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Showing posts from January, 2021

Charter Act1833

Charter Act of 1833 All the Acts passed by the British Parliament to regulate the affairs of the East India  Company, the Charter Act of 1833 stands out as the most comprehensive and far reaching in  effect. There were circumstances both in India and England which necessitated the passing of the Act. In India, the policy of intervention and territorial aggrandizement pursued by Wellesley  and Hastings had added enormously to the territories of the Company and also to the  consequent difficulties in administration. In England, Parliamentary reforms had brought into  being a reformed House of Commons where liberalism was at the ascendancy. Further, that  was a clamor for freedom of trade in India, unrestricted immigration of Europeans into India,  reform of Indian laws and also important to mention the influence, among others, of two  Liberals who were intimately associated with James Mill. The former, who was then in  Parliament, was Secretary to the Board of Control, and the latter was

Climate Adaptation

India’s civilizational values teach us that importance of living in harmony with nature.         Our ancient scripture Yajurveda teaches us that our relationship with planet earth is that of a mother and her child. If we take care of mother earth, she will continue to nurture us. To adapt to Climate Change, our lifestyles must also adapt to this ideal. Climate Adaptation  is more significant today than ever before. And, it is a key element of India’s developmental efforts. We have promised ourselves that: We will not just meet our Paris Agreement targets, but exceed them; We will not just arrest environmental degradation but reverse it; and, We will not just create new capacities but make them an agent for global good. Our actions show our commitment. We are targeting 450 gigawatt of renewable energy capacity by 2030. We are promoting LED lights and saving 38 million tons of carbon-di-oxide emissions annually. We are going to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. We are

How to Approach UPSC prelims ?

Note :Tips Taken from the UPSC Aspirants who failed in prelims in  one or two attempts and get successful in Qualifying prelims,plus mains and Interview finally selection list.  Strict to follow  only for  prelims  1)  News Paper reading must only for the  exam point of view.  2)Maintaining a self notes while reading subjects  for quick revision in last minute  3)  Takeing test series in offline or online (Min 50  max 100 tests to be taken, or more, on Subject wise and Full length tests)  4) Always limit the resources.  5) Revision at least twice, the notes you prepared for prelims.  6) Never neglect the paper 2 in Learning concepts and practiceing. (Time management is very important)  Note : Analysing the 2019 and 2020 prelims papers, we come across that upsc question pattern lengthen and more reasoning based question which consume time more in reading  the options. So aspirants must be consciousness while preparing notes what facts to be written and what content to be absorb.  Resour

Emmanuel Kant

Emmanuel Kant (1724-1804) was a German-philosopher. He was born in a poor family.  He led a mechanical life of a bachelor in the old town of Canonsburg in north-east Germany. He  was regular in his habits and left home at fixed time. Even people set their watches when they  saw him on Lime Tree Road. He was keenly interested in critical philosophy. He was a fan of  Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and Hegel. He was a notable teacher in jurisprudence and metaphysics at the university of Canonsburg. He was also very famous writer. His writings include  (i) Critique of pure Reason, (ii) Judgment (iii) Practical Reason (iv) Metaphysics first principles of the Theory of Law and (v) Eternal Peace. Kant as a scholar opposed extreme materialism spread by philosophy of individualism.  He gave more importance on man's soul than his physical force. He also developed the concept  of universal moral law and freedom. He believed that law protects and inspires freedom. He laid  more stress on statecraf

Sree Narayana Gurudev - ‘one of the most influential saints of modern India’

The world view of India essentially centres around the one-ness of all living beings because we believe that “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (The whole world is one family) and “Ekam Sat, Vipraah bahudhaa vadanti” (Truth is one, though wise men describe it in multiple ways). We also believe, as the Ishaavaasya Upanishad states in its opening line, “Ishaavasyam idam sarvam” (The whole universe is manifestation of the divinity).  If you look at it from the socio-political dimension, this is the quintessence of a democratic ethos where each individual is as important as another. It is a recognition of unity in diversity as well as celebration of one-ness in a plural world. We, in India, have traditionally recognized that there is a vibrant colourful variety in human existence and since each particle in this universe is animated by the same divine energy, there need not be any conflict. The diversity adds to the richness of our existence and enlivens our lives. This world view paves the way for mu

India’s global position rises both in innovations & publications

India’s excellence in science has now been combined with the recognition of its brilliance as an innovative economy. While the country has already attained the third position in terms of publications, it now features among the top 50 innovative economies globally as per the Global Innovation Index (GII), placing it ahead of many developed and developing countries. The combination of scientific excellence and innovation has been possible through encouraging investments in scientific activities, infrastructure as well as manpower development along with boosting of the entire innovation chain in an environment charged with the start-up India movement. “Our efforts for connecting the invention ecosystem that excels in creating knowledge and the innovation ecosystem facilitating knowledge consumption have helped bring about this transformation, and the 5 th  National Science Technology and Innovation Policy will help us take this forward more effectively,” said Professor Ashutosh Sharma, Se

How Artificial Intelligence(AI) to help improve the air quality over targeted sectors in India?

Decision Support System (DSS) having a web, GIS and multi-model based operational and planning decision support tool.  This tool will help immensely in capturing the static and dynamic features of the emissions from various sources. It will have an integrated framework to handle both primary and secondary pollutants using chemical transport model. The system will also be able to handle the source specific interventions with the framework to estimate benefits of interventions and will focus on presenting the best results in a comprehensive user friendly and simple format for different users. The Air Quality Management Decision Support Tool (DST) integrates an emissions inventory development application and database; regional, local and source–receptor modelling; and Geographical Information System (GIS) based visualization tools in a software framework so as to build a robust system to formulate and implement source specific interventions to improve the air quality over targeted sectors

Relevance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in 21st Century”

The Philosophy, Ideology &the Vision of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose for united & progressive India where the main concern and objective was liberating India from British rule, exploitation and oppression along with thrust on overall development of India on social, economic and political front.

Lithium Status in India

The Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India has discovered 1600kg Lithium in Mandla district of Karnataka. India has been dependent on Lithium imports for a long time, which makes this discovery more significant. Lithium has widespread uses across domains. It is added to glasses and ceramics for resistance to temperature fluctuation, it is used in heat-resistant greases and lubricants, and it is alloyed with aluminium and copper for light weight aerial components. Lithium is also used in psychiatric medications and in dental imprints. The lighter of two lithium isotopes is used in the production of Tritium, a key component of nuclear weapons. The most widespread and well-known use of Lithium is in the Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery. With increasing focus on renewable energy, sustainable batteries are a gaining traction as a viable alternative to conventional, fuel run batteries. Some of the most common applications of lithium-ion batteries are power backup appliances, mobile pho

Discuss major measures needed to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation and startups in the drive sustainable economic growth and generate large scale employment opportunities?

measures needed to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation and startups in the country to drive sustainable economic growth and generate large scale employment opportunities. The council shall,  inter alia , suggest measures to: Foster a culture of innovation amongst citizens and students in particular; Promote innovation in all sectors of economy across the country, including semi-urban and rural areas; Support creative and  innovative ideas through incubation and research and development to transform them into valuable products, processes or solutions to improve productivity and efficiency; Create an environment of absorption of innovation in industry; Facilitate public organizations to assimilate innovation with a view to improving public service delivery; Promote creation, protection and commercialization of intellectual property rights; Make it easier to start, operate, grow and exit businesses by reducing regulatory compliances and costs; Promote ease of access to capit

National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: Implementation Plan for School Education

The National Education Policy, 2020 is the third in the series of National Education Policies (1968 and 1986 modified in 1992) in India and is the first education policy of the 21 st  century. NEP 2020 covers wider spectrum of school education from pre-primary to senior secondary. The recommendations given have varied timelines as the policy is made for next 20 years. Therefore, the implementation of NEP is being carried out in a phased manner. ShikshakParv was organised from 8 th  to 25 th  September 2020 for discussing various recommendations of NEP 2020 and its implementation strategies. Around 15 lakh suggestions were received from the stakeholders, which are being examined. To achieve the goals and objectives of NEP 2020, DoSEL has prepared a draft implementation plan with Task lists linking each recommendation with tasks, responsible agencies to carry out the task, timelines and outputs. This task list was shared with the States/UTs/Autonomous Bodies on  10th  September, 2020, to

National Strategy for Financial Education (NSFE 2020-2025)

India, with a large section of population in the working age group, is already the third largest economy in the world in terms of purchasing power parity and is aiming to become a USD 5 trillion economy. The Government has been undertaking a series of calibrated macro measures through wide ranging structural reforms. We need to harness the demographic dividend by meeting the aspirations of a large young population. This necessitates creating an enabling environment and infrastructure in the form of education, training and opportunity. Among all the prerequisites for achieving demographic dividend and accelerated growth, quality of human resources, greater formalisation of economy, a higher credit to GDP ratio and greater financial inclusion are the differentiating factors that would elevate our economy to the desired level. Financial Inclusion initiatives so far . Financial Inclusion initiatives in India started in the aftermath of first All India Rural Credit Survey in 1954 with promo

Preserving Financial Stability during COVID-19 by RBI

Preserving Financial Stability during COVID-19 10. The idea of financial stability in this broader sense moulded the Reserve Bank’s approach during the pandemic, which was a unique crisis, more challenging than the global financial crisis of 2008, impacting both the real and financial sector in great severity. With conventional, unconventional and new tools, the Reserve Bank responded through a series of measures to alleviate stress in various segments of the economy and the financial sector, including the stress encountered by market players and financial entities. Broadly speaking, our approach to the Covid situation included the following measures: (a) Measures to mitigate the immediate impact of the pandemic : loan moratoriums together with asset classification standstill; easing of working capital financing and deferment of interest; restructuring of MSME loans, etc. (b) Liquidity augmenting measures: LTRO/ TLTRO/refinance schemes for various sectors including stressed sectors; re

Tackling crimes against women and children requires broader social reforms, sustained governance efforts and strengthening investigative and reporting mechanisms, instead of merely enhancing punishment.? Discuss?

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the most oppressive forms of gender inequality and stands as a fundamental barrier to equal participation of women and men in social, economic, and political spheres. Such violence impedes gender equality and the achievement of a range of development outcomes.  Status in India : Crime rate in the country, or crimes registered per lakh population, went up marginally to 385.5 in 2019 as compared to 383.5 in 2018, with crimes against women and children showing a 7.3% and 4.5% rise respectively, offences against human body up 1% and cyber crimes witnessing a 63.5% spike. A total of 51.56 lakh cognizable crimes comprising 32.25 lakh  Indian Penal Code  (IPC) crimes and 19.3 lakh Special & Local Laws (SLL) crimes were registered in 2019. This marks an increase of 1.6% in registration of cases over 2018, as per  the National Crime Records Bureau  report on Crime in India. During 2019, registration of cases under IPC went up by 3% whereas S

discuss major reforms in labour laws to ensure safety, security and health for every worker with transparency and accountability.in India?

Disinformation is increasing and becoming harder to combat, Discuss major issues with disinformation and Suggest measures to combat it? 10marks

Social media and messaging apps are thus at the heart of the disinformation problems that India faces.  What is disinformation?  What are the issues with fake news or disinformation ?  India Satus in fake news?  According to the  survey in India , 52% say they get news via Facebook, and the same percentage say they get news via WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook. With an estimated quarter billion Indians having come online since the last general election, companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter have become central parts of the Indian media environment, including the disinformation problems that it faces. Steps taken Goverment of India in comabting the disinformation? 

Enumerate major e-Governance programmes initiated by Governemnt of India during pandemic?

Aarogya Setu , contact tracing app, has been downloaded 16.71 crore times (Android, iOS and KaiOS) and has successfully predicted a large number of potential COVID-19 hotspots. MyGov platform reached over 1.45 crore registered users, with more than 10 crore users across social media platforms; key initiatives include Saathi Chat Bot, Positive Harmonies, MyGov Podcast Fact Checker, Whatsapp Chatbot, Telegram outreach etc. and various innovative challenges such as Shri Shakti Challenge, Drug Discovery challenge, AI challenge etc. DigiLocker , the digital platform for issuance and verification of documents issued by Government and private departments, achieved 5.19 crore registered users; over 426 crore documents have been issued from 722 Issuer organisations. National Center for Geo-Informatics (NCoG), a Geographical Information System (GIS) platform, has completed over 550 projects for 29 Central Ministries, Departments & Agencies and, 19 State Governments and UTs. Learning Manageme

Steps Taken by Governemnt in Agriculture sector during Covid - 19 in 2020?

The major highlights of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer Welfare during the year 2020 are as follows: Unprecedented Enhancement in Budget Allocation In the year 2020-21, the Budget allocation has been increased by more than 6 times to Rs. 1,34,399.77 crore. The Budget allocation for Department of Agriculture in the year 2013-14 was only Rs. 21933.50 crore. Record foodgrains production The foodgrains production has increased from 251.54 million tonnes in 2015-16 to 296.65 million tonnes in 2019-20 which is the highest ever foodgrains production. As per third advanced estimates, horticulture production during 2019-20 is 319.57 MMT which is the highest ever for Indian horticulture. Determination of MSP at one-and-a half times the cost of production – Government has increased the MSPs for all mandated  Kharif, Rabi and other commercial crops  with a return of at least 50 per cent over all India weighted average cost of production from the agricultural year 2018-19.  MSP for  Paddy
Earth System Science deals with the Earth system's five components—Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Cryosphere, Lithosphere, and Biosphere, and their complex interactions. The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) holistically addresses all the aspects relating the Earth System Science for providing weather, climate, ocean, coastal state, hydrological and seismological services. The services include forecasts, warnings and detection for various natural disasters like tropical cyclones, storm surge, floods, heatwaves, thunderstorm and lightning and earthquakes etc. MoES is also mandated to conduct ocean survey and exploration for living and non-living resources and explore all the three poles (Arctic, Antarctic and Himalayas). The services provided by MoES are effectively used by various agencies and state governments for saving human lives and minimising damages due to natural disasters. The  significant milestones accomplished in 2020 , under the five major schemes are highlighted below: Atmo