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120+ in UPSC Prelims: Know the Secret
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
Samanvaya – CD’s Handholding Program – Target Prelims 2019
22 June 2018 | High Relevance vs Low Relevance News , Govt. Posters for easy recall
21 June 2018 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions
[Prelims Spotlight] United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, Sustainable Development Goals, Parigraha
Burning Issues- United Nations Peacekeeping
21 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
U.S. pulls out of United Nations Human Rights Council
Time to read and make notes about UNHRC as the U.S. pulling out of it has brought it back into the spotlight
Also, read about impacts of America’s policies on India
[op-ed snap] The imperative to offer refuge
Rohingya crisis has been looming for a long time. The editorial discusses various international conventions and other possible measures to resolve refugee issues
A Mains question can be framed around it
[op-ed snap] Growth in the machine
Artificial Intelligence has been making the rounds in government domain now and serious discussions have started on its use
Editorial discusses its possible uses which can be quoted in Mains answers as well as essay topics related to technology and its uses
Dairy in Doldrums: Turning milk crisis into an international ‘gift’ opportunity
Dairy in Doldrums: Turning milk crisis into an international ‘gift’ opportunity
The article does a postmortem of recent agricultural protests and reasons that led to spilling of milk on roads
Read it in entirety to gain better knowledge about how the agri markets function and how global factors affect domestic production
Low Relevance News
Smart Cities Mission entered its fourth year and the Centre has finally announced the 100th and last city which will be part of the project: Shillong
No important update apart from this. Smart cities have been asked in Mains 2016 so very less chance of repetition
India, South Korea to align policies for southeast Asia
India and South Korea will align their policies for the region during the visit of South Korean President Moon Jae-in to India next month
Modi’s Act East policy and Moon’s New Southern policy will be aligned
Not very important until any big announcement is made after the planned visit
Govt. Poster for easy recall
[Prelims Spotlight] United Nations Human Rights Council, Sentinel – 5P
20 June 2018 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions
20 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
Rajya Sabha fault lines clear for Deputy Chairman poll
Elections for Vice chairman of Rajya Sabha are due next week. Since UPSC has asked a question related to the presidential election in Prelims this year, there is a probability that a direct or indirect question on this topic can be asked next year.
Along with news, go back to Laxmikant and read all details about Rajya Sabha and its functioning
India launches its first National Healthcare Facility Registry
India launches its first National Healthcare Facility Registry
Read about NHRR and National Health Profile. Less important for Prelims but has a high chance of appearing in GS Paper 2 in Mains.
How to make affordable housing more attractive
With launch of various welfare schemes for poor, their performance and lacunae also need to be noted.
The newscard discusses ways to help make PMAY more inclusive. All points are useful and can be used directly in Mains.
Low Relevance News
India, Maldives talks to end logjam
Proposed meeting between India & Maldives later this month to resolve various issues which are affecting bilateral relations.
Substantial points can only be taken from final statements after the meeting. Nothing important as of now.
India for rules-based world order: Ram Nath Kovind
President Ram Nath Kovind has said that India wants to be a rule framer in a multi-polar world
President Kovind’s speech highlighted the syncretic connections between the European and Indian traditions of art, politics and state formation
Nothing important from exam point of view.
Govt. Poster for easy recall
[Prelims Spotlight] INS Vikramaditya
19 June 2018 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions with Answers
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
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
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
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
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
[Prelims Spotlight] Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Influenza, International Labor Organization (ILO)
18 June 2018 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions
Burning Issues- Unprecedented Pre Monsoon Storms
UNPRECEDENTED PRE-MONSOON STORMS IN INDIA
How can we say that the pre-monsoon season in 2018 has witnessed unprecedented storm activity?
- Since February this year India has experienced 44 storms all over the country (16 States)
- The wind speed, many times, exceeded 130 km per hour (when the threshold speed for storms is 90-100 km per hour).
- 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
- 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?
- The storms caused massive damage to the property – around 5000 houses collapsed
- Massive loss of life – More than 400 deaths and over 700 injured
- The dust storm affected people’s livelihood besides killing their livestock and destroying their crops
- 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?
- While the timing of the storms was as expected, their extent and intensity surprised many a scientist (explained above)
- Unusually hot weather conditions ushering in heat waves across north, northwest and central India (explained above)
- An unexpected activity of Western disturbances (explained above)
- The surprising behavior of Easterly winds (explained above)
- 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
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
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
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
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
16 June 2018 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions with Answers
[Prelims Spotlight] SAGAR Programme (Security and Growth for All in the Region), Indian Medical Association, DigiShala
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
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
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
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
