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Demolish UPSC series: 60+ Hours of Advanced Video Lectures

Demolish UPSC series

We are releasing 60+ Hours of Advanced Video Lectures on Static subjects – Polity, History, Geography, Economy

These cover the most important topics from prelims perspective

Basic knowledge will be helpful in understanding these though it’s not mandatory

CD remains committed to its students’ success. We are ready to go the extra mile to turn your dreams into reality. For students joining before the end of this month, you will get these lectures + Prelims test series for Rs. 6372 (Special 10% discounted TS price)

Link for buying test series + video lectures: Click2Join

For other students joining after June 30, the price would be Rs. 7000 + taxes for test series + video lectures

Here is the detailed schedule of lectures:

These lectures will be aligned to our CD Prime Prelims Test Series. You can view the schedule of test series here: Click2View

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19 June 2018 | High Relevance vs Low Relevance News , Govt. Posters for easy recall

Reading News for UPSC is utmost important and rising number of questions year on year in UPSC Prelims is a testimony of this

We are starting a daily series where we will analyze news covered in The Hindu, Indian Express and other newspapers which are important from exam perspective and which are not

Important news would have been covered in our daily news coverage in form of newscards.

Unimportant ones will be mentioned here and a short description regarding why it is not relevant for the exam

Click on news headlines to read the full news

High relevance news

In a first, WHO recommends quadrivalent influenza vaccine

In a first, WHO recommends quadrivalent influenza vaccine

Read about types of influenza and need for a quadrivalent vaccine.

A static science topic combined with CA makes this a potential source of Prelims question

Aadhaar virtual IDs becoming a real problem for NBFCs

Aadhaar virtual IDs becoming a real problem for NBFCs

Note all details about Aadhar Virtual IDs and problems being faced in its use.

Some of them can also be quoted in Mains answers.

Govt. teams up with Google for flood warning

Govt. teams up with Google for flood warning

Note departments concerned with flood warnings and information dissemination.

Also, read about Artificial intelligence and machine learning which have a high probability of appearing in mains

Indian plant seed could bring clean water to millions 

Indian plant seed could bring clean water to millions

Plant species in news have been appearing in Prelims year after year. Very very important.

Low Relevance News

Road map laid for India-U.S. meet

Indian and U.S. experts began three-day consultations to find meeting points in bilateral relations in preparation for the first-ever 2+2 dialogue

COMCASA and BECA are the two foundational agreements that India is yet to sign and these will be discussed in the meeting.

Nothing important from exam perspective as such agreements have been hitherto asked in the exam

Arab group wants India on board in Yemen

The Arab coalition which is fighting to secure the strategic Yemeni port of Hodeidah will be reaching out to India for its support

Note down Hodeidah. Nothing else is important for the exam.

Govt. Posters for easy recall

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Burning Issues- Unprecedented Pre Monsoon Storms

Image result for dust storm india causes

UNPRECEDENTED PRE-MONSOON STORMS IN INDIA

How can we say that the pre-monsoon season in 2018 has witnessed unprecedented storm activity?

  1. Since February this year India has experienced 44 storms all over the country (16 States)
  2. The wind speed, many times, exceeded 130 km per hour (when the threshold speed for storms is 90-100 km per hour).
  3. Even though storms are common for North and north western region of India occurring in the months of April to June, but they are generally accompanied with little or no rain. But this time it was heavy rain, hails and strong winds which increased the intensity and impact of the storm
  4. The severe impact of this storm on the lives, livelihood, livestock of the people has made it unprecedented

What was the impact of this surge in storms?

  1. The storms caused massive damage to the property – around 5000 houses collapsed
  2. Massive loss of life – More than 400 deaths and over 700 injured
  3. The dust storm affected people’s livelihood besides killing their livestock and destroying their crops
  4. There is lack of basic infrastructure – water and electricity – as the electric poles are uprooted due to storms and people cannot use the water pumps in the absence of electricity

Reasons behind the phenomena

Unusually hot conditions

  • Temperatures of over 40 degree Celsius have been observed in northwest, central and east and north peninsular India. Maximum temperature was upto 8 degrees celsius above normal. This led to an intense heat wave.
  • Interaction of hot air near the surface with colder winds from the western disturbances gave rise to intense and widespread storms
  • For example, in Rajasthan, one of the worst affected states 46 degree Celsius temperatures were recorded and  a record-breaking 50 degree Celsius was recorded in neighboring Pakistan

Western Disturbances (WD)

  • These are extra tropical or temperate cyclones originating in the Mediterranean region that brings sudden winter rain to the northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent
  • While the western disturbances normally peak between December and February, a greater number of active WD have been observed in spring and summer months
  • Instead of the normal 2-3 active WD seen during the month of April and May, over the past month and a half at least 10 separate active WDs have been observed.
  • WDs carry high-velocity winds that agitate the atmosphere and aggravate storm conditions

Cyclonic circulations

  • Swirling motion of the winds caused due to low-pressure area is called cyclonic circulations
  • In the build-up of the massive storms at the beginning of May, five separate cyclonic circulations were observed across the country

Troughs

  • A trough is an extended area of low pressure.
  • This is where moisture laden winds from the Bay of Bengal met hot and dry air from central and western India. These winds also came in contact with the cold front that develops due to active WDs.
  • The confluence of these different winds culminated in intense and widespread storms across the Indo-Gangetic plain.
  • Similarly, a North-South trough was formed from Bihar to Northern Tamil Nadu along which stormy weather was observed in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and some parts of Karnataka

Easterly winds

  • Easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal carry moisture and is associated with pre-monsoon thunderstorms in the eastern coast. But this usually happens in the winter months. This year, the easterlies have continued well into May and have interacted with the WDs owing to the east-west trough. This fuelled intense activity over large parts in south india.

Anomalies at sea surface

  • The anomalies in sea surface temperatures (i.e 1-2 degree warmer waters) over the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian sea have spurred greater moisture transfer than usual by the easterly and westerly winds (respectively) causing the spate of storms.

Why are these storms climatologically atypical?

  1. While the timing of the storms was as expected, their extent and intensity surprised many a scientist (explained above)
  2. Unusually hot weather conditions ushering in heat waves across north, northwest and central India (explained above)
  3. An unexpected activity of Western disturbances (explained above)        
  4. The surprising behavior of Easterly winds (explained above)   
  5. The anomalies in the sea surface temperatures over Bay of Bengal (explained above)

Why were the forecasts by IMD inaccurate?

Outdated forecasting models

  • India uses the (obsolete) NowCast model.
  • Switch to the contemporary ‘Unified Model’ is hamstrung by lack of data.

Inadequate Doppler radars

  • IMD has installed only 25 doppler radars so far across the country
  • These cover only 12.5% of India’s land area.

Poor maintenance and upkeep of instruments.

  • Some of the Doppler radars were not functioning when the storms hit.

The differences in the nature of the storms over the Indian region made the predictions difficult

  • Unlike the climatic-scale storms seen in the Middle-East, the recent storms in India had weaker vertical torque but strong horizontal torque.

Way ahead for India

  • Many initiatives have been taken by countries who face similar challenges to control the effects of a dust storm. India needs to learn from their experiments.
  • Example- The great green wall that has been developed by China along the Mongolian drylands, this massive corridor of vegetation purportedly acts as a windbreak for intense sandstorms emanating from the north and reduces the transport of dust further south thereby limiting the possibility of desertification
  • Besides learning from the interventions of other countries the most important step for India is to develop its weather forecasting and monitoring infrastructure
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18 June 2018 | High Relevance vs Low Relevance News , Govt. Posters for easy recall

Reading News for UPSC is utmost important and rising number of questions year on year in UPSC Prelims is a testimony of this

We are starting a daily series where we will analyze news covered in The Hindu, Indian Express and other newspapers which are important from exam perspective and which are not

Important news would have been covered in our daily news coverage in form of newscards.

Unimportant ones will be mentioned here and a short description regarding why it is not relevant for the exam

Click on news headlines to read the full news

High relevance news

[op-ed snap] Countering China in the Indo-Pacific

[op-ed snap] Countering China in the Indo-Pacific

The op-ed not only lists various important naval exercises and ports but also highlights the ways in which India can use partnerships with the USA, Japan & Australia to its advantage. A must-read for both Pre as well  as Mains

[op-ed snap] Parched or polluted: on India’s water crisis

[op-ed snap] Parched or polluted: on India’s water crisis

Niti Aayog’s Composite Water Management Index has highlighted the serious condition of water resources in India. Immediate measures that can be taken are mentioned in the op-ed and can be quoted in Mains answers based on this issue.

India’s proposed Assumption Island deal stands cancelled

India’s proposed Assumption Island deal stands cancelled

Note on maps position of Assumption island and all nearby places. UPSC has turned back to places in news approach from 2018 Prelims. Also, remember about SAGAR program & IORA

Low Relevance News

Centre accused of ‘illegally’ denying details on RTI Act

An activist has accused the government of “illegally” withholding information about amendments proposed to the Right to Information Act, 2005

Not much relevant for exam apart from the following:

Important detail: Section 8(i)(i) of the RTI Act, 2005 exempts the government from giving information about Cabinet papers, including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers

PM renews call for debate on simultaneous polls

PM Modi has again called for widespread consultation on simultaneous elections in the country during the fourth governing council meeting of the NITI Aayog

The topic has appeared in UPSC Mains in 2017 and has bleak chances of appearing again. Also, no important details from UPSC perspective

Govt. Posters for easy recall

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16 June 2018 | High Relevance vs Low Relevance News , Govt. Posters for easy recall

Reading News for UPSC is utmost important and rising number of questions year on year in UPSC Prelims is a testimony of this

We are starting a daily series where we will analyze news covered in The Hindu, Indian Express and other newspapers which are important from exam perspective and which are not

Important news would have been covered in our daily news coverage in form of newscards.

Unimportant ones will be mentioned here and a short description regarding why it is not relevant for the exam

Click on news headlines to read the full news

High relevance news

Zero tillage good for cotton cultivation

Zero tillage good for cotton cultivation

Read about zero tillage and its advantages. Can be asked in Prelims as well as Mains.

Why is Telangana’s Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project important?

Why is Telangana’s Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project important?

The project has some unique features and is important for Andhra Pradesh’s drought prone areas. Read details of it as well as rivers associated.

Blue revolution a bane of Kolleru

Blue revolution a bane of Kolleru

Each year one or two wetlands make it to UPSC Prelims in one way or another. Note details about the lake and threats posed to its expanse.

The Vaishnav monks of Assam’s Majuli island

The Vaishnav monks of Assam’s Majuli island

News on Art & Culture are a rare sight but whenever they appear all details related to the art forms discussed should be noted. Here Sattriya dance form as well as majuli island is important.

Low Relevance News

Maharashtra lets refugees self-survey their properties

Maharashtra government has now allowed thousands of Sindhi and Punjabi refugees who migrated from Pakistan to carry out self-assessment and survey of their properties

Nothing important from UPSC pesrpective

Only important detail in news is The Displaced Persons (Compensation and Rehabilitation) Act, 1954 which governs colonies of refugees

Govt likely to penalise insurance companies for delaying payment under NHPS

The government has proposed to impose penalty on insurance companies for delay in payment to hospitals for settlement of claims under its ambitious Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS)

NHPS has been discussed in detail in previous news cards in detail. No important update in this news

Govt. Posters for easy recall

Posted on

15 June 2018 | High Relevance vs Low Relevance News , Govt. Posters for easy recall

Reading News for UPSC is utmost important and rising number of questions year on year in UPSC Prelims is a testimony of this

We are starting a daily series where we will analyze news covered in The Hindu, Indian Express and other newspapers which are important from exam perspective and which are not

Important news would have been covered in our daily news coverage in form of newscards.

Unimportant ones will be mentioned here and a short description regarding why it is not relevant for the exam

Click on news headlines to read the full news

High relevance news

20 States on board to implement Ayushman Bharat

20 States on board to implement Ayushman Bharat

Ayushman Bharat is an ambitious scheme for ensuring Universal health coverage. Note all pros and cons for this as there is a high probability of a question appearing in Mains on it

The rising risks to financing India’s current account deficit

The rising risks to financing India’s current account deficit

Newscard explains ill effects of rising CAD. Note reasons behind it and also reports and agencies mentioned in relation to it.

Reports have been a favorite area of UPSC in Prelims.

DRDO turns Pinaka rocket system into guided missile, developmental trials soon

DRDO turns Pinaka rocket system into guided missile, developmental trials soon

Very important for SciTech part for both Pre & Mains. Questions have been appearing on indigenous missile and other defense systems being developed

Low Relevance news

Digital India brought slew of services to the doorsteps of common man, says Modi

Digital India was launched with an aim to connect India’s villages and youth

No important line in news apart from this one.

Cess collected for construction workers too low for their welfare

A PIL has been filed in SC saying that the cess collected from construction companies, which is meant to pay for such workers’ welfare, is abysmally low

Important point: According to the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Cess Act, 1996, a 1% cess is to be levied and collected on all types of construction activities, whether by government, PSUs or private players

Has very fewer chances of coming in the exam but now you don’t know what can so keep this point somewhere in mind!

Govt. Posters for easy recall