(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Four more sites of India added to Ramsar list as wetlands of International importance. READ MORE
2. Explained: PM Gati Shakti Master Plan that Modi announced on Independence Day READ MORE
3. National Hydrogen Mission launched READ MORE
4. Taliban take Kabul, President Ashraf Ghani flees, America absconds READ MORE
5. Why Modi govt wants to distribute fortified rice & how it will help combat ‘hidden hunger’ READ MORE
6. 6,808 deaths due to hydro meteorological calamities in 3 years: Centre READ MORE

Main Exam 

GS Paper- 1

1. How Can We Understand India’s Fractured Independence? READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Regional identity and being part of the mainstream: The country should be moving toward cooperative federalism, and not coercive federalism READ MORE
2. Revisiting the First Amendment to the Indian Constitution READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. PDS, National Food Security Act, and Covid-19 READ MORE
2. Hunger Amidst Plenty—Tragedy Continues 75 Years After Independence READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. What Kabul means in Delhi READ MORE
2. India-UK: The evolution of a post-colonial relationship READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Driving a 2nd green revolution via agri-biotech READ MORE
2. Strengthening IBC READ MORE
3. Inflation concerns need to be prioritized READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Explained | Where will climate change strike? READ MORE
2. An ambitious climate blueprint READ MORE
3. Deficient rainfall affects paddy, triggers drought fears in Odisha READ MORE

SECURITY

1. The turn in Afghanistan will threaten Indian security READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Gene editing: The future of warfare? READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Has India fulfilled its moral responsibility? The answers to this question are troubling READ MORE
2. The ultimate freedom READ MORE

Questions for MAIN exam

1. ‘Inequality is not inevitable. It is an outcome of the economic system that India has created’. Analyse the statement.
2. ‘Encouraging GM crops is a sure shot to doubling farmers’ incomes and relieving rural distress’. Justify the statement.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• India has moved its gaze away from equality as one of the central pillars of the project of nation-building. It could put our democracy in peril.
• The social inequalities of caste, gender, religion, and region continue to put a disproportionate burden of developmental deficits on marginalised people and communities, including accentuation of economic inequalities as they face the burden of extreme poverty.
• Inequality is not inevitable. It is an outcome of the economic system we have created, which favours a few at the expense of the majority, and the social and political choices we make.
• Reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBC), Scheduled Castes SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) are under unprecedented attack in India. The main anti-reservationist attack is that reservations kill merit.
• The Constitutional idea of merit is derived from Constitutional values such as equality, liberty, fraternity, dignity, social justice, equity, due share and representation as well as the Constitutional ideologies of democracy, secularism and socialism.
• The Constitutional selection and reservation system must be open to all sections of society and should not favour the knowledge or culture of any group over another.
• Encouraging GM crops is a sure shot to doubling farmers’ incomes and relieving rural distress.
• Encouraging home-grown technologies as well and support them with the necessary regulatory steps without any compromise on the science and safety is vital for ‘Doubling farmers’ income’.
• For sustainable growth of any business, social capital through trust and relationships is the necessity of the corporate world in present times.

ESSAY TOPIC

• Inequality is not inevitable. It is an outcome of the economic system that we have created.

50-WORD TALK

• Post-Independence, the project of Indian nation-building is a quest for a free, equal, secular, and just country. This has been the moral trajectory of the nation. As India enters into its 75th year of Independence, it is an opportune moment to ask some fundamental questions about this journey. We must especially examine the paradigm shift India offered to the conceptualisation of democracy by making equality a central tenet of our modern republic.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do a map work (marking those areas in maps and also exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers etc. same applies for the national places.)
• For economy related news (banking, agriculture etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related with various economic aspects, for examples if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing prices rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates etc.
• For main exam related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occurs frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment in your writing.

INDIAN HISTORY

1. SUBHADRA KUMARI CHAUHAN

THE CONTEXT: Google paid a tribute to activist and author Subhadra Kumari Chauhan’s 117th birth anniversary with a creative doodle. With the doodle, the New Zealand-based guest artist, Prabha Mallya, hopes people find the courage to follow their dreams. The doodle shows Chauhan holding a pen – surrounded by several notes, the queen of Jhansi and people taking part in a protest.

ABOUT SUBHADRA KUMARI CHAUHAN

• Subhadra Kumari authored a number of works in Hindi poetry, with Jhansi ki Rani being her most famous composition. The poem, which describes the life of Rani Lakshmi Bai, is one of the most recited and sung poems in Hindi literature.
• Chauhan’s poetry and prose primarily centered on the hardships that Indian women overcame, such as gender and caste discrimination. Her poetry remained uniquely underscored by her resolute nationalism.
• Subhadra Kumari was born on August 16, 1904 in a Rajpur family of Nihalpur village in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. She studied initially in the Crosthwaite Girls’ School in Prayagraj and passed the middle-school exam in 1919.
• She married Thakur Laxman Singh Chauhan of Khandwa in 1919 at the age of 16 and had 5 children with him. Then she moved to Jabalpur.
• Subhadra and her husband joined Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement in 1921.
• She was the first woman Satyagrahi to court arrest in Nagpur and was jailed twice for her involvement in protests against British rule in 1923 and 1942.
• She was a member of the legislative assembly of the state (erstwhile Central Provinces).
• She died in 1948 in a car accident in Seoni, MP, on her way back to Jabalpur from Nagpur, where she had gone to attend an assembly session.

Reference: Indian express

2.14TH AUGUST WILL BE OBSERVED AS PARTITION HORRORS REMEMBRANCE DAY

THE CONTEXT: The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has said that in memory of the struggles and sacrifices of our people, 14th August will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.

Reference: PIB

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

3. PM MODI’S SPEECH FROM RED FORT ON 75TH INDEPENDENCE DAY

THE CONTEXT: Addressing the nation from the Red Fort in the national capital on India’s 75th Independence Day Prime Minister laid out the plan for the next 25 years before the nation.

THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM PM INDEPENDENCE DAY SPEECH

• On Farmers: It is high time when the country needs to apply scientific research and suggestions to the agriculture sector to provide food security to the nation and to increase food production. The country must increase the collective power of small farmers and make them the nation’s pride.
• New e-commerce platform: The government will develop an e-commerce platform for the products made by women self-help groups (SHGs) in villages. More than eight crore women in the villages who are associated with them. These women make various products and now the government will prepare an e-commerce platform for their products to get a big market in the country and abroad.
• ‘Amrit Kaal’: “‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayaas’ is very important for the achievement of all our goals.The next 25 years were ‘Amrit Kaal’ for India and its citizens and it would be the priority of the government to ensure that essential services reach the last person seamlessly. The purpose of Amrit Kaal is to better the lives of citizens, lessen the development divide between villages and cities, reduce government interference in people’s lives, and have the latest technology so that we are not behind any country in the world
• Fortified rice to poor by 2024: The government will fortify the rice distributed to the poor via different schemes such as Midday Meal in a bid to address the problem of malnutrition. Malnutrition and lack of micro-nutrients are affecting the growth of poor children. Looking at this, it has been decided to fortify the rice given to the poor via different government schemes.
• Infrastructure plan ‘Gati Shakti’: India will launch a 100 trillion rupee ($1.35 trillion) national infrastructure plan that will help generate jobs and boost the economy. The programme will be called “Gati Shakti” and will help boost productivity of industries.
• Reservation ensured: Reservation is being ensured for Dalits, STs, backwards and general category poor. The hand-holding of deprived communities is necessary. We have to bridge the gap between lives in villages and cities.
• New history of connectivity being written in northeast: A new history of connectivity is being written in the northeast, and announced that the work to connect the state capitals in the region with rail services will be completed soon. Multiple parts of the country — whether its east, northeast, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh including the entire Himalayan region, the coastal belt or the tribal region — will become a big base for India’s development in the future.
• PM Modi lauds scientists: It is the result of the strength of our industrialists and scientists, that today India does not need to depend on any other nation for COVID-19 vaccines.
• Energy independent: PM sets a target of becoming ‘energy independent’ by 2047 through a mix of electric mobility, gas-based economy, doping ethanol in petrol and making the country a hub for hydrogen production. India spends over ₹12 lakh crore on energy imports every year. For India to progress, for Atmanirbhar Bharat, energy independence is the call of the hour.India has to take a pledge that it will be energy independent by the year we celebrate 100th year of Independence.
• Sainik schools now open for girls also: all Sainik Schools in the country will now be open for girls also. At present, 33 Sainik schools are operating in the country. Two-and-a-half years ago, the maiden experiment of admitting a girl in Sainik schools was carried out in Mizoram.

Reference: Live Mint

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY AND AGRICULTURE

4. FOUR MORE SITES OF INDIA ADDED TO RAMSAR LIST

THE CONTEXT: Four more wetlands from India get recognition from the Ramsar Secretariat as Ramsar sites. These sites are Thol and Wadhwana from Gujarat and Sultanpur and Bhindawas from Haryana.

ANALYSIS:

• With this, the numbers of Ramsar sites in India are 46 and the surface area covered by these sites is now 1,083,322 hectares. While Haryana gets its first Ramsar sites, Gujarat gets three more after Nalsarovar which was declared in 2012.
• Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary, the largest wetland in Haryana is a human-made freshwater wetland. Over 250 bird species use the sanctuary throughout the year as a resting and roosting site. The site supports more than ten globally threatened species including the endangered Egyptian Vulture, Steppe Eagle, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, and Black-bellied Tern.
• Sultanpur National Park from Haryana supports more than 220 species of resident, winter migratory and local migratory waterbirds at critical stages of their life cycles. More than ten of these are globally threatened, including the critically endangered sociable lapwing, and the endangered Egyptian Vulture, Saker Falcon, Pallas’s Fish Eagle and Black-bellied Tern.
• Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary from Gujarat lies on the Central Asian Flyway and more than 320 bird species can be found here. The wetland supports more 30 threatened water bird species, such as the critically endangered White-rumped Vulture and Sociable Lapwing, and the vulnerable Sarus Crane, Common Pochard and Lesser White-fronted Goose.
• Wadhvana Wetland from Gujarat is internationally important for its birdlife as it provides wintering ground to migratory waterbirds, including over 80 species that migrate on the Central Asian Flyway. They include some threatened or near-threatened species such as the endangered Pallas’s fish-Eagle, the vulnerable Common Pochard, and the near-threatened Dalmatian Pelican, Grey-headed Fish-eagle and Ferruginous Duck.

ROLE OF WETLANDS

• Wetlands provide a wide range of important resources and ecosystem services such as food, water, fibre, groundwater recharge, water purification, flood moderation, erosion control and climate regulation. They are, in fact, are a major source of water and our main supply of freshwater comes from an array of wetlands which help soak rainfall and recharge groundwater.
• The aim of the Ramsar list is “to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits”.

Reference: PIB

5. TRIFED TO MAKE AVAILABLE ECO FRIENDLY PANKHAS

THE CONTEXT: In TRIFED to make available eco-friendly Pankhas for eminent dignitaries and guests who will attend the Independence Day Celebrations at the Red Fort.

ANALYSIS:

• These pankhas are eco-friendly and have been made out of natural, organic materials.
• The Tribes India pankhas are also available for sale in TRIBES India retail outlets across the country and also on its e-commerce platform (www.tribesindia.com)
• Atmanirbhar Bharat is a mission that TRIFED continues to strive towards as a part of its continued endeavor to support and sustain tribal incomes and livelihoods.
• In a small contribution to recognize the craftsmanship of the tribal artisans and provide a fillip to their livelihoods, TRIFED is collaborating with the Ministry of Defence once again to make available handmade pankhas for eminent dignitaries and guests who will attend the Independence Day function . This is the fourth year of this collaboration.
• Sourced from artisans across the country from states such as Rajasthan, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat and Jharkhand, these pankhas are eco-friendly and have been made out of natural, organic materials.
• As a memorabilia, these pankhas help revive memories of the past when these were an integral part of Indian households and offered comfort in the scorching heat

Reference: PIB

6. 6,808 DEATHS DUE TO HYDRO METEOROLOGICAL CALAMITIES IN 3 YEARS

THE CONTEXT: Nearly 6,800 people lost their lives in the country over the past three years due to hydro meteorological calamities such as flash floods, landslides and cyclones and West Bengal has recorded the highest deaths among all States, The details were provided by the Home Ministry.

ANALYSIS:

• As per the reply, the country recorded 6,808 deaths (2,400 in 2018-19, 2,422 in 2019-20 and 1,986 in 2020-21). West Bengal recorded 964 deaths (383 in 2018-19, 227 in 2019-20 and 354 in 2020-21), which amounts to 14% of deaths due to hydro meteorological calamities.
• According to the Ministry, hydro meteorological calamities/ hazards include flash floods, cloudburst and landslides. During the monsoon period (April-October mainly; in Western Ghat terrains from April to December, including the phase of the northeast monsoon), incidents occur in almost all landslide-prone areas.In most cases, these are triggered by extreme rainfall events or cloudbursts. These types of fatal landslide events are common almost every year, mainly in the Himalayan States, in the Western Ghats, and Konkan areas.
• Other than West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh recorded 833 deaths, followed by Kerala 708 in the same period. In both the States, the spike in the casualties has been caused by floods. For instance, Kerala recorded 455 deaths in 2018-19 due to 2018 floods. Madhya Pradesh recorded 674 deaths in 2019-20 caused by floods.
• What the figures tell us about West Bengal is that for the three consecutive years the deaths due to natural calamities are high. The reason could be the geography of the State where there are both mountains and coastline. The State is susceptible to both landslides, cyclones and floods.
• Among the other States which recorded high causalties due to hydro meteorological calamities are Maharashtra — 571 deaths — in the same period. Assam, a State that faces regular floods, has recorded 303 deaths, Tamil Nadu 201 casualties and the coastal State of Odisha, 145 deaths in the same period.
• In terms of funds released by the Centre under State Disaster Response Funds, highest funds were allocated to Maharashtra, ₹1,288.80 crore, followed by Uttar Pradesh ₹773.20 crore and Madya Pradesh ₹728 crore. For West Bengal, the funds released by the Centre under State Disaster Response Funds was ₹404.40 crore

Reference: The Hindu

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

7. THE TALIBAN’S RAPID ADVANCE ACROSS AFGHANISTAN

THE CONTEXT: Taliban insurgents now control all of Afghanistan’s major cities apart from Kabul, after making rapid advances against local forces who are largely fending for themselves as foreign troops withdraw. Talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government on a political understanding that could lead to a peace deal, backed by the United States and its allies, have failed to make significant progress.

SOME OF THE MAJOR MILESTONES IN THE ISLAMIST MILITANT MOVEMENT’S ADVANCE IN RECENT MONTHS
April 14 – President Joe Biden announces U.S. troops will withdraw from Afghanistan starting on May 1 and ending on Sept.11, bringing America’s longest war to a close. It was an extension of the previous withdrawal deadline of May 1 agreed between the United States and the Taliban.
May 4 – Taliban fighters launch a major offensive on Afghan forces in southern Helmand province. They also attack in at least six other provinces.
May 11 – The Taliban capture Nerkh district just outside the capital Kabul as violence intensifies across the country.

June 7 – Senior government officials say more than 150 Afghan soldiers are killed in 24 hours as fighting worsens. They add that fighting is raging in 26 of the country’s 34 provinces.
June 22 – Taliban fighters launch a series of attacks in the north of the country, far from their traditional strongholds in the south. The UN envoy for Afghanistan says they have taken more than 50 of 370 districts.
July 2 – American troops quietly pull out of their main military base in Afghanistan – Bagram Air Base, an hour’s drive from Kabul. It effectively ends U.S. involvement in the war.
July 5 – The Taliban say they could present a written peace proposal to the Afghan government as soon as August.
July 21 – Taliban insurgents control about a half of the country’s districts, according to the senior U.S. general, underlining the scale and speed of their advance.
July 25 – The United States vows to continue to support Afghan troops with intensified airstrikes to help them counter Taliban attacks.
July 26 – The United Nations says nearly 2,400 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded in May and June in escalating violence, the highest number for those months since records started in 2009.
Aug. 6 – Zaranj in the south of the country becomes the first provincial capital to fall to the Taliban in years. Many more are to follow in the ensuing days, including the prized city of Kunduz in the north.
Aug. 13 – Four more provincial capitals fall in a day,including Kandahar, the country’s second city and spiritual home of the Taliban. In the west, another key city, Herat, is overrun and veteran commander Mohammad Ismail Khan, one of the leading fighters against the Taliban, is captured.
Aug. 14 – The Taliban take the major northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif and, with little resistance, Pul-e-Alam, capital of Logar province just 70 km (40 miles) south of Kabul. The United States sends more troops to help evacuate its civilians from Kabul as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says he is consulting with local and international partners on next steps.
Aug. 15 – The Taliban take the key eastern city of Jalalabad without a fight, effectively surrounding Kabul.

Reference: The Hindu

Q 1. Which of the following pairs are correctly matched?

Wetlands                                                                                              Region

1. Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary                                                           Rajasthan

2. Sultanpur National Park                                                                      Haryana

3. Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary                                                          Maharashtra

4. Wadhvana Wetland                                                                              Gujarat
Select the correct answer using code given below:
a) 1, 2 and 3 only
b) 1 and 3 only
c) 2 and 4 only
d) 1, 2 , 3 and 4

ANSWER FOR AUGUST 13, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS (REFER RELEVANT ARTICLE)
Answer: d)
Explanation:

• Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched ‘SonChiraiya’ – (A brand and logo)- for marketing of urban Self-Help Group (SHG) products. While launching the brand and logo, he said that helping women to become financially empowered and live a dignified life is one of the priority areas of the Government.
• This initiative will certainly prove as a step towards increased visibility and global access for the products made by urban SHG women. Ministry expects to link many more such SHG members, with variety of professionally packaged, hand-crafted ethnic products, reaching the doorsteps of the customers globally.

Q2. ANSWER: b)
Explanation:

• Government released “IndiGau’, India’s first Cattle Genomic Chip for the conservation of pure varieties of indigenous cattle breeds like, Gir, Kankrej, Sahiwal, Ongole etc.
• This indigenous chip was developed by the concerted efforts of scientists of National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NAIB), Hyderabad, an autonomous institution under the aegis of the Department of Biotechnology.  It has 11,496 markers (SNPs) more than that placed on 777K Illumina chip of US & UK breeds.

[WpProQuiz 22]

1. Managing wastewater: ‘Water plus’ Indore gives country exemplary goals READ MORE  
2. Climate changes create havoc, women bear the brunt READ MORE
3. The state of India’s urban wetlands and why they need to be protected urgently READ MORE

1. State and Its Anxiety of Caste Census READ MORE

1. Get transformed, make the world a better place READ MORE
2. Free To Serve READ MORE

1. Merit Must Predominate Other Factors in Appointments to Judiciary: Justice R.F. Nariman READ MORE   
2. TN to have separate state education policy READ MORE
3. How Can We Rethink Police Accountability in India? READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelims and Mains

1. Government notifies the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, prohibiting identified single-use plastic items by 2022. READ MORE
2. MoHUA launches one brand -‘SonChiraiya’ – for Urban SHG products READ MORE
3. Explained: What will happen to fish as oceans warm? READ MORE
4. Tag Garuda: Bihar plans GPS trackers for endangered Greater Adjutant Storks READ MORE
5. Govt Notifies Rules to Prohibit Various Single-Use Plastic Items From July ’22 READ MORE

Main exam

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Merit Must Predominate Other Factors in Appointments to Judiciary: Justice R.F. Nariman READ MORE   
2. TN to have separate state education policy READ MORE
3. How Can We Rethink Police Accountability in India? READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. State and Its Anxiety of Caste Census READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. An Indian sail to navigate the maritime environment: India’s leadership in the debate on maritime security has boosted its standing as a key player in the shared commons READ MORE
2. Taliban gains complicate India’s options READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Growth needs steps beyond reforms: While the reform agenda must continue, social cohesion and equity considerations must be guaranteed READ MORE
2. In India, a diminished economic future READ MORE
3. Rollback of Market Economics READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Managing wastewater: ‘Water plus’ Indore gives country exemplary goals READ MORE  
2. Climate changes create havoc, women bear the brunt READ MORE
3. The state of India’s urban wetlands and why they need to be protected urgently READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Get transformed, make the world a better place READ MORE
2. Free To Serve READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘Growth and equity must go together. They are truly interdependent. It is only in an environment of high growth, equity can be pushed aggressively.’ Examine.
2. Freedom of navigation and unimpeded commerce are key to the spread of prosperity. Discuss the role that Indians can play in this regard.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Authority does not come from the loudest voice, but the wisest.
• Growth requires more than reforms. Reforms are, in the words of economists, only a necessary condition. It is not sufficient. In a developing economy, in the final analysis, growth is driven by investment.
• Reforms are necessary to improve the productivity of the economy and achieve higher growth.
• Growth and equity must go together. They are truly interdependent. It is only in an environment of high growth, equity can be pushed aggressively.
• The oceans are a common heritage for humankind and a lifeline for the future of the planet.
• Freedom of navigation and unimpeded commerce are key to the spread of prosperity.
• Employment trends, the shock to the informal sector and persistently high demand for welfare present an alarming picture. Don’t get misled by revenue numbers and corporate profits.
• Ambedkar taught us that one size didn’t, couldn’t fit everyone in a country as unequal as ours.
• Gandhi recognized that in a country as religious as ours, the religion-blind secularism of France would be a perverse template for a non-sectarian public life.
• The ecosystem services of wetlands need to be highlighted in our development policies, urban planning and climate change mitigation.

50-WORD TALK

• Mob attacks on Muslim men, forcing them to chant Jai Shri Ram are becoming part of the Hindu vigilante playbook in UP. The drummed-up paranoia over religious conversions, ahead of elections, is turning into dangerous extremism. The Kanpur incident has also traumatized a young girl, seen clinging to her battered father.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in the news, you should do a map work (marking those areas in maps and exploring other geographical locations nearby, including mountains, rivers, etc.). The same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for examples if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates etc.
• For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occurs frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. MOHUA LAUNCHES ONE BRAND – ‘SONCHIRAIYA’ – FOR URBAN SHG PRODUCTS

THE CONTEXT: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched ‘SonChiraiya’ – (A brand and logo)- for marketing of urban Self-Help Group (SHG) products. While launching the brand and logo, he said that helping women to become financially empowered and live a dignified life is one of the priority areas of the Government.

ANALYSIS:

• This initiative will certainly prove as a step towards increased visibility and global access for the products made by urban SHG women. Ministry expects to link many more such SHG members, with variety of professionally packaged, hand-crafted ethnic products, reaching the doorsteps of the customers globally. ABOUT DAY-NULM
• DAY-NULM, under the aegis of MoHUA, has focussed on equipping the urban poor women with adequate skills and opportunities, and to enable them to promote sustainable micro enterprises.
• It mobilises women from urban poor households into SHGs and their federations to create a support system for these women.
• Over 5.7 lakh SHGs have been formed across various States/ UTs with almost 60 lakh members. Many of these SHGs are engaged in livelihood activities, producing goods such as handicrafts, textiles, toys, eatables and so on.
• These were being sold primarily in local neighbourhood markets and often faced barriers in achieving visibility and wide market access. To overcome these challenges, Ministry entered into Memorundum of Understandings (MoUs) with leading e-Commerce Portals viz. Amazon and Flipkart, with an underlying narrative of women empowerment.
• Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, this partnership has successfully onboarded on the e-Commerce Portal over 2,000 products of nearly 5,000 SHG members across 25 States/ UTs.
• Innovative methods of online trainings for SHGs have been ensured to enable them to smoothly operate on e-portals. Live demonstrations for account registration, pricing, packaging, re-branding and so on were also organised in collaboration with the e-portals and State Urban Livelihoods Missions.

Reference: PIB

2. OPERATION BLUE FREEDOM – LAND WORLD RECORD AT SIACHEN GLACIER

THE CONTEXT: Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment to Flag-Off ‘Operation Blue Freedom – Land World Record at Siachen Glacier ‘Trained by a team of Armed Forces veterans, the selected people with disabilities will undertake an expedition to Siachen.

ANALYSIS:

• People with disabilities from across the country will undertake an expedition till Siachen Glacier to create a new World Record for the largest team of people with disabilities to reach the world’s highest battlefield.
• Recently, The Government of India has permitted a team of people with disabilities to scale Siachen Glacier. The team of people with disabilities trained by ‘Team CLAW’ a team of Armed Forces veterans.
• The selected people with disabilities from across the country will undertake an expedition till Kumar Post (Siachen Glacier) to create a new World Record for the largest team of people with disabilities to reach the world’s highest battlefield.
• The successful execution of this pioneering expedition, ‘Operation Blue Freedom’, shall firmly place India on the global stage as a leader in empowering Divyangjan and set a benchmark for other nations to emulate.
• It will powerfully portray the skill and heart of India’s Armed Forces not only on the Battlefield but off it as well.

Reference: PIB

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY AND AGRICULTURE

3. PLASTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT AMENDMENT RULES, 2021

THE CONTEXT: Government notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, prohibiting identified single use plastic items by 2022.

ANALYSIS:

• The manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of following single-use plastic, including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene, commodities shall be prohibited with effect from the 1st July, 2022:-

1. ear buds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene [Thermocol] for decoration;
2. plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, and cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners less than 100 microns, stirrers.

• In order to stop littering due to light weight plastic carry bags, with effect from 30th September, 2021, the thickness of plastic carry bags has been increased from fifty microns to seventy-five microns and to one hundred and twenty microns with effect from the 31st December, 2022. This will also allow reuse of plastic carry due to increase in thickness.
• The plastic packaging waste, which is not covered under the phase out of identified single use plastic items, shall be collected and managed in an environmentally sustainable way through the Extended Producer Responsibility of the Producer, importer and Brand owner (PIBO), as per Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
• For effective implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility, the Guidelines for Extended Producer Responsibility being brought out have been given legal force through Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021.
• The waste management infrastructure in the States/UTs is being strengthened through the Swachh Bharat Mission.
• The States/UTs have been requested to constitute a Special Task Force for elimination of single use plastics and effective implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
• A National Level Taskforce has also been constituted by the Ministry for taking coordinated efforts to eliminate identified single use plastic items and effective implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
• The State /UT Governments and concerned Central Ministries/Departments have also been requested to develop a comprehensive action plan for elimination of single use plastics and effective implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, and its implementation in a time bound manner.
• To encourage innovation in development of alternatives to identified single use plastic items and digital solutions to plastic waste management, the India Plastic Challenge – Hackathon 2021, has been organized for students of Higher Educational Institutions and start-ups recognized under Start-up India Initiative.

Reference: PIB

4. BIHAR PLANS GPS TRACKERS FOR ENDANGERED GREATER ADJUTANT STORKS

THE CONTEXT: In a first, Bihar has decided to tag endangered greater adjutant storks (Leptoptilos dubius), locally known as ‘Garuda’, with GPS trackers to monitor their movement as a part of efforts to conserve them.

ANALYSIS:

• Bhagalpur’s Kadwa Diara floodplains area is the third-most popular breeding centre for the greater adjutant stork in the world after Assam and Cambodia.
• In recent years, several surveys have found that their population has been slowly increasing.
• The greater adjutant is one of the most threatened stork species of the world and is widely considered to be a rare bird.
• Red List 2004 of threatened species and listed under Schedule IV of the Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

Reference: Down to Earth

5. INDIGAU: INDIA’S FIRST CATTLE GENOMIC CHIP

THE CONTEXT: Government released “IndiGau’, India’s first Cattle Genomic Chip for the conservation of pure varieties of indigenous cattle breeds like, Gir, Kankrej, Sahiwal, Ongole etc.

ANALYSIS:

• This indigenous chip was developed by the concerted efforts of scientists of National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NAIB), Hyderabad, an autonomous institution under the aegis of the Department of Biotechnology.
• It has 11,496 markers (SNPs) more than that placed on 777K Illumina chip of US & UK breeds.

Reference: PIB

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

6. BHARAT BIOTECH’S BBV154INTRANASAL VACCINE GETS NOD FOR PHASE 2/3 TRIALS

THE CONTEXT: Bharat Biotech’s BBV154 intranasal vaccine has become the first of its kind to receive the regulatory approval for phase 2/3 trials.
ANALYSIS:

• BBV154 is an intranasal replication-deficient chimpanzee adenovirus SARS-CoV-2 vectored vaccine. The company has in-licensed technology from Washington University in St. Louis, USA
• The development of the vaccine was supported by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and its PSU, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).

Reference: The Hindu

Q 1. ‘Son Chiraiya’ is a brand and logo for marketing of products by?

a) Minority groups

b) Prisoners

c) Primitive Tribal groups

d) Self-Help Groups

Q2. Recently in news, the term “IndiGau ” is related to ?

a) New Scheme to cows
b) Cattle Genomic Chip

c) Growth Hormone to improve productivity

d) Indigenous cattle breed

ANSWER FOR AUGUST 13, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS (REFER RELEVANT ARTICLE)
Answer: c)
Explanation:
1. ‘AL– Mohed AL–Hindi’ – Saudi Arabia
2. ‘Zayed Talwar’ – UAE
3. ‘Varuna’ – France

Q2. ANSWER: c)
Explanation:

• Madhya Pradesh’s commercial capital Indore has been declared as India’s first ‘water plus’ city under the Swachh Survekshan 2021.
• Indore carried out a survey and halted 7,000 outfalls of grey water that went in rivers, drains. We completed all criteria to gain this achievement.
• Moreover, 30 per cent of the city’s sewage water was recycled and reused. This recycled water was used by people in their gardens and some construction sites.
• Seven sewerage treatment plants were constructed in the city and about 110 million litres per day (MLD) treated water from them is being used.

The Context: USA President Biden has announced the withdrawal of all US troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The development has deep implications on the South Asia region and will impact regional stability at a large scale. In this article, we will analyze the opportunities and challenges for India after the USA withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The USA Withdrawal from Afghanistan:  All You Need to Know

The Present Development	• In April 2021, US President Joe Biden announced that all American troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11 of 2021, thus bringing to end the country's longest war, spanning across two decades. • Following suit, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will also pull out its troops from the war-torn country.
Background of the Withdrawal	• The longest-running conflict in US history, the war in Afghanistan has led to the deaths of nearly 2,400 American troops, and cost the country around $2 trillion. • After contemplating for months since winning the election, Biden has decided that US troops should not remain in Afghanistan • In 2009, as Vice-President under Barack Obama, Biden had strongly opposed expanding the US military presence in the country and maintained that its goal should be restricted to counterterrorism missions. • But despite his arguments, Washington went on to increase its number of troops from 36,000 in 2009 to almost 1 lakh in 2010. It was only after the killing of Osama bin Laden by a SEAL team in Pakistan’s Abbottabad in 2011 that the US began winding down its presence in Afghanistan.
Why did the U.S. Invade Afghanistan?	• After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the USA declared war on Afghanistanby saying that the Taliban had turned down USA demand to hand over al-Qaeda leaders, including Osama bin Laden, who plotted the attacks. • Inside Afghanistan, the NATO coalition troops led by the U.S. quickly dislodged the Taliban regime and established a transitional government. • The U.S. rejected an offer from the Taliban to surrender and vowed to defeat the insurgents in every corner of Afghanistan.
Why is the U.S. Pulling Back?	• The U.S. had concluded long ago that the war was unwinnable. Presidents, starting with Barack Obama, had promised to bring American troops back home from Afghanistan. But the U.S. wanted a face-saving exit. • In July 2015, the Obama administration had sent a representative to the first-ever meeting between the Taliban and the Afghan government that was hosted by Pakistan. • The talks did not progress as the Afghan government disclosed after the first round that Taliban leader Mullah Omar had died two years earlier. • Later, President Donald Trump appointed a special envoy to directly negotiate with the Taliban. That envoy and his team held talks with Taliban representatives in Doha that led to the February 2020 agreement between the U.S. and the insurgents. • In the agreement, the USA promised that it would withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan by May 1, 2021. After that, President Joe Biden endorsed the deal but pushed the deadline for withdrawal to September 11.

What does the USA Withdrawal from Afghanistan Signify for different Stakeholders?

Afghanistan	• The departure of troops will leave a security void that will create even greater instability in Afghanistan. • The US has handed Afghanistan back to the Taliban. The Taliban are stronger than they have ever been since 2001 and are in complete control of over 30 percent of Afghanistan’s area. • Once US troops completely withdraw, the Afghan security forces devoid of their intelligence and firepower will be simply unable to withstand the Taliban and they could just storm into Kabul as they did in 1996 and re-establish the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan. • Afghanistan could slip back to medieval anarchy of hardline Islamism, with women banned from jobs or education not even permitted to move freely and minorities under constant threat.
The USA	There were two prime objectives for the USA to invade Afghanistan • The USA was succeeding to achieve its primary object i.e.: to defeat the terrorism of Al-Qaida and Take revenge for the 9/11 attack by killing Osama it was failed on the ideological front and did not establish a peaceful democracy. This is a major defeat for the USA.
Pakistan	• This is a moment of both vindication and concern in Islamabad. The Taliban are a creation of the Pakistani security establishment. • After the US invasion of Afghanistan, they removed themselves to safe havens in Pakistan territory, and the Taliban High Council operated from Quetta in Balochistan. • For Pakistan, it is a moment of vindication. The US withdrawal will create turbulence in Afghanistan which they could use to enable the Taliban to come into power. • This would give them a pliant leadership in Kabul which will provide it much-vaunted ‘strategic depth’. They could also use it to fan the flames in Kashmir as was done in the early 90s. • All this at a time when the economy is flailing, and Pakistan stays afloat on an IMF loan with strict conditionality, and the Taliban are not a monolith. • It has to guard against instability in Afghanistan from spilling over the border. Pakistan’s eastern front with India is quiet at the moment, so that is one headache less, but it would remain a concern for the Pakistan Army.
Russia along with Central Asian Countries	• In recent years, Russia has taken on the role of peacemaker in Afghanistan. But both the Taliban and the Afghan government have been wary of its efforts. • The U.S. exit from Afghanistan is a security headache for Moscow which fears spiraling fighting may push refugees into its Central Asian backyard and destabilize its southern defensive flank. • Afghanistan's Central Asian neighbors - Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan - with whom Afghanistan shares its longest border have bolstered border security in the backdrop of a Taliban takeover of the border crossings. • Russia held many talks to establish peace in Afghanistan after the USA withdrawal. In November 2018 Russia invited the Taliban for a talk. After that, it held another peace talk in March 2021 and the next peace talk is going to be held in mid-August 2021. • After a conference in March of Russia, the US, China, and Pakistan, along with Taliban and Afghan delegates, a joint statement by the four principals said they did not support the establishment of an Islamic Emirate, leaving the Taliban angry. Russia's growing links with Pakistan could translate into a post-US role for Moscow in Afghanistan.
China	• In conjunction with Pakistan, China will also seek to reestablish its influence and perhaps use its economic clout to extend CPEC there. Afghanistan's location fits in well with China's long-term strategic plans. • A Taliban regime in Afghanistan might end up stirring unrest in the Xinjiang Autonomous region, home to the Uighur minority. Conversely, as an ally of Pakistan, it could see a bigger role for itself in Afghanistan. • China is willing to work with the Taliban in Afghanistan. In August 2021 China's foreign ministry welcomed Taliban Official in Beijing which shows that China is ready to work with the Taliban in Afghanistan.

For India

• The US withdrawal will have grave implications for India. Their presence provided a security umbrella for the government and even our interests there.
• India had very good ties with the democratically elected government in Kabul and had earned a tremendous reservoir of goodwill there.
• India has invested heavily in infrastructure projects like the making of the Parliament Building, the development of Kabul’s electricity grid, the Zaranj – Delaram road, and many other projects.
• On the other hand, we have never had good ties with the Taliban and their role in the hijacking of IC 814 to Kandahar still rankles.
• Our influence in Afghanistan and our very presence will be at risk should the Taliban come to power in the aftermath of the US withdrawal.
• India has repeatedly expressed its concern and is in favor of a two-pronged approach for Afghanistan: Encourage the warring sides to agree to total ceasefire and bring them to the negotiating table for them to draw up a political agreement on their own.
• Moreover, the first action by India after taking over the presidency of the United Nations Security Council is to convene a meeting to discuss the worsening situation in Afghanistan.

Opportunities for India

To Deal with Elected Government	• This is an opportunity for India to deal with the elected government for the establishment of democracy in a strong manner. It will help India to keep out the Taliban.
Training and Equipment to Defence Forces	• Although, the USA will withdrawal its troop from Afghanistan it will continue the training and other aid to Afgan forces. India should use this development as an opportunity and try to play an active role in the post-USA scenario.
Regional Stability and Peace	• India may seek to use its role in regional efforts to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan, like the recent UN effort, to press its goal of ensuring Afghan territory cannot be used by anti-India militants.
Economic Cooperation	• India should increase its economic cooperation with Afghanistan and help them to overcome the Covid-19 impact.
Use its Goodwill Image	• Without interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs, India can still build partnerships between various stakeholders and raise the capacity and capability of its friends to resist the Taliban onslaught. • Essentially, India will need to step beyond conventional and conservative diplomacy to play a more proactive role in supporting the Afghans.

Challenges for India

Economic Concerns	• Ever since reconstruction work began in Afghanistan, India has invested over $3 billion in building roads, hospitals, schools, providing training, arms, and fighter aircraft to the Afghan armed forces. After the US withdrawal, India's investment will be at stake.
Security Concerns	• Taliban’s arrival on the centre stage will not only put India's economic interests at stake in Afghanistan, but it will also pose a huge security threat to India because Pakistan's prominence in Afghanistan will increase and Islamabad could use the Taliban against Indian’s interests there.
Nexus Against India	• Since Russia has also moved to improve ties with Pakistan and is more than keen to play an important role in Afghanistan's internal affairs, as evident from Moscow's peace talks with the Taliban last year, the possible emergence of a strategic China-Russia-Pakistan axis along with the Taliban, could jeopardize India’s position.
China Influence	• China is the most important regional player. With the help of Pakistan and Russia, it can influence Afgan policy which is not good for India. • India has the ambition to bypass Pakistan to grow its relationship with middle Asia but china's influence can affect its policy. • China recently signed a 400-Billion-dollar deal with Iran, which is another concern for India.
Jammu and Kashmir	• Many Taliban soldiers could move to India, especially to the Kashmir valley, to pursuit their Jihad. The insurgency in Kashmir has peaked in 1996 when the Taliban had captured power in Afghanistan.

Should India have Dialogue with the Taliban?

India should have a dialogue with the Taliban:

• The Taliban, no longer an untouchable force, control much of the country’s rural territories.
• The U.S. has already signed a deal with the Taliban, China welcomed the Taliban delegation, Russia hosted talks many times and European powers have also shown interest in sponsoring talks. So, India has to be more flexible and adapt to the new strategic reality.
• Russia called another meeting, namely troika plus, for bringing political reconciliation in Afghanistan. Although, Russia has invited the United States, Pakistan and China to the meeting and kept away India.

What kind of dialogue does India have with the Taliban?

• Since the fall of the Taliban, India has cultivated deep ties with the Afghan people and the government, with investments in multiple projects dealing with education, power generation, irrigation, and other infrastructure development.
• India should have a dialogue with the Taliban but continue the support to the elected government in terms of trani9ng the security and police forces, and rallying other countries to finance the Afghanistan government, in its efforts to ensure peace.
• India joining the peace process could strengthen the hands of the Afghan government, which is negotiating from a position of weakness.
• If the Taliban agrees to share power elected government, it is good but if it does not agree then the Indian government should try to support the elected government. If the Taliban takes power forcefully, it would not be acceptable for India.
• The question India faces, like the other stakeholders, is how to help Afghanistan end the violence without a total capitulation to the Taliban. New Delhi should, using its regional clout as well as its deep ties with both the U.S. and Russia for peace in Afghanistan.

What Should be the Way Forward for India?

Broader Diplomatic Engagement	• India should consider appointing a special envoy dedicated to Afghan reconciliation. • The envoy can ensure that Indian views are expressed at every meeting, broaden engagement with the Afghan government and other political actors, and reach out to certain Taliban representatives.
Continued Training and Investments	• India should provide more military training to Afghan security forces and invest in longer-term capacity-building programs. • It should actively support and invest in the National Directorate of Security (for example, by providing training and sharing intelligence). • Finally, given the continued levels of violence and the impact of the coronavirus on the Afghan economy, India should expand its development assistance.
Working With and Through Others	• India should look to broaden its engagements with Iran and Russia, explore opportunities for cooperation (as limited as they might be) with China, and find common ground with the United States on Afghanistan’s future. • This does not mean forcing competing interests to align; it means investing in a wider diplomatic initiative with the view to carving out areas of convergence.

Conclusion: Although, USA withdrawal brings adverse impacts in India’s Afghanistan policy. While the development brings many challenges for India but it also opens many opportunities to play an active role in Afghanistan. India needs to be careful to play its card in its Afghanistan policy.

Questions to Ponder

1. ‘USA withdrawal from Afghanistan is both a challenge and an opportunity for India’. Comment on the statement.
2. Discuss how the USA withdrawal from Afghanistan would impact India’s interests in Afghanistan?
3. India needs to decide its role in Afghanistan, it is sure that India can’t be merely a spectator in the context of Afghanistan. Discuss the statement in light of recent developments.

1. The story of local successes in water management READ MORE
2. Weak action to combat climate change READ MORE
3. Another warning: Landslips in Himachal Pradesh point to the need for a new development paradigm READ MORE
4. Tragedy in the hills: Urgent steps needed to save ecology and lives READ MORE

1. Commit India to build national health coverage READ MORE
2. India Can’t Keep Citing the Pandemic to Deprive Children of Education READ MORE

1. O, God! Can you please increase my spending? READ MORE
2. Rule upon your Mind READ MORE
3. Get Transformed, Make The World A Better Place READ MORE

1. Don’t use public interest as an additional ground to restrict free speech READ MORE  
2. Criminalization of politics must be curbed READ MORE
3. Lessons the country can learn from Odisha READ MORE
4. India is now a parliamentary democracy without a functioning parliament READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB, and other important sources)

Prelims and Mains

1. MAIDEN AL-MOHED AL-HINDI EXERCISE SET TO BEGIN BETWEEN INDIAN NAVY AND SAUDI ARABIA NAVY READ MORE
2. GSLV-F10 fails to launch earth observation satellite into intended orbit READ MORE
3. Explained: What is the Delhi government’s ‘faceless’ transport initiative? READ MORE
4. Indore becomes India’s first ‘water plus’ city READ MORE
5. India, Australia 2 plus 2 ministerial expected in September READ MORE
6. In a first, India set to import 15 lakh tonnes of genetically modified soya meal READ MORE
7. Officials of India and 3 other Quad members hold talks on Indo-Pacific READ MORE

Main Exam  

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Don’t use public interest as an additional ground to restrict free speech READ MORE  
2. Criminalization of politics must be curbed READ MORE
3. Lessons the country can learn from Odisha READ MORE
4. India is now a parliamentary democracy without a functioning parliament READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Commit India to build national health coverage READ MORE
2. India Can’t Keep Citing the Pandemic to Deprive Children of Education READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Get veto power or bid adieu to UN READ MORE
2. The consensus on maritime security READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. How e-RUPI can transform government’s welfare schemes READ MORE
2. Reforms must reduce economic disparities READ MORE
3. India’s Economy since 1947: How did we do so far? READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. The story of local successes in water management READ MORE
2. Weak action to combat climate change READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Another warning: Landslips in Himachal Pradesh point to the need for a new development paradigm READ MORE
2. Tragedy in the hills: Urgent steps needed to save ecology and lives READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. O, God! Can you please increase my spending? READ MORE
2. Rule upon your Mind READ MORE
3. Get Transformed, Make The World A Better Place READ MORE

Questions for MAIN exam

1. Analyze the natural and man-made factors which make Himachal Pradesh vulnerable to different natural disasters.
2. ‘The checks and balances that define a full democracy have been severely damaged in India’. Comment on the statement in the light of the recently concluded Monsoon Session.
3. ‘Instead of relying on ‘public health’ to violate fundamental rights, governments should now take an approach that balances public health and the right to education. Discuss how Governments can prioritize implementing the fundamental right to education for children amidst the pandemic?

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• With greater rainfall and cloudburst activity, Himachal Pradesh is bound to face greater uncertainty. Maintaining the status quo can only make the ghastly episodes of falling boulders and lost lives a more frequent feature.
• e-RUPI opens up a world of opportunities to the government, people, and businesses to provide, avail, and pay for services seamlessly.
• Parliament is meant to be a check on the executive. But in this session, it was reduced to a rubber stamp whose only job was to mechanically pass bills drafted by the executive.
• Governments should prioritize implementing the fundamental right to education for children during the pandemic. It has already been a year and a half since children are out of school.
• Instead of relying on ‘public health’ to violate fundamental rights, governments should now take an approach that balances public health and the right to education.
• With a rise in earth’s temperature inevitable now, India needs to empower and make every district climate-change ready to mitigate its impact on the poorest populations.
• As India has invested only around one percent of GDP in health for many years, public health infrastructure in India is very weak and inadequate even in normal non-pandemic times.
• Public interest is a fluid construct in Indian legal parlance, it is not defined, and it finds mention across a host of statutes, often justifying the more non-transparent elements of governance.

50-WORD TALK

• Another Parliament session being washed out over another scandal may sound like another headline. But it isn’t. India has been crushed by Covid and economic slowdown. This should’ve been top of the mind for the government and opposition. And a government with a brute majority shouldn’t avoid debate and discussion.
• US intelligence report claiming the Taliban can capture Kabul in 90 days is a severe indictment of what Washington itself didn’t achieve in two decades – ending extremism and rebuilding a nation broken by the Cold War. For President Biden to now say that Afghan leaders must fight for their nation is rich.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in the news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and exploring other geographical locations nearby, including mountains, rivers, etc.). The same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
• For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.

ART AND CULTURE

1. RAMAPPA TEMPLE: A MARVEL IN BLACK BASALT

THE CONTEXT: It was inscribed recently as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

ANALYSIS:

• It is located in the state of Telangana and also known as the Rudreshwara (Lord Siva) temple.
• Outside the temple, there is an inscription in Telugu that describes Racherla Senapati Rudrayya, a general of the Kakatiya rulers of Warangal, who commissioned the lake and the temple, which took 40 years for completion in the 13th century.
• The Kakatiyas, after breaking free from Chalukyan overlordship, ruled much of central India, up to the eastern seaboard, between the 12th and 14th centuries.

ARCHITECTURE

• In contrast to the softer sandstone used for in the temples of Khajuraho, or the carvings of chlorite, laterite and khonda- rite in the Sun Temple in Konark, Ramappa’s sculptures are carved of black basalt, one of the hardest stones to work with.
• The temple is neither named after the presiding deity, Rudreshwara, nor the general who commissioned the project, but after the sculptor who built it.
• The temple rests on a foundation that uses sandbox technology, with red sandstone and black basalt used to construct the main temple, and light bricks used for the gopuram or cupola.
• Dance guru Nataraja Ramakrishna used the dance poses carved in this temple to revive PeriniSivatandavam, a Kakatiya-era warrior dance form performed by men.

REFERENCE: The Hindu

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

2. DETAILS OF THE MONSOON SESSION

THE CONTEXT: Despite highest disruption since 2014, the no. of bills passed per day during this session in Rajya Sabha was the 2nd highest since 2014 (i.e. 1.1 bills per day passed). The time lost due to interruptions / an adjournment (till Aug 11) was 76 Hours 26 Minutes and the highest average time per day lost due to interruptions / adjournments since the 231st session of Rajya Sabha in 201 was 4 Hours 30 Minutes.

DETAILS OF THE MONSOON SESSION
1. The Monsoon Session, 2021 of Parliament which commenced on Monday, 19th July, 2021 has been adjourned sine die on the 11th of August, 202 The Session provided 17 sittings spread over a period of 24 days.

2. The Session, which was originally scheduled to have 19 sittings from 19th July till 13 August, 2021, was curtailed due to continuous disruptions in both the Houses and completion of essential government business.
3. During the Session, 22 Bills were passed by both the Houses of Parliament which includes two appropriation Bills relating to the Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2021-22 and the Demands for Excess Grants for 2017-2018 which were passed by Lok Sabha, transmitted to Rajya Sabha and are deemed to have been passed under Article 109(5).
4. Four Bills replacing the Ordinances, namely, the Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance, 2021, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021, the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance, 2021 and the Essential Defence Services Ordinance, 2021 which were promulgated by the President before Monsoon Session, were considered and passed by the Houses.
5. Some important Bills, passed by Houses of Parliament are as under: –

A. ECONOMIC SECTOR/EASE OF DOING BUSINESS MEASURES

• The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 provide that no tax demand shall be raised in future on the basis of the said retrospective amendment for any indirect transfer of Indian assets if the transaction was undertaken before 28th May, 2012.
• The General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill, 2021 provides for greater private participation in the public sector insurance companies and to enhance insurance penetration and social protection and better secure the interests of policy holders and contribute to faster growth of the economy.
• The Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 enables easy and time-bound access by depositors to their own money, even when there are restrictions on banks. It is proposed to provide that even if a bank is temporarily unable to fulfil its obligations due to restrictions such as moratorium imposed on it, depositors can access their deposits to the extent of deposit insurance cover through interim payments by the Corporation.
• The Limited Liability Partnership (Amendment) Bill, 2021 converts certain offences into civil defaults and changes the nature of punishment for these offences. It also defines small LLP, provides for appointment of certain adjudicating officers, and establishment of special courts.
• The Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 seeks to help micro, small and medium enterprises significantly, by providing added avenues for getting credit facility, especially through Trade Receivables Discounting System. Increase in the availability of working capital may lead to growth in the business of the micro, small and medium enterprises sector and also boost employment in the country.

B. TRANSPORT SECTOR REFORMS

• The Marine Aids to Navigation Bill, 2021provides for the development, maintenance and management of aids to navigation in India; for training and certification of operator of aids to navigation, development of its historical, educational and cultural value; to ensure compliance with the obligation under the maritime treaties and international instruments to which India is a party.
• The Inland Vessels Bill, 2021promotes economical and safe transportation and trade through inland waters, to bring uniformity in application of law relating to inland waterways and navigation within the country, to provide for safety of navigation, protection of life and cargo, and prevention of pollution that may be caused by the use or navigation of inland vessels, to ensure transparency and accountability of administration of inland water transportation, to strengthen procedures governing the inland vessels, their construction, survey, registration, manning, navigation.
• The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2021 proposes to amend the definition of “major airport” so as extend its scope to determine the tariff for a group of airports also, which will encourage development of smaller airports.

C. EDUCATIONAL REFORMS

• The National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management Bill, 2021 declares certain institutions of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management to be the institutions of national importance and to provide for instructions and research in food technology, entrepreneurship and management.
• The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2021seeks to amend the Central Universities Act,2009 inter alia to provide for the establishment of a University in the name of “Sindhu Central University” in the Union territory of Ladakh.

D. SOCIAL JUSTICE REFORMS

• The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2021seeks to adequately clarify that the State Government and Union territories are empowered to prepare and maintain their own State List/ Union territory List of socially and educationally backward classes.
• The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2021provides that instead of the court, the district magistrate (including additional district magistrate) will issue such adoption orders.The Bill adds that serious offences will also include offences for which maximum punishment is imprisonment of more than seven years, and minimum punishment is not prescribed or is less than seven years.
• The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2021 to modify the list of Scheduled Tribes in relation to the State of Arunachal Pradesh.
  6. In the Rajya Sabha, two Short Duration Discussions under Rule 176 were held on “the management of COVID-19 pandemic, implementation of vaccination policy and challenges of the likely third wave” and on “the agricultural problems and solutions” (remained inconclusive)
  7. Further, One Bill namely “The Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Bill, 2021” and one old pending Bill namely “The Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, 2012” were withdrawn in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively.

REFERENCE: PIB

3. THE DELHI GOVERNMENT’S ‘FACELESS’ TRANSPORT INITIATIVE

THE CONTEXT: The Delhi government has launched an ambitious “faceless” transport initiative.

ANALYSIS:

• The “faceless services” scheme seeks to eliminate any scope of corruption by ending the need for people to visit the RTOs.
• The guidelines developed by the Delhi government say that Aadhaar-based verification will be relied upon in dispensing the services online. A separate provision for those not having or willing to share their Aadhaar details has also been kept.
• The verification of the documents will be done automatically as the application developed by the government will draw details from the central Aadhaar database.
• There will be separate provisions for making payments and making digital signatures. In case of learner’s license, e-licenses will be issued instantly after taking the test online.
• A person can also dial 1076 and avail the doorstep services facility of the Delhi government as part of which a representative will come and help them with the application process.
• The two services for which a person will have to visit the RTO are the driving test for getting a licence and vehicle fitness certificates. Driving tests in Delhi are carried out at 13 fully automated centres.
• The delivery of documents be it licences or permits, will be done through speed post

REFERENCE: IE

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY AND AGRICULTURE

4. INDIA ACHIEVES 100 GW MILESTONE OF INSTALLED RENEWABLE ENERGY CAPACITY

THE CONTEXT: The total installed renewable energy capacity in India, excluding large hydro, has crossed the mile-stone of 100 GW. Today India stands at 4th position in the world in terms of installed RE capacity, 5th in solar and 4th in wind in terms of installed capacity.

ANALYSIS:

• While 100 GW has been installed, 50 GW is under installation and 27 GW is under tendering. India has also enhanced its ambition to install 450 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.If large hydro is included the installed RE capacity increases to 146 GW.
• The achievement of installed RE capacity of 100 GW is an important milestone in India’s journey towards its target of 450 GW by 2030.

REFERENCE: PIB

5. COMMON SURVEY TO COUNT INDIA’S ELEPHANT AND TIGER POPULATIONS

THE CONTEXT: On World Elephant Day (August 12th), Government declared that from December, India will move to a system that will count tigers and elephants as part of a common survey. The tiger survey is usually held once in four years and elephants are counted once in five years.
ANALYSIS:

• At present, the tiger survey is usually held once in four years and elephants are counted once in five years.
• Tiger census: Since 2006, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, which is affiliated to the Environment Ministry, has a standardised protocol in place that States then use to estimate tiger numbers.
• Based on sightings in camera traps and indirect estimation methods, tiger numbers are computed. According to the most recent 2018-19 survey, there were 2,997 tigers in India.
• Elephant census: Wildlife scientist at the WII, largely relies on States directly counting the number of elephants. In recent years, techniques such as analysing dung samples have also been deployed to estimate birth rates and population trends in elephants. According to the last count in 2017, there were 29,964 elephants in India.
• Asian elephants are listed as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List of threatened species. This has been done as most of the range states except India, have lost their viable elephant populations due to loss of habitats & poaching etc.
• The current population estimates indicate that there are about 50,000 -60000 Asian elephants in the world. More than 60 % of the population is held in India.
• Indian Elephant has also been listed in the Appendix I of the Convention of the Migratory species in the recently concluded Conference of Parties of CMS 13 at Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat in February 2020.
• World Elephant Day is being celebrated to bring attention of various stakeholders to support various conservation policies to help elephants, including improving enforcement policies to prevent the illegal poaching and trade of ivory, conserving elephant habitats, providing better treatment for captive elephants and reintroducing some captive elephants into sanctuaries.
• Elephant is the Natural Heritage Animal of India and India also celebrates this day to spread awareness towards conservation of the species.

REFERNECE:THE HINDU AND PIB

6. INDORE BECOMES INDIA’S FIRST ‘WATER PLUS’ CITY

THE CONTEXT: Madhya Pradesh’s commercial capital Indore has been declared as India’s first ‘water plus’ city under the Swachh Survekshan 2021.

ANALYSIS:

• Indore carried out a survey and halted 7,000 outfalls of grey water that went in rivers, drains. We completed all criteria to gain this achievement.
• Moreover, 30 per cent of the city’s sewage water was recycled and reused. This recycled water was used by people in their gardens and some construction sites.
• Seven sewerage treatment plants were constructed in the city and about 110 million litres per day (MLD) treated water from them is being used.
• According to the guidelines of Water Plus Protocol, 147 special types of urinals were constructed in the city. Besides, the work of cleaning ponds, wells and all water bodies has also been done.
• Besides getting the ‘water plus’ tag, Indore has been named as India’s cleanest city for the fourth time in a row.

REFERENCE:INDIA TODAY

7. INDIA SET TO IMPORT 15 LAKH TONNES OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED SOYAMEAL

THE CONTEXT: India is all set to import 15 lakh tonnes of genetically modified (GM) soyameal after the Union Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change and the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) gave their nod to it. This would be the first time that India would import GM soya meal in view of the demand by the poultry industry

ANALYSIS:

• Since soya de-oiled and crushed cake does not contain any living modified organism, ministry has no objection to the import of soya cake or meal from the environmental angle. Hence, import of soya de-oiled cake of meal will not be subjected to the Schedule of 1 of GEAC import policy approval as it is a non-living organism.
• Soyameal is the protein rich solid left after the oil is expelled from the seed and is used as a raw material for poultry feed.
• Earlier, only import of soya oil was allowed because oil/fat technically contains no genetic matter. However, this is the first time that the decks have been cleared for import of soyameal.

REFERENCE: IE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

8. GSLV-F10 FAILS TO PUT EOS-3 SATELLITE INTO ORBIT

THE CONTEXT: India’s attempt to place a geoimaging satellite (GISAT-1) with its GSLV-F10-EOS-3 mission did not succeed. The GSLV-F10 rocket of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota with the purpose of launching the Earth Observation Satellite EOS-3 into space, failed in its mission due to a ‘performance anomaly’.

ANALYSIS:

• According to the ISRO, GSLV-F10 launch took place at 05.43 IST as scheduled. Performance of the first and second stages was normal. However, cryogenic upper stage ignition did not happen due to a technical anomaly.
• The ISRO has confirmed that this mission could not be accomplished as planned. This failure is all the more surprising because the rocket launches since 2017 have been successful, and this breaks a long run of successful launches.
• EOS-3 was the first state-of-art agile Earth Observation Satellite which would have been placed in a Geo-Synchronous orbit around the Earth. While the first and second stage separations worked out fine, and nearly 12 minutes before the separation of the EOS-3, the mission failed.
• The objectives of EOS-3 were to provide real-time imaging of large areas of the Earth; to monitor natural disasters from its position in the sky; to provide warnings for natural disasters, observe cyclones, cloudbursts, thunderclouds etc.
• The GSLV Mark II is the largest launch vehicle built by India until now. These satellites can weigh up to 2,500 kg and are first launched into transfer orbits that have a distance from Earth of 170 km at closest approach and about 35,975 km at furthest approach which is close to the height of the geosynchronous orbit. From this transfer orbit, the satellite gets set free into a geosynchronous orbit.

REFERENCE:THE HINDU

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

9. ‘AL– MOHED AL–HINDI’ NAVAL EXERCISE

THE CONTEXT: The maiden bilateral naval exercise between India and Saudi Arabia named ‘AL– Mohed AL–Hindi’ got under way.

ANALYSIS:

• INS Kochi, the flagship destroyer of the Indian Western Naval Fleet, arrived at Port Al- Jubail on 9th August, for the “Al-Mohed Al-Hindi 2021” exercise.
• The warship sailed to Saudi Arabia after conducting the “Zayed Talwar” drill with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) off the coast of Abu Dhabi on 7th August 2021.
• Al-Mohed Al-Hindi comprises a number of shore and sea-based drills between the two navies.

REFERENCE: THE HINDU

10. KABUL OFFERS TALIBAN POWER-SHARING TO END VIOLENCE

THE CONTEXT: Kabul handed a proposal to Taliban negotiators in Qatar offering a power-sharing deal in return for an end to fighting. The Taliban had been given an offer about a “government of peace” without providing more specifics.

ANALYSIS:

• Authorities in Kabul have now effectively lost most of northern and western Afghanistan and are left holding a scattered archipelago of contested cities also dangerously at risk of falling to the Taliban.
• The conflict has escalated dramatically since May, when US-led forces began the final stage of a troop withdrawal due to end later this month following a 20-year occupation.
• The loss of Ghazni will likely pile more pressure on the country’s already overstretched airforce, needed to bolster Afghanistan’s dispersed security forces that have increasingly been cut off from reinforcements by road.
• In less than a week the insurgents have taken 10 provincial capitals and encircled the biggest city in the north, the traditional anti-Taliban bastion of Mazar-i-Sharif.
• Fighting was also raging in Kandahar and Lashkar Gar — pro-Taliban heartlands in the south — as well as Herat in the west.

REFERENCE: THE HINDU

Q 1. Which of the following pairs of Naval exercises of Indian Navy, are correctly matched?
1. ‘AL– Mohed AL–Hindi’ – Saudi Arabia
2. ‘Zayed Talwar’ – Oman
3. ‘Varuna’ – France
Select the correct answer using code given below:
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3

Q2. Which city has been declared as India’s first ‘water plus’ city under the Swachh Survekshan 2021.

a) Hyderabad

b) Bhopal

c) Indore

d) Raipur

ANSWER FOR AUGUST 12, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS (REFER RELEVANT ARTICLE)
Answer: b)
Explanation:

• Refer to the given map

Q2. ANSWER: b)
Explanation:

• Quality of Life for Elderly Index was released by Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM). The Index has been created by the Institute for Competitiveness at the request of EAC-PM and it sheds light on an issue often not mentioned- problems faced by the elderly.

[WpProQuiz 21]

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. PARLIAMENT PASSED NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR HOMOEOPATHY (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2021

THE CONTEXT: Parliament passed National Commission for Homoeopathy (Amendment) Bill, 2021

Analysis:

• It amends the National Commission for Homoeopathy Act, 2020.
• The 2020 Act replaced the Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973. The 1973 Act set up the Central Council of Homeopathy for regulating homoeopathic education and practice. The 2020 Act replaced the Council with a national commission for regulating homoeopathic education and practice.
• The National Commission was constituted on July 5, 2021 to supersede the Central Council and on the same date the 1973 Act was repealed. The 2021 Bill specifies that all powers exercised and functions performed by the Board of Governors (as under the 1973 Act) will be deemed to have been done under the 2020 Act and will continue to remain in force.

Reference: PRS AND PIB

2. PARLIAMENT PASSED NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR INDIAN SYSTEM OF MEDICINE (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2021

THE CONTEXT: Parliament passed National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

Analysis:

• It amends the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020.
• The 2020 Act replaced the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970. The 1970 Act set up the Central Council of Indian Medicine to regulate the education and practice of the Indian Medicine system (includes Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy).
• The 2020 Act replaced the Council with a National Commission for regulating education and practice of the Indian medicine system. Since, the setting up of the National Commission was taking time; the 1970 Act was not repealed immediately with passage of the 2020 Act.
• The National Commission was constituted on June 11, 2021 to supersede the Central Council and on the same date the 1970 Act was repealed. The 2021 Bill specifies that all powers and functions of the Board of Governors (as under the 1970 Act) will be deemed to have been done under the 2020 Act and will continue to remain in force.

Reference: PIB AND PRS

3. 14 STATES SET TO REOPEN SCHOOLS FOR CLASSES X-XII

THE CONTEXT: At least 14 States and Union Territories have reopened or plan to reopen schools partially this month.

Analysis:

• Almost all States only plan to bring back older students despite the Indian Council of Medical Research’s recommendation to start with primary school students.
• Almost 50% of teachers across the country have been vaccinated.
• A parliamentary panel had noted that school closures have hurt the social fabric of families, led to an increase in child marriages and in children being pressed into work at home.
• The expected learning losses are likely to impact the cognitive capabilities of students. Warning that children’s nutrition and mental health have also been affected.
• Over 15 lakh schools across the country shut their doors in March 2020, and only a few reopened briefly before the second wave of the pandemic.
• More than 25 crore school children have been dependent on online or distance education since then, with many from poor or remote communities effectively losing more than a year of schooling.

Reference: The Hindu

4. BEGGARS REHABILITATION SCHEME

THE CONTEXT: The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has formulated a scheme “SMILE – Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise”, which includes sub-scheme – ‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging’.

Analysis:

• As per the Census of 2011 data available on the website of Registrar General of India, there are 4,13,670 beggars and vagrants in the Country.
• The focus of the scheme is on providing basic necessaries like food, shelter homes, medical facilities, counseling, rehabilitation, basic documentation, education, skill development and economic linkages of the persons found to be engaged in begging.
• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has identified ten cities namely Ahmadabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Indore, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur and Patna for undertaking pilot projects on Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Persons engaged in the act of Begging, which provides for the whole range of services including awareness generation, identification, rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counseling, education, skill development and sustainable settlement of persons engaged in begging.

Reference: PIB

5. QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ELDERLY INDEX

THE CONTEXT: Quality of Life for Elderly Index was released by Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM). The Index has been created by the Institute for Competitiveness at the request of EAC-PM and it sheds light on an issue often not mentioned- problems faced by the elderly.

Analysis:

• The report identifies the regional patterns of ageing across Indian States and assesses the overall ageing situation in India. The report presents a deeper insight into how well India is doing to support the well-being of its ageing population.
• The Index framework includes four pillars: Financial Well-being, Social Well-being, Health System and Income Security, and eight sub-pillars: Economic Empowerment, Educational Attainment & Employment, Social Status, Physical Security, Basic Health, Psychological Wellbeing, Social Security and Enabling Environment.
• This index broadens the way we understand the needs and opportunities of the elderly population in India. It goes far beyond the adequacy of pensions and other forms of income support, which, though critical, often narrows policy thinking and debate about the needs of this age group.
• The index highlights that the best way to improve the lives of the current and future generations of older people is by investing in health, education and employment for young people today.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE REPORT

• The Health System pillar observes the highest national average, 66.97 at an all-India level, followed by 62.34 in Social Well-being. Financial Well-being observes a score of 44.7, which is lowered by the low performance of 21 States across the Education Attainment & Employment pillar, which showcases scope for improvement
• States have performed particularly worse in the Income Security pillar because over half of the States have a score below the national average, i.e., 33.03 in Income Security, which is the lowest across all pillars. These pillar-wise analyses help States assess the state of the elderly population and identify existing gaps that obstruct their growth
• Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh are top-scoring regions in Aged and Relatively Aged States, respectively. Chandigarh and Mizoram are top-scoring regions in Union Territory and North-East States category.
• The Aged States refer to States with an elderly population of more than 5 million, whereas Relatively Aged States refer to States with an Elderly population of less than 5 million.

Reference: PIB

6.VRUKSHA BANDHAN PROJECT

THE CONTEXT: In a unique initiative Ministry of Tribal Affairs in partnership with The Art of Living Foundation, Aurangabad, Maharashtra launched Vrushka Bandhan Project where 1100 tribal women are creating Rakhis for Raksha Bandhan with seeds of indigenous trees, which is a unique contribution to increasing forest cover & combating climate change.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

• The project based on Gauadharit paramparagat kheti seeks to preserve and revive the Traditional Ecological Knowledge of tribal communities and protect them from the negative effects of chemical agriculture.
• Once used, the seeds can be sown in soil, thereby benefiting the environment and provide employment to tribal women associated with the project.

Reference: PIB

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY AND AGRICULTURE

7. KAZIRANGA GUARDS EQUIPPED WITH SATELLITE PHONES

THE CONTEXT: Kaziranga has become the first National Park in India to have been equipped with satellite phones.

Analysis:

• The satellite phones will be used in pockets of the park’s six ranges with no wireless or mobile connectivity.
• The satellite phones will give an edge to the forest personnel over the poachers and also during emergencies like flood.
• The public is barred from using satellite phones in India.

Reference: The Hindu

8. NASA’S NEW TOOL MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO SEE FUTURE SEA LEVEL RISE

THE CONTEXT: NASA has created a visualization tool that makes data on future sea level rise from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) accessible to the public.

Analysis:

• The tool is easy to navigate: One needs to pull up the tool’s layers of maps, click anywhere on the global ocean and coastlines, and pick any decade between 2020 and 2150. The tool then pulls up comprehensive data on the projected sea level rise.
• The tool displays possible future sea levels under several greenhouse-gas-emission and socioeconomic scenarios. These include a low-emissions future , a business-as-usual trajectory with emissions on their current track and an accelerated emissions scenario.
• Scientists from NASA said the tool has been developed to help governments to forecast future scenarios and develop coastal resources accordingly.

Reference: DTE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

9. INDIA SUCCESSFULLY TESTS DRDO-DEVELOPED INDIGENOUS TECHNOLOGY CRUISE MISSILE

THE CONTEXT: India has successfully tested the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)-developed Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile off the coast of Odisha’s Balasore district.

Analysis:

• The missile flew for around 150 km with an indigenous cruise engine.
• More tests would be conducted in near future.
• Earlier, on July 23 India had successfully test-fired indigenously developed New Generation Akash Missile (Akash-NG), a Surface to Air Missile defence system in Balasore. It was the second test firing of the 30 km strike-range air defence missile systems in two days.

Reference: TOI

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

10. BACKCHANNEL TALK BETWEEN INDIA, PAK WAS ON BEFORE BALAKOT AIR STRIKES

THE CONTEXT: According to a new book by the journalists, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) exchanged messages with top Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officials as part of a unique back channel connection between the two countries that involved two foreign journalists Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark in 2018-2019, including after the Pulwama attack.

August 12, 2021 Prelim Practice Questions

Q 1. Consider the following National Parks of Assam:

1. Dibru-Saikhowa NP
2. Kaziranga NP
3. Manas NP

4. Nameri NP

Arrange them in East-West direction of their location and select the correct answer from code given below:
a) 1-2-3-4
b) 1-2-4-3
c) 1-3-2-4
d) 1-3-4-2

Q2. Quality of Life for Elderly Index was released by

a) NITI AAYOG

b) Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM)

c) Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

d) Ministry of Health

Answer for August 11, 2021 Prelims Practice Questions

Q1 ANSWER: C)
Explanation

•  Statement 1 is incorrect: It was launched in 2016 with an aim to provide deposit free LPG connection to BPL households
• Statement 2 is correct: LPG connection under scheme is given only in the name of adult woman (above 18 years of age) of household.
• Statement 3 is correct: Second phase of the scheme provides first refill of cylinder and cooking stove free of cost.

Q2. ANSWER: A)
Explanation:

• The Kakori Train Action or Kakori Conspiracy was a train robbery that took place at Kakori, a village near Lucknow, on 9 August 1925 during the Indian Independence Movement against the British colonial rule.
• The robbery was organized by Hindustan Republican Association and more than 40 persons were arrested in this incident and they were finally sentenced to death by the British government and also severe punishments were given to those people who helped this incident.

1. Heat is on: India needs to revisit its climate action plans in the light of IPCC projections and CoP 26 READ MORE
2. The climate crisis: An opportunity for India READ MORE

1. An urban jobs safety net: It is time to formulate a wage employment-based national urban livelihood scheme similar to MGNREGS READ MORE

1. Good character is the best medal to work for READ MORE
2. Malignant: Criminalisation of politics is a chronic disease which the Supreme Court is trying to cure READ MORE

1. Safe at school: On getting students back on campus READ MORE
2. Explained: Productivity in a Parliament session marred by disruptions READ MORE
3. SC check on governments’ power to withdraw cases against MPs-MLAs is welcome READ MORE
4. Malignant: Criminalisation of politics is a chronic disease which the Supreme Court is trying to cure READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelims and Mains

1. Government e-Marketplace (GeM) organizes 5th edition of National Public Procurement Conclave READ MORE
2. Kaziranga guards equipped with satellite phones READ MORE
3. Geoengineering Science Is Advancing, but Should We Use It? READ MORE
4. “Quality of Life for Elderly Index assesses well-being of India’s ageing population” READ MORE
5. Sicily records highest ever temperature in Europe; one dead as wildfires rage in southern Italy READ MORE
6. Major Atlantic-ocean current system might be approaching critical threshold READ MORE

Main exam  

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Safe at school: On getting students back on campus READ MORE
2. Explained: Productivity in a Parliament session marred by disruptions READ MORE
3. SC check on governments’ power to withdraw cases against MPs-MLAs is welcome READ MORE
4. Malignant: Criminalisation of politics is a chronic disease which the Supreme Court is trying to cure READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. An urban jobs safety net: It is time to formulate a wage employment-based national urban livelihood scheme similar to MGNREGS READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. A new Afghan war READ MORE
2. China and India’s move towards candid messaging READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. As Indian economy heads towards an uncertain but pivotal moment, growth is the only answer READ MORE
2. Retrospective tax: A policy based on delusion gets buried READ MORE
3. The climate crisis threatens Indian agriculture and livelihoods READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Heat is on: India needs to revisit its climate action plans in the light of IPCC projections and CoP 26 READ MORE
2. The climate crisis: An opportunity for India READ MORE

SCIENCE

1. The importance of the booster dose to plan ahead READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Good character is the best medal to work for READ MORE

Questions for MAIN exam

1. Discuss the need of National Urban livelihood scheme similar to MGNREGS in rural areas. What could be the different approach in design and implementation of such scheme compared to MGREGS?
2. ‘Links between money and muscle power with politics continue to bedevil democracy’. In the light of the statement, discuss whether the recent ruling of Supreme Court would be sufficient to stop the culture of criminalization of politics in India?

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Young people must hold older generations accountable for the mess they have created.
• Students should be able to return to campus without fear if protocols are strict.
• The key lesson to take away from history of poverty alleviation in India is that the most effective way of helping the poor is faster economic growth.
• A nation is greater than the sum of its parts. India’s political class is forgetting it.
• Climate finance must assume centre-stage in global climate talks, as the needs of mitigation (renewables transition and other emission reduction efforts) and adaptation (dealing with the catastrophic effects of climate change) need to be met.
• India must work on a war-footing to mitigate the dire consequences of the climate crisis that could push millions into poverty, and also lead to food insecurity and under-nutrition.
• Agricultural policy should focus on improving crop productivity, water management, and developing safety nets for farmers to cope with the risks of the climate crisis.
• The proceeds of privatisation should go entirely to the social sector, particularly health and education.
• As the world’s largest democracy and one of the most dynamic societies, we need to progress multilaterally and multi-sectorally, without one programme being exclusive of the other.

ESSAY TOPIC

• The crown and glory of life is the character.

50-WORD TALK

• The ‘Quit India’ rhetoric in Parliament for global e-commerce giants by minister Piyush Goyal is dangerous. It sends a totally wrong message to investors, including those quitting China and looking for new destinations. Self-reliance is a good thought but Indian economy needs to be open and fair to grow, prosper.
• Parliamentary panel on education is right to stress the reopening of schools. But this cannot happen with just 50% of teachers vaccinated. Governments must treat them as frontline workers and cover them all. Children are the silent sufferers of the pandemic. They need to return to school and real learning.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do a map work (marking those areas in maps and also exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers etc. same applies for the national places.)
• For economy related news (banking, agriculture etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related with various economic aspects, for examples if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing prices rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates etc.
• For main exam related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occurs frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment in your writing.