1. Revisiting Beti Bachao: Messaging alone cannot be core focus of scheme READ MORE
2. How the pandemic has worsened inequality in India READ MORE

1. Wielding power should entail more responsibility READ MORE
2. Gandhi’s morality wasn’t denial of politics. His idealism was completed by realism READ MORE

1. India’s Climbing Rate of Climate Refugees READ MORE
2. Biodiesel drive is leading to deforestation READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Explained | Which States in the N.E. are under AFSPA? READ MORE
2. Heat shock and cold sensitivity READ MORE
3. New Caledonia votes to stay in France; separatists boycott READ MORE
4. Increase in prey base and forest cover: How Buxa tiger reserve turned a corner READ MORE
5. Kerala row and beyond: Governor’s role in state, central universities READ MORE
6. Eruption in Spain’s La Palma Is Longest Running on Island, Experts Say READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. The evolution and framing of the Constitution: It does not impose, with reason, the same burden of accountability on the Judiciary as the Executive and the Legislature READ MORE  
2. Freedom and power: Elected leaders must keep their promises of freedom and equality for their people READ MORE
3. Judicial reform promotes rule of law READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Revisiting Beti Bachao: Messaging alone cannot be core focus of scheme READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. US-China trade conflict: Geopolitics alone may not help Indian manufacturers READ MORE
2. A reinvigorated alliance: Steady enrichment of India’s ties with Russia is a diplomatic achievement READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Why crypto currency legislations needs careful consideration READ MORE
2. How the pandemic has worsened inequality in India READ MORE
3. Why India always misses the innovation bus READ MORE
4. Welcome financial inclusion: UPI upgrade can bring mobility to household savings READ MORE

 ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. India’s Climbing Rate of Climate Refugees READ MORE
2. Biodiesel drive is leading to deforestation READ MORE

SECURITY

1. The need for Chief of Defence Staff READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Wielding power should entail more responsibility READ MORE
2. Gandhi’s morality wasn’t denial of politics. His idealism was completed by realism READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘The Gandhian appeal to the ethical in politics was not only a way to seek Truth, but also of coming to know oneself in ever-greater depth’. Argue.
2. Discuss the challenges faced by democracies across the world.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Lofty words cannot construct an alliance or maintain it; only concrete deeds can do that.
• The evolution and framing of the Constitution does not impose, with reason, the same burden of accountability on the Judiciary as the Executive and the Legislature.
• Elected leaders must keep their promises of freedom and equality for their people.
• Pandemic has adversely affected chances of social mobility. This could combine with already high levels of inequality of opportunities and precipitate greater demands for income redistribution.
• Fearing the risk of failure, very little R&D funding goes towards innovative ventures and emerging technologies.
• The last governmental effort to seriously examine the poverty line was made in 2014, with the Rangarajan Committee, but its report was ignored.
• Given the financial profiles of feature-phone users, the spurt in small digital transactions, as and when the new feature launches, will reduce the need to use coins and lower-denomination banknotes, and enable a better understanding of the informal economy.
• The greatest threat to democracies, however, comes from within. A slide towards populism and hyper-nationalism has reduced civil liberties and institutional independences even in the strongest and oldest democracies, from India to the US to the United Kingdom.
• Professionalizing the judiciary not only makes courts more trustworthy and respectable in the eyes of the people, but also enhances its capability to resolve disputes, and thus contributes to a more vibrant, prosperous community.
• The Gandhian appeal to the ethical in politics was not only a way to seek Truth, but also of coming to know oneself in ever-greater depth. The Gandhian effort for non-violent politics was a cultivation of one’s capacity for ethical citizenship.

50-WORD TALK

• The Sino-Russia relationship stands at its highest level in history, but Moscow’s preference is, nonetheless, to remain neutral vis-a-vis China’s rising tensions with Washington. Ideally, Russia would have preferred to be a ‘balancer’. It is against such a complex backdrop that Putin’s recent reference to India as a ‘great power’ needs to be understood. The Russian diplomatic idiom has unique connotations.

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.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. THE CHINESE PROJECT AT BALOCHISTAN PORT

THE CONTEXT: Amid continuous protests in Gwadar, Balochistan against mega development plans of the port city as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Despite the severe conservatism of Balochistan, women protesters have come out in large numbers.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Balochistan is among the least developed even though the most resource-rich of Pakistan’s four provinces. The main means of livelihood for people in the region is Balochistan has the lowest access to drinking water, electricity, and even the gas that is the main resource of the region.
• The port development at Gwadar is perhaps the single most strategically important project of the CPEC, and Chinese involvement there predates the CPEC by at least a decade.
• Protesters pointed out that while Gwadar fishermen had given up their fishing spots for development of the port after assurances that it would greatly improve their economic condition, their existing condition was only worsening because of the unequal competition with the Chinese fishing vessels, which were also harming the eco-system.

• Work there began during the 10-year rule of General Pervez Musharraf, who pitched it as a strategic energy corridor that would provide the Chinese an alternative to the sea route for its oil imports from the middle east. Now it is integral to the Chinese President’s Belt and Road Initiative.
• Ever since, Baloch nationalists have been angry at their exclusion, and separatist insurgent groups like the Baloch Liberation Army and others have targeted Chinese interests in and around Gwadar. The attacks have only risen after the CPEC took off. An attack on the Serena in 2019 took place during a visit by an official Chinese delegation. In response, more Pakistani troops have flooded the port city. One of the protesters’ demands is a reduction in the number of checkpoints.

Concerns of India, West

India has been concerned that Gwadar, which gives China strategic access to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, is not just being developed as a trade entrepot but as a dual-purpose port for use by PLAN (the Chinese Navy) and is intended to expand Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean Region alongside Kyaukpyu in Myanmar and Hambantota in Sri Lanka. With vital military interests in West Asia, the US too is concerned about the Chinese presence in Gwadar.

About CPEC:

• Launched in 2015, the CPEC is the flagship project of the multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a pet project of Chinese President, aimed at enhancing Beijing’s influence around the world through China-funded infrastructure projects.
• The 3,000 km-long China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) consists of highways, railways, and pipelines.
• CPEC eventually aims at linking the city of Gwadar in South Western Pakistan to China’s North Western region Xinjiang through a vast network of highways and railways.

• The proposed project will be financed by heavily-subsidised loans, that will be disbursed to the Government of Pakistan by Chinese banks.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

2. THE DECLINE OF DRAGONFLY POPULATION

THE CONTEXT: According to the update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the number of species is at risk of extinction on the Red List has exceeded 40,000 for the first time. The destruction of wetlands is leading to the decline of dragonflies worldwide.

THE EXPLANATION:

• “Dragonflies are highly sensitive indicators of the state of freshwater ecosystems, and this first global assessment finally reveals the scale of their decline. It also provides an essential baseline we can use to measure the impact of conservation efforts.
• Their decline is symptomatic of the widespread loss of the marshes, swamps, and free-flowing rivers they breed in, mostly driven by the expansion of unsustainable agriculture and urbanization around the world. The IUCN Red List now includes 142,577 species of which 40,084 are threatened with extinction.

• “Marshes and other wetlands may seem unproductive and inhospitable to humans, but in fact, they provide us with essential services. They store carbon, give us clean water and food, protect us from floods, as well as offer habitats for one in ten of the world’s known species.”
• To conserve these beautiful insects, it is critical that governments, agriculture, and industry consider the protection of wetland ecosystems in development projects, for example by protecting key habitats and dedicating space to urban wetlands.”

PYRENEAN DESMAN

• The Pyrenean desman (Galemyspyrenaicus), a semiaquatic mammal found only in rivers in Andorra, France, Portugal, and Spain, has moved from Vulnerable to Endangered. This unusual species is related to moles and has a long, sensitive nose and large webbed feet. It is among the last of its evolutionary line; one of only two remaining desman species in the world.

• The Pyrenean desman population has declined throughout its range by as much as 50% since 2011, largely due to human impacts on its habitats.
• Disruption to river flow and reduced water levels as a result of the hydropower plant, dam and reservoir construction, and water extraction for agriculture make significant areas inhospitable to the desman, isolate populations, and markedly reduce desman prey and shelter.

Threats:

• Invasive alien species, illegal fishing using poison, nets, and explosives, increasing droughts due to climate change, excavation of riverbeds and banks, and water pollution further threaten the desman.
• Preserving and restoring the natural flow of rivers and surrounding vegetation, controlling invasive alien species, and tackling climate change are key for this species to recover.

  3. THE RADIOACTIVE POLLUTION IN WATER

THE CONTEXT:  Radioactive pollution of water is newly emerging but is of grave concern for water pollution and human health. Recently, radioactive contamination and associated health impacts have been reported in many parts of the globe.

What is Radioactive Pollution?

• The radioactive pollution is defined as the physical pollution of living organisms and their environment as a result of release of radioactive substances into the environment during nuclear explosions and testing of nuclear weapons, nuclear weapon production and decommissioning, mining of radioactive ores, handling and disposal of radioactive waste, and accidents at nuclear power plants.The proportion of radioactive pollution is 15% of the total energy of the explosion.
• Radioactivity is the phenomenon of spontaneous emission of particles or waves from the
• unstable nuclei of some elements. There are three types of radioactive emissions: Alpha, Beta and Gamma.
• Alpha particles are positively charged He atoms, beta particles are negatively charged electrons and gamma rays are neutral electromagnetic radiations. Radioactive elements are naturally found in the earth’s crust.

Radioactive pollution in water:

Percolation of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) from the soil sediments to the aquifer causes groundwater contamination. In anthropogenic sources of radioactive pollution, nuclear weapon investigation, nuclear calamities, nuclear power houses and dumping of radioactive waste are major sources of contamination, while application of radioisotopes in industries and scientific laboratories are the minor sources.

• Radioactive contamination is more prevalent in groundwater as compared to surface water since it is much exposed to radioactive elements found in the rocks. Sometimes, magma also releases radioactive gases into the environment.
• The deposition of these radioactive gases in waterbodies also cause radioactive contamination. Atmospheric deposition (both dry and wet) of cosmogenic radionuclides also add radioactive nuclei in the surface water.
• A number of radionuclides are found in surface and subsurface waters, among which 3H, 14C, 40K, 210Pb, 210Po, 222Rn, 226Ra, 228Ra, 232Th and 234,235,238U are common. Uranium, thorium and actinium are three NORM series that contaminate water resources.
• Radium, a descendant of the NORM series, is one of the decidedly radiotoxic elements found in aquatic systems and can be penetrated into groundwater via
• aquifer rock dissolution
• decaying of 238U and 232Th,
• desorption processes.
• Nuclear reactors and nuclear warhead experiments are the key sources of human-induced radionuclides discharge. Nuclear reactors produce radioisotopes (Cobalt-60, Iridium-192, etc) that hand out as sources of gamma radiation in radiotherapy and numerous industrial appliances.
• Oceans and seas are the natural repositories of naturally occurring uranium. Where it is found in the form of uranyl carbonate ion. A significant concentration of uranium is supposed to be found in the greater salinity of the marine water. 40K is also found in considerable concentration in the marine environment.
• Nuclear power plants placed at the coastal regions add to the radiological contaminants in the marine water by releasing atomic wastes. Water is also used as coolants in these powerhouses, which also get contaminated.

Example:

• Nuclear submarines cause radioactive contamination in the marine environment. Radioactive pollution due to submarine accidents and sinking have been reported. The Rocky Flats plant in Colorado, Fukushima and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster are some examples of such nuclear accidents.

Radioactivity is measured in Becquerel (SI unit) or in Curie. Energy absorbed per unit mass is measured by Gray, while the unit Sievert measures the quantity of radiation absorbed by human tissues.

A small amount of radiation is found in all types of water but the extended amount of radiation is harmful to human health. Radioactivity in drinking water can be determined by a gross alpha test.

• Radioactive elements have an effect on the environment and can cause a risk to human healthiness if inhaled, injected or exposed.
• Human tissues absorb radiation through polluted water and foodstuff, which can cause serious health risks. High doses of radiation can cause acute radiation syndrome or cutaneous radiation injury.
• Exposure to radiation causes various disorders in human physiology, including cancer, leukaemia, genetic mutations, osteonecrosis, cataracts and chromosomal disruption.

The harmful impacts of nuclear radiation are:

• Immediate, recoverable consequences distressing skin, lungs, genitals, and causing hair fall.
• Long-standing, permanent outcomes such as various infections like radiation damage, bone marrow fatality, cataract initiation, cancer stimulation, cholera, dysentery, tuberculosis and pneumonia. Sometimes, these outcomes may be fatal also.
• Genetic effects ionizing radiation induces mutations in germ cells (male sperm cells and female egg cells) or germ cells, resulting in structural alteration in germ cell DNA that are passed on to offsprings. Hereditary disorders can lead to premature death and severe mental illness.

Nowadays, proper analysis and monitoring of radioactive pollutants are also required for a safe water supply. Prevention and precaution measures can check the anthropogenic sources of radioactive contamination in water resources.

Various treatment methods like aeration, reverse osmosis, ion exchange and granule carbon adsorption are effective remedial measures for treating the radioactive contaminated water.

4. WORLD’S COLDEST REGIONS HAVE BEEN ON FIRE

THE CONTEXT: According to the European Union’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, some of the coldest regions of the world have been on fire in 2021, some even through the winter months, indicating an influence of a changing climate. Wildfires around the world emitted 1.76 billion tonnes of carbon in 2021 (till November 30, 2021 ).

THE EXPLANATION:

• The wildfires mostly occurred in Siberia, North America, North Africa and the Mediterranean.
• This is the equivalent of 6.45 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide and was 148 per cent more than the total fossil fuel emissions of the European Union.
• This was mainly due to dry and hot conditions in the regions, Mark Parrington, a senior scientist with Copernicus, pointed out.
• Globally, even though the carbon emissions from wildfires was not the maximum recorded by Copernicus, the EU agency said such emissions would increase in a world reeling under climate change.
• Wildfires in Siberia affected the western part of the region, around Omsk and Tyumen in the early part of the year. By summer, the eastern part of the region started feeling the heat of the wildfires, especially the Sakha Republic in the northeast.
• The Mediterranean was also affected by wildfires during the same period, leading to an increase in the PM 2.5 levels in the region. Turkey was the worst-affected country but there were fires from Tunisia in North Africa to Italy in Europe.

Impacts on India

• Fires were a major concern in India. The report highlighted the seasonal stubble burning in northwest India as the major cause of fires in October and November 2021

• Neighbouring Pakistan also witnessed an increase in fire activity. This increased the particulate matter pollution across the Indo-Gangetic plains, from Pakistan till Bangladesh.
• Earlier, Odisha had reported 51,968 forest fires from November 2020 to June 2021 — the highest in India for the period, according to the Ministry of Environment, forest and climate change.
• A total of 345,989 forest fires were recorded across the country. The other states with huge losses due to forest fires were Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Mizoram, Assam and Manipur.
• Forest fires had ravaged Uttarakhand in the early part of the year. The fires had been going on continuously for six months.
• There were 989 fire incidents in the forests of the state, which would have ignited multiple forest fires, from October 1, 2020, to April 4, 2021, according to forest department figures. Some 1,297.43 hectares of forest got burned down in the fires, as per estimates.
• The important thing to note here is that Uttarakhand is a mountain state and the fires were burning through the entire winter season.

• The current outlook for the winter season released by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for the state also does not look promising as temperatures are going to be higher than normal.

Significance of Forests:

• Forests play an important role in mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
• They act as a sink, reservoir and source of carbon.
• A healthy forest stores and sequesters more carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem.
• In India, with 1.70 lakh villages in close proximity to forests (Census 2011), the livelihood of several crores of people is dependent on fuelwood, bamboo, fodder, and small timber.

Efforts to Mitigate Forest Fires:

• Since 2004, the FSI (Forest Survey of India) developed the Forest Fire Alert System to monitor forest fires in real time.
• In its advanced version launched in January 2019, the system now uses satellite information gathered from NASA and ISRO.
• National Action Plan on Forest Fires (NAPFF) 2018 and Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. NASA’S IXPE MISSION

THE CONTEXT: NASA launched a new mission named Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer or IXPE. Onboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, it was sent to its orbit from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

THE EXPLANATION:

• IXPE observatory is a joint effort of NASA and the Italian Space Agency. The mission will study “the most extreme and mysterious objects in the universe – supernova remnants, supermassive black holes, and dozens of other high-energy objects.”

• The mission’s primary length is two years and the observatory will be at 600 kilometers altitude, orbiting around Earth’s equator. IXPE is expected to study about 40 celestial objects in its first year in space.

What are the instruments onboard?

• IXPE carries three state-of-the-art space telescopes. Each of the three identical telescopes hosts one light-weight X-ray mirror and one detector unit. These will help observe polarized X-rays from neutron stars and supermassive black holes. By measuring the polarization of these X-rays, we can study where the light came from and understand the geometry and inner workings of the light source.
• This new mission will complement other X-ray telescopes such as the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Space Agency’s X-ray observatory, XMM-Newton.

Why is it important?

According to NASA, IXPE’s polarization measurements will help scientists answer questions such as:

• How do black holes spin?
• Was the black hole at the center of the Milky Way actively feeding on surrounding material in the past?
• How do pulsars shine so brightly in X-rays?
• What powers the jets of energetic particles that are ejected from the region around the supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies?

THE MISCELLANEOUS

6. INDIA SKILLS REPORT 2022

THE CONTEXT:  India Skills Report 2022 was released by Wheebox, a talent assessment platform, with AICTE, Association of Indian Universities, Confederation of Indian Industries, and other agencies.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the report, 51% Indian women will be employable in 2022, compared to 46% men.
• The theme of ISR 2021; “Reengineering Education and skilling-building for future of work’.
• States with Maximum hiring Activity: Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu are the 3 states that have a higher job demand.
• Pune, Maharashtra is the list with the most highly employable resources with 78% of the test takers above 60 percent.

Analysis of the report:

• This year’s report is based on responses gathered from an assessment of 3 lakh candidates across India who took part in the Wheebox National Eligibility Test (WNET), and a report from the India Hiring Intent Survey that covered 150 corporations spanning more than 15 industries and sectors.
• It also says that the sectors in which the most hiring will take place are IT, pharmaceutical, e-commerce, and banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI). These sectors are expected to hire 20 per cent more fresh graduates in 2022 than in 2021.
• The annual report examines hiring patterns and skill distribution in the country with an eye on the future. It uses an aptitude test to measure the employability of Indian youth.
• It says the pool of employable women is steadily increasing. This stands at 51.44 per cent for 2022, compared to 41.25 per cent in 2021. The 2022 figure for men is 45.97 per cent, against 34.26 per cent in 2021.
• According to the 2022 report, 2 per cent of skilled youth overall were found to be highly employable, compared to 45.97 per cent in 2021.
• In a new trend that has emerged this year, 6 per cent of graduates were found to be seeking internship positions within organisations.

THE PRELIM PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. Consider the following statements about International Solar Alliance (ISA):

1. It was conceived as a joint effort by India and France to mobilise efforts against climate change through the deployment of solar energy solutions.
2. Its headquarter is located in Gurugram, Haryana.
3. Countries that do not fall within the Tropics can not join the alliance.

Which of the statements are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only             b) 2 and 3 only

c) 1 and 3 only             d) All of them

ANSWER FOR 10^TH DECEMBER 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer: a)

Explanation:

1. Hurricane – Atlantic Ocean
2. Willy Willy – Western Australia
3. Typhoons – South China Sea and Western Pacific Ocean
4. Cyclone – Indian Ocean

1. Glass ceiling: There are reasons for renewed hope for women’s quota in Parliament, an issue pending since 1996 READ MORE
2. The Ordinance Raj: The frequent promulgation of ordinances is detrimental for a constitutional democracy. READ MORE
3. Punishment and Violence: Capital punishment is untenable within a normative frame of non-violence meant to address social violence. READ MORE

1. As unequal as 70 years ago: World Inequality Database reveals little has changed for the poor in India READ MORE
2. Cry over inequality, harder over poverty READ MORE

1. Beyond COP26: Why India Needs a Climate Investment Framework READ MORE
2. Radioactive pollution in water: A global concern for human health READ MORE

1. Punishment and Violence: Capital punishment is untenable within a normative frame of non-violence meant to address social violence. READ MORE
2. School education is the key to developing character, building social and life skills READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Observer Status granted to International Solar Alliance READ MORE
2. Coal production affected for second day in a row READ MORE
3. Chinese project at Balochistan port: local protests, global concerns READ MORE
4. Explained: NASA’s IXPE mission that will explore universe’s mysterious objects READ MORE
5. 51% Indian women will be employable in 2022, compared to 46% men: Annual skills survey READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

1. As unequal as 70 years ago: World Inequality Database reveals little has changed for the poor in India READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Glass ceiling: There are reasons for renewed hope for women’s quota in Parliament, an issue pending since 1996 READ MORE
2. The Ordinance Raj: The frequent promulgation of ordinances is detrimental for a constitutional democracy. READ MORE
3. Punishment and Violence: Capital punishment is untenable within a normative frame of non-violence meant to address social violence. READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Cry over inequality, harder over poverty READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Quixplained: What’s happening between Russia and Ukraine? READ MORE
2. Winning back some neighbours READ MORE
3. India thinks it’s safe, but Russia is getting close to China. Non-aligned days should be back READ MORE
4. What does AUKUS deal mean for Asia? READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Goods and Services Tax as an unfinished agenda: Seen purely from a revenue point of view and as a fiscal policy tool, India’s GST is still on a rocky road READ MORE
2. Green shoots: The Government should build political consensus on plans for reform in farm sector READ MORE
3. India’s Post-Pandemic Recovery is Unsustainable, New GDP Figures Hardly Indicative of a Positive Trend READ MORE
4. Cry over inequality, harder over poverty READ MORE

 ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Beyond COP26: Why India Needs a Climate Investment Framework READ MORE
2. Radioactive pollution in water: A global concern for human health READ MORE

 SECURITY

1. Nagaland and the perils of a militaristic approach READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. School education is the key to developing character, building social and life skills READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘An educated citizenry is the greatest asset for any democratic society’. Comment.
2. ‘Idealism without ambition may not achieve any positive results. Ambition without idealism can be dangerous’. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Capital punishment is untenable within a normative frame of non-violence meant to address social violence.
• The ordinance-making power in the Constitution is not a necessary feature of the Westminster form of parliamentary democracy that India has adopted.
• What has contributed to the phenomenon of GDP as a whole in the second quarter of 2021-22, recovering to around the same level as in the second quarter of 2019-20, is a recovery not in consumption but an investment.
• Instead of providing subsidies and tax concessions to the corporates, the government should be concentrating on increasing private consumption.
• Trickle-down economics does not work in a stratified country like ours. In order to make the most of our demographic dividend, we must get money into the hands of the poor and focus on equitable, inclusive growth.
• It requires the government to intervene when market prices fall below a pre-defined level, not buy all the produce.
• The Government should build political consensus on plans for reform in farm sector.

50-WORD TALK

• Pakistan giving US President Joe Biden’s Summit for Democracy a miss is a bit rich as was Biden’s invitation to Islamabad in the first place. Especially considering Washington’s preference for the Bonsai democracy Pakistan is over Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This is a transactional relationship that has gone steeply downhill.

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.

THE SOCIAL ISSUES & SOCIAL JUSTICE

NEW ZEALAND ANNOUNCES PLAN TO END SMOKING

THE CONTEXT New Zealand has announced it will outlaw smoking for the next generation so that those who are aged 14 and under will never be legally able to buy tobacco.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The government announced the rising age alongside other measures to make smoking unaffordable and inaccessible, to try to reach its goal of making the country entirely smoke-free within the next four years. Other measures include reducing the legal amount of nicotine in tobacco products to very low levels, cutting down the shops where cigarettes could legally be sold, and increasing funding to addiction services. The new laws will not restrict vape sales.
• New Zealand’s daily smoking rates have been dropping over time – down to 11.6% in 2018, from 18% a decade earlier.
• Smoking has already been widely replaced by vaping among teenage New Zealanders and is also attracting many young people who would never have taken up smoking – according to the surveying of 19,000 high school students this year, nearly 20% were vaping daily or several times a day, the majority with high nicotine doses. That’s compared to 3% of those aged 15-17 who smoked daily in 2018, or 13% who smoked a decade earlier.

INDIA’S MEASURES:

• India is the 2nd largest producer and consumer of tobacco and a variety of forms of tobacco use is unique to India. Apart from the smoked forms that include cigarettes, bidis and cigars, a plethora of smokeless forms of consumption exist in the country.
• The Government of India has enacted “The Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003”.
• India also ratified the WHO-Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) in February 2004.
• Further, in order to facilitate the effective implementation of the Tobacco Control Law, to bring about greater awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco as well as to fulfil the obligations under the WHO-FCTC, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India launched the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) in 2007- 08 in 42 districts of 21 States/Union Territories of the country.

Objectives

• To bring about greater awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use and Tobacco Control Laws.
• To facilitate effective implementation of the Tobacco Control Laws.
• The objective of this programme is to control tobacco consumption and minimize the deaths caused by it. The various activities planned to control tobacco use are as follows:
• Training and Capacity Building
• IEC activity
• Monitoring Tobacco Control Laws and Reporting
• Survey and Surveillance

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

THE IMPACT OF GLOBAL WARMING ON THE ATMOSPHERE

THE CONTEXT: According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the number of Cyclones and the Number of stations reported very heavy and extremely heavy rainfall events have increased in recent years.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Also, the analysis of past data of cyclones over the North Indian Ocean (the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea) during the period from 1891 to 2020 indicates that the frequency of Very Severe Cyclonic Storms has increased in the recent few years over the Arabian Sea.
• However, the coastal vulnerability to the categories of Extremely Severe Cyclones is more continues over the Bay of Bengal region, as there is no significant trend in the frequency of Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storms (ESCS).
• On the other hand, the increase in frequency over the Arabian Sea has not posed a corresponding increase in the coastal vulnerability along the west coast since most of such Cyclones forming over the Arabian Sea are making landfall over the coasts of Oman, Yemen etc and hence the threat to Gujarat & Maharashtra coasts remains same.
• On average, out of 5 Cyclones developing over the North Indian Ocean (NIO) comprising the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, about 3 to 4 of them make landfall causing loss of life and property.
• Low lying coastal belts of West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu & Puducherry are more prone to the impact of these systems. The number of deaths due to cyclones has decreased significantly, as a result of the improvement in the early warning skill by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and effective mitigation measures and response actions by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Still, there is a huge loss to property.

Oxygen makes up one-fifth of the air we breathe, and few recent studies reported declining oxygen content in the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels, population growth and deforestation. However, the loss of oxygen is negligible when compared to its abundance in the atmosphere and it is also found that the ecosystem is compensating for some of the loss.

Ministry of Earth Sciences has the mandate only to provide forecasts and early warnings. However, as an adaptive measure to minimize the effects of increasing temperatures, IMD in collaboration with local health departments have started a heat action plan in many parts of the country to forewarn about the heat waves and also advise action to be taken during such occasions.  The heat action plan became operational in 2013.

Heat Action Plan

The Heat Action Plan is a comprehensive early warning system and preparedness plan for extreme heat events. The Plan presents immediate as well as longer-term actions to increase preparedness, information-sharing, and response coordination to reduce the health impacts of extreme heat on vulnerable populations. NDMA and IMD are working with 23 states prone to high temperatures at present with respect to the heat action plans.

• IMD has started Forecast Demonstration Project (FDP) on heatwaves from April 2017 for the hot weather season under which a detailed daily report including realized data of heatwaves, weather systems leading to the occurrence of heatwaves, diagnosis on the basis of Numerical Model outputs and forecast and warnings for five days is prepared. This bulletin is disseminated to all concerned including health departments.
• From April 2018 onwards, IMD started issuing an additional bulletin on the heatwave in the morning (08 a.m.) valid for 24 hours to support the planning of activities for the day and this bulletin is also disseminated to all concerned. All these bulletins are posted to the IMD website also, on a special page created for heatwaves.

UNCBD AND INDIGENOUS LANDS

THE CONTEXT: The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity’s Aichi targets to set goals for each country to create protected areas in 2010, and roughly 15 per cent of the world’s land surface is under official state protection. Protected areas have largely been able to reduce deforestation.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The world lost more than 12 million hectares of tropical forest in 2020, an area about half the size of the UK. Tropical forests contain much of the world’s animal and plant species and store more than half of their terrestrial carbon. They are home to people who depend on them for their livelihoods, spiritual and cultural practices and wellbeing.
• But their creation can also mean the eviction of communities that have lived in forests for generations, barring them from resources and sacred sites. These injustices have often been made possible by human rights abuses, including violent intimidation and even killings by state forces and other groups.
• Areas managed by Indigenous peoples cover more than 25 per cent of the world’s land and overlap with 40 per cent of protected areas globally. Studies in Nicaragua and Brazil have found that Indigenous communities with ownership of their land have lower rates of deforestation than neighbouring areas. Often, deforestation in these places is even lower than in protected areas.
• This is usually because Indigenous peoples have developed practices and institutions that prevent the over-exploitation of forests. The Cofán community in Zábalo in the Ecuadorian Amazon, for example, see themselves as tsampima coirasundeccu (caretakers of the forest). They share their daily observations at community meetings and arrive at a consensus over whether to prohibit harvesting certain plants and animals if they are declining.

Indigenous lands and deforestation:

• Deforestation rates on Indigenous lands were between 17 per cent and 26 per cent lower on average compared to unprotected tropical forests globally. In Africa, Indigenous lands preserved forest cover better than protected areas, which had similar levels of deforestation to unprotected areas.
• In the Asia-Pacific region, spanning from India to Fiji, deforestation rates were similar on Indigenous lands and in protected areas. Both had deforestation rates that were roughly one-fifth lower than unprotected areas.

Forest degradation

• Research bolsters the status of Indigenous communities as effective stewards of the land. This is particularly important as countries prepare for the 15th UN biodiversity conference in April 2022, where they’ll set fresh targets for halting species and habitat loss and agree on a new global framework for protecting nature.
• Indigenous communities and their leaders must be at the negotiating table when the world meets to develop this roadmap. Growing evidence shows Indigenous peoples benefit the environment through their stewardship. Conservationists should support that by respecting their rights to land and autonomy and providing adequate funding.

Remedial Measures

• Intensive development schemes for afforestation should be adopted. High yielding varieties should be planted in suitable areas.
• The latest techniques of seasoning and preservation are necessary to avoid wastage.
• Proper arrangements to save forests from fires and plant diseases can go a long way to solve several problems.
• A thorough inventory of forest resources is necessary to make an accurate assessment of our forest resources and make plans for their proper use.
• Shifting cultivation should be discouraged and tribals depending on this type of cultivation should be provided with alternative sources of livelihood.
• People associated with forest protection should be properly trained.

Value Addition:

About CBD:

• At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders agreed on a comprehensive strategy for “sustainable development” — meeting our needs while ensuring that we leave a healthy and viable world for future generations. One of the key agreements adopted at Rio was the Convention on Biological Diversity.
• The Convention on Biological Diversity is the international legal instrument for “the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources” that has been ratified by 196 nations.

What are Aichi Targets?

The ‘Aichi Targets’ were adopted by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at its Nagoya conference. It is a short term plan provides a set of 20ambitious yet achievable targets, collectively known as the Aichi Targets. They can be divided into:

• Strategic Goal A: Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society.
• Strategic Goal B: Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use.
• Strategic Goal C: To improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity.
• Strategic Goal D: Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• Strategic Goal E: Enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building.

A NEW TOOL FOR EXOTIC WILDLIFE TRADE

THE CONTEXT: Recent trends suggest that smugglers of exotic wildlife species might be trying to take advantage of the advisory brought out by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to regulate the growing market of exotic animals in the country.

 THE EXPLANATION:

• With a complete ban on wildlife trade of Indian species, there has been a surge in demand in India, for exotic species from different parts of the world, noted the Smuggling in India Report 2019-2020, published by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

What is the government’s voluntary disclosure scheme?

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has come out with an advisory on a one-time voluntary disclosure scheme that allows owners of exotic live species that have been acquired illegally, or without documents, to declare their stock to the government between June and December 2020.
• With this scheme, the government aims to address the challenge of zoonotic diseases, develop an inventory of exotic live species for better compliance under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and regulate their import. In its current form, however, the amnesty scheme is just an advisory, not a law.

How big a problem is the illegal trade of exotic animals in India?

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which enforces anti-smuggling laws,  stated India has emerged as a big demand centre for exotic birds and animals with an increase in the smuggling of endangered species from different parts of the world. Most of this exotic wildlife is imported through Illegal channels and then sold in the domestic market as pets.

What kind of exotic wildlife are covered?

The advisory has defined exotic live species as animals named under Appendices I, II and III of the CITES. It does not include species from the Schedules of the Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972. The advisory excludes exotic birds from the amnesty scheme.

CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora):

• It is an international agreement between governments to ensure that international trade in wild animals, birds and plants does not endanger them.
• India is a member. Appendices I, II and III of CITES list 5,950 species as protected against over-exploitation through international trade. Many of these animals, such as iguanas, lemurs, civets, albino monkeys, coral snakes, tortoises, are popular as exotic pets in India.

Identification of beneficiaries eligible for assistance and their prioritisation to be done using information from Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) ensuring total transparency and objectivity. The list will be presented to Gram Sabha to identify beneficiaries who have been assisted before or who have become ineligible due to other reasons.

THE PRELIM PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. Which of the following is incorrectly matched?

1. Hurricane – Western Pacific Ocean
2. Willy Willy – Western Australia
3. Typhoons – South China Sea

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a) 1 only                       b) 1 and 2 only

c) 2 and 3 only           d) 3 only

ANSWER FOR 9^TH DECEMBER 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer: C

Explanation: Ken river-

• It is a tributary of the Yamuna.
• It originates near the village Ahirgawan on the northwest slopes of Barner Range in Katni district and travels a distance of 427 km, before merging with the Yamuna at Chilla village, district Banda in Uttar Pradesh.
• Sonar River is its largest tributary.
• The Ken valley separates the Rewa Plateau from the Satna Plateau.
• The Raneh Falls on the Ken river and Ken Ghariyal Sanctuary are tourist attractions. 
• The Ken River passes through Panna National Park.

1. Suspension of 12 MPs for entire Winter Session is worrying READ MORE
2. A better NJAC: Politicians are right on the collegium. But can their solution rise above politics, that’s the question READ MORE
3. Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2021: An Explainer READ MORE

1. Children and schooling in the post-COVID-19 era READ MORE  
2. Educate kids, Save them from child labour and penury READ MORE

1. Moving rivers: River-linking projects bring hope to dry regions READ MORE
2. Ken-Betwa Interlink Means ‘Bundelkhand Will Suffer for Decades to Come’ READ MORE
3. Indigenous lands have less deforestation than state-managed protected areas in most of tropics READ MORE

1. Ambition without idealism is dangerous READ MORE
2. What’s the Matter with Business Ethics? READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Impact of Global Warming on Atmosphere READ MORE
2. Action Plan to Prevent Flood READ MORE
3. “More cyclones in Arabian Sea in recent years” READ MORE
4. Explained: The rich-poor gap in India READ MORE
5. Smugglers in India are exploiting an amnesty scheme that was meant to protect exotic animals READ MORE
6. Indigenous lands have less deforestation than state-managed protected areas in most of tropics READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

1. The potential of Young India in driving growth and effecting social change READ MORE
2. Moving rivers: River-linking projects bring hope to dry regions READ MORE
3. Ken-Betwa Interlink Means ‘Bundelkhand Will Suffer for Decades to Come’ READ MORE
4. Indigenous lands have less deforestation than state-managed protected areas in most of tropics READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Suspension of 12 MPs for entire Winter Session is worrying READ MORE
2. A better NJAC: Politicians are right on the collegium. But can their solution rise above politics, that’s the question READ MORE
3. Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2021: An Explainer READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Children and schooling in the post-COVID-19 era READ MORE  
2. Educate kids, Save them from child labour and penury READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. India, Russia Build on old friendships READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Why this clamour for farm support price? READ MORE  
2. GDP euphoric; agriculture alone can sustain India READ MORE
3. Setback for reforms: India needs feasible ways to increase farm incomes READ MORE
4. To Best Utilise its Demographic Dividend, India Must Aim For Equitable Growth READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Ambition without idealism is dangerous READ MORE
2. What’s the Matter with Business Ethics? READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘An educated citizenry is the greatest asset for any democratic society’. Comment.
2. ‘Idealism without ambition may not achieve any positive results. Ambition without idealism can be dangerous’. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• A man’s worth is no greater than his ambitions.
• India will have to confront bitter facts if it wants to prepare a recovery plan of any credible and practical value.
• The suspension of 12 MPs relies on a broad interpretation of parliamentary procedure and should bother democratically minded citizens.
• “Youth are agents for transformation”. The history of modern India would be incomplete without acknowledging the role played by students and youth of this country.
• Education has a social agenda. The agenda is to develop our human resources, which meet the requirements of society. An educated citizenry is the greatest asset for any democratic society.
• Idealism without ambition may not achieve any positive results. Ambition without idealism can be dangerous.
• A large proportion of the farmers in the country have thus remained poor, often caught in a vicious debt trap with an unfortunate few taking their lives unable to bear the burden.
• The Act provides for maintaining standards of dam safety and evolving dam safety policies and recommends measures against safety provision violators.
• After the reversal of the farm laws, increasing the ambit of MSP could permanently damage the prospects of reform in the agriculture sector and must be avoided.
• While the ART Bill aims to fill a significant gap in the regulation of reproductive technology in the country, the government must fulfil its constitutional obligation to treat citizens equally and rectify provisions that effectively establish classifications that have no rational nexus with the object sought to be achieved by the law.

50-WORD TALK

• Farmers ending their protests on Delhi’s borders brings much-needed closure to all sides. But many contentious demands have been kicked down the road. And agriculture still needs reforms. The Narendra Modi government should use this peace to negotiate, build consensus and ensure reforms resume but with the farmers’ buy-in first.

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 main 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.

1. Two principles of Justice: An analysis of John Rawls’ famous doctrine READ MORE
2. Overcoming the addiction of corruption READ MORE
3. Are you Modern? READ MORE

1. Governments Must Ensure Right of Clean air to Every Citizen READ MORE
2. Weather conditions to turn hostile, to intensify winter air pollution in Bengal READ MORE

1. Urbanisation, gender, and social change: Intra-marital hierarchies and perceptions about working mothers READ MORE
2. Global (and Indian) trends in inequality READ MORE
3. High LPG prices are scorching the air pollution fight READ MORE

1. Repealing AFSPA will not weaken, only strengthen Constitution READ MORE
2. AFSPA has no place in a constitutional democracy READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main:

1. Cabinet approves continuation of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) beyond March 2021 till March 2024 READ MORE
2. Cabinet approves Ken-Betwa Interlinking of Rivers Project READ MORE
3. Repo rate remains unchanged at 4% READ MORE
4. Nigeria’s digital currency eNaira could be a step towards regional monetary integration in Africa READ MORE
5. India Stands out as Poor and Very Unequal, top 1% Owns 33% National Wealth: World Inequality Lab Report READ MORE
6. New Species of Bird Discovered in South America READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

1. Urbanisation, gender, and social change: Intra-marital hierarchies and perceptions about working mothers READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Repealing AFSPA will not weaken, only strengthen Constitution READ MORE
2. AFSPA has no place in a constitutional democracy READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Global (and Indian) trends in inequality READ MORE
2. High LPG prices are scorching the air pollution fight READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Reinventing the India-Russia relationship READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Explained: Why the RBI kept repo rates unchanged READ MORE
2. RBI focuses on sustaining economic revival READ MORE
3. Little support for MSP: Rich countries, led by the US, blame India for breaching subsidy limits READ MORE
4. Supporting growth: Govt action will be more important than monetary policy READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

1. Governments Must Ensure Right of Clean air to Every Citizen READ MORE
2. Weather conditions to turn hostile, to intensify winter air pollution in Bengal READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Naga peace talks at an impasse READ MORE
2. Explained: AFSPA and the Northeast READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Two principles of Justice: An analysis of John Rawls’ famous doctrine READ MORE
2. Overcoming the addiction of corruption READ MORE
3. Are you Modern? READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. “To remove caste consciousness from Indian society, it is necessary to first identify them”. In this context critically analyse the need for a caste census in India.
2. Equality of opportunity for accessing justice delivery institutions demands free and competitive legal aid to the weaker sections. In the light of the statement explain what measures the National Legal Service Authority should take to promote access to justice to the weaker sections.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• The repeal of AFSPA is necessary not just for restoring constitutional sanity, but also as a way of acknowledging the brutally dark history of our conduct in Nagaland.
• AFSPA is not just a law. It creates a whole culture. Think of what it would be like to live under a legal regime, where the state is given such wide powers.
• It is necessary for restoring constitutional sanity, stopping the permanent othering of Nagaland.
• Corruption becomes disadvantageously conspicuous in an institution or society which is predominantly moral and vigilant.
• It is now past time to repeal AFSPA and restore a semblance of the rule of law to the landscape of our constitutional democracy.
• Women in India spend thrice as much time doing unpaid domestic work compared to the men in their household, and twice as much time on caregiving activities for children and dependent adults.
• If India needs a ‘Peace Clause’ to build food and nutritional security, a guaranteed MSP is the price shield that Indian farmers need to protect their livelihoods.
• Government action would be more critical from here on in supporting and sustaining growth. Relying on monetary policy for too long can increase risks.
• India’s immediate strategic and security concerns are still centred on the land border, where Russia matters more than the US and the Quad.

50-WORD TALK

• Among other policy initiatives, the proposed UPI-based payment products for feature phone users is an innovative one that should benefit a large chunk of India’s population, especially in rural and semi-urban areas. This should be another move towards championing greater financial inclusion over time.

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 main 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.