Ethics Through Current Development (23-09-2021)

  1. Why get away from the madding crowd? READ MORE
  2. The Key of Contentment READ MORE
  3. Peace Must Arise from Within READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Geography (23-09-2021)

  1. Sea level rise is certain: This has implications for the future even under the low emissions scenarios READ MORE
  2. An Expert Explains: How rare species of Sundarbans are threatened by human activities READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Sociology (23-09-2021)

  1. How far will the global population rise? READ MORE
  2. A village is sensitized: How an SC toddler’s ‘temple run’ catalysed equality READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Pub Ad (23-09-2021)

  1. This judicial selection needs more than a tweak: The collegium system and the mysteries underlining its decision-making dilute the importance of the High Courts READ MORE
  2. Judiciary must re-examine how it has viewed citizenship question in Assam READ MORE
  3. Citizen scorecards for better accountability: The CAG’s auditing standards highlight the importance of performance audits for promoting transparency and evaluating outcomes READ MORE
  4. A village is sensitized: How an SC toddler’s ‘temple run’ catalysed equality READ MORE



WSDP Bulletin (23-09-2021)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

  1. FDI Inflows grow 62% during the first four months of the current Financial Year over the corresponding period last year READ MORE
  2. DICGC to pay depositors of PMC and other stressed banks READ MORE
  3. On World Rhino Day, 2,500 horns turned to ashes in Assam READ MORE
  4. WHO Announces Revised Air Quality Limits. Will the New Numbers Save the Day? READ MORE
  5. These animals and plants of India could have become ‘possibly extinct’: IUCN READ MORE
  6. India’s sewage treatment plants treat only a third of the sewage generated daily: CPCB READ MORE

Main Exam  

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

  1. This judicial selection needs more than a tweak: The collegium system and the mysteries underlining its decision-making dilute the importance of the High Courts READ MORE
  2. Judiciary must re-examine how it has viewed citizenship question in Assam READ MORE
  3. Citizen scorecards for better accountability: The CAG’s auditing standards highlight the importance of performance audits for promoting transparency and evaluating outcomes READ MORE
  4. A village is sensitized: How an SC toddler’s ‘temple run’ catalysed equality READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

  1. How far will the global population rise? READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

  1. Explained: Why the SAARC meeting was cancelled READ MORE
  2. The importance of Quad meeting amidst current geopolitical flux READ MORE
  3. AUKUS and Afghanistan – Now is the time for the Modi govt to deploy every diplomatic instinct READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

  1. Need higher investment in healthcare, infrastructure for sustainable growth: Shaktikanta Das READ MORE
  2. Is India’s market cap headed towards $5 trillion? READ MORE
  3. Recovery by 2030 needs public sector revival READ MORE
  4. Government departments pose a major hurdle in bankruptcy cases READ MORE
  5. Regaining fiscal balance: GST rate restructuring will be critical for consolidation READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

  1. Sea level rise is certain: This has implications for the future even under the low emissions scenarios READ MORE
  2. An Expert Explains: How rare species of Sundarbans are threatened by human activities READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

  1. Why get away from the madding crowd? READ MORE
  2. The Key of Contentment READ MORE
  3. Peace Must Arise from Within READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

  1. Separation of powers is a bedrock principle of Indian constitutionalism. In this respect, examine the collegium system of judicial appointments.
  2. What are the causes of sea-level rise? Assess the vulnerability of sea-level rise in India and suggest measures of adaptation for it.
  3. ‘India’s diplomatic advance in the US could be pivotal with long-lasting effects in both South Asia as well as the future of the Indo-Pacific’. Examine the statement.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

  • The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.
  • The durability of private consumption, the mainstay of aggregate demand, will be ‘crucial in the post-pandemic future.
  • The collegium system and the mysteries underlining its decision-making dilute the importance of the High Courts.
  • Separation of powers is a bedrock principle of Indian constitutionalism. Inherent in that idea is the guarantee of an autonomous judiciary.
  • Adaptation to sea-level rise must include a range of measures, along with coastal regulation, which should be stricter, not laxer, as it has become with each update of the Coastal Regulation Zone.
  • The grouping has to fulfil past commitments. The onus is on the US to prove that Afghan experience has strengthened its resolve to defend its interests in the Indo-Pacific.
  • Citizenship is an important right; in fact, the most important right because it is the right to have other rights. But that’s not how the pillars of Indian democracy have treated citizenship.
  • The Government must realise the importance of community radios and sustain them by providing financial support and professional facilities.
  • Even high growth is insufficient to remove ‘the widened income and wealth inequalities and rising social unrest’ in the country.
  • India’s diplomatic advance in the US could be pivotal with long-lasting effects in both South Asia as well as the future of the Indo-Pacific.

ESSAY TOPIC

  • Contentment lays the foundation for happiness.

50-WORD TALK

  • The Karnataka law to protect illegal religious structures is poorly thought through and has politics written all over it. It risks incentivising newer encroachments, sparking tensions and presenting a future government with a similar fait accompli. Religion is sensitive but Karnataka has set a bad example in these fraught times.
  • US President Biden’s ‘America is back’ speech promising to replace the era of endless wars with endless diplomacy is good on paper. But US withdrawal from Afghanistan coincides with Washington’s refocus on a different foe and geography. A localised hot war is being replaced by a globalised new cold war.
  • SAARC has been hostage to India-Pakistan tensions over Kashmir and terrorism, and a summit hasn’t been held for seven years. Islamabad has made it more complicated now by demanding the Taliban’s participation in a foreign ministers’ meeting. Deep divisions aside, it’s time to revisit or remake the very purpose of SAARC.

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 map work (marking those areas in maps and also exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. 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.



DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS (SEPTEMBER 23, 2021)

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

50,000 RUPEES FOR EACH COVID-19 DEATH

THE CONTEXT: The Ministry of Home Affairs informed the Supreme Court that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has recommended the payment of 50,000 Rupees each as ex gratia assistance to the next kin of those who died of COVID-19, including those who succumbed to the virus while involved in relief operations and preparedness activities.

SOURCE:  TH

 

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY AND AGRICULTURE

WORLD RHINO DAY

THE CONTEXT: The “world’s largest stockpile” of rhino horns was consigned to flames in eastern Assam’s Bokakhat, the headquarters of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, amid Vedic rituals. The event timed with World Rhino Day was aimed at dispelling myths that have driven the illegal horn trade and the poaching of the animal.

ANALYSIS:

    • Wildlife officials said 2,479 of the 2,623 horns stored in 12 district treasuries since 1979 were burnt in six large iron pyres placed at a stadium in Bokakhat, about 240 km east of Guwahati. These were lit remotely through drones.

INDIAN RHINO VISION 2020 (IRV 2020)

    • Launched in 2005.
    • The initiative was led by the Forest Department, Government of Assam, in partnership with WWF India, International Rhino Foundation.
    • The goal of IRV2020 was to increase the rhino population in Assam to 3,000 by establishing populations in new areas.
    • Rhinos are now found in four Protected Areas in Assam: Pabitora Wildlife Reserve, Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park, Kaziranga National Park, and Manas National Park.

ONE-HORNED RHINOS

    • Only the Great One-Horned Rhino is found in India.
    • Also known as the Indian rhino, it is the largest of the rhino species.
    • It is identified by a single black horn and grey-brown hide with skin folds.
    • They primarily graze, with a diet consisting almost entirely of grasses as well as leaves, branches of shrubs and trees, fruit, and aquatic plants.
    • Conservation status:
    • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
    • CITES Appendix I
    • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I.

SOURCE:   TH

WHO TIGHTENS GLOBAL AIR QUALITY NORMS

THE CONTEXT: The World Health Organisation (WHO), in its first-ever update since 2005, has tightened global air pollution standards.

ANALYSIS:

  • The move does not have an immediate effect in India as the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) do not meet the WHO’s existing standards.
  • The government has a dedicated National Clean Air Programme (launched in 2019) that aims for a 20% to 30% reduction in particulate matter concentrations by 2024 in 122 cities, keeping 2017 as the base year for the comparison of concentration.
  • These are cities that do not meet the NAAQS when calculated from 2011 to 2015.
  • Every year, exposure to air pollution is estimated to cause 7 million premature deaths.

NATIONAL CLEAN AIR PROGRAMME (NCAP)

  • The initiatives under NCAP are:
    • The National Air Quality Monitoring Network will be augmented.
    • Air Quality Management Plan for the cities chosen.
    • Indoor Air Pollution Monitoring & Management.
    • National Emission Inventory – this is an inventory of the quantity of pollutants discharged into the air.
    • Network of Technical Institutions
    • Technology Assessment Cell
    • International cooperation including the sharing of best practices with respect to the abatement of air pollution.

SOURCE: TH

 

POSSIBLY EXTINCT

THE CONTEXT: A number of animals and plants have been listed as ‘possibly extinct in the latest edition of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List of Threatened Species. The latest edition of the Red List was released at the recently-concluded World Conservation Congress organised by the IUCN at Marseille, France.

ANALYSIS: 

  • Among animals, there is the coconut crab, the largest terrestrial arthropod in the world. There are also fish species such as bovany barb, native to the Cauvery river system.
  • Other fish that have been declared as possibly extinct include the Deolali minnow, the Deccan barb and the Nilgiri mystus, all of which are found in the Deccan.
  • Birds include the Pink-headed duck, which has been feared to be extinct since the 1950s, the Siberian crane, which once famously drew crowds to Keoladeo National Park as well as the Buffy fish-owl or Malay owl.
  • The Tentacled butterfly ray, a type of ray and the Dwarf sawfish are two other animal species that are feared to be possibly extinct.
  • The Millepora boschmaior fire coral is also possibly extinct.
  • There are also species that have been marked as ‘Extinct Post-1500’. The term is taken as a marker to estimate after when the presence/population of the species has declined. Species marked thus have been last assessed in the 1900s post which their presence and updates to their population has not been found.

SOURCE: DTE

 

INDIAN ECONOMY

INCREASED FDI INFLOWS

THE CONTEXT: FDI Inflows grow 62% during the first four months of the current Financial Year over the corresponding period last year.

ANALYSIS: 

  • India has attracted a total FDI inflow of US$ 27.37 billion during the first four months of F.Y. 2021-22 which is 62% higher as compared to the corresponding period of F.Y. 2020-21 (US$ 16.92 billion).
  • FDI equity inflow grew by 112% in the first four months of F.Y. 2021-22 (US$ 20.42 billion) compared to the year-ago period (US$ 9.61 billion).
  • ‘Automobile Industry’ has emerged as the top sector during the first four months of F.Y. 2021-22 with 23% share of the total FDI Equity inflow followed by Computer Software & Hardware (18%) and Services Sector (10%) respectively.
  • Under the sector `Automobile Industry’, the majority of FDI Equity inflow (87%) was reported in the state of Karnataka during the first four months of the current financial year (2021-22).
  • Karnataka is the top recipient state during the F.Y. 2021-22 (up to July 2021) with a 45% share of the total FDI equity inflows followed by Maharashtra (23%) and Delhi (12%).

SOURCE: PIB

 

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

MISSION DEPLOYED

THE CONTEXT: Towards enhancing military cooperation with friendly nations, Indian Naval Ship INS Tabar was mission-deployed in international waters for over three months from 13 June 21.

ANALYSIS:

  • During the deployment, she made 11 port calls in nine countries of Europe and Africa, traversing nearly 20,000 nautical miles. In all ports, the ship received a warm reception from local officials and was visited by several local dignitaries.
  • The ship’s port visits saw various social and professional interactions conducted with the host countries.
  • The ship also undertook twelve maritime partnership exercises with foreign navies at sea. These also included prominent bilateral exercises such as Exercise Konkan 21 with the Royal Navy and Exercise Indra-Navy 21 with the Russian Navy.
  • These exercises involved wide-ranging and multi-dimensional evolutions covering a diverse range of naval operations. The exercises are deemed to have enhanced interoperability among participating navies and increased the ease with which they can operate together to address shared maritime concerns and threats if required.
  • A few of these exercises were maiden engagements, such as that with the Royal Norwegian Navy, the Algerian Navy and the Sudanese Navy.

SOURCE: PIB

 

COVISHIELD FINE, BUT NOT INDIAN CERTIFICATION: U.K.

THE CONTEXT: In an unexpected move, the United Kingdom added Indian-made Covishield to its list of recognised vaccines, but refused to recognise vaccine certificates given to those administered the vaccine in India.

ANALYSIS:

  • The decision, which means Indian travellers to the U.K. will still be subject to 10-day quarantine rules, is expected to further fuel the rift between both countries over what India has called a “discriminatory practice”, and had threatened reciprocal measures against.

SOURCE: TH

THE SAARC MEETING CANCELLED

THE CONTEXT:A meeting of foreign ministers from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries, which was set to be held in New York, has been cancelled. The member states were unable to agree upon the participation of Afghanistan, with Pakistan and India in particular at loggerheads over the issue.

ANALYSIS:

  • After Pakistan objected to the participation of any official from the previous Ghani administration, SAARC members reportedly agreed to keep an “empty chair” as a symbolic representation of Afghanistan.
  • However, Islamabad later insisted that the Taliban be allowed to send its representative to the summit, a notion that all of the other member states rejected.
  • After no consensus could be formed, Nepal, the ‘host’ of the summit, officially cancelled the meeting.

SOURCE: TH

 

PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

 Which of the following species of rhino are critically endangered?

  1. Javan rhino
  2. Sumatran rhino
  3. One-horned rhino
  4. Black rhino
  5. White rhino

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 1, 2 and 3 only

c) 1, 2 and 4 only

d)1, 4 and 5 only

 

ANSWER FOR SEPTEMBER 22, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS (REFER RELEVANT TO ARTICLE)

ANSWER: C

Explanation:

The reproduction number, or R, refers to how many persons an infected person infects on average. In other words, it shows how ‘efficiently’ a virus is spreading




Day-47 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

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