(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)
Prelim and Main
1. Green hydrogen can enable energy transition in India’s net-zero journey: WEF-Bain report READ MORE
2. How a super-energetic particle from outer space could help physics | Explained READ MORE
3. ILO sees structural imbalances in global labour market READ MORE
4. Tea Association of India warns of return to ‘dark phase’ for industry READ MORE
5. SC report exposes severe gaps in accessibility for people with disabilities at courts across India READ MORE
6. After a record 1,111 NGOs got FCRA nod in 2023, 30 get clearance in January READ MORE
7. IISc Bengaluru comes up with warm vaccine against current strains of SARS-CoV-2 READ MORE
8. Why has South Africa taken Israel to the International Court of Justice? READ MORE
9. Why we need national standards for using fine-soil-like material recovered from legacy waste dumpsites in India READ MORE
10. A heatwave in Antarctica totally blew the minds of scientists. They set out to decipher it — and here are the results READ MORE
Main
GS Paper- 1
1. Ustad Rashid Khan’s legacy of perfection READ MORE
2. Revisit Tagore to revive higher ed READ MORE
3. Why is child marriage still high in West Bengal? READ MORE
4. India has entered a new era of reservation devoid of social justice READ MORE
5. Global warming, sea level rise, ageing flood defence systems: Why European countries have been flooded READ MORE
6. A looming crisis: How India can balance its water demand and supply across sectors? READ MORE
GS Paper- 2
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. The laws around remission policy | Explained READ MORE
2. Simultaneous elections are a rarity around the world READ MORE
3. The ‘Illegal’ Ways of Law-Making by India’s Parliament READ MORE
SOCIAL ISSUES
1. Structured negotiation as a boost for disability rights READ MORE
INTERNATIONAL ISSUES
1. A change for the worse: On the rapid decline in India-Maldives ties READ MORE
2. Apparatchiks don’t speak for south block READ MORE
3. India’s Russia Defense Gambit READ MORE
GS Paper- 3
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
1. A more focused RBI: Creating capacity to tackle ‘true’ market failure READ MORE
2. GenAI has the potential to propel economic growth READ MORE
3. China’s rare earth strategy and India’s future READ MORE
4. How India could leapfrog economically with general AI READ MORE
ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. Preparing for a warmer world READ MORE
2. Plastic hazard: US study has key lessons for India READ MORE
3. The final hour READ MORE
4. Carbon trading in India: Local actions for the global commons READ MORE
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. AI OR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: A BOON OR CURSE READ MORE
2. The AI Potential READ MORE
INTERNAL SECURITY
1. Cybersecurity Threats in Online Gaming: Learnings for India READ MORE
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
1. Let us Learn from Disasters READ MORE
GS Paper- 4
ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY
1. An ambitious push for values, ethics in higher education READ MORE
2. Ethics and morality READ MORE
3. Is there a hidden purpose to our existence? READ MORE
Questions for the MAIN exam
1. India, with its substantial reserves and growing technological sector, is an ideal destination to become a new hub for rare earth processing, potentially altering the global landscape of rare earth production. Comment.
2. Despite being home to one of the world’s largest startup ecosystems, India has yet to make a material impact in the rapidly advancing AI arena. Discuss how India could leapfrog economically with general AI?
3. If the Central government wants to improve the financial transparency and efficiency, the number of Central Sector schemes and Centrally Sponsored Schemes must come down drastically. Comment.
4. The merger of a public account with the cash balance leads to the problem of over-borrowing. Examine.
5. India’s success in ensuring food security by 2030 is depend on its approach to managing water and understanding water as a part of a nexus while drafting and amending policies is key to a food-secure future. Comment.
6. Multi-dimensional poverty Index is largely based on the social-sector indicators but it is crucial to address income poverty and policy needs to focus on spurring employment-intensive growth. Discuss.
7. Human values, professional ethics, and legal framework are the three main constituents that give direction to the appropriate human behaviour and decision-making guidelines in an organization. Comment.
8. India requires a comprehensive and coordinated effort from the Government and industry players to become global manufacturing hub. Discuss the role of Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes to promote domestic manufacturing and increase India’s share of global exports.
QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS
- The solution of present-day problems lies in re-establishing a harmonious relationship between man & nature.
- For India, in South Asia region that sees several elections in 2024, it is paramount to ensure that domestic political changes in the neighbourhood do not change the basic structure of bilateral ties, or affect regional stability.
- Row with Maldives shows we India needs to flesh out SAGAR as a tool for regional diplomacy.
- The Telecom Act can be both a shiny new phone with the same old software or a revolutionary rocket that can turbocharge India’s digital economy.
- The government’s intervention is crucial in providing public funding to address the skill shortage that businesses will face as they increasingly adopt GenAI on a larger scale.
- A separation of federal and provincial elections ensures that voters are not cross-influenced by leaders or issues of the national election with the one in their state or province or vice-versa.
- The biggest drawback with the current system of food subsidy is making it available at throwaway prices. It allures dubious players who buy it cheap and sell it at higher prices.
- Addressing the challenges and capitalizing on the opportunities will be crucial for India to fully harness the power of GenAI technology.
- With government tightly controlling agenda setting, parliament is virtually powerless to enforce rules of procedures. Internal checks having failed, it is either the court of people or the court of law which can deter the government from making laws in ‘illegal’ ways.
- Debates in Parliament suggest that much of the House was still under an impression that the PMLA would remain a tool primarily to tackle terrorist financing and drug money. Instead, what had been done was something much more transformative.
- India, with its substantial reserves and growing technological sector, is an ideal candidate to become a new hub for rare earth processing, potentially altering the global landscape of rare earth production.
- It’s important to keep in mind that despite being home to one of the world’s largest startup ecosystems, India has yet to make a material impact in the rapidly advancing AI arena.
- Without setting binding targets, the Paris Agreement acknowledged the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities based on the capabilities and bandwidth of the nations to reduce their emissions.
ESSAY TOPIC
- The truly happy ones, understand life.
50-WORD TALK
- Maharashtra assembly speaker Narwekar ruling in favour of Shinde faction in MLAs’ disqualification case was on expected lines. His interpretation of Sena’s leadership structure and SC’s observation on legislative majority was ingenious and convenient. Anti-defection law has become ineffective. SC’s suggestion for independent tribunal for disqualification petitions must be implemented.
- The islands remain largely inaccessible, tourist connectivity cumbersome and facilities limited. It’s time to unlock Lakshadweep’s potential. This round has gone to India; Maldives is busy controlling the damage after its ministers’ remarks on PM Modi’s Lakshadweep visit. But what comes next is an inconvenient truth: we haven’t leveraged the tourism potential of our archipelago.
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 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.
