that is happening in our lives, we immediately feel in control. Even if a situation is not in control we will try and bring it under control because now we know that knowing or unknowingly we have contributed to the situation. Accepting responsibility is a great quality. It does not make one weak. Accepting responsibility is a sign of strength and maturity. Almost 90% of all our daily conflicts can be easily resolved by accepting responsibility. Instead of trying to control everything that is happening in your life, just try and accept responsibility. The more responsibility you accept, the more control you will have over your life. Almost all internal as well as external conflicts are simply a result of our unwillingness to stand up to ourselves, our intentions and actions. Notice how your mind constantly goes back to situations where it was not your fault just to prove that you are perfect and others are not. This is a common problem of our minds that we need to deal with. Accepting responsibility will help you to gain control over this faulty mind. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Inner-Revolution and IASBABA.”

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 20th April 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 20th April 2019 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Suspension of cross-LoC trade Part of: GS Mains II and III – Centre-State Relations; Security issues; Economy and issues related to it. Context: In previous DNA, we read that Ministry of Home Affairs suspended the cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade in Jammu and Kashmir, citing “funnelling of illegal weapons, narcotics and fake currency” as reasons. The decision is set to impact around 300 traders, and more than 1,200 people who are directly and indirectly associated with the trade on this side. Now in news: Traders and politicians in Kashmir have criticised the government over the sudden suspension of cross-Line of Control trade. Sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs said the government was particularly alarmed by the case of U.S.-origin California almonds, which was not just a violation of the barter arrangement but also was under-invoiced to provide funds to anti-national elements and terrorist organisations in the Valley to fuel anti-India operations. The government will revisit the issue of resuming trade after stricter measures are put in place. Ganga has higher proportion of antibacterial agents: study In news: According to a study commissioned by the Union Water Resources Ministry – Ganga river water contains a significantly higher proportion of organisms with antibacterial properties (called bacteriophages) Bacteriophages are a kind of virus that kill bacteria. In the river Ganga, the bacteriophages were detected to be approximately 3 times more in proportion. International Fleet Review In news: Indian Navy has sent two ships to take part in the International Fleet Review to be held in Qingdao, China. The ships are stealth destroyer INS Kolkata and fleet tanker INS Shakti. Do you know? Pakistan’s Navy is not taking part in the event. The Indian Navy had last held an International Fleet Review in February 2016, in which 50 navies of different countries took part with nearly 100 warships. (MAINS FOCUS) NATIONAL TOPIC: General studies 2 and 3 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. Humanise the law: draft Indian Forest Act Context: Indian Forest Act, 1927 is considered to be unsuitable as its provisions having been drafted to suit the objectives of a colonial power that had extractive uses for forests in mind. In the colonial era, the British diverted abundant forest wealth of the nation to meet their economic needs. While procedure for settlement of rights was provided under statutes such as the Indian Forest Act, 1927, these were hardly followed. As a result, tribal and forest-dwelling communities, who had been living within the forests in harmony with the environment and the ecosystem, continued to live inside the forests in tenurial (land) insecurity, a situation which continued even after independence as they were marginalised. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has finalised the draft Indian Forest Act, 2019 to modernize the colonial era law. Draft Indian Forest Act, 2019 Currently, only 2.99% of India’s geographic area is classified as very dense forest; the rest of the green cover of a total of 21.54% is nearly equally divided into open and moderately dense forest. Therefore, the new law aims at expanding India’s forests and ensuring the well-being of traditional forest-dwellers and biodiversity in these landscapes. It encourages community-led, scientifically validated conservation. Concerns: However, the draft Bill reinforces the idea of bureaucratic control of forests, providing immunity for actions such as use of firearms by personnel to prevent an offence. In other words, as per the new draft, forest officials have been given the absolute authority to shoot tribals for "violation of laws". The draft bill also contains some of the hardline policing approach such as – emphasis on creating infrastructure to detain and transport the accused, and to penalise entire communities through denial of access to forests for offences by individuals. Such provisions invariably affect poor inhabitants, and run counter to the empowering and egalitarian goals that produced the Forest Rights Act. The way ahead: India’s forests play a key role in moderating the lives of not just the adivasis and other traditional dwellers, but everyone in the subcontinent, through their impact on the climate and monsoons. Their health can be improved only through collaboration. Any new forest law must, therefore, aim to – Reduce conflicts, incentivise tribals and stop diversion for non-forest uses. Recognize all suitable landscapes as forests and insulate them from commercial exploitation. Develop partnership with communities on the one hand, and scientists on the other. Connecting the dots: The recent amendments to the Indian Forest Act, 1927 contains some of the hardline policing approach which might invariably affect poor inhabitants, and run counter to the empowering and egalitarian goals that produced the Forest Rights Act. Discuss. The recent amendments to the Indian Forest Act, 1927 is even more colonial and frightening. Critically comment. ECONOMY TOPIC: General studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Jobs in India: The challenge of creating more employment Context: Job creation has become the big challenge for policymakers. The lacklustre performance of Indian manufacturing has prevented the absorption of labour force displaced from agriculture. Although some have found employment in services such as travel, tourism and hospitality, much of these are stopgap arrangements. Labour-intensive manufacturing could have been the most fitting option to absorb the mass labour force. But this did not happen. Why job-creation in manufacturing sector has failed to take off? Rigidities in labour laws preventing easy hire and fire of workers Entry and exit barriers for firms High capital requirement of labour-intensive sector The way ahead: The idea that labour-intensive industries will work without appropriate capital is misguided. Therefore, it becomes fundamental to reassess the capital proportion of labour-intensive sectors so that appropriate finance policies can be designed for their revival and promotion. Infusing appropriate capital into labour-intensive sectors gains primacy for their success in employment creation. A coordinated effort involving industry participation in finalising skill development curriculum, ‘on the job’ training as part of skill development and making learning & development a priority in general will go a long way in ensuring that our demographic dividend can truly be realised. Do you know? Government of India plans to increase the share of manufacturing sector in gross domestic product (GDP) from 16% to 25% by 2022 thereby creating 100 million new jobs. Conclusion: With the right policies, the manufacturing sector can help bring about economic resurgence as it has the highest multiplier effect as compared to any other sector of our economy. Thus, the development of an emerging economy significantly depends on the performance and structure of its manufacturing sector. Connecting the dots: Do you think the manufacturing sector has enough potential to create jobs for the burgeoning labour force in India? Critically comment. In India, 12 million young people enter the labour force each year, and millions transfer out of low productivity agricultural jobs. To ensure that such individuals get gainful employment is a mammoth challenge. Discuss the measures to tackle this challenge. Examine the role of manufacturing sector in employment generation in India. MUST READ Either way, the news is bad for Pakistan The Hindu Half MPs half votes Indian Express Kapu agitation in Andhra Pradesh Indian Express India-Pakistan Talks: Imran Khan wants peace and dialogue Indian Express Saving the Indian statistical system Financial Express

60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019- Environment and Current Affairs (Day 42)

60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 - Environment and Current Affairs (Day 42) 60 Day plan has been published on the website (www.iasbaba.com - Click here). Since we have come up with the 'Quiz Format', it will not be feasible to publish it on the app. For feasibility and getting to know where you stand among your peers (we have a leaderboard which gives your marks and rank) it would be advisable to take the test on the website. All the best. make the best use of the initiative ! Before taking the Test, read the post below, ARCHIVES Hello Friends,  The most beloved 60 Days for UPSC IAS Prelims 2019  has finally begun :) Once again the time has come for the battle (Prelims). And who else than your best companion in the last preparatory phase for UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 i.e 60 days plan. It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.  Hope the message given above makes sense to you all. The productive utilization of this programme demands consistency, honesty, faith and strong determination to be in the process of learning and unlearning. You might not be fully prepared to solve all the questions but the learning and unlearning through these questions will prepare you for the real battle on 2nd June 2019. You have to unlearn your repetitive mistakes, gut feeling on which you mark doubtful questions. You have to learn new things and also those concepts that you were very sure of but somehow because of traps in the option, got it wrong. You have to learn 'how to convert knowledge into marks' (Because most of the times, after ending the exam, you regret making mistakes in known concepts).  Secondly, keep a long distance from following too many things at this point. It will always backfire. Once you are here, put complete faith and follow this initiative along with whatever you were doing. It is very important to consolidate your preparation with many revisions. Simply following many things will leave you in despair. You can cross check this with veterans. Everything that seems attractive is not productive. You should always go for productivity. Be wise! Let us pledge to make it a big game changer (better than last year) in the next 60 days of this plan! Importance of Self - Tracking: Learning from Last Year Last year, aspirants used to type/post their answers in the comment box on a daily basis. There were huge participation and discussion below the test post. Putting answers in the comment box has been very effective to self-track yourself after updating the score. In the end, you can cross check your performance through Disqus profile. It was highly effective in the last edition of 60 Days that propelled aspirants to monitor their performance and learn through discussion. Let you solve these questions with full honesty and write your result in the comment box. Interact with peers to know your mistakes. The importance of this initiative stands time-bound and aggressive reverse engineering to learn the concepts. Many of you must be busy with your own strategy but let us tell you honestly that in the last few months, it is very important to revise and consolidate your learning. Just reading won’t suffice. So, take out a few hours from your schedule and make it a revision exercise. How can you make the best use of it? Be honest to your effort and do not start competing with XYZ aspirants just for the sake of marks. It is more important for you to introspect and check your learning than focusing on others. Try to answer the questions in 25 minutes only.  Do not get into negative feeling that I don’t have enough knowledge to answer these questions. Feel like you are taking the real exam. What would be your response then? The same will be replicated in the UPSC exam. Here, you get marks only and nothing else matters. So, make effort to know the answers to all questions. Do not cheat :P DETAILED MICRO ANALYSIS MATRIX SAMPLE- is given here. You can download this and do an assessment for yourself (the excel sheet must be modified as per this years planning. The provided excel sheet is only for reference).  DOWNLOAD You can copy paste the same format/modify as per your need in Google Spreadsheet and update it on daily basis. Feedback talks about daily test results. Follow-up talks about daily target achieved from sources and the number of revisions to do/done and dates. Sources column is to ensure that aspirants do not run behind various sources and follow the same throughout. Would like to end on this quote:  Either you run the day or the day runs you.  Are you ready? Let's start! Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :)  You can post your comments in the given format  (1) Your Score (2) Matrix Meter (3) New Learning from the Test

RSTV Video

RSTV IAS UPSC – El Nino Effect

El Nino Effect Archives TOPIC: General Studies 3 Conservation, Climate change El Nino is the name given to a slight warming of the surface waters of the Pacific. It is opposite of La Nina, which is a cooling. As the ocean is one of the biggest influences in our weather, both of the phenomena have a dramatic effect on the weather around the globe. Collectively, El Niño and La Niña are parts of an oscillation in the ocean-atmosphere system called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO cycle, which also has a neutral phase. El Nino was discovered far earlier than La Nino, as it had a direct impact on the Peruvian fishermen. They noticed that every three to seven years, in the months of December and January, there would be virtually no fish in the seas. As it was noticed around Christmas time, they named this phenomenon El Nino (Spanish for ‘the baby boy’). What happens ‘normally’, at a time when there is no El Nino or La Nina? The warmest part of the Pacific Ocean is the region near the equator. Due to the spinning of the earth, the prevailing winds flow from east to west. This pushes the warm waters westwards, towards Indonesia. In the east, around the coast of South America, cool waters would normally well up. These waters are rich in nutrients and fish, and provide plenty of food for the Peruvian Fisherman. During a normal year it’s cool and not too rainy along the western coast of the Americas, and warm and wet in the western part of the Pacific. During an El Nino event: But when the trade winds die, two things happen: The wind-forced upwelling that draws cool water to the surface slows down, and the warm water that has pooled up in the western part of the Pacific basin starts to slosh back toward the east. And as the warmth spreads eastward, the trade winds—which are partly controlled by the temperature and air pressure differences between the two sides of the Pacific—get even weaker. So the chilly waters that usually help cool down the South American coast stay trapped deep below the surface, and the winds that would help cool things down stagnate. The prevailing winds across the Pacific weaken, and sometimes they can even reverse and blow the other way. This allows some of the warmer waters to move eastwards, away from Indonesia and towards South America. Easy to explain events: The location of tropical storms shifts eastward during an El Niño because atmospheric moisture is fuel for thunderstorms, and the greatest amount of evaporation takes place above the ocean's warmest water. Waters near the coast of South America are warmer than usual, which makes the weather in the region warmer than usual. This increases evaporation and therefore the region also sees more rain than in a typical year. Because the warmer waters are moving away from Indonesia, the weather here is drier than usual. Difficult events for some: Usually decreases the hurricane activity in the Atlantic Higher global temperatures: During an El Niño, the warmer tropical waters in the Pacific can transfer their energy to the atmosphere. When combined with man-made global warming, this can push global average surface temperatures to new highs. In 2016, Corals, which aren’t great at dealing with either extreme heat or extreme cold, languished in the tepid waters. Stressed by the heat, they started to sicken and bleach, and in some cases die. By the end of the season, vast swaths of the Pacific’s reefs were bleached bone white. The strongest El Niño event that has ever been recorded occurred in 1997- 1998. Its impact was felt in many parts of the world. Droughts hit Indonesia and other islands in the western Pacific, triggering uncontrollable forest fires. Peru suffered deadly flooding. Record-breaking rainfall hit the US state of California, causing mudslides and flooding. Kenya too, was hit by severe flooding. El Nino decreases earth’s rotation rate, the Coriolis force and increases the length of day. (La Nina creates opposite): As it changes the wind pattern, Earth needs a change in speed to conserve its angular momentum of Earth-Atmospheric system. The weak push to Monsoon winds towards India leads to less rainfall or weak monsoon. Rise in prices of commodities (sugar, pulses and edible oil) which leads Government to stock them up and put restriction on exports to avoid the hoarding via black market. This is the case especially in the western regions as the cost of raw materials increases hurting the manufacturing sector. Farmers suffer the most as they have to work on their strategy depending on the drought like situation. Connecting the Dots: What do you understand by an El Nino year? Also explain the mechanism of its occurrence. How does it affect the Indian subcontinent? What is La-Nina? Examine its effects on India’s climate.

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 19th April 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 19th April 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Govt. suspends cross-LoC trade in J&K Part of: GS Mains II and III – Centre-State Relations; Security issues; Economy and issues related to it. In news: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) suspended the cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade in Jammu and Kashmir, citing “funnelling of illegal weapons, narcotics and fake currency” as reasons. The decision is set to impact around 300 traders, and more than 1,200 people who are directly and indirectly associated with the trade on this side. A probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the MHA revealed that trade are being operated by persons closely associated with banned terrorist organisations. And especially after India withdrew the Most Favoured Nation status to Pakistan aftermath Pulwama attack and imposed higher duty, the LoC trade was likely to be misused to a much larger extent. CSIR plans genome sequencing to map population diversity Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Science and Technology In news: In an indigenous genetic mapping effort, nearly 1,000 rural youth from the length and breadth of India will have their genomes sequenced by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The project aims at educating a generation of students on the “usefulness” of genomics. Globally, many countries have undertaken genome sequencing of a sample of their citizens to determine unique genetic traits, susceptibility (and resilience) to disease. This is the first time that such a large sample of Indians will be recruited for a detailed study. Important Value Additions: What is Genome Sequencing? Genome sequencing is figuring out the order of DNA nucleotides, or bases, in a genome—the order of As, Cs, Gs, and Ts that make up an organism’s DNA. The human genome is made up of over 3 billion of these genetic letters. Pic: https://thesequencingcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/seqprocess_blog.jpg Applications of genome sequencing: Forensics: Used in criminal identification since every individual has different genome sequence. It helps to understand and comprehend the internal structure of genes in the DNA. It helps to understand which sequence codes for what kind of proteins. Medicine: The knowledge of sequence can tell you if you have any disease acquired or hereditary. The knowledge of sequence can be used to prepare proteins. The knowledge of sequencing will help to cure many diseases. [which are currently not being solved] Agriculture: Mapping of genome of micro-organism have enabled researches to make it useful for food crops and plants. Do you know? Genome sequencing project is considered to be a boon for mankind. Human Genome Project, a first of its kind was taken up by multi- institutes and took 13 years from 1990 to 2003 to produce a blueprint of the sequence of genes and spaces between genes that make up typical human genome. The human genome sequence of an Indian was mapped during 2009, putting the country in the league of then five others — United States, Britain, Canada, China and South Korea — who had demonstrated similar capabilities. This means the 3.1 billion base pairs describing every function of the body of an Indian are now available for further study and as an important diagnostic tool for predictive healthcare. Devoting over two years on the background work, a team of young scientists from the Indian Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) in New Delhi mapped the genome sequence of a man in his fifties from Jharkhand. The world’s first human genome sequence was completed in 2003 by the International Human Genome Project with scientists from the US, UK, France, Germany, Japan and China. Resource constraints hindered India’s participation in that project. Human Genome Project (HGP) The Human Genome Project (HGP) was a large, international and multi-institutional effort that took 13 years [1990-2003] and $2.7 billion to produce a blueprint of the sequence of genes and spaces between genes that make up a typical human genome. Human Genome Project – Write (HGP – Write) Fast forward to 2016 and another project, called the Human Genome Project–write (HGPwrite), now underway to synthesise a human genome from scratch. The original HGP was a “read” in that it used chemicals and instruments to decipher the genome for the first time. The new project, its proponents say, is to write or build an artificial human genome with sophisticated bioengineering tools. A group of scientists from United States recently proposed an ambitious project named as Human Genome Project-Write (HGP-Write) to create a genetic blueprint or synthetic human genome. The project envisions on the same scale as the Human Genome Project-Read (HGP-Read) which had sequenced human genome in 2003. HGP-Write seeks to reduce the cost of engineering DNA segments synthetically in the laboratory. The potential benefits of HGP-write to India include providing new solutions to diseases like malaria, dengue and chikungunya. The tools, techniques and technologies that are going to be developed through HGP-write will be universally applicable to all organisms, especially at an earlier stage for organisms with smaller genomes (for example, viruses), towards building individual genes and genomes efficiently and in an inexpensive manner. It also aims at improving the ability to chemically manufacture DNA, with one of the goals being to synthetically create an entire human genome. Plea in SC on voting rights of undertrials and convicts Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – Polity; Fundamental Rights; Election and Voting Rights In news: Supreme Court is hearing a plea filed by a law student questioning an electoral law which denies undertrials and convicts their right to vote. The petition highlights how the Section sees both an undertrial and a convicted person equally. The former’s guilt is yet to be proved in a court. A person is innocent until proven guilty by law. Despite this, it denies an undertrial the right to vote but allows a detainee the same. However, a person out on bail is allowed to cast his vote. The plea argued that the provision violates the rights to equality, vote (Article 326) and is arbitrary. It is not a reasonable restriction. Do you know? Section 62(5) of the Representation of People Act of 1951 mandates that “no person shall vote at any election if he is confined in a prison, whether under a sentence of imprisonment or transportation or otherwise, or is in the lawful custody of the police”. The provisions however exempt a person held under preventive detention from this rigour. Article 326 of Indian Constitution: Elections to the House of the People and to the Legislative Assemblies of States to be on the basis of adult suffrage Indians in Libya told to be careful Part of:  GS Prelims and Mains II – Indian Diaspora; International Affairs In news: In view of the worsening security situation in Libya, India asked its nationals to exercise extreme caution and stay in contact with others in the community. The Libyan Crisis (2011 to present) refers to the ongoing conflicts in Libya, beginning with the Arab Spring protests of 2011, which led to a civil war, foreign military intervention, and the ousting and death of Muammar Gaddafi. The civil war's aftermath and proliferation of armed groups led to violence and instability across the country, which erupted into renewed civil war in 2014. The ongoing crisis in Libya has so far resulted in tens of thousands of casualties since the onset of violence in early 2011. Miscellaneous Person in news: Yusuf Hamied Why in news? Scientist and businessman (Cipla chairman) Yusuf Hamied is among a host of Indian-origin experts honoured in the 2019 list of new fellows of the U.K.’s Royal Society. (top U.K. honour) The Royal Society is an independent scientific academy of the U.K. and the Commonwealth, dedicated to promoting excellence in science. Among the Indian-origin scientists elected as fellows this year are microbiologist Gurdyal Besra, mathematicians Manjul Bhargava and Akshay Venkatesh and health experts Gagandeep Kang and Anant Parekh. (MAINS FOCUS) NATIONAL/HEALTH TOPIC: General studies 2 Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health Development processes and the development industry the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders. Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. A manifesto for health Context: In India, health systems are in critical condition and there is significant public discontent over the lack of quality and affordable healthcare. Concerns: In the past five years, The Union health budget has stagnated in real terms and allocations to the National Health Mission do not cover inflation There have been avoidable deaths of scores of children in public hospitals in Gorakhpur and other places that can be ascribed to the lack of material and human resources. Governments have failed to regulate private hospitals There were numerous instances of mismanagement and massive over-charging of patients Ayushman Bharat scheme - An attempt to transform India’s Healthcare Map PM Modi had launched the Ayushman Bharat scheme a year before the elections. The scheme claims to benefit 50 crore Indians Coverage of up to ₹5 lakh a family a year will be provided for secondary- and tertiary-care hospitalization (50 crore beneficiaries) 5 lakh centres health and wellness centres will be established. However, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojna (component of the Ayushman Bharat scheme) is seriously underfunded (current funds being less than one-fourth of required) and will only scratch the tip of the iceberg of healthcare requirements in India. Given this context, India needs a major health policy reboot.   Suggestions by Jan Swasthya Abhiyan Do you know? The Jan Swasthya Abhiyan is a ‘People’s Health Movement’ in the country, which is aimed at establishing health and equitable development through comprehensive primary health care and action on the social determinants of health. It is a worldwide network of peoples' organizations, NGOs, social activists, civil society organizations, health professionals, researchers, etc. As per People’s Health Manifesto 2019 by Jan Swasthya Abhiyan - There is a need to adopt “Right to Healthcare” legislation at the Centre and state levels. This would ensure that all residents of the country are entitled to healthcare facilities. There is a need to develop a system for Universal Healthcare (UHC) and which would require expansion and strengthening of public health services at all levels. Private providers should also be involved, as per need, to supplement the public health system. There is a need to increase the public health expenditure exponentially through taxation. (as current GDP expenditure on health is just mere 1.2 per cent and it is vital to reach 3.5 per cent of the GDP in the next five years). In order to increase staff and infrastructure, strengthen public health services, major reforms are needed. Guaranteed provision of free essential medicines and diagnostics to all patients. There should be a comprehensive health sector human resource policy, which provides upgraded skill training, fair wages, social security and decent working conditions for all public health services staff. The services of all contractual health workers, including ASHAs and anganwadi workers, should be regularised. Community-based monitoring and planning of health services should be upscaled and user-friendly grievance redressal systems put in place to ensure social accountability and participation. Private hospitals must be brought under the ambit of regulations by modifying and adopting the Clinical Establishments Act in all states. There is a need for effective legislation which ensures the Charter of Patient’s Rights, which provides grievance redressal mechanism to patients, the rates for services must be regulated and standard treatment guidelines should be adopted in healthcare institutions. These initiatives must be accompanied by measures to ensure that people with special needs — women, children, differently-abled persons, people living with HIV — enjoy appropriate health services. Traditional social determinants of health such as nutrition, water supply, sanitation and healthy environment must be ensured. There should be plans in place to tackle new determinants like air and water pollution and addictions. Conclusion: Such a paradigm shift towards a rights-based system for universal healthcare, based on massive increase in health budgets and strengthened health systems, is not an unrealistic dream. Connecting the dots: Ayushman Bharat is one of the most ambitious health schemes ever launched in India. What can be the key challenges in proper implementation of this scheme? What do you understand by universal health coverage? Explain the measures taken by the government to achieve universal health coverage in India. Enacting a Right to Health Act and setting up of an independent regulatory authority to manage and monitor the delivery of health care services are the two most important steps in the direction of universal health coverage. Comment. GOVERNMENT POLICY/SCHEMES TOPIC: General studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. Why Ujjwala LPG scheme is a half-baked programme? Context: We know that, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is a scheme of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas for providing LPG connections to women from Below Poverty Line (BPL) households. Under the scheme, five crore (now 8 crores) LPG connections are to be provided to BPL households. PMUY aims to safeguard the health of women & children by providing them with a clean cooking fuel. Recently, the Union government claimed that it has provided over 51 million—51,407,565 at last official count—free cooking gas connections, distributed in standard-sized cylinders familiar to most people in India. However, most households in rural Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh—despite having an LPG connection—have not switched over to exclusive use of gas. What RICE survey says? According to Research Institute for Compassionate Economics (RICE), a non-profit research organization, which surveyed 1,550 households in late 2018 to know their cooking fuel choices – Burning solid fuel for cooking causes high levels of indoor air pollution and this smoke is dangerous. Solid-fuel use not only affects the health of the family that uses it, but is also harmful to their neighbours. Between 2014 and 2018, the region saw 44.2 percentage point increase in households with a cooking gas connection. In fact, over three-fourths of all households in Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh now have LPG connections, and 43% of them reported having received one from the government. But almost all households still own a chulha. As many as 37% of the households reported having used both a chulha and LPG stove the day before they were asked as part of the survey exercise. And about 36% were found to be only using solid fuel for cooking. Reasons: Poverty and high cost of LPG – Since they are poor, and the cost of a gas cylinder or re-filling it forms a large portion of their monthly expenditure, Ujjwala beneficiaries are less likely to exclusively use LPG for cooking. Beliefs and attitudes of people – Over two-thirds of the respondents considered cooking with LPG easier and healthier for the person who cooked. However, over 85% of the survey’s respondents also saw solid fuel as a better option for taste and the health of family members eating the food. Therefore, a household’s fuel use is associated with its beliefs. Conclusion: But the effect of air pollution on people’s health is a scientific fact. By delivering so many LPG connections, the government has finished its job. However, the real goal has not, and it may take a long while before it does. If the Ujjwala scheme is to accomplish its goal, which is the improvement of cooking conditions for women and enhancement of Indian citizens’ health, the government needs to work on changing the people’s attitudes and beliefs. This could be a long-drawn process. Connecting the dots: Does there exist a direct relation of smokeless kitchens with economic development. Discuss. Why having an LPG connection important for woman empowerment? In this regard, do you think Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana can make a difference? Examine. Also discuss its other advantages. If the Ujjwala scheme is to accomplish its real goal, then the government needs to work on changing the people’s attitudes and beliefs. Elucidate. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Featured Comments and comments Up-voted by IASbaba are the “correct answers”. IASbaba App users – Team IASbaba will provide correct answers in comment section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Q.1) Most Favoured Nation (MFN) clause under WTO regime is based on the principle of Non discrimination between the member nations Differential treatment between the locals and foreigners Uniform tariffs across commodities Top status in its strategic dealings Q.2) A massive project to sequence, catalog and analyze the genomes of all eukaryotic species on the planet. The project is Human Genome Project Human Genome Project-write Earth BioGenome project Eukaryotic-Genome Project Q.3) Consider the following statements with regard to Human Genome Project (HGP): Goal of the project was complete mapping and understanding of all the genes of human beings. The potential benefits of HGP include providing new solutions to diseases like malaria, dengue and chikungunya. A group of scientists from India recently proposed an ambitious project named as Human Genome Project-Write (HGP-Write) to create a genetic blueprint or synthetic human genome. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 only 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.4) Consider the below statement with regard to human genome sequencing: India is among the league of countries who have demonstrated the capability of mapping all the genes of a human. The world’s first human genome sequence was completed in 2003 by the International Human Genome Project, in which Indian scientists had also participated. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Consider the following regarding Universal Adult Franchise The elections to the House of the People and to the Legislative Assembly of every State follows adult suffrage Our Constitution which provides for Universal adult suffrage was drafted by a Constituent Assembly that was composed of members elected by restricted franchise The Motilal Nehru report of 1928 advocated unlimited adult franchise and equal rights for women Which of the given statements is/are correct? 1 and 3 2 and 3 1 and 2 1, 2 and 3 Q.6) Article 326 of the Indian Constitution is associated with Bar to interference by courts in certain disputes Universal Adult Suffrage Discretionary power of President Original jurisdiction of Supreme Court MUST READ A struggle to breathe The Hindu Is the Election Commission toothless or is it refusing to bite? The Hindu Coming down from ivory towers Indian Express The enigmatic finances of India’s states Financial Express India’s silent chickpea revolution: How agri-scientists in Andhra Pradesh are resurrecting the crop Financial Express Why a global constitution is an idea whose time has come Livemint

60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019- Science & Technology and Current Affairs (Day 41)

60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 - Science & Technology and Current Affairs (Day 41) 60 Day plan has been published on the website (www.iasbaba.com - Click here). Since we have come up with the 'Quiz Format', it will not be feasible to publish it on the app. For feasibility and getting to know where you stand among your peers (we have a leaderboard which gives your marks and rank) it would be advisable to take the test on the website. All the best. make the best use of the initiative ! Before taking the Test, read the post below, ARCHIVES Hello Friends,  The most beloved 60 Days for UPSC IAS Prelims 2019  has finally begun :) Once again the time has come for the battle (Prelims). And who else than your best companion in the last preparatory phase for UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 i.e 60 days plan. It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.  Hope the message given above makes sense to you all. The productive utilization of this programme demands consistency, honesty, faith and strong determination to be in the process of learning and unlearning. You might not be fully prepared to solve all the questions but the learning and unlearning through these questions will prepare you for the real battle on 2nd June 2019. You have to unlearn your repetitive mistakes, gut feeling on which you mark doubtful questions. You have to learn new things and also those concepts that you were very sure of but somehow because of traps in the option, got it wrong. You have to learn 'how to convert knowledge into marks' (Because most of the times, after ending the exam, you regret making mistakes in known concepts).  Secondly, keep a long distance from following too many things at this point. It will always backfire. Once you are here, put complete faith and follow this initiative along with whatever you were doing. It is very important to consolidate your preparation with many revisions. Simply following many things will leave you in despair. You can cross check this with veterans. Everything that seems attractive is not productive. You should always go for productivity. Be wise! Let us pledge to make it a big game changer (better than last year) in the next 60 days of this plan! Importance of Self - Tracking: Learning from Last Year Last year, aspirants used to type/post their answers in the comment box on a daily basis. There were huge participation and discussion below the test post. Putting answers in the comment box has been very effective to self-track yourself after updating the score. In the end, you can cross check your performance through Disqus profile. It was highly effective in the last edition of 60 Days that propelled aspirants to monitor their performance and learn through discussion. Let you solve these questions with full honesty and write your result in the comment box. Interact with peers to know your mistakes. The importance of this initiative stands time-bound and aggressive reverse engineering to learn the concepts. Many of you must be busy with your own strategy but let us tell you honestly that in the last few months, it is very important to revise and consolidate your learning. Just reading won’t suffice. So, take out a few hours from your schedule and make it a revision exercise. How can you make the best use of it? Be honest to your effort and do not start competing with XYZ aspirants just for the sake of marks. It is more important for you to introspect and check your learning than focusing on others. Try to answer the questions in 25 minutes only.  Do not get into negative feeling that I don’t have enough knowledge to answer these questions. Feel like you are taking the real exam. What would be your response then? The same will be replicated in the UPSC exam. Here, you get marks only and nothing else matters. So, make effort to know the answers to all questions. Do not cheat :P DETAILED MICRO ANALYSIS MATRIX SAMPLE- is given here. You can download this and do an assessment for yourself (the excel sheet must be modified as per this years planning. The provided excel sheet is only for reference).  DOWNLOAD You can copy paste the same format/modify as per your need in Google Spreadsheet and update it on daily basis. Feedback talks about daily test results. Follow-up talks about daily target achieved from sources and the number of revisions to do/done and dates. Sources column is to ensure that aspirants do not run behind various sources and follow the same throughout. Would like to end on this quote:  Either you run the day or the day runs you.  Are you ready? Let's start! Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :)  You can post your comments in the given format  (1) Your Score (2) Matrix Meter (3) New Learning from the Test

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 18th April 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 18th April 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Chenchus The Chenchus are Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group, living in dense jungles spread across Andhra and Telangana. The Chenchus are considered to be the most primitive and one of the two tribes in south India that still largely depend for its survival on food gathering and hunting which are their traditional occupations. The Chenchus speak the Chenchu language, a member of the Dravidian language family. Since time immemorial they have inhabited the forest-clad hills on either sides of the Krishna River, and even today the forests are their true habitat. There is no community in India poorer in material possessions than the Chenchus. They are inveterate forest dwellers, who have, over centuries, steadfastly refused to move out of their woods regardless of the perils of such life. If patriotism be defined as love for the land, Chenchus are patriots in true spirit. Mars base simulator unveiled in Gobi desert Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Science and Technology; Space Missions In news: Mars base simulator was unveiled in the middle of China’s Gobi desert. “Mars Base 1” was opened with the aim of exposing teens — and soon tourists — to what life could be like on the planet. The facility’s unveiling comes as China is making progress in its efforts to catch up to the United States and become a space power, with ambitions of sending humans to the moon someday. The company behind the project, C-Space, plans to open the base — currently an educational facility — to tourists in the next year, complete with a themed hotel and restaurant to attract space geeks. Do you know? As budding astronauts explore “Mars” on Earth, China is planning to send a probe to the real red planet next year. Beijing is pouring billions into its military-run space programme, with hopes of having a crewed space station by 2022. Earlier this year, it made the first ever soft landing on the far side of the moon, deploying a rover on the surface. (MAINS FOCUS) POLITY TOPIC: General studies 1 and 2 Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure. The legacy of Ambedkar Intoduction: B R Ambedkar is regarded as the principal architect of our Constitution. He believed that freedom and democratic values of the people can be protected only when the moral values of a constitution are upheld. Ambedkar also attached great importance to constitutional morality in the working of the Constitution. Below are some of his views on different areas: 1. On the question of whether the President was bound by ministerial advice (whether he could act independently of it or contrary to it) – Ambedkar was of the firm view that “the President could not act and will not act except on the advice of the Ministers. He will never be able to act independently of the Ministers”. Shamsher Singh case – In this case, SC accepted Ambedkar’s above view. 2. On Fundamental Rights and Article 32 Ambedkar was passionate about the guarantees of fundamental rights being appropriately incorporated in the Constitution. He said - guarantees of fundamental rights remain ornamental promises unless they can be judicially enforced. With that objective in mind, the draft Constitution provided that a person can move the Supreme Court directly for the enforcement of his or her fundamental rights without going through the high court. Article 32 - the right to Constitutional remedies to enforce fundamental rights. Commenting about Article 32, Dr. B R Ambedkar said – “If I was asked to name any particular article of the Constitution as the most important—an article without which this Constitution would be a nullity—I would not refer to any other article except this one. It is the very soul of the Constitution and the very heart of it.” 3. On functioning of democracy Ambedkar expressed that if democracy should be maintained, first thing to do is to hold fast to constitutional methods of achieving our social and economic objectives. It means people should abandon the bloody methods of revolution. It means that people should abandon the method of civil disobedience, non-cooperation and satyagraha. Ambedkar felt – where constitutional methods are open, there can be no justification for unconstitutional methods. 4. On religion and politics – Ambedkar warned that Bhakti in religion may be a road to the salvation of the soul. But in politics, Bhakti or hero-worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship. 5. On social justice – Social justice was Ambedkar’s mission. He believed that mere equality on paper was not sufficient. He said if equality in our social and economic life is denied then political democracy will be in peril. Therefore, it is important remove this contradiction at the earliest possible moment else those who suffer from inequality will blow up the structure of democracy which the Constituent Assembly has so laboriously built up. Conclusion: If Dr. Ambedkar was not there in the formation of constitution, then perhaps the kind of emphasis that social justice got would not have been possible. This explains the importance of Dr. Ambedkar. As was his ideas of nation building so strong, so were his concerns about what was following to be there. He had cautioned fellow legislators against the use of non-constitutional methods of protest and was worried about limitless powers provided to the person whom the people worshipped. He also underlined the importance of creating not just a political democracy, but also a social and economic one. He supported the minority rights and opined that there should be solution wherein existence of the minorities are recognized as well as enable majorities and minorities to merge somebody into one. Being a social thinker, political reformer, philosophical writer with progressive ideas, he has been able to bring forward the basic human survival principles. Unfortunately, many of Ambedkar’s hope and ideas have not fructified. Social justice, the signature tune of our Constitution, still eludes us. The struggle for social justice must continue with determination and its achievement would be the best tribute we can pay to one of the greatest sons of India. Connecting the dots: Examine in detail the ideas and ideals of Dr. Ambedkar to make India a modern nation. What is the meaning and significance of a ‘Modern Nation’? Describe the role of father of constitution to make India into one such nation. NATIONAL TOPIC: General studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Sealed disclosure: SC order on electoral bonds Introduction: Electoral Bonds are instruments for the funding of political parties. It was introduced with following objectives: to ensure that the funds being collected by the political parties is accounted money or clean money it will also boost digital transactions However these bonds raises the question about the anonymity-based funding scheme on the grounds that it promotes opacity, opens up the possibility of black money being donated to parties through shell companies and empowers the ruling party, which alone is in a position to identify the donors and, therefore, well placed to discourage donations to other parties. Recent Supreme Court Verdict: The Supreme Court's interim order asks political parties to disclose to the Election Commission in sealed covers, details of the donations they have received through anonymous electoral bonds. The court notes in its order that the case gives rise to “weighty issues which have a tremendous bearing on the sanctity of the electoral process in the country”. However experts claim that it is an inadequate and belated response to the serious concerns raised about the opaque scheme. Analysis of the interim order: It was considered that the time available was too limited for an in-depth hearing. Hence to address the concern about the dangers of anonymous political funding, it directed political parties to have the names, subscriber of Electoral bonds scheme to the EC, albeit in sealed envelopes, until the court decides if they can be made public. However, the order, unfortunately, preserves the status quo, and any effect that the possible asymmetry in political funding would have on the election process will stay as it is. There is some concern that a disproportionately large segment of the bonds purchased by corporate donors has gone to the party in power because the government can know who donated what money and to whom. This donor anonymity may end if the court decides that the EC should disclose the names at the end of the litigation, but the influence such donations would have had on the electoral outcome would remain undisturbed. Given this premise, it could be asked whether the judicial intervention could not have come earlier. However, all it has done now is to ensure that its interim arrangement does not ‘tilt the balance’ in favour of either side. Conclusion: For the last two decades, the Supreme Court has been proactive in empowering voters and in infusing transparency in the system. It has developed a body of jurisprudence that says the electoral process involves the voter being given information about candidates, their qualifications, assets and crime records, if any. Now that there is no stay on the operation of the scheme, the court must render an early verdict on the legality of the electoral bond scheme. The glass is half filled and half empty. We have very precious things in the parliamentary democracy but we also have a very long way to go. Connecting the dots: How can electoral bonds help in redefining the process of initiating electoral reforms? Examine. The need for transparency in electoral funding for a level playing field in elections is a fundamental requirement. Discuss. Also suggest measures needed to address the problem of unchecked money power visible during every election. There has been an impetus on streamlining political funding in India. In this light, discuss the potential of electoral bonds. MUST READ A crisis of credibility? The Hindu The ethical act of voting The Hindu What a community has lost Indian Express Closing the gender gap Indian Express Mining political gold Indian Express The repeal of Article 370 would harm the children of Kashmir Livemint

Topper's From IASbaba

TOPPER’S STRATEGY: An Inspiring Story of a Parent, a Working Professional – SAURABH BHUWANIA, Rank 113 UPSC CSE 2018, IASbaba’s ILP Student!!

Hi Friends, TOPPER’S STRATEGY: An Inspiring Story of a Parent, a Working Professional – SAURABH BHUWANIA, Rank 113 UPSC CSE 2018, IASbaba’s ILP Student!! A real inspiration – MUST READ for all the UPSC Aspirants, especially Married and Working Professionals! I can in no words show my gratitude for the support from IASbaba in this journey of mine of having secured Rank 113 in CSE 2018. I am writing now to ensure that all the Working Professionals who are in full-time job can breathe easily and can be single-mindedly focused at their goal. In fact, I must admit that being in full-time job, at times, inspired me to push myself extra hard in order to ensure that I am ready for the challenge. In no time I will give my background so that it might be easy for you to relate to my situation. I began my preparation when I was approaching 30 (years old), I was married for more than 7 years and was about to be a father in next few months and had no choice but to be in a full-time job at RBI. So, despite these, if I could manage to find my name in pdf, there is no reason for anyone else to do the same. As for my strategy, I was too determined to study minimum 4-5 hours daily on weekdays and 7-9 hours on weekends. I also tried to squeeze some 15 minutes here and there at offices in bunches to be more effective. The time in transit can be used optimally by listening to story-type videos on Modern History or World History. Also, I divided my papers into three tranches - 1. Essay and Ethics 2. GS1, GS2 and GS3   3.Optional papers. I ensured that I am being very regular with 2 and 3 on all weekdays and on weekends and holidays I devoted 2-3 hours on tranche 1. I have demonstrated this to show that a proper plan is very much needed before we embark on this journey. Cost-benefit analysis, not getting bogged down by the syllabus, maintaining mental fitness, curtailing the sources to just enough and remaining firm are certain traits which worked wonders for me. My association with IASbaba was so helpful in the terms that I had to rely on very less material which will be just enough for the examination as I did not have the luxury to go deep in the subjects. PDFs, questions in prelims and mains and a directed approach helped me all through these 2 years to remain focused. For me, there was no choice to keep on compiling notes from various sources and in fact, this worked in my favour. I focused less on reading stuff and instead was working hard on how would I present my answer in the best possible way. I dwelt a lot on solving questions in prelims and doing answer writing practice in mains. For the once who are married, support of their spouses plays a big role in determining the consequences. I did my entire preparation being at home and my spouse took the responsibility as a single mother all this while. The likes of us need to stop comparing with the ones who are doing coaching and studying 10-14 hours a day and instead need to see the positives of being in the job. I was less anxious in mains and interview just because I had a job in hand in case I don't make it to the list. This sense of security cannot be discounted at any cost. In nutshell, all we need to do is to make the most out of which is there at our disposal. Collect all the energies, stay focused, draw a strategy, don't get cluttered with too much material and read and write and read and write. In the contemporary state of UPSC examinations, questions seem to have got more generalized which works in favour of working professional. So, just count on the positives and embark on the journey. All the best! Below is my Detailed Strategy: Background: I am Saurabh Bhuwania and have secured Rank 113 in CSE 2018. My journey to UPSC has a great deal of destiny in it and will need some background. I was born and brought up in Dumka, Jharkhand before I came to Kolkata for further studies. I am a commerce graduate from St Xavier’s, Kolkata and also have completed CA and CS. Even after I did MBA from FMS Delhi in 2015, I was cruising for a career in bank or investment firm. It was my selection in RBI which allowed me a faint thought of preparing for this exam. Joining RBI and coming across so many serious aspirants and at the same time a great deal of self-contemplation helped me figure out Civil services as my prime goal. I was almost 30 when I started and so I can talk on behalf of a person who wants to be a Civil servant and is also in a full-time job, is nearing the deadline age, is married for many years and a father of a child. My first attempt was in 2017 and due to a multiplicity of reasons including lack of writing practice, I failed to clear mains examination. My optional is Commerce & Accountancy. Mistakes in my First Attempt and Learnings: In my first attempt, I was definitely underprepared as it was less than 10 months with a full-time job since I started preparing. But the biggest crime according to me was lack of writing practice. I felt like a novice in the examination hall where I was searching for the right words, structure, balance in answers and also right speed. I was very determined to rectify this in 2018. I did a great deal of writing and even joined a test series for practice. Daily questions of IASbaba were a daily ritual for me. And I also used to read others' answers as a matter of reflection. My General Studies (GS) Strategy: I had to be very smart about these things. I had only 4 to 5 hrs at my disposal on weekdays. I had selected a few books and sources which I'll refer to. I avoided any duplicity just because I need to read more books. UPSC is more about wide coverage and not about research on all topics. I could not afford to make notes but relied a great deal on PDFs of online platforms like IASbaba and Vision IAS. Prelims: Basics have to be covered and practising question-solving (Tests) is super helpful. It helps to develop a knack for eliminating the wrong options. Mains: Write more and read less. I was more mindful of the way I will write an answer whenever I used to read any topic. Most of the times, I used to imagine a question and just roughly write it down on paper. It helped me develop the spontaneity during the exam hall where time is not a luxury. One needs to balance the cost-benefit analysis topic wise and subject wise. In my case, I could not have dwelt much on Art and Culture. But I managed to have a fair idea by watching videos on YouTube and reading online PDFs from IASbaba. So, understanding the significance and ensuring that the preparation is exam-oriented holds the key. My Optional Strategy – Commerce: Commerce was an automatic choice for me. I was a CA and an MBA already and almost entire syllabus was within my reach. I simply focused on relying on my background instead of looking for an alternate lucrative optional. I will also advise believing in your strength and area of interest for choosing optional instead of a trend analysis of marks given by UPSC. Paper 1: For any chartered accountant,  this will not be much of a challenge given the fact that the difficulty level of this paper is not more than PE II exam or B.Com. However one needs to respect the fact that almost everyone who has taken commerce optional is a commerce graduate or have some background in the paper. So it becomes important to emphasize on what UPSC is demanding. There are more theory questions in exams than practical ones which are not usual for a CA student. So being thorough with the theoretical part becomes pivotal. I depended primarily on Ranker's/Topper's notes and also took help from CA PE2 study material. Working on x-factors like structure notes to accounts, diagrams etc might add good value to the answers. Paper 2: It is almost entirely theoretical in nature and for this paper, I depended again on Ranker's/Topper's notes. I also did some work on diagrams, charts, etc to enhance the quality of my answers. Small concise notes can do wonders in this paper given the fact that those last minutes notes can add value to the answers. Time Management – between GS and Optional: This question has to be the highlight of my preparation. My best time management could leave me with only 4-5 hrs of tangible study hours. However, I ensured that be it any festival or family occasion or mild health issues, I won’t lose the momentum. So, consistency holds the key for someone who is starved of time. Even while going for my child vaccination, I could sneak in some prelims questions on the mobile app. This gave me the feeling that I am doing my optimum which helped in keeping my morale high. The balance between GS and Optional is significant because GS normally fetches 40 to 45 per cent marks while Optional have the potential of 60% or more marks. Also, Ethics and Essay, though seem routine, are too technical and marks can improve if one keeps on practising and keeps on getting the feedback. Role of IASbaba in my Preparation: For a novice like me, something as readymade as Integrated Learning Programme (ILP) in 2017 was so important that I cannot stop thanking for. Even in 2018 preparation, I enrolled for the same and also wrote all the questions which were made available for practice. Significance of ILP: In my case, I couldn't afford any coaching which always leads to fear of going directionless while preparing such a myriad syllabus. ILP helped me set targets, maintain sanity in my routine and also helped me assess the level of preparation. Even for revision, I found the Value Added Notes (VAN) very useful for both Prelims and Mains. Within 2-3 months of starting preparation, I had started feeling that I have gained momentum and a lot of credit for that has to go to this program. I stayed very regular with the course structure which was set by them and it helped me remain in the domain of confidence during preparation. My Final Gyan and few tips related to Prelims: Don’t see it as 1-year process and don’t bother about the next process, next day or next anything. Life, if led in small fragments, becomes very easy. I was simply concerned about ensuring my daily target of studying whole-heartedly for 4-6 hrs and never cared about the lengthy process of this examination. Instead of reading or dwelling on bulky motivational quotes, one needs to stay simple and pragmatic. Prelims has become trickier in the last few years. Practising Prelims questions (AIPTS/ILP of IASbaba) is important according to me along with regular revision. Mental health has to be ensured so that the efforts materialise in reality. I was one of the most unlikely aspirants who began preparation at the age of 30. If I could manage to do it with a full-time job and a small kid, so can you! Wish you all the best!! MARKSHEET: MAINS MARKSHEET : PRELIMS Regards, Saurabh Bhuwania

60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019- Geography and Current Affairs (Day 40)

60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 - Geography and Current Affairs (Day 40) 60 Day plan has been published on the website (www.iasbaba.com - Click here). Since we have come up with the 'Quiz Format', it will not be feasible to publish it on the app. For feasibility and getting to know where you stand among your peers (we have a leaderboard which gives your marks and rank) it would be advisable to take the test on the website. All the best. make the best use of the initiative ! Before taking the Test, read the post below, ARCHIVES Hello Friends,  The most beloved 60 Days for UPSC IAS Prelims 2019  has finally begun :) Once again the time has come for the battle (Prelims). And who else than your best companion in the last preparatory phase for UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 i.e 60 days plan. It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.  Hope the message given above makes sense to you all. The productive utilization of this programme demands consistency, honesty, faith and strong determination to be in the process of learning and unlearning. You might not be fully prepared to solve all the questions but the learning and unlearning through these questions will prepare you for the real battle on 2nd June 2019. You have to unlearn your repetitive mistakes, gut feeling on which you mark doubtful questions. You have to learn new things and also those concepts that you were very sure of but somehow because of traps in the option, got it wrong. You have to learn 'how to convert knowledge into marks' (Because most of the times, after ending the exam, you regret making mistakes in known concepts).  Secondly, keep a long distance from following too many things at this point. It will always backfire. Once you are here, put complete faith and follow this initiative along with whatever you were doing. It is very important to consolidate your preparation with many revisions. Simply following many things will leave you in despair. You can cross check this with veterans. Everything that seems attractive is not productive. You should always go for productivity. Be wise! Let us pledge to make it a big game changer (better than last year) in the next 60 days of this plan! Importance of Self - Tracking: Learning from Last Year Last year, aspirants used to type/post their answers in the comment box on a daily basis. There were huge participation and discussion below the test post. Putting answers in the comment box has been very effective to self-track yourself after updating the score. In the end, you can cross check your performance through Disqus profile. It was highly effective in the last edition of 60 Days that propelled aspirants to monitor their performance and learn through discussion. Let you solve these questions with full honesty and write your result in the comment box. Interact with peers to know your mistakes. The importance of this initiative stands time-bound and aggressive reverse engineering to learn the concepts. Many of you must be busy with your own strategy but let us tell you honestly that in the last few months, it is very important to revise and consolidate your learning. Just reading won’t suffice. So, take out a few hours from your schedule and make it a revision exercise. How can you make the best use of it? Be honest to your effort and do not start competing with XYZ aspirants just for the sake of marks. It is more important for you to introspect and check your learning than focusing on others. Try to answer the questions in 25 minutes only.  Do not get into negative feeling that I don’t have enough knowledge to answer these questions. Feel like you are taking the real exam. What would be your response then? The same will be replicated in the UPSC exam. Here, you get marks only and nothing else matters. So, make effort to know the answers to all questions. Do not cheat :P DETAILED MICRO ANALYSIS MATRIX SAMPLE- is given here. You can download this and do an assessment for yourself (the excel sheet must be modified as per this years planning. The provided excel sheet is only for reference).  DOWNLOAD You can copy paste the same format/modify as per your need in Google Spreadsheet and update it on daily basis. Feedback talks about daily test results. Follow-up talks about daily target achieved from sources and the number of revisions to do/done and dates. Sources column is to ensure that aspirants do not run behind various sources and follow the same throughout. Would like to end on this quote:  Either you run the day or the day runs you.  Are you ready? Let's start! Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :)  You can post your comments in the given format  (1) Your Score (2) Matrix Meter (3) New Learning from the Test

Topper's From IASbaba

Kanishak Kataria, Rank 1 UPSC HIGHLY RECOMMENDS IASbaba's TLP Answer Writing Programmme as the Best ONLINE Platform!!!

Heartiest congratulations to Kanishak Kataria, Rank 1 UPSC CSE 2018. The difference in MAINS marks between Rank 1 and Rank 2 is 60 marks, which is no small feat in the race of UPSC Examination which is considered to be the toughest exam to crack. He secured Rank 1, in his 1st attempt. The entire credit goes to his hardwork and determination! On behalf of IASbaba team, we congratulate Kanishak and wish him to reach greater heights in his career. At IASbaba we have a single guideline before starting any initiative “Can we at IASbaba, do the best in comparison to any existing system, can we redefine the way things are delivered”.  Kanishak’s words as 'Iasbaba as the Best ONLINE platform' stands testimony to the efforts and Vision of IASbaba. We are humbled to have such self driven and genuine feedback from Rank 1 himself! As we always say " It's quality that matters , not quantity"  With Iasbaba we always believe in least efforts and high rewards .This has been the guiding force of Integrated Learning Programme (ILP),and C2C -Mentorship Based Answer writing Programme, Think Learn and Perform (TLP).   In the words of Kanishak Katria, the feedback on ONLINE platforms: 1. Unacademy: tried in my 1st month of preparation. Didn't find it relevant for me. Sometimes had a look if I had to find some information. NOT A REGULAR LEARNER. 2. IASbaba: Followed TLP Platform for Answer Writing Practice (AWP) after Prelims. It helped me get into the AWP groove. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND to those who want to get started with AWP. Quality of Questions is good. But feedback is difficult as many peple upload their answers. If you are able to get in touch with 3-4 people, it'll certainly be mutually beneficial. Otherwise you might get a little lost. 3. Insightsonindia: utilised for prelims (as explained earlier). Didn't find Mains answer writing platform relevant for me. Preferred IASbaba more for their quality of questions. 4. ForumIAS: ustilised for prelims and few offline tests at home.     For the Complete Strategy and Notes of Kanishak Kataria Rank 1 , you can join the Telegram channel @Kanishak2018NotesAndStrategy   MARKSHEET - PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION MARKSHEET -  MAINS EXAMINATION