Current Affairs for UPSC Exam/Newspaper & Editorial Analysis- Detailed Explanation and Way forward
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- Опубликовано: 19 янв 2022
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CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC Exam with Ravi Kapoor, IRS and
Nitisha Gupta, IRS
Current affairs is the nucleus of the entire UPSC exam.
You need to know Current Affairs in detail for the exam and much like the nuclei of atoms, it is hard to capture or define.
What qualifies as current affairs? How to read the newspaper? Should you take notes from editorials? What are the best sources of current affairs? And all associated questions about Current Affairs will be clarified in detail in this session.
Not only that, you will be introduced to another IRS officer who will TEACH you current affairs, if you care enough to learn.
- Ravi Kapoor, IRS
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Nitisha Gupta Mam's contact :
RUclips Channel: / @askthetopperias7353
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This mentorship program is driven by my desire to make your UPSC journey a fascinating, enriching and beautiful journey. Interested aspirants can enroll for the Free mentorship program here-view.flodesk.com/pages/605363...
Ravi Kapoor, IRS
Creator: Ultimate UPSC Navigator
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Amazon: www.amazon.in/Preparation-Ans... view.flodesk.com/pages/605363... This mentorship program is driven by my desire to make your UPSC journey a fascinating, enriching and beautiful journey. Interested aspirants can enroll for the Free mentorship program here-view.flodesk.com/pages/605363...
Get well soon Sir, learnt a great lesson today. If we want to achieve something then problems can't be hindrance in the success journey 🙏 Thanks God for such a great Guru 🙏🙏
Thanks, Chalak. I hoped to drive that message which is why I shared the news with you. What you said is tried, tested and true:)
Editorial:Anonymous on social media:
Social media defines anonymity as “Unidentifiable within a set of subjects” but that identity is not linear.
Social media handles and platforms encourage the use of anonymity which amplify various issues like fake news, online abuse etc.
Why do people want to be anonymous on social media?
(i) To be able to speak the truth against vindictive forces.
(ii) To participate in online conversations without being judged from past experiences
# platforms encourage users to go anonymous on social media; There are some of the platforms where giving reviews anonymous are the norms like Glassdoor, Reddit, Fishbowl etc. These platforms believe that people can be more authentic and true to themselves when they detach from real-world identities.____________
____ from this session I get to know how much time should I spend on newspaper and how correlate required information with upsc syllabus.
Thank you sir and mam for such a amazing session.
Democratize and empower city govt.
*RBI report- third tier govt- frontline role in combating the pandemic
*Functional autonomy of civic bodies must be increase- to strengthen governance structure
*Urban development- state subject
*73&74 amendment welcome step but less focus on financial empowerment of urban cities
*To empower urban cities- transfer of functions, finance & functionariesbto city govt.
*35% population in urban centres, contribute two third of GDP, 90% govt revenue from urban centres
*Scandinavian model
* Cities must be treated as imp centres of govt
*For stability and good governance leadership must be elected for 5 years
*Cities should not be treated as entrepreneurship space only, they need helping hand from state govt as well
This session is really helpful to understand what to keep or leave and how to interlink with static portion. Through this approach able to keep notes as precise as it can.
Thank you sir for this wonderful session.
1. Editorial _ growing water crisis,the seen and unseen
Context - rural - urban dispute are likely to occur as water crisis growing by climate changes.
Concern - over two billion people are experiencing water crisis in countries .
rural - urban transfer of water is one such issues of global concern
Niti aayog report composite water management index 2018 has cautioned about worst water crisis in country, with more than 600 million people facing water shortages
Way forward _fostering a rural -urban partnership and adopting an integrated approach in water management.
Institutional strengthen to build flexibility into water resources allocation.
Enabling adjustment in rapidly urbanising region.
These insights will help me to reduce my newspaper reading time and how to extract only important things from newspaper which is relevant for exam point of view , i also got to know about note making process. So this session was very helpful and informative for me and thank you so much sir and ma'am for this..
Well articulated. You are most welcome
An msp scheme to transform indian agriculture-
The ongoing struggle of the farmers is not for political power. It is struggle for the Indian agriculture and livelihood of the farming majority which are in ruins in most part of the country. Minimum support price(msp) is introduced for the farmers for three purposes, the price stabilization in the food grains market, income support to framers and also a mechanism for coping with the indebtness of farmers.
2) These insights helped me in maintaining my time and the news which are important in exam pov
21 Feb 2022 indian express
1- India tells diplomats kin other nationals to leave Ukraine
2-Jaishankar on china debt diplomacy : Make informed decision
3-Riding trade winds
-------After the harvest
4-EU in the Indo - Pacific
5-China’s revisionism on 1962
-----Presidential fleet review: What Navy displays and why it is significant
2
Democratic and empower city governments -
Finances of the third-tier governments were impacted:
*restrictions on movement of people.
*provisions for goods and services.
*ramping up of health infrastructure.
Steps taken by MCs to fill the resource gaps -
*reduction of non essential expenditure.
*mobilizing additional funding from borrowing.
*deposits in state disaster response funds(SDRF).
*issuance of covid bonds.
*donations and contribution.
Issues faced by the Municipal bodies -
*paucity of finances.
*unplanned urbanization.
*excessive control of state governments.
*lack of skilled functionaries.
*lack of people's participation.
This session helped me to understand how to read newspaper and how to make notes out of it.
Editorial - Democratise and empower city govt.
Context - RBI - functional autonomy - civic bodies must be increased.
RBI report - 3rd tier govt - frontline role in combating pandemic
- Their revenue - under strain
- higher resource availability to civic bodies
Challenges ----------
- 70% revenue saw a decline
- expenditure increased by 71%
- OECD data - India - lowest tax to GDP ratio.
- With GST - ability to tax taken away
Way forward ---------
- Functional autonomy - 3F's - function, finances, functionaries.
- Financial empowerment
- People's plan model of kerela
- Scandinavian countries eg.
This video helped me to filter out important issues. And helped me to understand what not to do while reading newspaper.
1. India's imports hit an all time high of $25.6 billion in June as per the reports by the Commerce and Industry Ministry.
2. 3rd time in 7 months and 2nd month in a row that the trade deficit saw such a wide gap.
3. The trade deficit for Q1 adds up to $70.25 billion, two times more higher than that of an year ago.
4. Causes: weaker global demand, inflation, scarcity of our own resources (coal, petroleum).
5. Policymakers must avoid hurried steps to tackle with this, resulting in more chaos.
This exercise has helped me discern on reading a newspaper without having to spend too much of my time on the same. Thank you so much for this exercise.
Good Afternoon Sir,
Thankyou for your efforts.
Here is the message
What did I learn
1. Use the monthly current affairs magazine and revise from them multiple times for current affairs.
2. Relate them to static portion.
3. Less attention to destructive news.
4. Language of essay to be learnt from editorial.
5. Say no to political news, no mention of India, not fit for any paper, state news on scheme, immature news.
6. Focus on the end of any news or scheme or issue.
7. Editorial is a must.
Editorial, Indian Express , 25th February
Why lakhs of Indian go abroad to study
About- Indian students going abroad to study.
Notes- 28 BN USD spent by Indian students abroad every year which is 1% of GDP.
Despite new IITs, IIMs being opened the trend has not stopped.
Reasons
1. Lack of jobs. According to data of IT department there are only 10 lakhs fresh jobs. And India produces 30lakh graduates each year. There are 1 crore unemployed already in market. Of this 10 lakh only 3lakh are good i.e. salary of 5 lakh per annum and 30K are posh i.e. salary of 10 lakh per annum. So to make CV more strong by putting name of foreign university in it because in the selection process branding has enough role to play.
2. Since independence analysis of existing job structures has not been done and so very less value addition has been done to existing structures. No change in work description, staff available which shows stagnant attitude.
3. Failure of elite universities to connect to problems at root level and convert them business opportunities which would turn into jobs. Today they look more like accessories in globalisation.
Well done! Keep up the good work
Newspaper referred: The Hindu
Date: 21 January 2022
Court and compensation
• In a brilliant example of Judicial activism Supreme Court has ordered Central government to give ex-gratia of Rs.50,000 to the kin of COVID-19 victims.
• The time has now come for the Court to assert its authority once again to ensure that neither tardiness on the part of the States nor incorrect rejection of claims deprives genuine victims of their right to the ex gratia amount.
• Bench had passed orders to the effect that no person’s family shall be denied the benefit on the ground that the death certificate did not specify the cause of death as due to COVID-19.
• Court has directed that officials reach out to the families on their own.
• Court has also roped in legal services authority in districts to help kin of covid-19 victims.
Thanks for the wonderful lecture Sir and Ma'am
1) Analysis of Newspaper
2) Editorial Notes (26 Jan'22)
Title- For a civic solidarity
-Chakma/Hajong Comm.
FROM Chittagong Hill Tracts- erstwhile East Pak (present day Bangladesh)
TO Arunachal Pradesh
IN 1960s
Why? lost land- construction of Kaptai Dam on Karnaphuli river
-Supreme Court Judgements
1996- "life and personal liberty of every Chakma residing within the state shall be protected"
2015- directed state to grant citizenship
-CM's announcement - relocate outside the state and "census" of communities = racial profiling + antagonist & nativist campaign by All Arunachal Pradesh Student's Union
-NHRC's directive to Ministry of Home Affairs + Arunachal Pradesh govt to submit an action taken report
-Way forward - dialogue bw State govt, civil society & Chakma/Hajong communities
3)Thank you ma'am and sir for such an insightful session, it made the task of picking and choosing news from newspaper so much easier! It made me realise how 1 hr/ day for newspaper is more than enough because of the fact that we can only extract 3-4 imp pieces of news from newspapers everyday. I am definitely going to follow this approach in covering current affairs.
Get well soon sir, you are our strength!
Problem online anonymity-- challanges / problems - 1 ) online conversation without being judged by past experience.
2) views be tagged to the real person being spoken about.
3)most angry/ abusive language comes from these anonymous sites
4) Glassdoor/ fishbowl give open platform for users to make there identity anonymous.
5) misinformation / disinformation anonymous abuse about Extreme level
6) enforce by platform,power to public to evade judgement by public opinion .
This session really help me to find out crux from the news that editorial is pasted up I ensure kindly follow sir and madam for future reference they help us to grow with wings god bless you sir and mam.
Thank for this wonderful session Ravi Sir!
Assignment -
2) Editorial Notes
"No Inner Party Democracy."
The Ousting of Boris Johnson as leader of British conservative party depicts how much power ordinary MPs have over the Prime Minister.
However in India, the Prime minister exercises its authority over MPs, whose ability to diverge from official govt policy is almost non-existent.
Further the PM's power is strengthened by ANTI-DEFECTION law where MPs can always be disqualified if they do not wish to move on with 2/3rd of the party.
Here MPs can been seen as mere cheerleaders, as neither PM or CM are elected by legislators but selected by a party high command.
India needs to consider empowering its elected representatives, to ensure accountability for party leadership.
MPs in UK act boldly is because they do not owe their nomination to their party leader but are selected by local constituency party.
So MPs do not stand a risk of disqualification like Anti-defection law in India.
A workable model can be borrowed from U.K wherein the individual conservative MPs write to their 1922 committee about the apprehensions over the party leader.
If the number is breached then automatic leadership vote is triggered with party leader and is forced to seek a fresh mandate.
Here, in India this model could work by making an exception to Anti Defection Law - which is often misused by party leaders to cling to power.
3) The notes making process of editorial will help me to understand the issue in depth as well as improve my vocabulary and of course the art of writing.
Today's session helped me how to read a news as per the exam and that I should have conceptual understanding of what is going on - rather than focusing micro details - we need to look at big picture and analyze it - so that we can answer the question with - conviction + clarity and Confidence.
Assignment:
22nd August
Editorial: What next on data protection?
1. why data protection bill is important?
It creates a privacy protection framework that supports individual rights through strict regulations
2. Issues:
- Monopolisation of data by certain entities
- Single bill for multiple objectives
- coercive action
3 Recommendations for new bill
First, it should build in a risk based approach to data protection, so that the regulatory focus is directed towards addressing sources of potential harm. Second, based on risk assessments, the law could enable co-regulation and self-regulation, These could reduce compliance burdens on entities without significantly affecting rights protection. Third, the current version of the law was weak on accountability measures for the data protection regulator. The new Bill should include more provisions to ensure that the regulator uses its powers well. These include provisions relating to appointments, consultations, reporting, and so on.
Editorial- Democratise and empower city governments.
Issue- The Thirdtier governments in India playing a frontline,role in combating the pandemic by implementing containment strategies, healthcare by their finances have come uder severe strain,forcing them to cut down expenditures and mobilise funding from various sources. 15th finance commission also stated for financial empowerment of local bodies.
Wayforward--
Cities must be treated as imp centres of governancewhere democratic decentralisation can bring in amazing results (as seen in
Kerala).
There will be transparency and adequate paticipation of the people.
Cities collected data for ensure disaster risk reduction plans
Mayor elected for a term of 5 years.
How these insights help in changing my approach- firstly this approach was very helpful now I am better understand what should be relevant aur what to leave, and one imp thing is to correlate the news with other aspects as well.
Date: 03/04/23
Editorial topic: Foreign Trade policy
Foreign trade policy is a government policy that affects the number of goods and services a country exports and imports.
• India's overall export has already crossed US$750 billion and is expected to cross US$760 billion this year.
*Pillars:
1. Incentive to remission
2. Export promotion through collaboration.
3. Ease of doing business, reduction in transaction cost and e-initiatives.
4. E- commerce developing districts as export hubs and streamling SCOMET policy.
*Principle:
' Trust ' and 'partnership' with exporters
*Key features:
1) Automated IT systems
2) Export promotion and development
3) Ease-of- doing -business initiatives
This session helped me alot . I got clarity on how to analyze newspaper. What to read and what not to read.This session saves my time on reading newspaper.
Thank you Sir and Madam for spending your valuable time for helping aspirants 🙏😊
Notes of editorial on economy from Indian Express, Banks seek easing of norms for variation of stressed assets
* The proposals moved by the Indian Bank's Association (IBA), includes a reduction in the tenure from 5 yrs to 3 yrs.
* Section 43CA prescribes that in case the consideration of a land, building or both is less than the value adopted as per stamp duty regulations, the latter will prevail.
* " This creates a situation where the bank sells auch assests without there being any ulterior motive of tax evasion. For income tax however, the ready reckoner rate is applied ", IBA said
* There were various other proposals also IBA which include GST and annual issuance of TDS certificate.
Feedback:
These insights helped me a lot as now it's clear about how to read the newspaper for current affairs keeping the perspective of UPSC in mind. It is very helpul. Thank you so much.
Thank you sir for this valuable Session.
Editorial:
Language no bar :On Hindi and 'other' states.
The Union Home Minister's statement on making Hindi the language of communication for people of non-Hindi speaking areas or states was condemned as unnecessary.
As the Chairman of Parliamentary Official Languages Committee he can promote the spread of Hindi language but it should not be at the cost of English language.
He also said Hindi should be used as an alternative to English not to the local languages.But it is upto the two non-Hindi speaking states to decide what will their language of communication should be.
He mentioned that English is not a Indian language.But Sahitya Akademi under Ministry of Culture is giving annual awards for best "English" work by the Indian authors.Also Bengaluru became India's IT Capital because of English.
English acting as a unified force in a vast and diverse country like India.
Respect for Multiculturalism and pluralistic identity is a quality that every citizen of India should imbibe.
Sir after the session I got that clarity on how to make notes .The resources Mam suggested are minimal and I require enough rivision of them.I 'll follow mam vedios to know effective ways to read editorials.I'm thankful to you sir inviting Nitisha mam on our session.
Very well articulated. All the best!
Editorial: Drop the IAS Cadre rules amendments Notes for the editorial - *Rule 6(1) of the IAS (Cadre) Rules, 1954 - It states a cadre officer may be deputed to the Central Government (or to another state or PSU) only with the concurrence of the state government concerned. *Proposed amendment perspective - The Central government is interested in improvising the law in a way to eliminate the role of the state government's concurrence for the deputation of officers at the central level. *Factors responsible for the lack of IAS officers - (i). Poor working conditions in junior level posts; (ii). An opaque and arbitrary system of empanelment for senior-level posts; (iii). Lack of security of tenure at all levels. *Long term drawbacks of the amendments (proposed) - The proposed amendments would have a horrible impact on the independence, security, and morale of the officers. Moreover, if the states started doubting the dignity of the officers then it may result in state service officers being preferred and hence the sheen of the officers would be lost. *Co-operative Federalism can be the key solution to the existing dilemma and would result in the peaceful co-existence of the state and central governments. Help from the session - The insights told by ma'am in the session helped me a lot in reducing my time invested in the newspaper. It also helped me to filter the useful information for the examination in a more constructive way. Thanks a lot for the extremely information session, sir and ma'am. 🙏
Thank you Sir and Ma’am for such a nice session. Your words are indeed wisdom.
This is the editorial analysis of yesterday’s article:-
Key words- populism, racial genocides, centralisation of power, extremist polarities, referendum, direct democracy
Perils of today’s democracy and Putting it back to people
Problems faced by democracies around the world today:-
Populism, racial genocides, economic discrimination, centralisation of power, media centralisation, corporate control of economy, extremist polarities, abrogate individual rights, unemployment, oppression, restriction on free speech, women rights restriction, violence against marginalised.
External issues affecting democracies of the world:-
Overpopulation, environmental degradation, nuclear tragedy, ecological disaster, food and water deficiency.
People’s solution to the problems:-
Direct democracy, referendum, demonstrations and strikes, pure voluntarism like Bharat Jodo Yatra taken by Rahul Gandhi, wise and informed leaders, transformist thoughts like social justice, universal human rights, rule of law, global anti¬war movements and transnational amity.
Steps taken worldwide:-
“2022 Resilient Democracies Statement” - signed recently by the G7 and four invited guests - conscious of the decline in the institution of democracy. The idea behind the document is to tell the errant democracies of the world to “guard the freedom of expression and opinion, an affirmation of commitment to the very idea of democracy and a move towards opposing oppression and violence”.
Quote:- As B.R. Ambedkar in 1949 explained, “…political democracy cannot last unless it lies at the base of its social democracy…. in politics we will have equality and in social and economic life we will have inequality... We must remove this contradiction at the earliest possible moment....”
My Insights:-
The real game in UPSC is mains preparation and becoming mains ready become prelims. Current Affairs facts can be gathered from any monthly magazine but making notes from editorials after analysing really helps to channelize the thoughts and improves presentation. Gathering so much information from newspaper everyday is futile, waste of time when we get it consolidated at month’s end.
The many problems of online anonymity
-LGBTQIA+ : to negotiate discussions of sexuality safely
-risk of abuse both online and offline
-Glassdoor guidelines:to safeguard privacy,we do not allow to identify yourself or include any contact info in posts
Insights helped a lot in making this clear that a fixed time Of 45-50 mins should only be given to newspaper(editorials are important) and minimum notes as magazines will cover everything
The Problem Of Online Anonymity
Meaning
Unidentifiable within set of subject
Ways
Pseudonym, fake photo or none, no specifications in bio
Reasons
1. to speak truth against government
2. Keenness to participate without being judged
3. Not to be known/recognizes by the real world
Disadvantages
1. Conversational imbalance
2. Fake information circulation
3. Action can't be taken against them
4. Angry, hateful or abusive conversation can be seen.
Ways to tackle
1. Not allowing anoymity on social media platforms
2. strict action against fake accounts.
With the session I was able to identify the news which will be useful for me while preparing for UPSC.
Thank you for this wonderful session sir. Allocating limited time to editorial is hard, but this session really will help us to keep on track.
Assignment: States fail to give ministry details Of elephant reserves
✓Important Takeaways:
1)There are 30 notified Elephant Reserves (ERs) in the country spread over 15 states.
2) SOURCE: Ministry of environment, Forest and climate change.
3) Karnataka has the highest number of elephants, followed by Assam and kerala.
4) Elephant is the largest terrestrial mammal of India
✓Current issue:
1) Elephant range states ignoring instructions from the ministry to furnish information on their elephant reserves.
✓Programmes:
1) 10 sites for the MIKE ( MONITORING of illegal killing of Elephants)
2) Mike programme dependent on donour support.
1. Infrastructure sectors’ robust but not yet broad based growth
Influence of eight core sectors’ of Indian economy on industrial output and investment activities specially electricity generation and fertiliser production.
Monsoon can reduce coal and fertiliser production and increase import.
As compared to first wave of COVID, industrial production didn’t suffer much in the second wave.
Coal, cement, natural gas, refinery products, electricity, fertiliser sectors showed growth while crude oil output tanked.
Centre’s capital spending and loan to states are important to sustain recovery.
Less private capital, global turmoil and local inflation are the main concerns.
2. Editorials can be a good source of content in essay and GS answer writing. The language and tone can be incorporated greatly. The note making process mentioned is very much effective and easy to revise. Also what to read and what not is an important lesson which I have learned.
Good evening sir,
Mob and justice :
Mob lynching is a term used to describe the acts of targeted violence by a large group of people. By taking the law in their own hands to punish the accused without following any rules of law.
Causes:
Intolerance : Intolerance in accepting the acts of law and go on to punish the alleged person assuming the act to be immoral
Biases on various identities: Castes, classes of people, and religion
Rise of cow vigilante : Crucial reasons that agitate the growing rise in moblynching.
Lack of speedy justice: Due to lack of speedy justice, their is no fear of the consequences.
Articles that violated:
Art 14 and 15 : Right to equality, prohibition of discrimination .
Art 21: Human dignity.
Way forward:
Setting up special task forces
Courts in every district for mob lynching.
Speedy justice .
From this session i learned how to deal with newspaper and editorial. It takes away my fear of studying newspaper. Thank you so much sir.
This lesson will enlight and enrich my preparation. I was confused what to choose for current affairs now I get it. Thanku sir and mam.
Assignment:- J&K HYDRO ELECTRIC PROJECT APPROVED
CCEA approved an investment for 540 megawatt kwar hydroelectric project on chenab river in district of kishtwar of j&k.
KWAR PROJECT:- part of indus basin.
INDUS WATER TREATY:- between India and pak. For sharing the water of indus and it's tributaries.
Signed 1960
Signatories Jwaharlal nehru and Ayub Khan
Broker world bank
Beas , ravi, Sutlej governed by India
Indus, chenab , jhelum governed by pak.
India allowed to use 20% water of indus.
River indus originates from china.
CHENAB RIVER:- source Himachal Pradesh flows through j& k ,Punjab, Pakistan score merged into indus river.
Important projects and dams on chenab river are:- Ratle hydroelectric project
Salal dam
Dul hasti hydroelectric plant
Pakal dul dam
Kiru hydroelectric project.
2021 pyq asked question 53. On indus river system
Hello sir, thank you for this insightful session.
assignment:
editorial topic : A law , without a flaw
supreme court has put unmarried women on an equal footing in availing abortion services.
1. judiciary rectifying the bias or anomalies in the rules or laws framed by the legislature.
2.the concept of justice is that it should be free, without prejudice and should not be in favor of any person or group.
3. an example for judicial expansionism or judicial activism, wider interpretation of the act itself.
4. abortion being hotly debated issue in US, this act of judiciary signifies its willingness to be both progressive and modern
5. fully inspirit of article 14 of the constitution which guarantees to all persons equality before the law and equal protection of the laws.
this session cleared my doubts about strategy for tackling current affairs part which appears to be the most difficult one. now i would implement the idea of taking notes and examples from the editorial part and covering monthly magazines. I will reduce my time on news paper and focus on the forward and backward linkages of the current issue to the static part.
Editorial- Should the government loosen its purse strings?
Issue- Economic recovery/growth
Keywords- Inflation, Supply-side factors, Fiscal policy
Factors leading to high inflation:
1) Transmission of international inflation to the domestic economy (High international oil prices).
2) Supply-side constraints
3) Increased tax on petroleum goods and services.
Possible corrective measures for economic recovery:
1) More employment opportunities
2) Increased government spending in social sector schemes
3) Increasing transfers to the states.
Focus areas: Aggregate consumption, Supply-side constraints, Taxation policy.
Lessons learned: The insights have definitely helped me in structuring my note-making and also it will help me to avoid any repetitive studies for the same topic and hence contribute to overall efficiency.
Editorial - 21/8/2022
The injustice of exceptionalism
(Bilkis Bano Case)
Eleven men who were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2008 for the gang rape of Bilkis Bano (she was pregnant then) and the murder of her family members in 2002 were released this week from a jail in Gujarat.
📌Remission policy (State Subject)
Gujarat’s current remission policy (2014) - makes those convicted of rape ineligible for premature release.
In this case , Remission Policy of 1992 is governed (Supreme court had earlier ruled).
- enshrined in Prison Act 1894
The Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC)
- life convicts have to undergo a minimum of 14 years of actual imprisonment before they can be considered for remission/premature release
Article 161 - Governor’s powers of remission
This session proved to be very useful for me. Now I am able to read newspapers with much greater understanding . Earlier I used to find reading newspaper the most difficult thing .
Thank you so much Ravi Kapoor Sir and Nitisha Ma’am
Thank you sir for the wonderful session
Notes : 1. India mrna vaccine
mRNA vaccine: a piece of genetic code inserted into the body to stimulate an immune response.
: more direct approach
: more robust immune response
: better protection
Concerns
:shred apart at room temperature or by the body’s enzymes when injected.
:need to be wrapped in a layer of oily lipids, or fat cells.
:need to be frozen from -90 - -50 degree Celsius : to be thawed at 2 -8 degree Celsius :can remain for a month.
:expensive.
advantage
:possible to quickly update vaccines to emerging variants
:use them for a variety of diseases.
Gennova’s mRNA vaccine ?
:uses a concoction of lipids and enzymes
:stored at 2°C to 8°C.
:bulk of the materials : imports.
2. This approach helped me to be more efficient in reading the important content of the newspaper and helped me decide what to leave more effectively.
Well done!
@@RaviKapoorIRS Thank you sir
Thankyou Nitisha Mam and Ravi Sir for helping me changing my approach towards Current affairs.
My biggest problem in newspaper reading was understanding editorials but Mam gave 4 simple steps. By following them understading editorials becomes easy and very effective.
2. Date- 9-March-2022
Editorial- Wealth in Diversity
By empowering women, we increase their right to economic resources and their decision making powers. This in turn benefits their households and their communities. Women begin investing more in their children's education,the quality of human capital improves and we as a nation reap the benefits of economic prosperity.
If women are not empowered the nation's economy loses-World Bank study found that countries lose $160 trillion in wealth due to differences in lifetime earnings between men and women.
As a nation we need to continue empowering our women to achieve our full potential as a superpower.
Thank you sir for clearing doubts. Your task helps me in encouraging myself toward preparation.
Date : 31.03.2022
News Head : Govt to reduce the disturbed area under under Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) in Nagaland, Assam, Mainpur
AFSPA :
1. AFSPA 1958 is an act of Parliament that grant special powers to Indian Armed Forces to maintain public order in disturbed areas.
2. It was first promulgated by British Colonial Govt to suppress the Quit INDIA Movement.
3. According to the Disturbed Area Act 1976 once declared DISTURBTED the area has to maintain status for a minimum 6 months.
Power given under AFSPA :
1. Any suspect can be arrest without a warrant
2. Armed forces can search any house without any warrant
3. Any vehicle can be stopped and searched
4. Prohibit gathering of five or more persons in an area
2.I already made a separate notebook for Current affairs, but video gives me a lot information about to tackle CA (Current affairs) easily and more efficient way. And by this It also helps in making sense what to study. And how to gather info more easily and making of their records also. Thank you sir.
Good Evening Sir,
I have analyzed the following article from todays Indian Express Newspaper- 'Dont Fiddle in Manipur' :
1. Major Theme: Author talks about Institutionalized Riot system by taking recent ethnic riots in state of Manipur as an example.
2. Important Points:
a. Major source of Structural violence> Lack of political will to fix accountability> In the Manipur's case , reluctance to provide for formal imposition of Article 355
b. On ground Challenges-
Reports on Police being divided on ethnic lines and supporting terror groups
Tribal trust deficit in state law and order machinery,
Central paramilitary forces face opposition by few groups
Conflict between police and central forces.
After watching this lecture i will be able to skim through the newspaper in an optimal and efficient manner focusing primarily on what is important for exam.
Good afternoon sir
My report is here:-
Editorial from Indian Express
Topic:- Safety concerns about airlines may be overblown but worries over the financial health of sector remain
As per International Air traffic Association (IATA) records,1 accident in every 9.9 lakh flights in 2021 and 1 in 6.3 lakh in 2020 globally.
2019 :- 0.82 accidents per million flights as compared to global average of 3.02.
India has improved can be seen with the fact that in 2014 accident per million flights were 2.8 .
# Primary factors responsible for air safety are:-
1).quality of human resources
2). critical facets of training pilots, ground crew and engineers
3).Robustness of aircraft maintenance
# ISSUES:-
• INCIDENTS OF WINDSHIELD FISSURES OR CRACKS
• ROLE OF THE PILOT
• SHORTAGE OF VITAL SPARES
(Ukraine-Russia war titanium major component of aircraft spares and engines is in short supply 60% of it comes from Russia)
• SHIPPING DISRUPTIONS
• HIGH FUEL PRICES
Very helpful session sir thank you so much for it 🙏 and also thankyou to mam also for giving those insights which will change my whole perspective of reading newspaper
1.reading only relevant news ( this happens with me whenever I read newspaper I try to read all the headlines which I will not do from now).
2). making notes of editorials
3). how to approach a particular news this mam has taught very nicely just take few things in mind its relevance with upsc syllabus,any IR news then its geographical location, issues related to it advantages and disadvantages and add something from my view point that's it.
Get well soon sir. With your words of inspiration even nothing can stop us as well. Have a fast and happy recovery.
31/12/2022 - "Bugs and Bees are dying, therefore, so will we"
1. There has been a rapid depletion of insects across the world, which is turning out to be a catastrophe for the human race. The insects are an essential component of the earth's biodiversity as well as of the food chain. But, according to a latest report, the insect population in the world is declining by 1-2% every year - which is very alarming. Also, in 2018 , it was found that the rate of extinction of insects is 8 times that of mammals and birds!
2. Importance of insects in preservation of biodiversity -
a. Flies are great pollinators and help in disposing of dead animals, rotten leaves and faeces.
b. Maggots are useful in treating gangrene.
c. Bees are needed to grow food.
3. Way Forward :
a. The insects need to be preserved by efficient ways.
b. Example - Germany has shut down bright lights after dusk.
France has has banned neonicotinoid pesticides which harms the insects in croplands.
c. Recently, the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) was signed by 200 countries under the name of COP 15 in Montreal (Canada), which aimed to protect 30% of the Earth's biodiversity by 2030. It comprised of 23 targets and 04 goals, and one amongst them is the protection of insect population.
This video has majorly helped me in compressing my content for current affairs. Now, I've started to take crisp notes. Also, I'm now focussing on the editorial section at a great extent, rather than focussing on every single news.
Thank you so much Sir and Ma'am for this amazing session!
Extended Range of BrahMos :
-> BrahMos is a supersonic Missile
-> Created by DRDO and NPOM russia
-> Can be launched from Land , space and even from water.
-> Missile has range of 240 Km and will extended upto 600 Km
-> Has speed more then 2.8 Mach
Sir , these will efficiently helped me to filter the accurate news and how so study them . A big thanks to your hard work sir .
Got a clear idea about the elimination process and selecting the required news for preparation.
The filtering process was extremely straight forward and easy to implement.
It reduced my paper analysis by half time I was taking usually. Now I can filter the important exam specific articles. Thanks to both of u (Sir & Mam)
This editorial is based on a case for a more federal judiciary. It talks about the issues of federalism and centralisation in the Judiciary.
It's importance -The federal courts' most important power is that of judicial review, the authority to interpret the constitution. When federal judges rule that laws or government actions violate the spirit of the Constitution, they profoundly shape public policy.
This lesson is very sufficient and needed. This way to analyze the current affairs really help to cover all dimensions of the topic with refference to current and easy to revise as well.
Thanks 👍 for such a great lesson.
Technology tangle (gs3)
1. Implementation of 5g services could affect flights ( equipments used like radio altimeters, use same C band spectrum)
2. Countries like China, Japan, South korea, some European countries have implemented in successfully.
3. Some differences in implementation between US and France - US- buffer around airport is lesser, 5g power levels are lower etc.
4. So it is possible for both to co exist.
The information about how to revise at the end of every month was very useful. it will help consolidate and recollect all the information.
Thank you for this session,Sir.
Task :
Notes of Editorial :
Topic : Reaping the demographic dividend
Context :
The UN report, World population Prospects 2022 forcasts that the world population may reach 8 billion in 2022 and 9.8 billion in 2050.
Immediate Interest to India :
India’s population will surpass China’s population by 2023 and continues to rise.
Concerns:
India is getting a demographic dividend that will last for nearly 30 years. How India handles this windfall will determine the rise and fall of the economic league table.
Positives:
A report states that the trends such as digitisation and automation, shifting supply chains , urbanisation, rising incomes and demographic shifts and greater focus on sustainability , health and safety are accelerating “ to create $2.5 Trillion of economic value in 2030 and support 112 million jobs or about 30 % of the non-farm workforce in 2030.
Area of concern :
1. India’s bad infrastructure and poorly skilled workforce will impede the growth.
Opportunities:
1. India is still a young country and can transform itself.
2. IT technologies and Internet have matured from video conferencing to instantaneous payments and satellite imaging are getting better and cheaper. These can also revolutionize learning and transform at a low cost.
3. India’s administrative system manage to deliver and its infrastructure is in far better shape today than it was for China.
4. India need to invest massively in quality education as well as health care.
Conclusion : India must seize the opportunity and see through the transformation.
Editorial : The many problems of online anonymity.
Research defines anonymity is the unidentifiable. Anonymity can be implemented to make it impossible and it's very difficult to find out the real author of a message.
People are more equal in anonymous discussions, factors like status gender will not influence the evaluation of what the say.
Anonymity is a serious problem it's it's promote nonsense behaviors. Anonymity disrupts peace, this type of people misused their rights of freedom of expression. They promotes invaluable and fake news.
Anonymity publish a privacy policy, which explain exactly in what cases they will break the anonymity.
This session is really enlightened and clearly explain how to read newspaper and how to make a important notes because here will haven't any idea about newspaper reading but this session must have clear all doubts about how to make differentiation between important and unnecessary topic.
MANY PROBLEMS OF ONLINE ANOMITY
HOW IT'S DONE:
pseudonym, fake photo, using only first name
REASONS:
speak against vindictive government, participate without being judged in online platforms and not to be tagged
PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH IT: abuse, extreme opinions, misinformation, disinformation(glassdoor, fishbowl ,reddit support anomity)
HOW PROBLEMS ARE RESOLVED:
approaching police to contact the social media company to take action.
This session was great it made me aware of what not to read in newspaper.
This was a wonderful session. Grateful.
Assignment :
20 August
Editorial: Setting higher requisites for arrests or summons under the GST law is a welcome move
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has altered the enforcement processes for tax evaders in both customs as well as Goods and Services Tax (GST) matters. The norms spelt out for arrest and bail for GST offences, that stem from a Supreme Court judgment, are far more exhaustive and aimed at preventing ‘routine and mechanical’ arrests. The Board has said, underlining that the power to arrest must be exercised carefully as it impinges on personal liberty.
GST Council will continue to navigate the remaining clean-up of exemptions and inverted duty structures and revamp of the messy multiple tax rates with an eye on ramping up revenues from the still-evolving tax regime, easing its compliance hassles is equally critical.
These insights will help me to not waste much time on newspaper & read it from the perspective of UPSC. As well as idea of using editorials.
Insights-This is the best ever session I have seen on how to read newspaper. I am wasting a lot of time on newspaper. Now I know how to filter it. What are main things to know about an issue. And there's no need to do the same topic again and again.
Thank you sir and ma'am.
Even after being tested positive for COVID you're guiding and helping us. You are such a great personality.
Get well soon Sir...🙏
Thank you for the session sir.
Editorial - The fight for fiscal autonomy
GOI nowadays focus more on indirect tax which is regressive in nature as it cost everyone equally.
Where develop countries focus more on direct tax. Develop countries indirect tax is approx 30% where India's almost 50%. Corporate tax is reduce from 35 to 22%.
World inequality report 2022 says India's top 1% rich people hold 22% of national income.
Steps taken by government to improve direct tax such as Expansion of scope of TDS/TCS, launch Vivad se vishwas scheme, Transparent taxation etc.
These insights help me to understand how to approach any news and to link it with syllabus.
Thank you for being an amazing mentor. You're great 🙏
Sending healthy vibes in your direction..Get well soon sir ! 💐
This session is an eye-opener for me to read editorials in an easy way .because I always struggle to read editorials. Thank you, Mam and Sir .
Indian Express: 10/07/2022
Can green technology hurt marine biodiversity?
Prelims Facts :
1.horizon scanning technique - primarily act as signposts, putting focus on particular issues and providing support for researchers and practitioners to seek investment in these areas” before they have a major impact.
2. Lanternfishes - those are in mesopelagic zone (a depth of 200m - 1,000m), which are not fit for human consumption but can be sold as food to fish farms, or be used as fertilizer
Mains :
News Context : A new study has flagged emerging threats that could have a major impact on marine biodiversity over the next 5-10 years.--> journal Nature Ecology and Evolution
Green Technology impact in Marine Biodiversity
1.Deep Sea has higher concentrations of lithium so The researchers argue that the growing demand for renewable energy technology, such as lithium batteries for electric cars, also pose a potential threat to marine ecology .
2.large-scale harvesting of mesopelagic fish would cause immense environmental damage, because these species act as an ocean pump and remove carbon from the atmosphere.
3.greater amount of fishing(overfishing) in deeper sea water is also an existing problem, in order to address growing concerns of global food security .
Way forward :
1. horizon scan method -effective way of assembling experts from diverse subject areas to examine common issues and formulate more comprehensive solutions .
Ex. warning about the danger that microplastics - 2009 scan
2.WTO and UN related organization should prohibit the over consumption of bio fuels from Marine.
Insights: Previously I was blindly reading news without analyzing it. Now I can understand the purpose and how to make notes out of it .
Editorial : Drop the IAS cadre rules amendment
1) Rule 6(1) of the IAS (cadre) rules, 1954: a cadre officer may be deputed to the central government (or to another state or a PSU) only with the concurrence of the state government concerned. Also, in case of disagreement the matter shall be decided by Central government.
2) Reasons ( Shortage of IAS officer) : a) Poor working conditions in junior - level posts.
b) Opaque and arbitrary system of empanelment for senior - level posts.
c) Lack of security of tenure at all levels.
3) Drawbacks :
~ It have grave implications :
A) for the independence
B) security
C) morale
of IAS officers.
~ Also, it may lead towards state's distrust on IAS officer's loyalty.
4) Consequences :
A) reduction in number of IAS Cadre post ( state)
B) increase in preference of state civil services for as many posts as possible.
Help from the session : It has clear my doubts on how to choose right topic and amount for exams. Also, it will be really helpful in reducing the time consumption for reading newspaper.
Thank you so much Mam and Sir for your guidance.
Thank you for everything sir. Wishing you the speediest of the recoveries!
The main thing I have learnt from the session is what not to read from the newspaper for UPSC. Obviously there is a lot of news as it is a newspaper but filtering out the relevant news is so important so that the time don't get wasted. It was great to know that how the read or approach the news as the recurring new is so bothersome because they keeps updating. Here, the note making process by mam is so amazing and I would try to learn it. Thanks both of you for this session.
**Delimitation in J&K**
Delimitation is the existence of redrawing boundaries of Lok Sabha or State Assembly constituency to represent changes in population over time.
The last delimitation exercise in J&K was carried out in 1995 but after abrogation of J&K's special status in 2019,the delimitation of both Assembly and parliamentary seats is governed by the Constitution of India.
*Need*
1) J&K Reorganization Act,2019 increased the no. of seats in the assembly 114 from 107(after Ladakh was carved out as a UT,before it was 111)
2) Ensure that constituency becomes conterminous with district boundaries and kickstarting the political process in J&K
*Recommendations by the Delimitation Commission*
1) Seats in assembly is increased by 7 ,6 for Jammu (now 43) and 1 for Kashmir (now 47)
2) Redrawing boundaries of Anantnagg and Jammu seats
3) Reservation-a) 2 members of Kashmiri migrants (Kashmiri Hindus)
-b) for displaced persons from Pok who migrated to Jammu after Partition.
-c) 9 for Scheduled Tribes
*Concerns of the recommendation by the Delimitation Commission*
1) Constituency boundaries redrawn in J&K even if it is frozen for other parts of the Country
2) Reorganization Act,2019 is still sub judice in SC
3)It violate the uniformity and equal importance of every vote in the region
3) Nothing specified on reservation for Kashmiri Pandits
4) Certain recommendation concerns constitutional legislative homogenisation of J&K
*Way Forward*
Under normal conditions, Statehood of J&K will be restored and this could make space for political engagement in the region after Delimitation.
Well analysed. Keep it up!
Editorial:-
Technology Tangle
* Roll out of 5G services in airports is posing a challenge to airlines(C band radio spectrum)
* Rescheduling and cancellation of flights citing warnings from Federal Aviation Administration and aircraft makers
* China, South Korea, Japan and many European countries were successful
* Accurate functioning of RADAR altimeters can be affected
This session helped me in answering the doubts I had w.r.t Current affairs.
jan 21, 22
* states weigh options on IAS cadre rule changes . the union govt is planning to acquire for itself overriding powers to transfer IAS & IPS officer through central deputation dopt wrote to state to amend rule 6 of IAS rules1954. No State Control which is conflict between democracy and bureaucracy & conflict of federalism.Pros: will give scope to unwanted development.Cons: spirit of cooperative federalism.
* celestial flyby - NASA
* problems of online anonymity: pseudonymous social media handles and platforms that encourage them amplify issues around fake news.
* swamp deer extinct- Kaziranga extinct due to 2 high floods
* miss kerala- Dennison barb native fresh water fish species found in Karnataka n Kerala.Also has been added in schedule 1 of wlp amendment bill,2021.
This approach has changed my skills of making notes of editorial.These insights helped me from wasting my time for reading unnecessary articles of the newspaper.This way of approaching current affairs has made the entire process simpler and more interesting for me.
How to avert a demographic disaster
Demographics - Demographic analysis is the study of a population-based on factors such as age, race, and sex. Demographic data refers to socioeconomic information expressed statistically, including employment, education, income, marriage rates, birth and death rates, and more.
Unemployment rate- acc. to CMIE India's unemployment rate rose to 7.6% while urban unemployment rose to 9.3% in 2021
Way forward- up skill the existing labour force
-foster green jobs(Agriculture and forestry, Energy and carbon capture and storage, Energy efficiency).
The insight given in this lecture will help me to understand and make a connection on what to read and what not and on the important aspects upon which i have to focus while reading current affairs.
I used to read the whole newspaper taking hours, now got the trick to study only the editorials. I got to know the magazines to study because lot of magazines are available for studying and was not aware of the quality too. I have started to practice on how to write notes from editorials. Thank you, Sir.
Get well soon sir.
Art Museums and the craft of democracy
Pradhan mantri sangrahalay on the grounds of teen murti house
Demonstrate different aspects of Indian in a cultural and spiritual sense.
The information primarily conveyed through
1. Augmented reality experiences
2. Computerised kinetic sculpture
3. Holograms
4. Smartphone applications
The current national Museum located on Janpath
Lpurve museum- located in Paris
Museum on Raisina Hill - primary purpose is to nurture patriotism and showcase triumph.
Connected history of India and the world
Seals - Ancient civilizations
Rhytons and Statutory - Mauryan and Achaemenid
Coins and portraits - Kushans vs Mathura
Textiles and wood carvings - traders movement around the world
Micro architecture - Arc from the Deccan to the Arakon
Calligraphy and miniature painting- Mughal safavid and ottaman.
This exercises of taking notes from editorial has been very much interested, after following all the points ma'am has mentioned. We have to read newspaper only on exam point of view, we should not mentally or emotionally connected to the news. If we feel emotional while reading news we ll end up with lost in somewhere.
Even though working for about 12 hours a day ...i won't miss your single mail and updates for classes ...really you keep aspirants like us very motivated and these classes boost up our courage and enthusiasm to understand the UPSC and crack it sir ....huge respect for you ...and your efforts towards us .
Thank you!
My Report.
The many problems of online anonymity
*people seek online anonymity to converse without being judged.
*Anonymity leads to not only abusive behaviour but also disinformation and misinformation.
*some platforms maintain anonymity like Glassdoor and Fishbowl.
* these platforms amplify the already existing problem of fake news and abusive behaviour.
The insights made me aware that i dont need to know everything and how what is in the news could form basis from which question can be asked related to our static syllabus.
And also what has to be retained and understood from the current and its correlation with the theoretical aspect.
Despite the cancellation of the Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC12) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) late last year (scheduled date, November 30, 2021December 3, 2021) due to COVID19, digital trade negotiations continue their ambitious march forward. On December 14, Australia, Japan, and Singapore, coconvenors of the plurilateral Joint Statement Initiative ( JSI) on ecommerce, welcomed the ‘substantial progress’ made at the talks over the past three years and stated that they expected a convergence on more issues by the end of 2022.
These insights will help me a lot because before these insights I used to read as much news as I can. Now, I know the political news and COVID news are not necessary to read. Now, I can read newspapers much faster.
Glad it helped, Thanks for watching!
Glad it helped, Thanks for watching!
God bless you sir. Get well soon.
20 Jan ; 5G rollout in C-band radio spectrum (Sci &tech)
News : 5G rollout near airport disrupting flight operations in US
How?: Aircraft radar altimeter functioning disrupted by 5G radio frequency as both work on C -band spectrum .
ALTIMETER?: Provide info on aircraft altitude
Solution: many European nations and China has successfully rolled out 5G . France protects last 96 sec of flight by creating buffer zones . US only protects only 20 sec .
P.s - this session helped me in formulating a clear approach for current affairs .
GST : Five Years Stronger
July 1 marks the completion of five years since the GST regime was introduced in India. The GST council has played a crucial role in forging a national consensus on key issues related to tax regime - rates,exemptions,business processes e.t.c. The average monthly collections have been around Rs.1.04 Lac Crore in 2020-21 . GST has eliminated the tax arbitrage that existed among the states under CST/VAT regime.
Since Its Inception, The administration of GST continues to be IT based and fully automated.The creation of GSTN ,a professionally managed technology company to run the platform was a step in the right direction.Constant review and upgrading of hardware and softwares have helped in keeping the system nimble.
The insights given in the above video have helped eliminating the un-neccessary news that I used to read considering them as important this is indirectly saving time and more importantly the attention. More Emphasize on Editorials would help in writing better answer writing and essays.
Get well soon sir. We will definitely make you proud
So good to have you as a mentor
These are my notes for today's editorial sir :
1. Gst
• Full form is goods and services tax
Supreme court’ s order :
• Both the Union and the state will have equal , simultaneous and unique powers to make gst laws . It is not compulsory for
them to implement the Council’s recommendations
• The Union and the state governments should work together
Problems :
• States can refuse to accept the Council’s recommendations , which can be a threat to gst
• It can lead to more disputes in Council meetings
Way forward :
• The Centre should put more focus on states concerns and tax dilemmas
• The Council should also meet more often to protect the critical relations between units of the government and minimize
trust deficits.
2. The Nechiphu Tunnel
• The Nechiphu , is a unique Dshaped tunnel located in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh
3. Floods in Assam
• Many districts were badly hit by these floods
Reason for natural disasters in Assam :
• The major reason for floods is the unpredictable Brahmaputra river that flows across the state
• It is located on the Himalayas so it is geologically unstable
Government policies for flood management :
Ministry of Jal Shakti has come up with National water policy (NWP) in the year 2012.
National Water Policy :
• This policy has emphasized on flood mitigation through structural measures and non - structural measures
• Structural methods include building flood shelters and dams
• Non - structural methods include taking flood insurance, being mentally prepared before flood and flood forecasting
Devices that can predict floods :
• A new computer tool known as the "Global Flood Monitoring System" is improving forecasts . It is sponsored by NASA
These insights are very useful . Before I had no clue of what info to focus on but with mam's guidance in this session , I will be able to look for the the right kind of news . Also I was not clear of how to make notes for current affairs but this session was really helpful in clearing my doubts .
Thank you sir and mam for this wonderful session .
Hi sir
Current affairs was eating my hrad ever since I started my preparation. Revision, making notes reading newspapers and other compilations were taking 90% of my time.
Now I get a point that continuous effort makes us perfect .
Thank you for the effort 🙏
These are my notes sir :
1. Gst
• Full form is goods and services tax
Supreme court’ s order :
• Both the Union and the state will have equal , simultaneous and unique powers to make gst laws . It is not compulsory for
them to implement the Council’s recommendations
• The Union and the state governments should work together
Problems :
• States can refuse to accept the Council’s recommendations , which can be a threat to gst
• It can lead to more disputes in Council meetings
Way forward :
• The Centre should put more focus on states concerns and tax dilemmas
• The Council should also meet more often to protect the critical relations between units of the government and minimize
trust deficits.
2. The Nechiphu Tunnel
• The Nechiphu , is a unique D -shaped tunnel located in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh
3. Floods in Assam
• Many districts were badly hit by these floods
Reason for natural disasters in Assam :
• The major reason for floods is the unpredictable Brahmaputra river that flows across the state
• It is located on the Himalayas so it is geologically unstable
Government policies for flood management :
Ministry of Jal Shakti has come up with National water policy (NWP) in the year 2012.
National Water Policy :
• This policy has emphasized on flood mitigation through structural measures and non - structural measures
• Structural methods include building flood shelters and dams
• Non - structural methods include taking flood insurance, being mentally prepared before flood and flood forecasting
Devices that can predict floods :
• A new computer tool known as the "Global Flood Monitoring System" is improving forecasts . It is sponsored by NASA
These insights are very useful . Before I had no clue of what info to focus on but with mam's guidance in this session , I will be able to look for the the right kind of news . Also I was not clear of how to make notes for current affairs but this session was really helpful in clearing my doubts .
Thank you sir and mam for this wonderful session .
Get well soon sir. Thoughts and prayers with you.
Landslide in Manipur's Noney district
Causes
1. modification of slopes for construction
2. widening of road
quarrying for construction materials
3. fragile lithography
4. complex geological structures
5. heavy rainfall
6. Connectivity project in Northeast states to uplift economically backward region but taken effects of deforestation lightly.
Challenges
1. Landslide debris blocking the Ijei river creates a rise in water which could inundate low-lying areas.
2. Inclement weather has hampered the pace of efforts of the administration.
3. Areas in western Manipur abutting the national highways fall under very high, high, or moderate hazard zones.
Other regions prone to landslide
1. The Himalayan States
2. the Other States with hill/ghat terrain such as Kerala
Solution
1. The State government must look at whether sufficient soil and stability tests were done before choosing the site for railway construction work.
2. An early warning system for landslides is still being developed and refined by the Geological Survey of India and this could help reduce the scale of such disasters, once deployed across vulnerable States.
Much needed. Thank you both for providing such clear and detailed guidance for newspaper analysis.
1) Analysed today's version of The Hindu- Most news are politics based owing to the various State elections in UP, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur. Saw a news article where RBI governor Mr. Shaktikanta Das warned people about investing too much into crypto currency likening it to a Ponzi scheme.
2) Editorial- Is the institution of Governor subverting Federal structure?
Recent skirmishes between the Governors and State governments have been noted mainly in TN (R.N Ravi returns bill seeking to abolish NEET in state) and WB (Jagdeep Dhankar openly criticises Mamata Banerjee govt for their policies on social media).
* It is okay to have difference of opinions but it has to be in a civil manner and not always out in the open. In the end elected state government has final say (TN govt has once again sent NEET abolition bill to governor who must now consult president)
* Cordial relations must be maintained between State governments and governors.
Earlier, many state govts had been sounded out before appointment of governors. However all depends on the person.
* Courts must step in quickly to restore balance in such cases. The President may also pay more heed to the appointment of a governor as his word can influence the PM.
3) This video has taught me how to filter important news from the unimportant. Also, I have learnt to apply static part of knowledge to current affairs to study together and not in isolation.
Well done. All the best!
This video is really helpful for reading newspaper without wasting time.tq sir,,
Thank You Sir and Ma'am for such an informative session. I tried to make notes on an editorial published in The Hindu on 17th August'22.
17th August'22 Editorial
'Stepping back from an ecological abyss'
1. Four hundred and eighty million Indians face the world’s most extreme air pollution levels.
2. According to NITI Aayog, “600 million people in India face high to extreme water stress... with nearly 70% of water being contaminated; India is placed at 120th amongst 122 countries in the water quality index.
3. World Bank reported in 2013 that India was losing 5.7% of GDP due to environmental damage. The latest global environmental ranking by Yale and Columbia Universities puts India at the bottom among 180 countries.
Causes:
> land degradation and desertification
>increasing exports of natural materials and imports of toxic waste
>Mining activities
>Ocean bottom extraction
>climate crisis
Effect:
Over 60 million people have been physically displaced by ‘development’ projects in the last few
decades with very poor (if any) rehabilitation, and according to the former Planning Commission,
a disproportionately high percentage of these are Adivasis and Dalits
Conclusion:
As advocated by the United Nations Environment Programme, public transportation, organic farming, land and water regeneration, renewable energy, community health, ecofriendly construction, ecotourism, and small scale manufacturing can significantly enhance job creation. Linking programmes such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act with such activities, as happening in some States, also has huge potential.
MENTION HOW THESE INSIGHTS WILL HELP YOU CHANGE YOUR APROACH TOWARDS CURRENT AFFAIRS IN LESS THAN 50 WORDS- I learnt how to skim through the newspaper and what news is relevant as per the syllabus.
Thank you so much Sir and Ma'am once again.
this session was a blessing in disguise. I have been making notes similarly for past one year but was never confident about my approach. But mam's words has boosted my confidence. I got much clarity and will continue to make notes by inculcating all the insights that have been shared. Thank you Sir and mam for all your efforts.
Israel Palestine Issue
Context - India @ UN Security Council
Conflicting parties - Jews and Arabs
For - sovereign lands
History - fall of Ottoman empire - Britain got Palestine - Balfour declaration - The Holocaust.
In 1947, the UN voted for Palestine to be split into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem becoming an international city.
Places to refer - West Bank, Gaza, Golan Heights, Sinai peninsula, Jerusalem etc.
India’s stand - India recognized Palestine in 1988. It balances the countries by supporting Two state solution.
Points to focus - India’s energy dependence on the Arab nations, huge remittances from the middle east.
This lecture featuring Nithisha ma’am and Ravi sir helped me simplify the process of reading and revising current affairs. This simple Note making exercise will still consume a lot of time but, I will try to inculcate these learnings in my preparation and get better.
Get well soon sir, our prayers are with you.....
It has solved a big hurdle in my preparation.
I realised that I read too much unnecessary news & politics related news also but after watching this session I realised what is important in news paper & what not. I can also see how the editorials can help me in my GS and essay preparation.
This session clear those difficulties and gave me a solution to my problems.
Thank you sir for this wonderful session this helpe me to understand how to read newspaper in an effective way and connect it to static portion.
16-sep-2022 (Friday)
Editorial:- how to reduce the burden of cervical cancer in india.
HPV Vaccine
Context :- Cervavac, a vaccine developed by the Serum Institute of India (SII), has recently acquired market authorization from the Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI).
it is India's first Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus Vaccination (qHPV) designed to protect women from cervical cancer.
What is Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer is a prevalent sexually transmitted infection.
It’s a type of cancer that occurs in the cells of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina.
It is mostly caused by long-term infection with particular forms of HPV.
It is the second most prevalent cancer form and the second leading cause of cancer death in women of reproductive age (15-44).
Indian Perspective:
According to the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer, India accounts for roughly one-fifth of the global burden, with 1.23 lakh cases and around 67,000 fatalities every year
What is the Significance of the new Vaccine?
It’s based on VLP (Virus-Like Particles), similar to the Hepatitis B vaccination, and gives protection by producing antibodies against the HPV virus' L1 protein.
It is said to be effective against four strains of the virus - Type 6, Type 11, Type 16 and Type 18.
A quadrivalent vaccine is a vaccine that works by stimulating an immune response against four different antigens, such as four different viruses or other microorganisms.
It has a significant potential to eliminate cervical cancer and it would be helpful if it will be included in national HPV vaccination efforts and offered at a lower cost than existing vaccinations.
Existing Two vaccines licensed globally are available in India - a quadrivalent vaccine (Gardasil, from Merck) and a bivalent vaccine (Cervarix, from GlaxoSmithKline) and are costly and none of them are included in the national immunization program.
After the DGCI approval, it would enable the government to procure vaccines in bulk in order to vaccinate around 50 million girls aged between 9 to 14 years.
The vaccine is extremely effective only when it's administered before the first sexual intercourse
The Hindu - 2nd July 2022
Editorial
2. Recommended : A dose of humour and democracy
> Humour - a double edged sword, a mighty weapon in political and social discourse (Socrates and Athenian Society)
> Totalitarianism future
> Origins of Totalitarianism - reckless optimism and unavoidable doom
> Humour can inspire hope, as hope is a powerful thing
> Anarchism and democracy are the anti-theses and antidotes for the totalitarianism (Mahatma Gandhi - Anarchist)
> Anarchism and democracy espouse humour whereas totalitarianism demands the silence of the grave.
Get well soon sir. Hope you have a speedy recovery.
Thank u sir for this session and guiding us.
26/04/2022, The editorial page(Indian Express),
Delhi and Brussels
- the reelection of Emmanuel Macron as the president of France on sunday has sent a sigh of relief across Europe and North America. Delhi too is pleased with the return of Macron, who laid a strong foundation fir India's strategic partnership with France. If the Russian revolution of 1917 inspired large sections of the Indian National movement, the partnership with Moscow dominated India's international relations during the cold War. That phase is drawing to a close. As Delhi strives to retain a reasonable relationship with Moscow, Europe emerges as an important partner in letting India cope with the China challenge.
Sir
The session gave me the understanding towards the importance of editorials, how to make notes, how to avoid unnecessary topics and the sources on current affairs. This will improve my efficiency in reading current affairs.
Thank you.
Glad it was helpful
Assignment:
Date-16/09/2022
*Topic- parliamentary business and essential pit stop(DRSC).*
Govt reluctance to refer the bills to DRSC in recent monsoon session.
DRSCs are 24 in number and have members from LS and RS in ration 2:1. The mendate of DRSC to examine various legilations referred to it. 16th LS has seen only 27% bills referred to it than 71% in 15th , a huge dip.
It is not obligatory for the govt to agree to refer each bill to the DRSC but it helps the process of lawmaking and examines the bill properly. Eg-farm bills were not referred to DRSC hence were not examined on the grassroot issues. The examination of bills by parliamentary committees is more to the benefit of govt because it mostly add value to the content of the law. Governments anf the ruling party should not be wary of these committees as final decision is always by the process of majority voting in parliament.
Way forward:
1.compulsory reference to DRSC
2.discussion in DRSC should be frank and free, no whip should apply
3.fixed timeline to comeup with recommendation and present report
4.experts may be invited
5. Usage of time of intersessional period by DRSCs
6.shoukd come up with suggestions to take up new initiatives in budget proposals.
.
I was lqcking in notes making but combined with the exercises of daily feeder and this session, i am eligible to carve out gist of the editorial and i think this would help me in notes making.
A big thank you sir and ma'am for this session and everything you are doing for us. Take care.
Very well written. You are most welcome
After going through this, I completed the task of analyzing. It provides more clear insight towards newspaper analyzer (What to choose and what not to? How and How much?).
I tried to make notes on an editorial in less than 100 words but failed in writing in less than 100 words. But I am sure that I will work on it.
Continuously following your videos, articles and guest sessions since the beginning of my Mentorship, one thing I can say for sure is that sir, that you have eradicated my fear of remembering details. I am now reading everything with a broader perspective in mind and with the other tricks and tools you provided, now I remember much more, with better understanding than ever. Thanks a lot!
Your way to how to choose news and its importance gave me new insights into newspapers. Seriously speaking sir this way of newspapers save my time which was before 4 to 5 hours, it's now less than or equal 1 hour.
I found the analysis of the editorial in similar manner and now I can easily filter them.
Thank you Sir and Mam for the wonderful session...
Get well soon sir
On January 18,
Indonesia’s Parliament
approved a bill to relocate
the country’s capital from
Jakarta to a new city to be
built on the island of
Borneo, named as
Nusantara.
Why ?
Reason:
Jakarta suffers from a
range of urban problems
such as overcrowding and
pollution. One major
concern about its long-term
future was tied to the fact
that the city stands on a
swamp on the island of Java
and has been slowly sinks.
What is meant by Nusantara ?
It literally means
“archipelago”, but also has a
historical context referring
to the entire region,
including Indonesia and the
rest of Southeast Asia.
This session helped me a lot , I was frightened to study newspapers but now I got clear idea how to analyse the papers . Thank you so much mam and thank you sir .
Get well soon sir🙏🙏🙏
These insights will change my approach towards current affairs in a newly different way to understand the facts done on the society.
get well soon sir
This session helped me to save time and selectively read newspapers. Mam was also guided on how not to read the newspaper. Through the lesson, It gave me the confidence that I can make useful and relevant notes too.
Get well soon sir🙏🙏
Highly beneficial sir. Thank you sir and ma'am.
Sir through this session I have clearly understood how to make notes effectively and also to read newspaper without wasting the time.I have also learned the art of connecting the C.A with static syllabus. 25-03-22 : *There has never been a defined
boundary in this area because
high watershed frameworks do
not apply to the parallel ranges in
Ladakh.
*Ladakh translates as the ‘landof high passes’, which defined thelimits of its administrative controlover trade routes via the Karakoram pass to the north, Demchok tothe south and Zojila to the west
*The uninhabited soda
plains to the east extending over
100 square miles at a height of
17,000 feet, now disputed between India and China, were of no
use and not governed by anyone.
*Treaty of Timosgang in 1684. This treaty established relations between Leh and Lhasa through trade exchanges.
With the Treaty of Chushul in
1842, Ladakh and Tibet agreed to
maintain the status quo. The Treaty of Amritsar in 1846 between the
East India Company and the State
of Kashmir included Ladakh with
its eastern boundary undefined.
*The authoritative ‘Gazetteer of
Kashmir and Ladak’, brought out
in 1890, states that from the Karakoram to the head of the Changchenmo valley the boundary with
‘Chinese Tibet” is “quite doubtful”.
The unoccupied Aksai Chin is described as “neutral territory".
*In 1959, experts ofboth countries, not unexpectedly,further hardened positions .
*In 1993, the signing of an Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquillityalong the Line of Actual Control
*In 2020, the focus shifted tothe ground situation and after 15rounds of talks
*Unilateral actions in“neutral territory” establishing astrategic road and defining theboundary converted a colonialambiguity into a dispute, insteadof adopting the watershed principle as in the case of the border ofall other Himalayan States. TheCold War heightened mistrust,with Pakistan joining the South-east Asia Treaty Organization andthe United States’ covert operationwith the brother of the Dalai Lamaresiding in Kalimpong arming Tibetans.
*After Britain took over gover-
nance of India, attention shifted to
the northern boundary of Ladakh
because of the Russian advance in-
to Central Asia. agreement on the watershd boundary following a well established principle would meetthe national security concerns ofIndia and China without bringingin intractable issues of sovereignty.
Get well soon sir, These insights helped me to recognise the important topics and how to make notes from editorials.