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In news: Kisan Rail Project
Punjab has assured Kerala Government to provide paddy straw for usage as fodder for livestock using the Kisan Rail Project.

Why such move?
- Kerala, being a land-stressed coastal state, does not generate enough roughage that can be used as fodder for cattle.
- It ranks second in milk production after Punjab.
- The move will help Punjab to deal with the excessive paddy straw which contributes to stubble burning.
About Kisan Rail Project
- In the Union Budget 2020-21 an announcement was made by the Union Finance Minister regarding the launch of Kisan Rail.
- The idea behind running Kisan Rail services is to move perishables including fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fishery and dairy products from production or surplus regions to consumption or deficient regions.
- The speedy rail movement would thus ensure minimum damage during transit.
How can farmers transport their produce?
- The farmers have to approach the Chief Parcel Supervisor of the Railway Stations from where the Kisan Rail service is scheduled to originate or to have enroute stoppage, along with their consignment.
- Due care is taken to ensure that the packing condition is not faulty.
- The consignment is weighed and charges are levied as per the prescribed parcel rates (P-scale).
Salient features
- 50 percent subsidy is given in freight for transportation of fruits and vegetables.
- The subsidy is being borne by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries under their Operation Greens – TOP to Total scheme.
- There is no minimum limit on quantity that can be booked, enabling small famers to reach bigger and distant markets.
- Kisan Rails are based on the concept of multi commodity, multi consignor, multi consignee and multi stoppages – to help small farmers with lesser produce to transport their consignment without any middleman.
Need for such scheme
- Farmers, especially small and marginal farmers, often find it difficult to sell their produce in markets beyond a certain distance.
- This is primarily due to factors such as non-availability of affordable transport, delay in transit resulting in damage/decay to produce, and unwillingness of road transporters to carry small sized consignments.
Benefits provided
- Access to markets: Vast network of Indian Railways enables farmers from remote villages to connect to the mainstream market and sell their agricultural produce.
- Helps prevent food wastage: It saves times and encourages farmers to transport their perishables to greater distances and bigger markets.
- Getting better deal for farmers: Kisan Rail is a factor enabling improvement in terms of trade for farmers and the real returns received by farmers for their produce.
- Doubling farmers’ income: Access to such markets will enable farmers to sell their produce at a better price, which will go a long way in fulfilling Government’s vision of ‘doubling farmers’ income.’
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November 12, 2022
Back in news: Supreme Court Collegium
The Supreme Court has lambasted the Centre for withholding names recommended or reiterated by the collegium for judicial appointments, even saying that the government is using silence and inaction as “some sort of a device” to force worthy candidates and prominent lawyers to withdraw their consent.

Why in news?
- The Union Law Minister since few months has launched a relentless attack on the collegium system for lack of transparency.
What exactly is the Collegium System?
- The collegium system was born out of years of friction between the judiciary and the executive.
- The hostility was further accentuated by instances of court-packing (the practice of changing the composition of judges in a court), mass transfer of HC judges and two supersessions to the office of the CJI in the 1970s.
- The Three Judges cases saw the evolution of the collegium system.
Evolution: The Judges Cases
- First Judges Case (1981) ruled that the “consultation” with the CJI in the matter of appointments must be full and effective.
- However, it rejected the idea that the CJI’s opinion, albeit carrying great weight, should have primacy.
- Second Judges Case (1993) introduced the Collegium system, holding that “consultation” really meant “concurrence”.
- It added that it was not the CJI’s individual opinion, but an institutional opinion formed in consultation with the two senior-most judges in the Supreme Court.
- Third Judges Case (1998): On a Presidential Reference for its opinion, the Supreme Court, in the Third Judges Case (1998) expanded the Collegium to a five-member body, comprising the CJI and four of his senior-most colleagues.
How does the collegium system work?
- The collegium of the CJI and four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court make recommendations for appointments to the apex court and High Courts.
- The collegium can veto the government if the names are sent back by the latter for reconsideration.
- The basic tenet behind the collegium system is that the judiciary should have primacy over the government in matters of appointments and transfers in order to remain independent.
The procedure followed by the Collegium

Appointment of CJI
- The President of India appoints the CJI and the other SC judges.
- As far as the CJI is concerned, the outgoing CJI recommends his successor.
- In practice, it has been strictly by seniority ever since the supersession controversy of the 1970s.
- The Union Law Minister forwards the recommendation to the PM who, in turn, advises the President.
Other SC Judges
- For other judges of the top court, the proposal is initiated by the CJI.
- The CJI consults the rest of the Collegium members, as well as the senior-most judge of the court hailing from the High Court to which the recommended person belongs.
- The consultees must record their opinions in writing and it should form part of the file.
- The Collegium sends the recommendation to the Law Minister, who forwards it to the Prime Minister to advise the President.
For High Courts
- The CJs of High Courts are appointed as per the policy of having Chief Justices from outside the respective States. The Collegium takes the call on the elevation.
- High Court judges are recommended by a Collegium comprising the CJI and two senior-most judges.
- The proposal, however, is initiated by the Chief Justice of the High Court concerned in consultation with two senior-most colleagues.
- The recommendation is sent to the Chief Minister, who advises the Governor to send the proposal to the Union Law Minister.
Does the Collegium recommend transfers too?
- Yes, the Collegium also recommends the transfer of Chief Justices and other judges.
- Article 222 of the Constitution provides for the transfer of a judge from one High Court to another.
- When a CJ is transferred, a replacement must also be simultaneously found for the High Court concerned. There can be an acting CJ in a High Court for not more than a month.
- In matters of transfers, the opinion of the CJI “is determinative”, and the consent of the judge concerned is not required.
- However, the CJI should take into account the views of the CJ of the High Court concerned and the views of one or more SC judges who are in a position to do so.
- All transfers must be made in the public interest, that is, “for the betterment of the administration of justice”.
Loopholes in the Collegium system
- Lack of Transparency: Opaqueness and a lack of transparency, and the scope for nepotism are cited often.
- Judges appointing Judge: The attempt made to replace it with a ‘National Judicial Appointments Commission was struck down by the court in 2015 on the ground that it posed a threat to the independence of the judiciary.
- Criteria: Some do not believe in full disclosure of reasons for transfers, as it may make lawyers in the destination court chary of the transferred judge. It has even been accused of nepotism.
Way ahead
- In respect of appointments, there has been an acknowledgment that the “zone of consideration” must be expanded to avoid criticism that many appointees hail from families of retired judges.
- The status of a proposed new memorandum of procedure, to infuse greater accountability, is also unclear.
- Even the majority of opinions admitted the need for transparency, now Collegiums’ resolutions are now posted online, but reasons are not given.
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November 12, 2022
SC orders release of all convicts in Ex-PM Assassin Case
The Supreme Court has ordered for the immediate release of six convicts who are serving life sentence for more than three decades in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

What is the news?
- The Bench referred to the case of their former co-convict G. Perarivalan, who was granted premature release by the apex court this year in exercise of its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution.
What does Pardon mean?
- A pardon is a government/executive decision to allow a person to be absolved of guilt for an alleged crime or other legal offense as if the act never occurred.
Why need a Pardon?
- Pardons can be granted when individuals are deemed to have demonstrated that they have “paid their debt to society”, or are otherwise considered to be deserving of them.
- Pardons are sometimes offered to persons who were either wrongfully convicted or who claim that they were wrongfully convicted.
- Pardons are sometimes seen as a mechanism for combating corruption, allowing a particular authority to circumvent a flawed judicial process to free someone that is seen as wrongly convicted.
What does Article 161 say?
- Article 161 of the Constitution provides the Governor with the power to remit or commute the sentence of any prisoner.
- The Governor’s decision will be subject to judicial review by the constitutional courts.
- The advice of the State Cabinet is binding on the Governor in matters relating to commutation/remission of sentences under Article 161.
Why did the Supreme Court intervene here?
- In its judgment in the Perarivalan case in May, the apex court had held that the State Cabinet’s advice was binding on the Governor under Article 161 (Governor’s power of clemency) of the Constitution.
- The Governor had no business forwarding the pardon pleas to the President after sitting on it for years together.
Back2Basics: Article 142
- Article 142 provides discretionary power to the Supreme Court.
- It states that the court in the exercise of its jurisdiction may pass such decree or make such order as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it.
- Such decree shall be enforceable throughout the territory of India in such manner as may be prescribed by or under any law made by Parliament.
- It is usually used in cases involving human rights and environmental protection.
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November 12, 2022
US removes India from its Currency Monitoring List
The United States’ Department of Treasury has removed India from its Currency Monitoring List. India had been on the list for the last two years for alleged manipulation of Rupee.

What is Currency Manipulation?
- Currency manipulation refers to actions taken by governments to change the value of their currencies relative to other currencies in order to bring about some desirable objective.
- It is a designation applied by the US Department of the Treasury, to countries that engage in what is called “unfair currency practices” that give them a trade advantage.
- The typical claim – often doubtful – is that countries manipulate their currencies in order to make their exports effectively cheaper on the world market and in turn make imports more expensive.
Why do countries manipulate their currencies?
- In general, countries prefer their currency to be weak because it makes them more competitive on the international trade front.
- A lower currency makes a country’s exports more attractive because they are cheaper on the international market.
- For example, a weak Rupee makes Indian exports less expensive for offshore buyers.
- Secondly, by boosting exports, a country can use a lower currency to shrink its trade deficit.
- Finally, a weaker currency alleviates pressure on a country’s sovereign debt obligations.
- After issuing offshore debt, a country will make payments, and as these payments are denominated in the offshore currency, a weak local currency effectively decreases these debt payments.
US treasury’s criteria for currency monitoring

To be labelled a manipulator by the U.S. Treasury:
- Countries must at least have a $20 billion-plus bilateral trade surplus with the US
- foreign currency intervention exceeding 2% of GDP and a global current account surplus exceeding 2% of GDP
Which are the countries under this list?
- China, Japan, Korea, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan are the seven economies that are a part of the current Currency Monitoring List.
- China’s failure to publish foreign exchange intervention and broader lack of transparency around key features of its exchange rate mechanism.
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November 12, 2022
Species in news: Himalayan Gray Langur
Differences in altitude make a primate species in the same Himalayan habitat choose between flowers and fruits as food options beyond their staple menu of leaves, a new study has revealed.

Himalayan Gray Langur
- The Himalayan (Kashmir) Gray Langur or the Chamba Sacred Langur (Semnopithecus ajax) is a colobine, meaning leaf-eating monkey.
- It is considered an endangered species in IUCN red list.
- According to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the langur is a protected species under Schedule II.
- Globally, its population is estimated to be less than 1,500 mature individuals in 15-20 groups.
Protection measures
- The Gray Langur was once considered a sub-species of the Semnopithecus entellus, commonly known as the Bengal Sacred Langur or Hanuman Langur, but it was separated as a species in 2005.
- Two protected habitats of the species namely Machiara National Park and Dachigam National Park are located in politically disturbed areas.
- Machiara National park is in Pak-Occupied Kashmir where there is very little scope for scientific inputs.
Try this PYQ:

Q.Which one of the following groups of animals belongs to the category of endangered species?

(a) Great Indian Bustard, Musk Deer, Red Panda, Asiatic Wild Ass

(b) Kashmir Stag, Cheetah, Blue Bull, Great Indian Bustard.

(c) Snow Leopard, Swamp Deer, Rhesus Monkey, Saras (Crane)

(d) Lion Tailed Macaque, Blue Bull, Hanuman Langur, Cheetah

Post your answers here.

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November 12, 2022
Who was Nadaprabhu Kempegowda?
PM unveiled a 108-feet tall bronze statue of ‘Nadaprabhu’ Kempegowda in Bengaluru, credited to be the city’s founder.

Who was Nadaprabhu Kempegowda?
- Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, a 16th century chieftain of the Vijayanagara empire, is credited as the founder of Bengaluru.
- It is said that he conceived the idea of a new city while hunting with his minister, and later marked its territory by erecting towers in four corners of the proposed city.
- Kempegowda is also known to have developed around 1,000 lakes in the city to cater to drinking and agricultural needs.
- He was from the dominant agricultural Vokkaliga community in south Karnataka.
Political motives behind
- Kempegowda is an iconic figure among Karnataka’s second most dominant Vokkaliga community after Lingayats.
- Political parties plan to woo the Vokkaliga community by honoring Kempegowda.
- The statue would be known as the ‘Statue of Prosperity’.
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November 12, 2022
11th Nov 2022 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

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November 11, 2022
10 steps to writing UPSC Mains answers like a topper. Comparative Analysis of toppers’ approach | Register for recorded session, PDF & Value-added notes
Register for recorded session. Day 2: 12th Nov, 5 pm (Saturday) | 10 steps to writing UPSC Mains Answers like a topper. Comparative analysis of toppers’ approach | Register for the LIVE session, PDF & Value-added notes

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If there is a book you must read to correct your faults, fill your loopholes, and strengthen your logic, it is nothing but your own writing. And for UPSC, your answer writing in mains will decide whether you sit on a DM/SP’s chair or not.

There is no need to become a writer to write a mark-leaving answer in UPSC mains.

Every year the aspirants who follow only 10 IMP steps, get a single-digit rank for themselves. Below are the Toppers mentored by Sukanya ma’am.

Acknowledging the need to ensure a holistic mains answer writing strategy, Sukanya ma’am is taking up a Mains Workshop to help you make a comparative analysis of toppers’ approach along with the top 10 steps/skills to write UPSC mains answers like a topper.

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Objectives of the special masterclass:
- How to understand the demand of a question fully and correctly before contemplating an answer for it.
- How toppers develop a basic mental framework of the answer before committing anything on the paper
- It is very difficult to write anything for the examiner. So, what is the best way to introduce as well as conclude your answer?
- How to focus on Questions’ directives and go ahead with a minimum but effective requirement.
- How to divide the main body of the answer into paragraphs or bullets as required.
- How long should your introduction and conclusion be?
- Where to and how to apply opinion-based answers!
- The correct approach to writing a fact-based answer
- How to maintain ‘accuracy’, ‘brevity’, and ‘Clarity’ in each and every answer
- How to do a comparative analysis of toppers’ approach. How do they create an on-demand answer and how do they follow the answer writing basic rules- ‘Brainstorming’, ‘Outlining’, ‘Idea/Argument placement, and ‘Structuring’
Do and don’t of UPSC to keep in mind while answering writing? The most common mistakes will also be discussed.

Details of the workshop

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November 11, 2022
11th Nov| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement
Topics for Today’s questions:

GS-1 Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.

GS-2 Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

GS-3 Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.

GS-4 Case Studies

Question 1)

Q.1 Regionalism in India is not a new topic of debate and is strengthening its roots slowly and steadily. In this context, differentiate between region and regionalism. Analyse the major issues that lead to the demand for regionalism in India and how it is a challenge for national integration? (15 Marks)

Question 2)

Q.2 Although the India-Russia relationship stands strained by the larger geopolitical realities which neither of them is in completely control of, there exists significant potential for cooperation between the two sides. Discuss. (15 Marks)

Question 3)

Q.3 Without substantially fostering rural India’s growth, the Indian growth story cannot be claimed to be inclusive. Highlighting the challenges in rural growth, suggest solutions for the same. (10 Marks)

Question 4)

Q.4 The farmer unions in one of the states has called for mass protest owing to large number of arrears/their dues not being paid by the private sugar factories for the last two years. On the day of mass protest, farmers turned up in huge numbers and at several places the protest turned violent. There were instances of stone pelting, vehicle burning etc. The police were not able to control the violent protesters at some places and had to resort to lathi charge. But at one of the places, police resorted to firing in which four farmers were killed. This further aggravated the situation as farmers at other places also resorted to violence to protest against police action. Looking at the intensity of the situation, under opposition pressure, one of the Minister of the state gave the statement that farmers did not die due to police firing but there were some anti-social elements amongst the protesters who fired in order to create unrest in the state. This statement of the Minister instead of calming the protesters further angered them as some eyewitness testified to news channels about the deaths being the result of police firing. All this further projected government in bad light and the police action has come under severe criticism by various sections of intelligentsia. The public sentiment has started to sway in favour of the protesting farmers. There is huge pressure on the government to diffuse the tension, address farmers’ grievances and take action against the police personnel involved in firing at the protesters since the protesters have started blocking all the major state highways which has crippled the day-to-day routine of the people of the state. Further, there is danger that the situation may get out of control anytime. Suppose you are the district magistrate where the incident has taken place: a) You have to address the press conference. What will be your statement to the media if it seeks clarification on whether people died in the police firing as stated by the state minister? b) What are the ethical issues involved in the case? c) What steps will you take to tackle the post-firing situation effectively? (20 Marks)

HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?
1. Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.
2. 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.
3. You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.
4. Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.
5. Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.
6. If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 11th February is uploaded on 11th February then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis
7. If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th February is uploaded on 13th February , then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.
8. 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*.
1. For the philosophy of AWE and payment:
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November 11, 2022
Vande Bharat: Modern trains need modern infrastructure
Context
- When the Prime Minister inaugurated the latest edition of the Vande Bharat train recently, India made a huge leap into the future of mass transportation. The new Vande Bharat Express trains or Vande Bharat 2.0 are expected to usher in an era of faster, safer and more comfortable rail travel for passengers.
All you need to know about Vande Bharat
- The Vande Bharat Express is a semi-high-speed, electric multiple unit train previously known as Train 18
- It is designed, built by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) under the Make in India Initiative
- Vande bharat running on 5 routes as of November 2022.
- The first Vande Bharat Express train was flagged off on February 15, 2019, on the New Delhi-Kanpur-Allahabad-Varanasi route.
- All the coaches are equipped with automatic doors, GPS-based audio-visual passenger information system, onboard hotspot Wi-Fi for entertainment purposes, and comfortable seats.
- Vande bharat running on 5 routes as of November 2022.
- Indian Railways hopes to roll out another 25 Vande Bharat train sets by the end of March 2023.
- Railways plans to roll out 75 Vande Bharat trains by Independence Day next year
What is Vande Bharat 2.0?
- The name may be the same, but this train, the third in the Vande Bharat series, is being dubbed ‘Vande Bharat 2.0’, because of certain upgrades it has received over its predecessors.
What are the notable upgrades and newly added features in 2.0?
- Faster and lighter than the previous: This train reaches a top speed of 160 km per hour in 129 seconds, around 16 seconds faster than its predecessor. This is because this train weighs around 392 tonnes, 38 tonnes lighter than the last one, and needs to run almost a km less to attain its top speed.
- Improved on Riding Index: It also has a better riding index (lower the better) of 3.26 at 180 km per hour, from the earlier 3.87. At a standard speed of 115 km per, its riding index is 3.26, better than 3.62 attained at the same speed by the earlier. In layman’s terms, Riding index is a global benchmark to calculate how comfortable and steady the passenger is while the train is in motion.
- Fitted with automatic anti-collision system “Kavach”: In terms of safety features, the new train comes fitted with the automatic anti-collision system Kavach, which the previous trains did not have.
- Improved on safety features: Coaches have disaster lights and their battery backup increased from the last one’s one-hour battery backup. The exterior has eight flatform-side cameras, up from four.
- Passenger communication facility: There is a passenger-guard communication facility in coaches, which comes with automatic voice recording feature.
- Making it flood resilient: The new trainset is higher, making it safe from floods up to 650 mm, up from 400 mm.
- Better quality streaming of audio-visual information with improved network: A centralised coach monitoring system, another new addition, through CCTV cameras, and the internal network supports data at 1 gigabyte per second, This means better quality streaming of audio-visual information.
- Air purification system: The internal air is filtered through photo catalytic ultra violet air purification system with UV lamp which deactivates 99 per cent of germs, the Railways claims something the earlier trainsets did not have.
- Onboard infotainment: It also has a wifi-enabled onboard infotainment system and the LCD display in each coach is now 32 inches, up from the 24-inch screen.
Challenges to the modern railway infrastructure
- Tracks are not in sync with the modern age trains: This new-age train slammed head-on into the “old-age” country on at least two occasions in its very first week. The train crashed into a herd of cows, damaging the aircraft-like nose of the driver coach car.
- Poor fencing along the tracks: The railways built a new-age train but forgot to construct fencing along the tracks to prevent bovine collisions.
- Issues with the battery charging units: Occasional Failure in the battery charging mechanism due to a fault in the charging cable as well as tripping of a circuit breaker needs to addressed.
- Technical glitches in the alerting software system: Failure to alert the technical glitches in the functioning of the system creating problems and adding up to malfunctioning.
Conclusion
- A senior railway official proudly detailed the “superior” features of the Vande Bharat train, which would provide passengers with an “aircraft-like travelling experience” albeit, even quieter than an aircraft, also testified by the Prime Minister But these superior features need superior and resilient infrastructure to achieve the target.
November 11, 2022

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