1. Satyagrah is the only road to Ram Rajya READ MORE
2. Finding freedom from hate READ MORE
3. It Is the Need of the Hour To Understand Police Brutality in India and Take Action READ MORE
4. Peace, Not Happiness READ MORE

1. No Free Lunch: Climate Change Will Briefly Boost Agri Output – And Crop Disease READ MORE
2. CoP26 progress: China, South Africa boost climate action momentum, but global ambition remains inadequate READ MORE

1. What do we do about the hate and violence in our society? READ MORE
2. Covid and containment worsened women’s mental health, increased food insecurity in India READ MORE

1. A fund without a care for the RTI: The Government’s claim that the PM CARES Fund is not a public authority is unacceptable READ MORE
2. A scheme before its time: On digital health mission READ MORE
3. The IT Rules fail the test of constitutionality READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. PM chairs 38th PRAGATI Meeting READ MORE
2. Court’s power of contempt can’t be taken away even by legislatures, Supreme Court observes READ MORE
3. Nepal introduces third gender category in latest census READ MORE
4. Days after IUCN event, Macron proposes killing of 110,000 wild birds in France READ MORE
5. Mid-Day Meal scheme renamed PM Poshan READ MORE
6. Gurjars and Rajputs stake claim over Mihir Bhoj READ MORE

Main Exam   

GS Paper- 1

1. What do we do about the hate and violence in our society? READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. A fund without a care for the RTI: The Government’s claim that the PM CARES Fund is not a public authority is unacceptable READ MORE
2. A scheme before its time: On digital health mission READ MORE
3. The IT Rules fail the test of constitutionality READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Covid and containment worsened women’s mental health, increased food insecurity in India READ MORE

 INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Quad v AUKUS: Anglos & Alliances – India, Japan don’t enjoy the cultural affinity shared by English-speaking Western countries READ MORE
2. India-US strategic ties should be reassessed READ MORE
3. New momentum for Quad READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Agriculture a better bet for Eastern India READ MORE
2. The big bank idea: India needs more efficient financial entities READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. No Free Lunch: Climate Change Will Briefly Boost Agri Output – And Crop Disease READ MORE
2. CoP26 progress: China, South Africa boost climate action momentum, but global ambition remains inadequate READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Tackling the Maoists: On Left Wing Extremism READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Satyagrah is the only road to Ram Rajya READ MORE
2. Finding freedom from hate READ MORE
3. It Is the Need of the Hour To Understand Police Brutality in India and Take Action READ MORE
4. Peace, Not Happiness READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘The Northeast is a zone of immense potential, which is yet to be fully tapped and would lead to India’s economic development’. Comment.
2. ‘India’s efforts to rise as an economic and military power will be seriously constrained by its lacklustre performance in R&D and technology development’. Examine the statement.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Peace is not made at the council table or by treaties, but in the hearts of men.
• A digital health mission needs to get all the fundamentals of the ecosystem right.
• There is judicial consensus that they lack statutory backing and harm freedom of speech and expression.
• The debate on whether the creation of AUKUS, a defence partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, strengthens or weakens Quad, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue between Australia, India, Japan and the US, will rage on.
• Peace shouldn’t be mistaken as the absence of distressing thoughts, emotions or dominating desires. It is rather a perfect state of equanimity and joy more profound and eternal.
• The formation of the Quad is no consolation, and the AUKUS has only made things worse. India has to seriously reassess its strategic ties with the US.
• The Northeast is a zone of immense potential, which is yet to be fully tapped and would lead to India’s economic development.
• Banks will grow in size with a growing economy, and some will grow faster than the others, but India is unlikely to have four or five banks of SBI’s size over the next several years.
• India’s efforts to rise as an economic and military power will be seriously constrained by its lacklustre performance in R&D and technology development.

ESSAY TOPIC

• Satyagrah is a force against violence, tyranny and injustice.

50- WORD TALK

• The India-US bilateral relations are not at a high nor have they hit the nadir. For 20 years, India breathed relatively easy because of the American presence in Kabul. The formation of the Quad is no consolation, and the AUKUS has only made things worse. India has to reassess its strategic ties with the US. The US is robustly pursuing an anti-China strategic game in the Indo-Pacific.

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.

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. DIGITAL HEALTH ID

THE CONTEXT: The newly launched Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission will involve a unique health ID for every citizen.

WHAT IS THE UNIQUE HEALTH ID?

• If a person wants to be part of the ABDM, she must create a health ID, which is a randomly generated 14-digit number. The ID will be broadly used for three purposes: unique identification, authentication, and threading of the beneficiary’s health records, only with their informed consent, across multiple systems and stakeholders.
• One can get a health ID by self-registration on the portal or by downloading the ABMD Health Records app on one’s mobile. Additionally, one can also request the creation of a health ID at a participating health facility.
• The beneficiary will also have to set up a Personal Health Records (PHR) address for consent management, and for future sharing of health records.

WHAT IS A PHR ADDRESS?

• It is a simple self-declared username, which the beneficiary is required to sign into a Health Information Exchange and Consent Manager (HIE-CM).
• Each health ID will require linkage to a consent manager to enable sharing of health records data.

WHAT DOES ONE NEED TO REGISTER FOR A HEALTH ID?

• Currently, ABDM supports health ID creation via mobile or Aadhaar.
• For health ID creation through mobile or Aadhaar, the beneficiary will be asked to share details on name, year of birth, gender, address, mobile number/Aadhaar.
• Is Aadhaar is not mandatory. One can use one’s mobile number for registration, without Aadhaar.

ARE PERSONAL HEALTH RECORDS SECURE?

• The records are stored with healthcare information providers as per their retention policies and are shared over the ABDM network with encryption mechanism” only after the beneficiary express consent.

CAN I DELETE MY HEALTH ID AND EXIT THE PLATFORM?

• Yes, the NHA says ABDM, supports such a feature. Two options are available: a user can permanently delete or temporarily deactivate her health ID.
• On deletion, the unique health ID will be permanently deleted, along with all demographic details.
• On deactivation, the beneficiary will lose access to all ABDM applications only for the period of deactivation. Until she reactivates her health ID, she will not be able to share the ID at any health facility or share health records over the ABDM network.

WHAT FACILITIES ARE AVAILABLE TO BENEFICIARIES?

• You can access your digital health records right from admission through treatment and discharge. Second, you can access and link your personal health records with your health ID to create a longitudinal health history.

HOW DO PRIVATE PLAYERS GET ASSOCIATED WITH A GOVERNMENT DIGITAL ID?

• The NHA has launched the NDHM Sandbox: a digital architecture that allows helps private players to be part of the National Digital Health Ecosystem as health information providers or health information users.
• The private player sends a request to NHA to test its system with the Sandbox environment. The NHA certifies and empanels the private hospital.

WHY IS THIS INITIATIVE SIGNIFICANT?

• At present, the use of digital health ID in hospitals is currently limited to only one hospital or to a single group, and is mostly concentrated in large private chains. The new initiative will bring the entire ecosystem on a single platform.
• For instance, if a patient is getting treated at AIIMS, Delhi, and wants to move to another hospital in a different city, and if that hospital is also on the centralised ecosystem, the patient does not have to carry physical health records or files of several years of treatment, as the medical history is readily available.
• The system also makes it easier to find doctors and specialists nearest to you. Currently, many patients rely on recommendations from family and friends for medical consultation, but now the new platform will tell the patient who to reach out to, and who is the nearest. Also, labs and drug stores will be easily identified for better tests using the new platform.

SOURCE: IE

2. CONTINUATION OF PM POSHAN IN SCHOOLS

THE CONTEXT:  The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the continuation of ‘National Scheme for PM POSHAN in Schools’ for the five-year period 2021-22 to 2025-26 with the financial outlay of 54061.73 crores rupees from the Central Government and 31,733.17 crore rupees from State Governments & UT administrations.

ANALYSIS:

• Highlights of the decision that would improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the scheme are as below:
• The scheme is proposed to be extended to students studying in pre-primary or Bal Vatikas of Government and Government-aided primary schools in addition to all the 11.80 crore children from elementary classes.
• The concept of TithiBhojan will be encouraged extensively. TithiBhojan is a community participation programme in which people provide special food to children on special occasions/festivals.
• The government is promoting the development of School Nutrition Gardens in schools to give children first-hand experience with nature and gardening. The harvest of these gardens is used in the scheme providing additional micronutrients. School Nutrition Gardens have already been developed in more than 3 lakh schools.
• Social Audit of the scheme is made mandatory in all the districts.
• Special provision is made for providing supplementary nutrition items to children in aspirational districts and districts with a high prevalence of Anemia.
• Cooking competitions will be encouraged at all levels right from village level to national level to promote ethnic cuisine and innovative menus based on locally available ingredients and vegetables.
• Vocal for Local for Atmanirbhar Bharat: Involvement of Farmers Producer Organizations (FPO) and Women Self Help Groups in the implementation of the scheme will be encouraged. Use of locally grown traditional food items for a fillip to local economic growth will be encouraged.
• Field visits for progress monitoring and inspections will be facilitated for students of eminent Universities/Institutions and also trainee teachers of Regional Institutes of Educations (RIE) and District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET).

SOURCE: PIB

3. THE GOVERNMENT’S OBJECTIONS TO A CASTE CENSUS

THE CONTEXT: In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on September 23, the Union government has categorically ruled out conducting a Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC), stating that a caste census (except that for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes done traditionally) was unfeasible from an administrative point of view.

BACKGROUND

• The government’s affidavit was in response to a writ petition by the Maharashtra government seeking directions to the Central government to collect data on the Backward Class of Citizens (BCC) of rural India during the enumeration of the 2021 census. The petition also wanted the Centre to disclose the raw caste data on other backward classes (OBCs) collected during SECC-2011.
• The government’s affidavit covers three different aspects of the caste census issue, as reflected in the writ petition.
• It first explains why it cannot make public the caste data collected under the SECC-2011 census.
• Then it argues that the judiciary cannot direct the government to conduct a caste census because it is a “policy decision” not to do so, and
• The judiciary cannot interfere with government policy. And finally, it elaborates on why it is neither practical nor administratively feasible to attempt a caste census.
• In its affidavit, the government acknowledges that the SECC-2011’s caste data of 130 crore Indians have been with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for five years. Due to flaws in the data, it was decided to form an Expert Committee headed by the then Vice-Chairman of the NITI Aayog Arvind Panagariya. But since other members of the Committee were not named, the Committee never met, and as a result, no action was taken on the raw data to collate it into publishable findings. Therefore, government do not want to make the raw data of the 2011 caste census public.

WHAT REASONS HAS THE GOVERNMENT CITED FOR NOT COUNTING CASTES ALONG WITH THE REGULAR 2021 CENSUS?

• The government has cited numerous administrative, operational and logistical reasons to argue that collecting caste data during 2021
• Census is unfeasible and attempting it could endanger the census exercise itself. It begins by pointing to the difference in caste categories according to different lists. While the Central list contained 2,479 OBC castes, there were 3,150 OBC castes as per the lists of all the States and Union Territories taken together.
• If a caste-related question is included, it would “return thousands of castes as the people use their clan/gotra, sub-caste and caste names interchangeably”. Since enumerators are part-timers with 6-7 days of training and “not an investigator or verifier”, the affidavit states, “it would be difficult to meaningfully tabulate and classify caste returns”.
• Secondly, the preparatory work for a census starts three to four years earlier. As for the 2021 census, the questionnaires have already been finalised and field-tested. It is, therefore, not feasible to add additional questions about caste at this late stage.
• Third, unlike in the case of SCs/STs, there is no Constitutional mandate for the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India to provide the census figures of OBCs/BCCs.
• It has cited the 2014 Supreme Court judgment setting aside two orders of the Madras High Court directing the Centre to conduct a caste census. As per this SC judgment, what information to collect in a census is a policy decision of the government, and while the court may find a certain policy untenable, it was “legally impermissible” for the court to dictate to the government what policy it ought to follow.

SOURCE: TH

4. TOXIC MATERIAL IN FIRECRACKERS

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court said a preliminary enquiry by the CBI into the firecracker industry, including in Tamil Nadu, revealed rampant violation of its ban on the use of toxic ingredients like Barium and its salts. The CBI was directed to examine the allegations of violation of the court ban in 2018.

SOURCE: TH

5. HIGH LEVELS OF MATERNAL AND CHILD UNDERNUTRITION

THE CONTEXT:  According to Arjan De Wagt, Head, Nutrition, UNICEF India, COVID-19 is interacting with undernutrition and exacerbating nutritional insecurities.

ANALYSIS:

• Overall, India has made impressive gains in economic and human development in recent decades. It has transitioned from being a food-deficit nation to a self-sufficient food-producing country in the last 30 years.
• However, high levels of maternal and child undernutrition continue to plague the country. Large-scale surveys like the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) and National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS) show that about one-third of children under five years of age in India are stunted, a third of them are underweight and almost two out of ten children are nutritionally wasted; many of these children suffer from multiple anthropometric deficits.
• The CNNS also highlight the emerging problems of overweight, obesity and micro-nutrient deficiencies.
• Global research in 2020 on the effect of COVID-19 estimated about a 14.3% increase in wasting globally. No specific data are available yet on the impact of COVID-19 on the nutritional status of the Indian population. However, from global and Indian experience, it is increasingly evident how COVID-19 is interacting with undernutrition and exacerbating nutritional insecurities.
• Firstly, the COVID-19 infection negatively affects the nutritional status of a child, and those with poor nutritional status are more likely to have a higher risk of morbidity and mortality.
• Secondly, disruption to food systems due to reduced food availability and broken supply chains, as well as dried income sources and depleted family savings is likely to have decreased financial and physical access to healthy food.
• Third, health and social services such as Anganwadi centres, nutrition rehabilitation centres, and village health sanitation and nutrition days (VHSND) were disrupted.
• Fourth, COVID-19 related priorities could threaten the delivery and financing of nutrition and nutrition security responses, which we had seen in recent times, especially since the launch of the Poshan Abhiyaan.
• Six areas need immediate attention.
• First and foremost, strong leadership at all levels — from national to the district — is essential to bring back focus to address food, income and nutritional security.
• Second, uninterrupted, universal, timely and high-quality coverage of essential evidence-based nutritional services must be ensured, with a special focus on children below two years of age, pregnant women and adolescent girls, which are the critical growth and development periods of life.
• Thirdly, the pandemic calls for strategies adapting to COVID-19 guidelines and innovations in the service delivery mechanism. Urgent attention is needed to address food security, dietary diversity, micronutrient supplementation, social protection, economic support, gender, and financial inclusion. Keeping girls in school and delaying the age of marriage should be emphasised. The mid-day meal programme benefits should continue uninterrupted even when school services are disrupted.
• Fourthly, adequate financing is needed to ensure the delivery of high impact interventions, and additional financing will be required for ensuring food and nutritional security, especially for the vulnerable population groups. Accelerating fund release to States and decentralised decision making are required to improve fund utilisation. The main causes of underutilisation of funds potentially available for nutrition responses must be identified and addressed.
• Multisectoral interventions that directly or indirectly impact nutrition, like health, nutrition and social protection schemes need to be delivered effectively to the same household, same woman, same child. Migrant labourers and urban poor need special focus.
• Finally, nutrition needs to be retained as a key indicator for development. Regular reviews aided by robust data systems are essential to help identify areas where urgent actions are needed. Data quality needs to improve for better policy and programme decisions.

SOURCE: TH

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY AND AGRICULTURE

6. REVAMPED REC MECHANISM

THE CONTEXT: Union Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy has given his assent to amendments in the existing Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) mechanism. The intent behind this decision is to align the ‘mechanism’ with the emerging changes in the power scenario and also to promote new renewable technologies.

THE SALIENT FEATURES OF CHANGES PROPOSED IN REVAMPED REC MECHANISM

• Validity of REC would be perpetual i.e., till it is sold.
• Floor and forbearance prices are not required to be specified.
• CERC to have monitoring and the surveillance mechanism to ensure that there is no hoarding of RECs.
• The RE generator who are eligible for REC will be eligible for issuance of RECs for the period of PPA as per the prevailing guidelines.  The existing RE projects that are eligible for REC would continue to get RECs for 25 years.
• A technology multiplier can be introduced for the promotion of new and high priced RE technologies, which can be allocated in various baskets specific to technologies depending on maturity.
• RECs can be issued to obligated entities (including DISCOMs and open access consumers) which purchase RE Power beyond their RPO compliance notified by the Central Government.
• No REC to be issued to the beneficiary of subsidies/concessions or waiver of any other charges. The FOR to define concessional charges uniformly for denying the RECs.
• Allowing traders and bilateral transactions in the REC mechanism.

SOURCE:  PIB

INDIAN ECONOMY

7. INDIA EXPORT INITIATIVE AND INDIAXPORTS 2021 PORTAL

THE CONTEXT: MSME Minister launched India Export Initiative and IndiaXports 2021 Portal.

ANALYSIS:

• IndiaXports aims to orient MSMEs free of cost, with the objective of focussing on the untapped export potential in existing tariff lines and supporting MSMEs in order to grow the number of exporting MSMEs and increase MSME exports by 50% in 2022 and contributing to the PM’s dream of the US $5 Trillion Economy.
• This initiative features an Info Portal which serves as a knowledge base for exports by Indian MSMEs with the required information related to export potential for all the 456 tariff lines along with the potential markets as well as trends in exports, export procedures and lots more.
• Apart from an export help desk, Instructor-led orientation will also be provided to MSMEs through a series of sessions for specific sectors highlighting the opportunities in specific products in international markets.
• The initiative targets 1 lakh+ MSME desirous of knowing more about exports and hand-holding 30,000+ MSMEs to start exporting, doubling the base of active exporters.

SOURCE: PIB

8. TWO RAILWAY LINE DOUBLING PROJECTS

THE CONTEXT:  The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the doubling of the Nimach-Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh) railway line as well as of the Rajkot-Kanalus (Gujarat) railway line, with an estimated project cost of over ₹1,000 crores each.

ANALYSIS:

• The total length of doubling of the line for the Nimach-Ratlam line is 132.92 km, with an estimated project cost of Rs. 1,095.88 crores and the estimated length for the Rajkot-Kanalus railway line is 111.20 km, with an estimated cost of Rs. 1,080.58 crores. Both projects are targeted for completion by 2024-25.
• While the Nimach-Ratlam project is expected to generate direct employment during construction for about 31.90 lakh man-days, the Rajkot-Kanalus project will generate direct employment for about 26.68 lakh man-days.
• The main inward freight traffic carried is coal for captive power plants of cement companies, it said, adding that traffic on the section will further increase on account of new cement industries coming up due to the availability of huge deposits of cement grade limestone in the Nimach-Chittorgarh area.

SOURCE: TH

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

9. COST-EFFECTIVE PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN

THE CONTEXT: A team of scientists have, for the first time, developed a large-scale reactor that produces a substantial amount of hydrogen using sustainable sources like sunlight and water, which is a cost-effective and sustainable process.

ANALYSIS:

• Scientists from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Govt. of India have developed a prototype reactor that operates under natural sunlight to produce hydrogen at a larger scale (around 6.1 L in 8 hours). They have used an earth-abundant chemical called carbon nitrides as a catalyst for the purpose.
• The INST team employed the low-cost organic semiconductor in carbon nitrides which can be prepared using cheaper precursors like urea and melamine at ease in a kilogram scale. When the sunlight falls on this semiconductor, electrons, and holes are generated.
• The electrons reduced the protons to produce hydrogen, and holes are consumed by some chemical agents called sacrificial agents. If the holes are not consumed, then they will recombine with the electrons.
• This work is supported by the DST Nano Mission NATDP project, and the related article has been published in the ‘Journal of Cleaner Production’ recently, and the team is in the process of obtaining a patent for the technology.
• The team is in the process of optimising the hydrogen production with effective sunlight hours in addition to the purity of the hydrogen, moisture traps, and gas separation membranes so as to hyphenate with the fuel cells.
• Hydrogen generated in this manner can be used in many forms like electricity generation through fuel cells in remote tribal areas, hydrogen stoves, and powering small gadgets, to mention a few. Eventually, they can power the transformers and e-vehicles, which are long-term research goals under progress.

SOURCE: PIB

INTERNAL SECURITY

10. DAC APPROVES PROCUREMENT WORTH RS 13,165 CRORE

THE CONTEXT: The Defence Acquisition Council Wednesday approved the purchase of helicopters, surface-to-air missiles and artillery ammunition worth Rs 13,165 crore.

ANALYSIS:

• One of the key purchase approvals is for 25 advanced light Mark III helicopters from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. The twin-engine, multi-role helicopters, which will cost Rs 3,850 crore, are expected to help the Army strengthen its operational preparedness in remote areas. These will be made indigenously.
• Of the total amount for which the ‘Acceptance of Necessity was accorded, procurement worth Rs 11,486 crore will be from domestic sources.
• The DAC also approved a few amendments to the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 as a part of Business Process Re-engineering to ensure further ease of doing business for the industry as well as measures to enhance procurement efficiency and reducing timelines.

SOURCE: IE

PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Consider the following statements related to unique health ID under Cushman Bharat Digital Mission:

1. A user cannot permanently delete or temporarily deactivate her health ID.

1. Aadhaar is not mandatory for the creation of a health ID.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

ANSWER FOR SEPTEMBER 28, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS (REFER TO RELEVANT ARTICLE)

Answer: C

Explanation:

1. Nathu La – Sikkim
2. Lipulekh pass – Uttarakhand
3. Jelep La – SikkimRegistries (HFR) will act as a repository of all healthcare providers across both modern and traditional systems of medicine.

1. The pursuit of happiness through justice: The great degree of unhappiness in Indian society has a lot to do with the way the law and its institutions operate READ MORE
2. Bureaucracy’s digital challenge: If civil servants don’t use social media appropriately, their role as independent advisers stands threatened READ MORE

1. Explainer: What is green hydrogen and how can it help India mitigate climate change? READ MORE
2. Stricter air quality standards set by WHO are a reminder to governments to clean up their act READ MORE

1. Welfare delivery in the digital world READ MORE
2. More female representation: Structural biases against women must be addressed READ MORE

1. Digital health ID: Technology alone can’t address systemic inadequacies READ MORE
2. PM Modi’s Digital Health Mission Might put Personal Data at Risk, Lead to Exclusion READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. PM dedicates to the Nation 35 crop varieties with special traits READ MORE
2. 4th Indo-US Health Dialogue 2021 concludes READ MORE
3. Country’s first Pan-India helpline for senior citizens READ MORE
4. Pfizer begins the study of mRNA flu vaccine READ MORE
5. Explained: What is Mumbai civic body’s 3D mapping initiative? READ MORE
6. Nitin Gadkari reviews Zojila tunnel work READ MORE

Main Exam  

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Digital health ID: Technology alone can’t address systemic inadequacies READ MORE
2. PM Modi’s Digital Health Mission Might put Personal Data at Risk, Lead to Exclusion READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Welfare delivery in the digital world READ MORE
2. More female representation: Structural biases against women must be addressed READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Four geopolitical developments and a window of opportunity for India READ MORE
2. AUKUS won’t derail either Quad or Western unity READ MORE
3. Can Taliban takeover reframe Indian thinking? READ MORE
4. The unspoken risk of Quad and AUKUS: A bigger arms race in the Indo-Pacific READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Explained: How the PLI scheme for textiles works READ MORE
2. India must make ‘green’ hydrogen a priority READ MORE
3. Human capital: Need for State-level approach READ MORE

 ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Explainer: What is green hydrogen and how can it help India mitigate climate change? READ MORE
2. Stricter air quality standards set by WHO are a reminder to governments to clean up their act READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Tackling the Maoists: On Left Wing Extremism READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. The pursuit of happiness through justice: The great degree of unhappiness in Indian society has a lot to do with the way the law and its institutions operate READ MORE
2. Bureaucracy’s digital challenge: If civil servants don’t use social media appropriately, their role as independent advisers stands threatened READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Should civil servants use social media in their official capacity? Justify your view.
2. ‘Asian countries caught between the US and China should push for a new paradigm of multilateralism’. Comment.
3. How far do you agree with the view that the digitalisation of health services will push personal data at risk? Suggest the way forward in this regard.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• The great degree of unhappiness in Indian society has a lot to do with the way the law and its institutions operate.
• Bureaucrats should use social media to improve public policies. If they don’t use social media appropriately, their role as independent advisers stands threatened.
• The insurgency has weakened but its potency in select areas has not reduced.
• Developments on the security front herald a period of uncertainty and danger, but with China’s crackdown on its private sector, India’s economic prospects look brighter.
• Investments in research and development can help India tap its ‘green’ hydrogen potential and align its energy sector with climate goals.
• India has the advantage of producing cheap electricity from renewable sources and thus, we have the potential of becoming hydrogen exporters and should not lose this opportunity as we have lost in the case of solar cells and batteries.
• Asian countries caught between the US and China should push for a new paradigm of multilateralism.
• There is a need for micro-level studies that can create evidence-based policy interventions to improve human development.
• It’s important to bridge the digital divide that is preventing millions of people from making the most of technology-based public services. A holistic approach is a way forward to give a new lease of life to the health sector.

ESSAY TOPIC

• Happiness is a measure of the quality of governance.

50- WORD TALK

• Delhi High Court’s message to CM Arvind Kejriwal should be applicable to all politicians: Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep. AAP government’s stand that CM’s assurance to pay poor tenants’ rent doesn’t constitute an unconditional promise amounts to political chicanery. Kejriwal must realise that voters are much smarter.
• Digital health IDs launched by PM Modi is an innovative addition to India’s growing data banks. But this needs to be matched by better healthcare infrastructure, especially in the public health sector. Without access to good, affordable hospitals, doctors, diagnostic services, health care could end up as welfare optics.

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.

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. HELPLINE FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

THE CONTEXT: The Government of India has taken a monumental step towards addressing the challenges and problems they face, through the country’s first Pan-India toll-free helpline – 14567 — called ‘Elder Line’, which provides free information and guidance on pension issues, legal issues, extends emotional support, and even intervenes on the field in cases of abuse, and rescues homeless elderly.

ANALYSIS:

• The intent of ‘Elder Line’ is to provide all senior citizens, or their well-wishers, with ONE platform across the country to connect and share their concerns, get information and guidance on problems that they face on a day-to-day basis, without having to struggle for it.
• Elder Line is a culmination of the initiative of Tata Trusts, India’s oldest philanthropy, which took through its partner, Vijayavahini Charitable Foundation, in 2017, in collaboration with the Government of Telangana in Hyderabad, to help the elderlies in the city.
• Tata Trusts has been and continues to be engaged in strategic philanthropy, to create an impact that is deep, wide and irreversible in millions of lives in the communities that we serve, distinguished by our scale and depth of interventions on issues of national significance.

SOURCE: PIB

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY AND AGRICULTURE

2. CROP VARIETIES WITH SPECIAL TRAITS

THE CONTEXT: The Prime Minister dedicated to the Nation 35 crop varieties with special traits. The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation the newly constructed campus of the National Institute of Biotic Stress Management Raipur.

ANALYSIS:

• The crop varieties with special traits have been developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to address the twin challenges of climate change and malnutrition.
• Thirty-five such crop varieties with special traits like climate resilience and higher nutrient content have been developed in the year 2021.
• These include a drought-tolerant variety of chickpea, wilt and sterility mosaic resistant pigeon pea, early maturing variety of soybean, disease-resistant varieties of rice and biofortified varieties of wheat, pearl millet, maize and chickpea, quinoa, buckwheat, winged bean and faba bean.
• These special traits crop varieties also include those that address the anti-nutritional factors found in some crops that adversely affect human and animal health.
• Examples of such varieties include Pusa Double Zero Mustard 33, the first Canola quality hybrid RCH 1 with <2% erucic acid and <30 ppm glucosinolates and a soybean variety free from two anti-nutritional factors namely Kunitz trypsin inhibitor and lipoxygenase.
• Other varieties with special traits have been developed in soybean, sorghum, and baby corn, among others.

ABOUT NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BIOTIC STRESS MANAGEMENT

• The National Institute of Biotic Stress Management at Raipur has been established to take up the basic and strategic research in biotic stresses, develop human resources and provide policy support. The institute has started PG courses from the academic session 2020-21.

SOURCE: PIB

3. LOCKDOWNS SLOWED GREEN ENERGY PUSH

THE CONTEXT: The lockdowns slowed renewable energy installations in India and the pace of such installation is lagging India’s 2022 target, according to a report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEE- FA), a research think tank.

ANALYSIS:

• As part of its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, India has said that it would install 175 gigawatts (GW) of green energy by 2022 and 450 GW by 2030 but only 7 GW of such capacity was added in the financial year 2020-21.

SOURCE: TH

INDIAN ECONOMY

4. ZOJILA TUNNEL

THE CONTEXT: Road works totalling Rs. 1.5 lakh crore is being undertaken in the Union Territories of J & K and Ladakh. Minister for Road Transport and Highways reviewed the construction work at the Zojila tunnel, likely to be ready by September 2026.

ANALYSIS:

• The 13.5 km tunnel will be Asia’s longest bi-directional tunnel and will allow all-weather connectivity between Ladakh and Srinagar, which is disrupted during the winter months.
• It is located at 11,578 feet above sea level.
• It takes 3.5 hours to travel between Srinagar and Ladakh. The tunnel will reduce the travel time to 15 minutes.
• The Z-Morh tunnel — being developed at Sonmarg — will provide it all-weather connectivity with Srinagar allowing it to remain open to tourists all year round.
• It is likely to be ready by December 2023 and is being developed at a cost of Rs 2,378 crores.

Mountain passes in India:

SOURCE: TH

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

5. 4TH INDO-US HEALTH DIALOGUE 2021

THE CONTEXT: The two-day Dialogue leveraged as a platform to deliberate upon multiple ongoing collaborations in the health sector between the two countries.

ANALYSIS:

• The issues related to areas of concern pertaining to strengthening of epidemiological research and surveillance, vaccine development, One Health, zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, health systems and health policies etc. were discussed during the two-day dialogue.
• MoU signed India and USA for cooperation in Health and Biomedical Sciences
• MoU also signed between Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) & NIAID (NIH) for cooperation on International Centre for Excellence in Research (ICER)

SOURCE: PIB

PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q.Which of the following pairs is/are incorrectly matched?

1. Nathu La – Sikkim
2. Lipulekh pass – Himachal Pradesh
3. Jelep La – Arunachal Pradesh

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a) 1 only

b) 1 and 2 only

c) 2 and 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

ANSWER FOR SEPTEMBER 28, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS (REFER TO RELEVANT ARTICLE)

ANSWER: C)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The mission will include a health ID for every citizen that will also be used as their health account. Personal health records can be linked to this account and viewed with the help of a mobile application
• Statement 2 is correct: A Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR) and Healthcare Facilities Registries (HFR) will act as a repository of all healthcare providers across both modern and traditional systems of medicine.

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3. Inhumane: Dalits in India live in a sorry state, whether it is spoken about or not READ MORE

1. India’s Parliament must overcome its dysfunctional ways READ MORE
2. ‘Indianisation’ of the Justice Delivery System READ MORE

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. AYUSHMAN BHARAT DIGITAL MISSION

THE CONTEXT: Prime Minister of India launched countrywide Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.

ABOUT AYUSHMAN BHARAT DIGITAL MISSION

• Prime Minister announced the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission from the ramparts of Red Fort on August 15 last year. The mission is currently being implemented in the pilot phase in six Union Territories.
• The mission will include a health ID for every citizen that will also be used as their health account. Personal health records can be linked to this account and viewed with the help of a mobile application.
• This health account will contain details of every test, every disease, the doctors visited for check-ups, the medicines taken and the diagnosis.
• A Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR) and Healthcare Facilities Registries (HFR) will act as a repository of all healthcare providers across both modern and traditional systems of medicine.
• This will ensure ease of doing business for doctors and hospitals and healthcare service providers.

SOURCE: PIB

2. CONVERGENCE BETWEEN DAY-NULM AND PMFME

THE CONTEXT: Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has organised the launch event of the Convergence between PM Formalisation of Micro-food processing Enterprises (PMFME)&Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) scheme.

ANALYSIS:

• Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) launched the PMFME scheme as a part of “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” to enhance the competitiveness of individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment & promote formalization of this sector.
• Financial assistance in the form of Seed Capital, Credit linked subsidy for Capital investment and creation of Common Infrastructure are available to the micro-food processing industries, including those run by SHGs.
• MoHUA is implementing a flagship Scheme named DAY-NULM, which has mobilised over 61 lakhs urban poor women into SHGs and their federations. Out of these, approximately 32,000 SHGs have been identified by States/ UTs to be involved in Food Processing activities.
• Both the Schemes have been converged to benefit members from these SHGs.
• Guidelines have already been issued by MoHUA to States/ UTs.The online IT module developed on DAY-NULM MIS has also been launched today to help in the effective implementation of this convergence.
• This module uses verification and authentication features like Aadhaar Authentication and e-KYC, Mobile Number Validation through OTP and on-spot photography of beneficiaries.
• It ensures a seamless workflow from ULB to the State Nodal Agency (SNA) of PMFME and also enables online approval of eligible applications.
• This module sends SMS on the registered mobile of the beneficiary to update the application status.

SOURCE: PIB

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY AND AGRICULTURE

3. SUNDARBANS IS EVALUATED AS ENDANGERED

THE CONTEXT: The Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem in India is evaluated as ‘endangered’ by a global team of researchers using the IUCN’s Red List of Ecosystems framework.

ANALYSIS:

• A global team of researchers has evaluated the Indian Sundarbans ecosystem to be endangered driven by historical clearing of mangroves and diminishing fish populations.
• The analysis uses the Red List of Ecosystems (RLE) framework developed by the IUCN. It is analogous to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
• The assessment calls for ‘cautious optimism because of the slowdown in historically high rates of mangrove clearing, and recently stabilising tiger populations.
• However, ongoing threats such as reduced freshwater and sediment supply must be effectively monitored and managed.

SOURCE: MONGABAY

INDIAN ECONOMY

4. INDIA EMERGES AS DUBAI’S SECOND-BIGGEST TRADE PARTNER

THE CONTEXT: India has emerged as Dubai’s second-biggest trading partner.

ANALYSIS:

• Dubai had a trading volume of 86.7 billion dirhams with China in H1 (first half) of 2021. It is followed by India and the U.S.
• Trade with India has increased by 74.5% year-on-year to 67.1 billion dirhams in 2021 from 38.5 billion dirhams in H1 of the year 2020.
• China recorded a growth of 30.7% growth year-on-year. It is having a total trade of 66.3 billion dirhams with Dubai in H1 2021.
• In H1 2021, the US traded 32 billion dirhams with Dubai. This amount has increased by 1% year-on-year from 31.7 billion dirhams in 2020.
• Saudi Arabia was placed at fourth position with a trade value of 30.5 billion dirhams. It has increased by 26% as compared to the H1 quarter of 2020.

SOURCE: TOI

INDIAN SECURITY

5. AKASH PRIME MISSILE

THE CONTEXT: A new version of the Akash Missile – ‘Akash Prime’ has been successfully flight tested from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur.

ANALYSIS:

• The missile intercepted and destroyed an unmanned aerial target mimicking enemy aircraft, in its maiden flight test after improvements.
• In comparison to the existing Akash System, Akash Prime is equipped with an indigenous active Radio Frequency (RF) seeker for improved accuracy.
• Other improvements also ensure more reliable performance under low-temperature environments at higher altitudes.
• A modified ground system of the existing Akash weapon system has been used for the current flight test.
• The range stations of ITR comprising Radars, Electro-Optical Tracking System (EOTS) and Telemetry stations monitored the missile trajectory and flight parameters.

SOURCE: PIB

PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q. Consider the following statements about Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

1. A health ID for every citizen will be used as their health account.
2. A Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR) and Healthcare Facilities Registries (HFR) will act as a repository of all healthcare providers.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only                                                   b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2                                      d) Neither 1 nor 2

ANSWER FOR SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS (REFER TO RELEVANT ARTICLE)

Answer: C

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: CDM is a market mechanism developed under Kyoto Protocol.
• Statement 2 is correct: It helps developed countries to compensate for excess emission of Greenhouse gases by acquiring carbon credits generated by green projects in developing countries like India.
• Statement 3 is correct: It is an example of carbon offsetting as overall carbon emissions are not reduced rather they are offset to other locations.

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. PM Modi launches Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission READ MORE
2. Launch of convergence between DAY-NULM and PMFME to support Micro Food Processing Units of Urban SHGs READ MORE
3. India emerges as Dubai’s second-biggest trade partner READ MORE
4. An institution’s right to govt. aid is not a fundamental right: SC READ MORE
5. Sundarbans endangered as per IUCN’s Red List of Ecosystems framework, cautious optimism advised READ MORE
6. Explained: What is dark energy, and have scientists finally detected it? READ MORE

Main Exam  

GS Paper- 1

1. Inhumane: Dalits in India live in a sorry state, whether it is spoken about or not READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. India’s Parliament must overcome its dysfunctional ways READ MORE
2. ‘Indianisation’ of the Justice Delivery System READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Women’s turn: Is reservation the only way to a fair deal in India? Economic growth delivers justice, too READ MORE
2. Why Poshan 2.0 needs more power after Covid READ MORE

 INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The Quad could end up running out of steam: It has too many items on its agenda, and with the announcement of AUKUS, faces the danger of becoming a talk shop READ MORE
2. The growing strategic importance of outer space READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Cryptocurrency — the time to act is now READ MORE
2. India will need more than green hydrogen READ MORE
3. Banks’ bailout — Make it transparent READ MORE
4. US corp pledge elusive; the bad bank is expensive READ MORE
5. Caste census is the way forward for equitable growth READ MORE
6. Global inequalities don’t have easy solutions. But altering trade policy can be a start READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Net-zero is not enough: Global climate agreement must be about the allocation of available carbon space READ MORE
2. Pollution: Has North India had any success in controlling stubble burning? RAED MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. High water: India must create a social safety net to manage the fallout of cyclonic storms READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Discover the treasures of divinity within READ MORE
2. Honesty Vs transparency READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Discuss the strategic and geopolitical significance of the Indo-Pacific region for India.
2. Do you think that the AUKUS security agreement will overshadow the Quad alliance? Justify your view.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• The power of population is indefinitely greater than the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man.
• QUAD has too many items on its agenda, and with the announcement of AUKUS, faces the danger of becoming a talk shop.
• The project of Indianisation is not so much about changing the present system into one drawn from what the historians and anthropologists may recognize as Indian tradition or culture, but simply about making a broader base of Indians a part of the system.
• With China’s emergence as a major space power, there is a new urgency for democratic powers to come together to secure their national interests as well as promote sustainable order in the skies above.
• Unless political economy issues around discoms are addressed, India’s renewable energy plans will fail.
• A new vision for the global trading system must encompass equitable access to the benefits of trade for all of society.
• Poshan Abhiyan, which vowed to make India free of malnutrition by 2022, repositioned nutrition as central to development.
• A key driver of Quad is balancing China’s influence on global security and economy, and the future of technology sits at the heart of both.

50- WORD TALK

• MEA denying permission to Mamata Banerjee to travel to Rome for a peace conference is churlish. The practice of a chief minister having to seek the approval of the central government for foreign trips is itself anachronistic. Modi government comes across as petty and mean resorting to such juvenile politics.
• The growing strategic salience of outer space demands substantive national policy action in India. Delhi has undertaken some reforms in recent years like letting the private sector participate in space activity. It has also taken tentative steps to cope with the unfolding military challenges in outer space. It has also initiated space security dialogue with close partners like the US, Japan, and France.

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.

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