Lakhs of devotees thronged the coastal town of Puri town to witness the annual Rath Yatra with three decorated chariots of sibling deities Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath and Devi Subhadra towed in front of the 12th century Shree Jagannath Temple.
About Jagannath Rath Yatra
Ratha Jatra, the Festival of Chariots of Lord Jagannatha is celebrated every year at Puri, the temple town in Orissa, on the east coast of India.
It involves a public procession with a chariot with deities Jagannath (Vishnu avatar), BalaBhadra (his brother), Subhadra (his sister) and Sudarshana Chakra (his weapon) on a ratha, a wooden deula-shaped chariot.
The huge, colourfully decorated chariots, are drawn by hundreds and thousands of devotees on the bada danda, the grand avenue to the Gundicha temple, some two miles away to the North.
It attracts over a million Hindu pilgrims who join the procession each year.
Back2Basics: Puri Temple Architecture
Jagannath Temple is a very big temple and covers an area of 37000m2. The height of the outer wall is 6.1m.
It is surrounded by a high fortified wall 6.1 m high is known as Meghanada Pacheri.
The main portion of the temple is also surrounded by a wall known as Kurma Bheda.
The temple is built in Rekha Deula style and has four distinct sectional structures, namely –
Deula, Vimana or Garba griha (Sanctum sanctorum) where the triad deities are lodged on the ratnavedi (Throne of Pearls)
Mukhashala (Frontal porch)
Nata mandir/Natamandapa, which is also known as the Jagamohan (Audience Hall/Dancing Hall), and
Bhoga Mandapa (Offerings Hall)
Try this question from CSP 2019:
Q.Building ‘Kalyaana Mandapas’ was a notable feature in the temple construction in the kingdom of-
👉And UPSC Mains Special 1-1 QnA Session with Sukanya Ma’am, Mains Head:- Details of strategy for the next 6 months…making schedules…how to plan Gs….making notes…how to write mains answer…basic structure.
We are bringing our ‘Hall of Fame’ toppers who have taken multiple attempts, faced failures, changed strategies, applied, and executed to perfection. To achieve this feat there is a lot of hard work, perseverance, and turmoil which goes behind the making of these toppers and achievers. Due to their accomplishments, these toppers are a goldmine of UPSC prep wisdom.
This is going to be a Mega session in which you will be talking 1-1 with these toppers. Asking them questions and doubts, getting them resolved. Moreover, these toppers will be sharing their notes, resources, and strategy with you.
CivilsDaily has also made a special Prelims Package for you aspirants. On registration, you will be getting access to the package.
Address: 1 LGF, Apsara Arcade, Pusa Rd, Near Gate No.7 Karol Bagh, Metro station, Karol Bagh, New Delhi| Call or Whatsapp: 888291473
About our Toppers
Yaksh Choudhary, AIR 06, UPSC 2021
Yaksh hails from Amroha, Uttar Pradesh and belongs to a family involved in agriculture. He is an IIT Guwahati alumnus and has been working as an assistant commandant in CRPF. This was Yaksh’s third attempt in UPSC CSE. His optional was Sociology and he had been a college level athlete. He believes trust in the process, studying with interest, understanding, and conceptual clarity are the keys to preparation.
Yasharth Shekhar, AIR 12, UPSC 2021
Yasharth Shekhar hails from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh and becoming an IAS officer is his childhood dream. He is a St. Stephens graduate in Economics. This was his third attempt and his optional was Geography. Yasharth was not able to clear Prelims in his first attempt but he believes there is no shortcut to success and his hard work and dedication got him AIR 12.
Your presence over her echos your dream of an IAS officer. To become an IAS officer, Indian youths have to fulfill only 3 conditions:
Get a graduate degree
Clear the UPSC-CSE exam
Complete training successfully
Passing the UPSC exam is not simple, many obstacles may be suffered during the process of the assessment. Even a serious aspirant without a hand-holding strategy, uncompromising attitude, and proper guidance may fail.
As we all know, the IAS examination is one of the toughest and most challenging tests among the other assessments. A UPSC student needs to be directed and determined towards their goal. A prosperous competitor is not just a well-prepared one but also the one who can nourish their courage levels throughout the procedure.
Important Links:
UPSC IAS Exam Syllabus
IAS Exam pattern
Qualification
Despite being one of the toughest exams in the country, the UPSC Civil Service IAS exam can sit with the simplest educational background. And the good news is that you can appear even before completing the minimum qualification. Okay, let’s see in detail:
EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED
All candidates must have as a minimum one of the following educational qualifications:
A degree from a Central, State, or a Deemed university.
A degree received through correspondence or distance education.
A degree from an open university.
A qualification recognized by the Government of India as being equivalent to one of the above
The following candidates are also eligible, but must submit proof of their eligibility from a competent authority at their institute/university at the time of the main examination, failing which they will not be allowed to attend the exam:
Candidates who have appeared in an examination, the passing of which would render them educationally qualified enough to satisfy one of the above points.
Candidates who have passed the final exam of the MBBS degree but have not yet completed an internship.
Candidates who have passed the final exam of ICAI, ICSI, and ICWAI.
A degree from a private university.
A degree from any foreign university recognized by the Association of Indian Universities
AGE LIMIT
The candidate must be between the age of 21-32 years (for the General category candidate) on August 1 of the year of examination. However, age relaxations die to exist for SC, ST, OBC, and Physically Handicapped candidates.
For Other Backward Castes (OBC) the upper age limit is 35.
For Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), the limit is 37 years.
The upper age limit is relaxed for certain candidates who are backward with respect to other factors and physically handicapped (PH) people.
Personalized Education
After knowing the syllabus of the exam, what is needed is your personalized education. For the most personalized learning, coaching is the only temple for both beginners and veterans. If you aren’t comfortable, at least get a personalized mentor for a seamless journey. To become an IAS, your preparation must be free from doubts.
Administrative attitude
Besides smart preparation, an administrative attitude should be built up in you. The power of observing the social glitch, and finding the immediate solution is also virtual eligibility. So, pursue in such a way that education breeds morale. Morale breeds hope. Hope breeds calmness.
Creation of smart content
The focus ought to be on making yourself understand the requirement of the UPSC Mains Question, its elements, using information, and imparting answer writing skills for that.
Self-confidence, healthy mind, clear-sightedness.
Self-reliance maintains time management. Managing your time judiciously breeds a healthy mind. When you evolve ‘hardworking’, ‘enthusiast’, ‘social acumen, you will fall in love with the IAS career. Get power-packed living confidence, Become an IAS.
UPSC 2021 results were released a few days back and it was a major validation of CivilsDaily’s student-centric approach, personalized mentorship, and commitment to your goal – cracking the UPSC IAS exam.
..amazing observation was the overwhelming number of rankers from Maharashtra.
This was evident from 200+ rankers, including 30+ in the top 50 in the UPSC 2021 exam. Another amazing observation was the overwhelming number of rankers from Maharashtra.
Moreover, we have thousands of CivilsDaily students from the state.
On the insistence of CivilsDaily’s alumni (ex-rankers) and our students from the state, we will be opening our first center in Maharashtra very soon, in Pune.
How is Pune center going to help UPSC and Civil Services Aspirants from Maharashtra?
Saves you from the trauma of relocation
Aspirants have to leave their home state to Delhi, Karol Bagh for UPSC prep. It seriously dismantles their mental peace and continuity in preparation.
Now you no longer have to leave your state and come to Delhi for UPSC preparation.
Financially
Financially, by saving huge expenditure incurred in Karol Bagh on renting and tuition fees.
Now prepare for both: UPSC and MPSC
Recently the notification for MPSC was released and since the pattern is similar to UPSC now, we will be helping you prepare for MPSC as well.
Live lectures, Offline 1:1 Mentorship, Testing centre in Pune
We will be providing the best classroom lectures; UPSC-relevant tests and study material; experienced mentors and dedicated faculty.
CivilsDaily will always remain committed to a personalized and student-centric approach and will live for its vision of making UPSC and government service exam preparation simpler, effective, result-oriented, and affordable to every aspiring student.
Meet up in Pune Offline center: Sajal sir and UPSC Rankers from Maharashtra
Get a golden chance to meet and discuss 1-1 with Rankers and Sajal sir at Pune center.
Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, the alma mater of Sajal sir and some of the UPSC rankers from CivilsDaily has acknowledged the good work and has requested us to be hosted by the esteemed institute.
You can meet Sajal sir and rankers.
Venue:
Kale Auditorium
Gokhale Institute, Pune
Date: 5th July
Time: 3pm and 6pm
Feel free to call/whatsapp for any clarification or details: +91 8668582260.
We are all the more motivated now to churn out more and more rankers from Maharashtra.
The political developments in Maharashtra throw up troubling questions about how the political class is weakening the anti-defection law.
Background of the anti-defection law
It was enacted as the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India, in 1985, under Rajiv Gandhi’s premiership.
The law as it was enacted provided for the disqualification of a legislator belonging to a political party if he voluntarily gave up his membership of his party or if he defied the whip of his party by voting contrary to its directions in the legislative house.
Two exceptions: Initially, there were two exceptions provided in the schedule which would exempt a legislator from disqualification.
1] Split: The first exception was a split in their original political party resulting in the formation of a group of legislators.
If the group consisted of one third of such legislators of that party, they were exempted from disqualification.
This exception was deleted from the schedule through a Constitution Amendment Act of 2003 because of frequent misuse.
2] Merger: The second exception was ‘merger’ which can be invoked when the original political party of a legislator merges with another party and not less than two thirds of its legislators agree to such a merger.
Interpretation of term ‘merger’ and issues with it
It is this second exception contained in paragraph four of the schedule which has been taken recourse to by a large number of legislators across States and even in Parliament to defect to the ruling party.
These legislators interpreted for themselves the term ‘merger’ to mean the merger of two thirds of legislators.
Now, the same is being repeated in Maharashtra.
But there is a little difference here.
It appears that the dissidents of Shiv Sena believed that if they get the two third number they can form a separate group and topple the government and then form a government with the help of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The law imposes the condition of merger of the original political party.
However, a recent judgment of the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court ( Girish Chodankar vs The Speaker, Goa State Legislative) that held that the merger of two thirds of Members of the Legislative Assembly is deemed to be the merger of the original party seems to have given them a ray of hope.
So, the legal position is if the dissidents do not merge with another party they will be disqualified now or later.
Question of disqualification
Disqualification petitions have been filed by the Shiv Sena against 16 of the dissidents under paragraph 2(1)(a) on the ground that they have voluntarily given up the membership of the party.
The question of whether they have voluntarily given up the membership of the party is decided on the basis of the conduct of a member.
In Ravi S. Naik vs Union of India (1994), the Supreme Court had said “an inference can be drawn from the conduct of a member that he has voluntarily given up the membership of the party.
Weakening the anti-defection law
Unprincipled defection: The ongoing developments in Maharashtra have once again brought before the country the reality of what the Supreme Court also described as the political evil of unprincipled defection.
But the order of the Supreme Court, on June 27, on petitions from the dissidents in the Shiv Sena, gives undue advantage to the dissident legislators.
The Court has granted them a longer time to submit replies than the rules mandate.
This order is going to set in motion certain political developments which will resurrect in a big way what the Supreme Court characterised as political evil.
The intervention by the Supreme Court too has thrown up some crucial question.
Kihoto Hollohan case: The first question is whether the Court can intervene at a stage prior to the decision by the Deputy Speaker.
A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had held in Kihoto Hollohan (1993) that judicial review cannot be available prior to the making of a decision by the Speaker nor at an interlocutory stage of the proceeding.
The notice of no-confidence against the Deputy Speaker has added another piece to the jigsaw puzzle.
Nabam Rebia case: The Supreme Court had held in Nabam Rebia (2016) that the Speaker shall not decide the disqualification cases till the no-confidence motion against him is disposed of.
The House rules clearly say that the notice of no-confidence against the Speaker/Deputy Speaker needs to be admitted in the first place which is done only by the Speaker.
But it is the House which takes the final decision on the motion. If the notice of no-confidence does not contain specific charges, it can be disallowed by the Speaker.
Further, the notice can be given only if the House is summoned.
When the notice was given, the Assembly was not convened. So, the notice against the Deputy Speaker can have no validity under the rules.
Conclusion
The law, though not perfect, is a serious attempt to strengthen the moral content of democracy. There will be shortcomings in this Bill but as we see and identify those shortcomings we should try to overcome them.
Contrary to the grandstanding since the overturning of the landmark Roe V. Wade judgment, the truth is that India is not ahead of the West in terms of reproductive rights.
Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act
Abortion in India has been a legal right under various circumstances for the last 50 years with the introduction of Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act in 1971.
The Act was amended in 2003 to enable women’s accessibility to safe and legal abortion services.
Abortion is covered 100% by the government’s public national health insurance funds, Ayushman Bharat and Employees’ State Insurance with the package rate for surgical abortion.
The idea of terminating your pregnancy cannot originate by choice and is purely circumstantial. There are four situations under which a legal abortion is performed:
If continuation of the pregnancy poses any risks to the life of the motheror mental health
If the foetus has any severe abnormalities
If pregnancy occurred as a result of failure of contraception (but this is only applicable to married women)
If pregnancy is a result of sexual assault or rape
These are the key changes that the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2021, has brought in:
The gestation limit for abortions has been raised from the earlier ceiling of 20 weeks to 24 weeks, but only for special categories of pregnant women such as rape or incest survivors. But this termination would need the approval of two registered doctors.
All pregnancies up to 20 weeks require one doctor’s approval. The earlier law, the MTP Act 1971, required one doctor’s approval for pregnancies upto 12 weeks and two doctors’ for pregnancies between 12 and 20 weeks.
Women can now terminate unwanted pregnancies caused by contraceptive failure, regardless of their marital status. Earlier the law specified that only a “married woman and her husband” could do this.
There is also no upper gestation limit for abortion in case of foetal disability if so decided by a medical board of specialist doctors, which state governments and union territories’ administrations would set up.
Issues with legal provisions related to reproductive rights in India
Lack of rights based approach: The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act 2021 is far from ideal and has been criticised for not taking a rights-based approach.
According to the Act, a pregnancy can be terminated on the following conditions: Grave danger to the physical/mental health of the pregnant woman; foetal abnormalities; rape/coercion; and contraceptive failure.
A woman’s right to choose to end the pregnancy even in the first few weeks is still not recognised in India.
Systemic barriers: It doesn’t give the pregnant person complete autonomy in ending the pregnancy, instead making them go through various systemic barriers.
The final decision falls not on the pregnant person, but on registered medical practitioners (RMP).
The constitution of a medical board, a requirement by the Act, is considered a barrier by the World Health Organisation.
Excludes transgenders and non-binary persons: Additionally, it uses the word “woman”, thereby leaving out pregnant transgender and non-binary persons who are biologically capable of bearing children.
It forces them to identify themselves in the gender-binary ignoring their gender identity.
Social factors and lack of medical facilities
It is important to look through an intersectional lens, and factor in class and caste privilege.
Abortion facilities in private medical centres are expensive, available only for those who have the resources.
Lack of access: Not all public health centres, especially in rural India, provide abortion facilities.
Most unmarried women end up resorting to unsafe abortions in illegal clinics or at home.
According to the latest National Family Health Survey 2019-2021, 27 percent of the abortions were carried out by the woman herself at home.
According to United Nations’ Population Fund’s (UNFPA) State of the World Population Report 2022, around 8 women die each day in India due to unsafe abortions.
It also found that between 2007-2011, 67 percent of the abortions were classified as unsafe.
Unsafe abortion was one of the top three causes of maternal deaths.
Discussion on reproductive rights in India are incomplete without mentioning surrogacy.
Issues in the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act 2021
While well-intentioned, leaves much to be desired.
The plethora of regulations one must undergo is antithetical to a dignified standard of living.
Exclusionary in nature: Experts have pointed out that the Act is exclusionary in nature, disregards privacy, and also exploits women’s reproductive labour.
Only a heterosexual married couple (with certain preconditions) can be the intending parents.
It strips the reproductive autonomy of LGBTQ+ persons and single, divorced, and widowed intending parents. It can be seen as a violation to the fundamental right to equality.
Experts also believe that regulations, rather than a complete ban on commercial surrogacy, should have been the way forward.
Violates right to privacy: The Act requires the intending couple to declare their infertility and reveals the identity of the surrogate, both of which violate the right to privacy.
The landmark Puttaswamy judgment discusses bodily privacy – the right over one’s body and “the freedom of being able to prevent others from violating one’s body.”
The current reproductive rights regulatory framework falls short in guaranteeing bodily privacy.
Conclusion
The situation in India is far from perfect and we should take this moment to reflect and learn from progressive practices around the world. We should strive for inclusivity, complete bodily autonomy, and reproductive equity.
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 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
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.
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*.
Carrying up a decision to crack the UPSC examination defines an individual’s ambitions and goals. An individual must have wondered that one year is enough for IAS preparation. The answer is yes. One year is sufficient to crack the IAS exam no matter how difficult the UPSC exam is, only if it is prepared with complete devotion.
An aspirant must be conscious of all details and important dates related to the exam. One can crack the IAS exam in one year by planning their preparation through an IAS planner. Try to form an accurate timetable that covers all the syllabus and leaves a scope of revision. A candidate can take up to six attempts, and clearing the exam in a go is a step towards a brighter future. One needs to plan every detail according to the weightage of questions and a time limit. One should also keep in mind the syllabus to help create a successful study plan. It’s better to know that no shortcuts are there for you.
Civilsdaily doesn’t believe in luck or in hard work without the so-called “work smart”. It’s not all about how you work hard but it’s about how you manage your time, resources, and mind to work together for a better output. Now explore what are the ways UPSC dreams start.
Important Links:
UPSC IAS Syllabus
IAS Exam Pattern
The traditional way to start UPSC preparation from the ‘0’ level:
Read UPSC syllabus carefully.
Make time table
Read newspaper & collect CA magazines
Start with NCERT books.
Make notes
Collect PYQ papers & toppers’ copies
Attempt test series
Etc.
Aspirants crowd follow it blindly. And so the ultimate success rate is 0.0053%.
But a would-be topper’s insight doesn’t follow what crowd chase for.
How to start UPSC preparation like a topper & acquire a day ‘0’ advantages:
A topper always..
devises his/her own strategy & doesn’t follow toppers’ advice blindly.
Steps in the UPSC world by holding a senior IAS mentor’s hand.
Focuses on ‘minimum resource but maximum output’ concept.
Neither reads all NCERTs nor starts with random one.
Doesn’t learn all PYQs but some selectives.
Joins the most effective test-series to get his performance evaluated by a personalized mentor
Doesn’t read every chapters of a text book
Learn not only making note but also how to update it
The UPSC preparation takes years of hard work, dedication and patience. It’s not only challenging in terms of lengthy syllabus, but it is also highly unpredictable in nature. It can’t be cracked by just being a bookworm. So, only mere act of beginning is not enough. Beginning to a right direction will decide you’re not going to stay where you are. In this case, the two most important warriors are your own mindset & a mentor’s tips that will lead you from ‘Zero’ to ‘Hero’.
2-3 Years in hand: A proven game-changer for undergraduate UPSC aspirants
There isn’t a more opportune time to invest your rapt attention in UPSC preparation if you have a couple of years in hand. Preparing for the UPSC exam is not awhimsical fancy. Many toppers even started their UPSC preparation in their penultimate year in school. Because winners start early.
It will be a game-changer if any undergraduate, with only 2 to 3 years in hand, inculcates the brainchild formulas of toppers’ mentors to crack UPSC.
When time is short and the way is long, every step must be more on-target.
So, why tax your brain! Let’s know those formulas right away.
Syllabus & PYQs
When the destination is IAS or IPS, the UPSC syllabus and previous year’s question papers go hand in hand. So, don’t wander off, you may lose track.
Bring the syllabus to your fingertip. Because you have to complete the syllabus and not the books.
Hook at least 5 years of previous years’ MCQs (Prelims + Mains + Optional)
According to mentor heads, there are 2 types of syllabus patterns
Raw static syllabus
and Dynamic syllabus
In incipient stage, finish the static syllabus at least once. Because static parts boost aspirants’ confidence, besides, it’s the very foundation of grip on current affairs. To finish the static parts, an aspirant may need around 6 months and not more than that.
Now, start investing time in the dynamic syllabus.
Take PYQs, revise chapters accordingly
Learn Current affairs and tangle with static questions.
It’s worth remembering that balancing study is the key to excellence for either the MCQs or writing for mains.
Another key point to be noted here is ‘Evaluation of preparation’. It’s also an indirect and inseparable part of your UPSC syllabus.
Civilsdaily’s centralized mentorship is recommended here.
Time Management
Minimum 2 years and maximum 3 years will run short unless and until you become sincere about time management.
Have you heard the traditional proverb “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”?
Similarly, remember ‘A chapter a day unblocks UPSC doorway’.
Learn from mentors and act on how to divide time for newspaper reading, answer writing, practice MCQs, etc. every day.
Running free webinars, and mentorship programs in community-managed platforms of Civilsdaily will help you immensely to learn how to utilize maximum time.
Resources
The less the resource, the more your efficiency. Buying multiple books is an obsolete and abandoned path to UPSC preparation.
Don’t forget you have fresh and solid 2-3 years in hand.
Get 2 to 3 sets of essential books for every static subject.
If there is a guide on the unknown path, even the crooked path becomes simpler. When you have 2-3 years in your hand and want to make a gigantic syllabus familiar firsthand, taking a risk may be proven as a fool’s errand. Let’s understand the difference.
Self-study, though isn’t an empty vessel always, is very time and energy-consuming. Following self-study, almost 75% of aspirants looking for a needle in a haystack.
Mentors’ guide means saving time and energy and not getting baffled.
Most of the time, the daily target dies.
2. Daily target lives because of guidance.
Self-study lacks self-assessment.
3. Assessment of leaders
So, how would you like to react to mentors’ guidance now? Let’s know.
Final Lines:
Nothing is more important than the limit of time. From circling the OMR sheet to answer writing and optional interviews, all these won’t be tediously threatening if done under proper guidance especially when there is a bound on time.
It’s the aspirants’ choice whether they embrace the very 1st attempt or love to get into a labyrinth of futile attempts.
