GS-1 Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
GS-2 India and its Neighborhood- Relations.
GS-3 Challenges to Internal Security through Communication Networks, Role of Media and Social Networking Sites in Internal Security Challenges, Basics of Cyber Security; Money-Laundering and its prevention.
GS-4 Emotional Intelligence-Concepts, and their Utilities and Application in Administration and Governance.
HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?
Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.
A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.
You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.
Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.
Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.
If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 11th October is uploaded on 11th October then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis
If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th October is uploaded on 13th October, then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.
We encourage you to write answers on the same day. However, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor like @Staff so that the mentor is notified about your answer.
*In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*.
They say, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. For UPSC aspirants, there is a small tweak. When your preparation gets tough we’ll be there for you.
How Successful has Civilsdaily been in Mentoring Aspirants?
In UPSC 2020, Civilsdaily helped 80+ students secure ranks in their exams. In the top 100, every 3rd ranker was a Civilsdaily student. To know how all of them cleared the exam with our mentorship, visit the UnherdPodcast.
Now that results are announced for UPSC 2021 Prelims, out of 15 out of 25 students of Santhosh Gupta sir have been recommended to Mains. One such student, Rahul expresses his gratitude and extends his appreciation —
Most of our Mentors like Sudhanshu sir, Sajal sir, Santhosh sir, Pravin sir, Parth Verma sir and Sukanya Ma’am were UPSC aspirants themselves and have attended UPSC Mains more than five times and UPSC Interview more than twice. Hence their mentorship is always a blend of the best test series, comprehensive notes and current affairs knowledge.
All of them dedicate their time weekly to give 1-on-1 mentorship to every student where they discuss last week’s performance and next week’s approach.
Remember there is always light at the end of the tunnel and if you want to get out of the tunnel you have to follow the direction of the light! Our mentors’ give you direction which is divided into daily modules. All you have to do is study and complete them on time.
As every year passes by, we don’t get confident by the previous years’ performance and become laidback. Instead, we become more hungry to convert all our students into toppers.
Why Do You Require Mentorship?
Preparing for the UPSC exam is a race against time. You have to complete an answer within 8 minutes, complete Prelims mock test within 2 hours and most importantly complete the syllabus in a span of 8 months. The syllabus is so vast that most students feel overwhelmed within just a few weeks of starting their preparation.
We confirmed this last month, in our Samanvaya Mentorship program by counselling over 3500 students. The 2 biggest problems students said they face while preparing for this exam are:
Syllabus Management
Time Management
As an aspirant, you can either spend a lot of time and effort trying to figure out how to cope with your syllabus and manage time or you can simply speak with our mentors and get the right study plan and timetable custom-made for you!
Every aspirant needs a different strategy than the other. One might be struggling in prelims, other in mains. One might find history a piece of cake and geography a tough nut to crack and for the other it will be vice-versa. For an aspirant preparing full-time, they might get demotivated on a regular basis as they have no Plan B to fall back on. A working professional might be too exhausted to study by the end of the day. There is no one-size fits all solution.
That’s why you need to register for Samanvaya free 1-on-1 counselling session to understand what study plan and study materials work best for you! Samanvaya 1-on-1 Free mentorship will help you stick to one approach of studying rather than switching plans through trial and error.
Still you want a general idea how to manage time and your syllabus? Here’s what you can do!
Syllabus Management—
Go through the entire syllabus thoroughly.
Mark the topics you feel comfortable with and those you aren’t familiar with.
Break down the syllabus into small parts and prioritize them in order.
Gather the relevant study material for the syllabus and start studying them in order.
Figure out where you need guidance – Is it with the subject matter? Do you need help with organizing your syllabus? Or you just aren’t sure how to begin?
. Time Management—
Prioritize your study material
Complete the easier topics first.
Allocate at least one hour to answer-writing
Allocate at least one hour to MCQ practice
Make notes on Current Affairs while reading the newspaper
Allocate at least 2 hours for your optional.
A Popular Time Management Technique—
The Pomodoro Technique is followed by toppers like Srusti Jayant Deshmukh (UPSC 2019 AIR 5), Manoj Madhav S (UPSC 2019 AIR 105) and Namita Sharma (UPSC 2018, AIR 108)
Developed by consultant Francesco Cirillo, the Pomodoro Technique is a time management tool that breaks work into 25-minute sessions to help you stay focused and get more done.
Step 1
Choose a task
Step 2
Set a timer for 25 minutes
Step 3
Work on the task until the timer goes off
Step 4
Once the timer goes off. Check off the item on a piece of paper
Step 5
Take a short break
Step 6
Every four Pomodoros, take a longer break
How is Samanvaya 1-on-1 Guidance Program Structured?
Our guidance program is designed as solutions to your challenges. We speak with students personally and understand their concerns on a one-on-one basis. Our mentors spend time understanding the individual requirements of our students and teach students how to break down the syllabus and create a plan they can stick to. Our mentors don’t advise you with run of the mill stories, they help in scripting your story!
We will discuss the important ways in which you can crack this exam through the following methods:
Personalized study plan – Make a list of the tasks that you need to accomplish that day, and note in upcoming meetings or deadlines as you become aware of them. As you complete your list, make sure to tick off the tasks you have completed.
3. Tracking your progress – The key to time management success is to know your deadlines and set reminders. We suggest setting a reminder 15 minutes before a meeting or event so you can prepare and gather your things.
4. Investing in topics with good ROI – First and foremost, turn off your email notification. Set 30-minute blocks to check your email every couple hours instead of checking it every 15 minutes. Make sure you minimize non-work distractions such as your cell phone, social media, or your favorite online store.
5. Focusing on smart study – On your daily list of things to do, pen in how much time you think each task will take you. If you don’t finish, stop when the time you allotted ends, and come back to it later. Sometimes moving on to different responsibilities and then coming back gives your mind a fresh start and a new perspective.
So, get all your UPSC demands addressed by a seasoned mentor, get one point source study materials, have regular engagement via calls and WhatsApp, adapt to course-correction strategies and follow a syllabus completion-cum-revision plan every month.
Several parts in Chennai and its suburban areas reported waterlogging after heavy rains lashed the city.
The showers have now been marked as the heaviest downpour since 2015.
In fact, there has been an increasing trend of urban flood disasters in India over the past several years whereby major cities in India have been severely affected.
The increasing trend of urban flooding is a universal phenomenon and poses a great challenge to urban planners the world over.
What are Urban Floods?
Urban floods stem from a combination of various meteorological and hydrological extremes, such as extreme precipitation and flows in short spans of time.
Thus, flooding in urban areas is caused by intense and/or prolonged rainfall, which overwhelms the capacity of the drainage system.
It increases the flood peaks from 1.8 to 8 times and flood volumes by up to 6 times. Consequently, flooding occurs very quickly due to faster flow times.
Features of Urban Floods
Faster Flow times: Consequently, flooding occurs very quickly due to faster flow times, sometimes in a matter of minutes.
Catchment destruction: Urban flooding is significantly different from rural flooding as urbanization leads to developed catchments which are the most vulnerable areas.
Various causes
[A] Natural
Meteorological Factors: Heavy rainfall, cyclonic storms and thunderstorms causes water to flow quickly through paved urban areas and impound in low lying areas.
Hydrological Factors: Overbank flow channel networks, occurrence of high tides impeding the drainage in coastal cities.
Climate Change: Climate change due to various anthropogenic events has led to extreme weather events.
[B] Anthropological
Population densities: Population density and proximity to urban centres significantly alter the dynamics and complexity when it comes to urban flooding.
Unplanned Urbanization: This is the key cause of urban flooding. A major concern is blocking of natural drainage pathways through construction activity and encroachment on catchment areas, riverbeds and lakebeds.
Encroachment: Ideally, the natural drains should have been widened to accommodate the higher flows of stormwater. But on the contrary, there have been large scale encroachments. Habitations started growing over them.
Drainage System: Stormwater drainage systems in the past were designed for rainfall intensity of 12 – 20 mm. These capacities have been getting very easily overwhelmed whenever rainfall of higher intensity has been experienced.
Destruction of lakes: Lakes can store the excess water and regulate the flow of water. However, pollution of natural urban water bodies and converting them for development purposes has increased risk of floods.
Unauthorised colonies and excess construction: Reduced infiltration due paving of surfaces which decreases ground absorption and increases the speed and amount of surface flow.
Poor Solid Waste Management System: Improper waste management system and clogging of storm-water drains because of silting, accumulation of non-biodegradable wastes and construction debris.
Irresponsible steps: Lack of attention to natural hydrological system and lack of flood control measures.
Impact of Urban floods
Problems associated with urban floods range from relatively localized incidents to major incidents, resulting in cities being inundated from hours to several days.
Loss of life: Urban areas are densely populated and people living in vulnerable areas suffer due to flooding, sometimes resulting in loss of life.
Loss of property: Major cities in India have witnessed loss of life and property, disruption in transport and power.
Infrastructure damage: In most of the cities, damage to vital infrastructure has a bearing not only for the state and the country but it could even have global implications.
Health hazards: The secondary effect of exposure to infection also has its toll in terms of human suffering, loss of livelihood and, in extreme cases, loss of life.
Others: The impact can also be widespread, including temporary relocation of people, damage to civic amenities, deterioration of water quality and risk of epidemics.
Losses caused
[a] Tangible losses:The losses that can be measured physically and can be assigned an economic value. These losses can be direct or indirect
Direct – Structural damage to buildings, property damage, damage to infrastructure
Indirect – Economic losses, Traffic disruption, and emergency costs
[b] Intangible losses: Intangible losses include loss of life, secondary health effects, and infections or damages to the environment which are difficult to assess in monetary terms since they are not traded.
Direct – Casualties, health effects, ecological losses
Indirect – Post-flood recovery process, mental damage to the people
Who owes the responsibility?
Human determinism: The fact is that our cities have been built with little to no regard to the natural topography and severely lacks holistic action.
Weaker laws: We have in place the provisions of rainwater harvesting, sustainable urban drainage systems, etc, in regulatory mechanisms like the EIA, notification 2006.
Weaker implementation: Public bodies’ focus is largely on de-silting of storm water drains before monsoon and expansion of the over-burdened infrastructure, but at a crawling pace.
Lacunae in Urban Planning
No mapping of water bodies: The preliminary work of mapping and documentation of the surface water bodies even though mentioned in NDMA under the National Database for Mapping Attributes has not been undertaken.
Failed early-warning system: During floods of Uttarakhand in 2013, there were questions about the role of NDMA, where it failed to implement the early warning systems to inform people about the floods and landslides.
Response rather than mitigation: The importance of preparedness for the disaster situation like urban floods was realized by the government agencies only after the devastations during Chennai Floods in 2015 and Kerala Floods in 2018.
Responsiveness of Local bodies: Sufficient training, equipment, and facilities for immediate response and to tackle the disaster situation efficiently is not being carried out by the local governments. More onus of mitigation lies with NDMA/SDMA.
Misutilization of Funds: NDRF/SDRF constituted by the government to deal with the disasters, were used for expenses that were not sanctioned for disaster management. There were cases of financial indiscipline in state management of funds.
Way forward
Climate variability assessment: As the incidence of climate variability and extreme weather events increases, it is inevitable that we look at the issue from a broad-based perspective.
Resilience building: Focus has to be on increasing the resilience of communities and adaptive capacity of our infrastructure.
Innovation: Water sensitive urban design and planning techniques — especially in the context of implementation — are of utmost importance. Ex. Sponge Cities.
Environmental determinism: Planning must take into consideration the topography, types of surfaces (pervious or impervious), natural drainage and leave very less impact on the environment.
Vulnerability Analysis: Vulnerability analyses and risk assessments should form part and parcel of city master plans.
Conclusion
Disabling spawning of squatter settlements in sensitive zones by providing adequate affordable housing will reduce number of persons vulnerable to changing climate.
All this means urban local bodies will continue to have a central role to play in cities’ battle with extreme weather events such as flooding and their overall resilience.
” I know my purpose in life is to use my skills to serve the nation and lead in its development. If not UPSC, I would have definitely found another way to do so. This is what made me study without any stress.”
Securing the first rank in CBSE at a national level and then going onto to crack the tough UPSC-CSE exams with an AIR 17 is not an easy feat. But Sarthak Agrawal has imagined and achieved both. He had left a prestigious position as a research economist at the World Bank as he wanted to serve his home country. It’s no surprise then that Sarthak comfortably achieved high scores in the otherwise unpredictable Economics Optional paper.
Key Takeaways of Sarthak Agarwal’s Webinar
1. Planning the day ahead. Is it better to be an early riser or a night owl?
2. Managing negative emotions of despair and stress.How did Sarthak study on days he felt low?
3. His sources for Economics Optional. And free handouts to everyone who registers!
4.Simplifying the UPSC preparation process. How did he manage to complete his studies within 8 months?
5. Should an aspirant join a study group and prepare? Sarthak Agrawal answers.
6. Know when to take the exam seriously and when to switch off. What practices Sarthak avoided completely which were popularly followed by other aspirants?
A major part of the session would be interactive and in Q&A format. This will surely benefit any aspirant who are in midway of their preparation.
Webinar Details
Register for this free webinar by IAS officer Sarthak Agarwal and get his economy notes from us!
” I know my purpose in life is to use my skills to serve the nation and lead in its development. If not UPSC, I would have definitely found another way to do so. This is what made me study without any stress.”
Securing the first rank in CBSE at a national level and then going onto to crack the tough UPSC-CSE exams with an AIR 17 is not an easy feat. But Sarthak Agrawal has imagined and achieved both. He had left a prestigious position as a research economist at the World Bank as he wanted to serve his home country. It’s no surprise then that Sarthak comfortably achieved high scores in the otherwise unpredictable Economics Optional paper.
Key Takeaways of Sarthak Agarwal’s Webinar
1. Planning the day ahead. Is it better to be an early riser or a night owl?
2. Managing negative emotions of despair and stress.How did Sarthak study on days he felt low?
3. His sources for Economics Optional. And free handouts to everyone who registers!
4.Simplifying the UPSC preparation process. How did he manage to complete his studies within 8 months?
5. Should an aspirant join a study group and prepare? Sarthak Agrawal answers.
6. Know when to take the exam seriously and when to switch off. What practices Sarthak avoided completely which were popularly followed by other aspirants?
A major part of the session would be interactive and in Q&A format. This will surely benefit any aspirant who are in midway of their preparation.
Webinar Details
Register for this free webinar by IAS officer Sarthak Agarwal and get his economy notes from us!
” I know my purpose in life is to use my skills to serve the nation and lead in its development. If not UPSC, I would have definitely found another way to do so. This is what made me study without any stress.”
Securing the first rank in CBSE at a national level and then going onto to crack the tough UPSC-CSE exams with an AIR 17 is not an easy feat. But Sarthak Agrawal has imagined and achieved both. He had left a prestigious position as a research economist at the World Bank as he wanted to serve his home country. It’s no surprise then that Sarthak comfortably achieved high scores in the otherwise unpredictable Economics Optional paper.
Key Takeaways of Sarthak Agarwal’s Webinar
1. Planning the day ahead. Is it better to be an early riser or a night owl?
2. Managing negative emotions of despair and stress.How did Sarthak study on days he felt low?
3. His sources for Economics Optional. And free handouts to everyone who registers!
4.Simplifying the UPSC preparation process. How did he manage to complete his studies within 8 months?
5. Should an aspirant join a study group and prepare? Sarthak Agrawal answers.
6. Know when to take the exam seriously and when to switch off. What practices Sarthak avoided completely which were popularly followed by other aspirants?
A major part of the session would be interactive and in Q&A format. This will surely benefit any aspirant who are in midway of their preparation.
Webinar Details
Register for this free webinar by IAS officer Sarthak Agarwal and get his economy notes from us!
” I know my purpose in life is to use my skills to serve the nation and lead in its development. If not UPSC, I would have definitely found another way to do so. This is what made me study without any stress.”
Securing the first rank in CBSE at a national level and then going onto to crack the tough UPSC-CSE exams with an AIR 17 is not an easy feat. But Sarthak Agrawal has imagined and achieved both. He had left a prestigious position as a research economist at the World Bank as he wanted to serve his home country. It’s no surprise then that Sarthak comfortably achieved high scores in the otherwise unpredictable Economics Optional paper.
Key Takeaways of Sarthak Agarwal’s Webinar
1. Planning the day ahead. Is it better to be an early riser or a night owl?
2. Managing negative emotions of despair and stress.How did Sarthak study on days he felt low?
3. His sources for Economics Optional. And free handouts to everyone who registers!
4.Simplifying the UPSC preparation process. How did he manage to complete his studies within 8 months?
5. Should an aspirant join a study group and prepare? Sarthak Agrawal answers.
6. Know when to take the exam seriously and when to switch off. What practices Sarthak avoided completely which were popularly followed by other aspirants?
A major part of the session would be interactive and in Q&A format. This will surely benefit any aspirant who are in midway of their preparation.
Webinar Details
Register for this free webinar by IAS officer Sarthak Agarwal and get his economy notes from us!
You can also reach us to know more, call us at:- 8882914738
A quick bit about Santosh Gupta:-
Santosh sir has scored above 140 twice in UPSC prelims and 120 plus in all 6 attempts. He has written all 6 mains and has appeared for Interviews 3 times. He has qualified UPSC EPFO and BPSC 56-59th also.
He is Prelims coordinator at Civilsdaily and also course coordinator for ongoing Smash Prelims program for UPSC Prelims-2022.
He has been teaching and mentoring UPSC aspirants for the last 5 years with tremendous interest in environment, ecology, and polity.
” I know my purpose in life is to use my skills to serve the nation and lead in its development. If not UPSC, I would have definitely found another way to do so. This is what made me study without any stress.”
Securing the first rank in CBSE at a national level and then going onto to crack the tough UPSC-CSE exams with an AIR 17 is not an easy feat. But Sarthak Agrawal has imagined and achieved both. He had left a prestigious position as a research economist at the World Bank as he wanted to serve his home country. It’s no surprise then that Sarthak comfortably achieved high scores in the otherwise unpredictable Economics Optional paper.
Key Takeaways of Sarthak Agarwal’s Webinar
1. Planning the day ahead. Is it better to be an early riser or a night owl?
2. Managing negative emotions of despair and stress.How did Sarthak study on days he felt low?
3. His sources for Economics Optional. And free handouts to everyone who registers!
4.Simplifying the UPSC preparation process. How did he manage to complete his studies within 8 months?
5. Should an aspirant join a study group and prepare? Sarthak Agrawal answers.
6. Know when to take the exam seriously and when to switch off. What practices Sarthak avoided completely which were popularly followed by other aspirants?
A major part of the session would be interactive and in Q&A format. This will surely benefit any aspirant who are in midway of their preparation.
Webinar Details
Register for this free webinar by IAS officer Sarthak Agarwal and get his economy notes from us!
” I know my purpose in life is to use my skills to serve the nation and lead in its development. If not UPSC, I would have definitely found another way to do so. This is what made me study without any stress.”
Securing the first rank in CBSE at a national level and then going onto to crack the tough UPSC-CSE exams with an AIR 17 is not an easy feat. But Sarthak Agrawal has imagined and achieved both. He had left a prestigious position as a research economist at the World Bank as he wanted to serve his home country. It’s no surprise then that Sarthak comfortably achieved high scores in the otherwise unpredictable Economics Optional paper.
Key Takeaways of Sarthak Agarwal’s Webinar
1. Planning the day ahead. Is it better to be an early riser or a night owl?
2. Managing negative emotions of despair and stress.How did Sarthak study on days he felt low?
3. His sources for Economics Optional. And free handouts to everyone who registers!
4.Simplifying the UPSC preparation process. How did he manage to complete his studies within 8 months?
5. Should an aspirant join a study group and prepare? Sarthak Agrawal answers.
6. Know when to take the exam seriously and when to switch off. What practices Sarthak avoided completely which were popularly followed by other aspirants?
A major part of the session would be interactive and in Q&A format. This will surely benefit any aspirant who are in midway of their preparation.
Webinar Details
Register for this free webinar by IAS officer Sarthak Agarwal and get his economy notes from us!
