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Our Hall of Fame boasts of nearly 150 aspirants who have cleared the exam as working professionals. This year, our Civilsdaily students — Vaibhav Rawat (AIR 25) and Ravi Kumar (AIR 84) worked really hard in their respective jobs and studies before they tasted success. This busts the myth that only full-time aspirants can clear the exam.
Lack of Time or Lack of Time-Management?
UPSC-CSE is not only one of the toughest exams of the world, but one of the longest as well. An exam that is a year long, needs a preparation of 2 years to clear it.
Some of us have family responsibilities that cannot and should not be neglected. Maybe you are the only earning member of your family. But, is it impossible to juggle UPSC CSE and work? Not at all. It might be challenging, but it’s an achievable ambition. One needs the discipline to study everyday, whether they had a good or a bad day at work.
All aspirants get only 24 hours in a day, how they spend every hour determines their final result.
Does this mean there will be no scope for rest as a Working Junta? Don’t be surprised if we tell you toppers like Srishti Jayant Deshmukh (AIR 5, 2018) and Roman Saini (AIR 18, 2013) found time to take breaks in between their college studies (engineering and medical respectively) and UPSC preparation! While Srishti took a 5 minute break after every 30 minutes, Roman took a 10 minute break after every 1 hour.
Why should you attend this webinar?
When we asked Vaibhav Rawat and Ravi Kumar their secret of topping the exam despite working 8-9 hours everyday, their answer was time management and syllabus completion.
Instead of complaining about the limited time they had, they completed modules assigned by us within that time. Sometimes, they got 6 hours in a day and sometimes 5 hours. But after office, they never let the stress of work distract them. Nor did they compare their preparation to other full-time aspirants and get demotivated.
Every topper has their own time-management technique. As a working junta, its about time you learnt them. This is what Sudhanshu Sir will address in this upcoming webinar. You will not only get to know how to balance work and study in a day, but also when to take breaks in between the two!
What will you learn in this Webinar?
1. The 4 different phases of UPSC preparation. What to study in each phase?
2. Our 5-hour Step-by-Step learning plan. Also time-management techniques of other toppers.
3. Avoiding mistakes that cost you an attempt. How to kickstart your preparation in the right direction?
4. Advantages of being a UPSC aspirant as a working professional. What do you have that others don’t?
5. Studying smartly. How can you use the Civilsdaily App to get consolidated material that can save your time?
At the end of the session, Sudhanshu sir will hold an interactive Q&A session where all beginners and veterans are welcome to get solutions for their issues.
Webinar Details
Everyone is welcome to attend our free webinar for working professionals by Sudhanshu Sir. All you have to do is register your details.
Date: 28 October, 2021
Time: 6 PM
About Sudhanshu Sir
Sudhanshu Sir has served in the Defense Ministry for 10 years. He has a keen interest in regional and global geopolitics and has ample experience of various other competitive exams as well. Experienced with UPSC CS and Several State PSCs.
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[Sansad TV] Enhancing Cooperation in West Asia
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India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States began a new quadrilateral economic forum this week focused on trade, climate change, energy, and maritime security.
In September last year Israel, UAE and Bahrain had signed Abraham Accords brokered by the US which has subsequently led to normalising of relations between Israel and a number of Arab Gulf countries.
Abraham Accord: A backgrounder
- The Israel–UAE normalization agreement is officially called the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement.
- It was initially agreed to in a joint statement by the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on August 13, 2020.
- The UAE thus became the third Arab country, after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994, to agree to formally normalize its relationship with Israel as well as the first Persian Gulf country to do so.
- Concurrently, Israel agreed to suspend plans for annexing parts of the West Bank.
- The agreement normalized what had long been informal but robust foreign relations between the two countries.
The idea of the Indo-Abrahamic Accord
- The idea of an accord between India, the UAE and Israel was first suggested by Mohammed Soliman, an Egyptian scholar based in Washington.
- The focus, then, was on India taking full advantage of the normalisation of relations between Israel and the Arabs.
Prospects of India joining the accord
- Adding “Indo” to the Abrahamic Accords — from think tank level to the policy domain underlines the extraordinary churn in the geopolitics of the Middle East.
- It also points to new openings for India in the region and ever-widening possibilities for Delhi’s strategic cooperation with Washington.
Significance for India
The new minilateral consultation with the US, Israel and the UAE have started breaking that political taboo by:
(1) Creating a minilateral in the Middle-East:
- Such events mark an important turning point in Delhi’s engagement with the Middle East.
- It suggests India is now ready to move from bilateral relations conducted in separate silos towards an integrated regional policy.
- As in the Indo-Pacific, so in the Middle East, regional coalitions are bound to widen Delhi’s reach and deepen its impact.
(2) India bridging the Arab-Israeli rift:
- Often the Arab nations and Israel are divided over Palestine.
- The simultaneous expansion of Delhi’s cooperation with Israel and the Arab world was considered impossible.
- However, India’s new foreign policy broke from that assessment and demonstrated the feasibility of a non-ideological engagement with the Middle East.
- This diplomatic pragmatism allows Delhi to reimagine its policies towards the Middle East.
(3) Extension of cooperation with the US:
- Thinking of the US as a partner in the Middle East is part of the reimagination.
- For long, India defined the US, and more broadly the West, as part of the problem in the Middle East.
- With this QUAD, U.S.-India relations have continued to deepen.
(4) Miscellaneous:
- India’s scale with Israeli innovation and Emirati capital could produce immense benefits to all three countries.
- Add American strategic support and you would see a powerful dynamic unfolding in the region.
India’s interest in the new QUAD
New Delhi sees the Middle East as strategically significant. India has ramped up diplomacy with many regional players, including Saudi Arabia, but Israel and the UAE have long been key targets.
- Energy basket: It depends heavily on its energy imports, and nearly 9 million Indian workers live in the Persian Gulf.
- Armoury for India: Israel is a major arms supplier to India.
- Agri-tech: Israel also has cutting-edge agricultural technologies that could help enhance water management.
- Infrastructure financing: The UAE can provide India with much-needed infrastructure financing. This has very much implicated in the recent proposal by Dubai to invest in Jammu and Kashmir.
What is the kind of agenda that this group can develop?
Economic Cooperation: Like the eastern Quad, it would make sense for the new Middle Eastern minilateral to focus on non-military issues like trade, energy, and environment and focus on promoting public goods.
Technology cooperation: Beyond trade, there is potential for India, UAE and Israel to collaborate on many areas — from semiconductor design and fabrication to space technology.
A new geopolitical entity: The new “Quad” in the Middle East is likely to be India’s only new coalition in the region. It provides a thrust to new regionalism to the west involving India.
‘Extended’ neighbourhood: This engagement will open the door for extending the collaboration with other common regional partners like Egypt (better call it Suez Canal), who will lend great strategic depth to the Indo-Abrahamic accords.
How are the two QUADs different?
The two groups are distinct entities with different geographical remits, although their areas of cooperation may overlap. The two Quads are quite different in other ways.
- No China factor: The so-called new Quad is not as focused on countering China’s rise as the original one.
- Formal consensus in lacking: It lacks a strong, shared purpose, its future trajectory is more uncertain.
- Not an Alliance: As with the other Quad, this arrangement is a loose grouping, not an alliance. It is framed as an economic forum and not as an strategic alliance.
- Iran at the focus: The new quad does not appear to be aimed at any particular country, ideology or group. There is no one to gang up against, but Iran.
Way forward
- This Quad will push India to transform itself.
- While the US might be more lenient towards Indian stretchable time, Israel and the UAE are impatient countries.
- This engagement has thus opened up a new opportunity for India to go for deeper engagement with Israel without risking its relations with the other Arab states of the Persian Gulf.
Caution for India
- India must not get drawn into the region’s conflicts.
- Importantly, India must ensure that the new Quad’s decisions do not adversely impact its relationship with Iran. It should not restrict India’s outreach to Iran
- India should help the new Quad build bridges with Iran, just as Israel should use its good offices with Beijing to rein in China.
- India is increasingly shedding its inhibitions over joining groupings and this is good, so long as it is not bound into exclusive relationships.
- China manages strong parallel ties with both Iran and Israel. India should be able to do so, too.
Conclusion
- The new and mini-Quad is innovative, non-confrontationist and hence will be enduring.
- In the evolving scenario, there seems much scope for a profitable trilateral synergy.
- Though its trajectory is uncertain, it has considerable potential because of the warm relations among the parties.
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Civilsdaily has become a force to reckon with. With our bold initiatives and maturing innovations, we are pushing the boundaries even further constantly thinking about bettering the learning outcomes for so many students.
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Only a Few Seats Left || Free Webinar on Time-Management Techniques for Working Junta|| How to crack UPSC without leaving your fulltime job?|| In 2 Days, Register Now
Our Hall of Fame boasts of nearly 150 aspirants who have cleared the exam as working professionals. This year, our Civilsdaily students — Vaibhav Rawat (AIR 25) and Ravi Kumar (AIR 84) worked really hard in their respective jobs and studies before they tasted success. This busts the myth that only full-time aspirants can clear the exam.
Lack of Time or Lack of Time-Management?
UPSC-CSE is not only one of the toughest exams of the world, but one of the longest as well. An exam that is a year long, needs a preparation of 2 years to clear it.
Some of us have family responsibilities that cannot and should not be neglected. Maybe you are the only earning member of your family. But, is it impossible to juggle UPSC CSE and work? Not at all. It might be challenging, but it’s an achievable ambition. One needs the discipline to study everyday, whether they had a good or a bad day at work.
All aspirants get only 24 hours in a day, how they spend every hour determines their final result.
Does this mean there will be no scope for rest as a Working Junta? Don’t be surprised if we tell you toppers like Srishti Jayant Deshmukh (AIR 5, 2018) and Roman Saini (AIR 18, 2013) found time to take breaks in between their college studies (engineering and medical respectively) and UPSC preparation! While Srishti took a 5 minute break after every 30 minutes, Roman took a 10 minute break after every 1 hour.
Why should you attend this webinar?
When we asked Vaibhav Rawat and Ravi Kumar their secret of topping the exam despite working 8-9 hours every day, their answer was time management and syllabus completion.
Instead of complaining about the limited time they had, they completed modules assigned by us within that time. Sometimes, they got 6 hours in a day and sometimes 5 hours. But after office, they never let the stress of work distract them. Nor did they compare their preparation to other full-time aspirants and get demotivated.
Every topper has their own time-management technique. As a working junta, its about time you learnt them. This is what Sudhanshu Sir will address in this upcoming webinar. You will not only get to know how to balance work and study in a day, but also when to take breaks in between the two!
What will you learn in this Webinar?
1. The 4 different phases of UPSC preparation. What to study in each phase?
2. Our 5-hour Step-by-Step learning plan. Also time-management techniques of other toppers.
3. Avoiding mistakes that cost you an attempt. How to kickstart your preparation in the right direction?
4. Advantages of being a UPSC aspirant as a working professional. What do you have that others don’t?
5. Studying smartly. How can you use the Civilsdaily App to get consolidated material that can save your time?
At the end of the session, Sudhanshu sir will hold an interactive Q&A session where all beginners and veterans are welcome to get solutions for their issues.
Webinar Details
Everyone is welcome to attend our free webinar for working professionals by Sudhanshu Sir. All you have to do is register your details.
Date: 28 October, 2021
Time: 6 PM
About Sudhanshu Sir
Sudhanshu Sir has served in the Defense Ministry for 10 years. He has a keen interest in regional and global geopolitics and has ample experience of various other competitive exams as well. Experienced with UPSC CS and Several State PSCs.
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A ‘bubbles of trust’ approach to globalisation
Context
An asymmetric globalisation favouring China allowed Beijing to attain power. It is now using that power to undermine liberal democratic values around the world.
What is Globalization?
Globalization is a process of increasing interdependence, interconnectedness and integration of economies and societies to such an extent that an event in one part of the globe affects people in other parts of the world.
OR
Globalization is a process of interaction and integration among the people, organizations, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology.
Asymmetric globalisation
- The Chinese market was never open to foreign companies in the way foreign markets are to Chinese firms.
- This is particularly true in the information and communications technology sector: foreign media, technology and software companies have always been walled out of Chinese markets.
- Meanwhile, Chinese firms rode on the globalisation bandwagon to secure significant market shares in open economies.
Global retreat from globalisation and role of Quad
- We are currently witnessing a global retreat from the free movement of goods, services, capital, people and ideas.
- But this should not be understood as a reaction to globalisation itself, but of its skewed pattern over the past four decades.
- The Quad countries – Japan, India, Australia and the U.S. – have an opportunity to change tack and stop seeing engagement with China through the misleading prism of free trade and globalisation.
- It will be to their advantage to create a new form of economic cooperation consistent with their geopolitical interests.
- Indeed, without an economic programme, the Quad’s geopolitical and security agenda stand on tenuous foundations.
Economies inside bubbles of trust
- Policies of self-reliance: The popular backlash against China – exacerbated by the economic disruption of the pandemic – is pushing Quad governments towards policies of self-reliance.
- But while reorienting and de-risking global supply chains is one thing, pursuing technological sovereignty is inherently self-defeating.
- Worse still, inward-looking policies often acquire a life of their own and contribute to geopolitical marginalisation.
- There is a better way.
- A convergence of values and geopolitical interests means Quad countries are uniquely placed to envelop their economies inside bubbles of trust, starting with the technology sector.
- The idea of ‘bubbles of trust’ offers a cautious middle path between the extremes of technological sovereignty and laissez-faire globalisation.
- Unlike trading blocs, which tend to be insular and exclusive, bubbles tend to expand organically, attracting new partners that share values, interests and economic complementarities.
- Such expansion will be necessary, as the Quad cannot fulfil its strategic ambitions merely by holding a defensive line against authoritarian power.
Way forward
- The U.S. is a global leader in intellectual property, Japan in high-value manufacturing, Australia in advanced niches such as quantum computing and cyber security, and India in human capital.
- This configuration of values, interests and complementary capabilities offers unrivalled opportunities.
- The Quad’s Critical and Emerging Technology Working Group, announced in March 2021, is well placed to develop the necessary ‘bubbles of trust’ framework, which could be adopted at the next Quad summit.
- To be successful the Working Group must seek to strengthen geopolitical convergences, increase faith in each member state’s judicial systems, deepen economic ties and boost trust in one another’s citizens.
- There are fundamental differences between authoritarian and liberal-democratic approaches to the information age.
- The Quad cannot allow differences of approach on privacy, data governance, platform competition and the digital economy to widen.
Conclusion
This agenda cannot be about substituting China. Rather, the approach would allow Quad countries to manage their dependencies on China while simultaneously developing a new vision for the global economy.
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India’s Central Asian outreach
Context
The evolving situation in Afghanistan has thrown up renewed challenges for India’s regional and bilateral ties with Central Asia and the Caucasus, prompting India to recalibrate its rules of engagement with the region.
Background of India’s relations with Central Asian countries
- After the breakup of the Soviet Union and the formation of the independent republics in Central Asia, India reset its ties with the strategically critical region.
- India provided financial aid to the region and established diplomatic relations.
- New Delhi signed the Strategic Partnership Agreements (SPA) with Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to stimulate defence cooperation and deepen trade relations.
- In 2012, New Delhi’s ‘Connect Central Asia’ policy aimed at furthering India’s political, economic, historical and cultural connections with the region.
- However, India’s efforts were stonewalled by Pakistan’s lack of willingness to allow India passage through its territory.
Renewed engagement with Central Asia
- The growing geostrategic and security concerns regarding the BRI’s China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its violation of India’s sovereignty forced New Delhi to fix its lethargic strategy.
- Eventually, Central Asia became the link that placed Eurasia in New Delhi’s zone of interest.
- India signed MoUs with Iran in 2015 to develop the Chabahar port in the Sistan-Baluchistan province that was in the doldrums from 2003.
- External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was in the region earlier this month.
- In Kyrgyzstan, Mr. Jaishankar extended a credit line of $200 million for the support of development projects and signed an memorandum of understanding (MoU) on High-Impact Community Development Projects (HICDP).
- Kazakhstan: His next stop was the Kazakhstan capital, Nur Sultan, where he attended the 6th Foreign Ministers’ Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
- Armenia: Mr. Jaishankar has become the first Indian External Affairs Minister to visit Armenia.
- During the visit, Mr. Jaishankar also supported efforts for a peaceful solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia under the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Minsk group.
Limits of SCO
- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was created in response to the threats of terrorism that sprang from Afghanistan.
- The Taliban re-establishing its supremacy over Afghanistan has also exposed the weaknesses of coalitions such as SCO.
- The SCO has been used by most member countries for their own regional geostrategic and security interests, increasing the trust-deficit and divergence within the forum.
Way forward
- Most of the Central Asian leaders view India’s Chabahar port as an opportunity to diversify their export markets and control China’s ambitions.
- They have admitted New Delhi into the Ashgabat Agreement, allowing India access to connectivity networks to facilitate trade and commercial interactions with both Central Asia and Eurasia, and also access the natural resources of the region.
- Rising anti-Chinese sentiments within the region and security threats from the Taliban allow New Delhi and Central Asia to reimagine their engagement.
- Central Asian countries have been keen to have India as a partner as they have sought to diversify their strategic ties.
Conclusion
India cannot afford to lose any time in recalibrating its regional engagements.
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Crises in Pakistan is an occasion to reflect on the long-term regional consequences
Context
Whether it can or should make a difference to Pakistan’s internal politics, India must pay greater attention to the internal dynamics of our most difficult neighbour and more purposefully engage a diverse set of actors in that polity.
India’s interventions in internal affairs of neighbours
- Except for Pakistan, in most other countries of the subcontinent, India is drawn quickly into their internal political arguments.
- Delhi has always exercised some influence on the outcomes of those contestations.
- It is enough to note that India’s interventions are a recurring pattern in the subcontinent’s international relations.
- Even when Delhi is reluctant to get into the weeds of these conflicts, the competing parties in the neighbourhood demand India’s intervention on their behalf.
- All of the contestants, of course, resolutely oppose India’s meddling when it goes against them.
- But Delhi has rarely been a decisive player in Pakistan’s internal politics.
- Delhi’s hands-off attitude is surprising, given India’s huge stakes in the nature of Pakistan’s policies and their massive impact on regional security.
Current crises in Pakistan
- Internal crises: Among the many challenges confronting Pakistan is the fresh breakdown in civil-military relations.
- Pakistan’s economy is in a tailspin as it struggles to negotiate a stabilisation package with the International Monetary Fund.
- The militant religious movement Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has mounted a fresh march against the capital demanding the release of its arrested leader.
- External crises: The internal crises are sharpened by worsening external conditions.
- In Afghanistan, Pakistan has succeeded in restoring the Taliban to power.
- The celebrations have not lasted too long; the long-awaited victory is turning sour.
- The Arab Gulf states that have been fast friends of Pakistan are now tilting towards India.
- Once a favourite partner of the West, Pakistan today faces tensions in its ties with the US and Europe.
- More broadly, nuclear weapons and a powerful army seem unable to stop Pakistan’s relative decline in relation to not just India but also Bangladesh.
- Pakistan’s economy is now 10 times smaller than that of India and is well behind Bangladesh.
Suggestions
- Whether it can or should make a difference to Pakistan’s internal politics, India must pay greater attention to the internal dynamics of our most difficult neighbour and more purposefully engage a diverse set of actors in that polity.
- For Delhi, it is always about narrow political arguments with Rawalpindi and Islamabad; it is as if the people of Pakistan do not exist.
- For India, the crises in Pakistan should be an occasion to reflect on the long-term regional consequences of Pakistan’s internal turbulence.
- It might be argued that that unlike elsewhere in the neighbourhood, Delhi’s leverage in Pakistan’s politics is limited. But it is by no means negligible.
Consider the question “For Delhi, it is always about narrow political arguments with Rawalpindi and Islamabad; it is as if the people of Pakistan do not exist. The depth of the current crises in Pakistan, however, should nudge India into overcoming this entrenched indifference. Comment.”
Conclusion
India looms so large in Pakistan’s mind space. For Delhi, it may be worth trying to turn that into influence over Pakistan’s policies if only at the tactical level and at the margins.
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26th October 2021| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)
Topics for Today’s questions:
GS-1 Distribution of key natural resources
GS-2 International relations
GS-3 Agriculture sector- farmer income suport
GS-4 Probity in Governance: Concept of public service;
Philosophical basis of governance and probity.Questions:
Question 1)
Q1. Coal as a fuel is often termed as a necessary evil in a country’s economic development. Comment while giving the distribution of coal reserves around the world. (10 marks)
Question 2)
Q.2 For Delhi, it is always about narrow political arguments with Rawalpindi and Islamabad; it is as if the people of Pakistan do not exist. The depth of the current crises in Pakistan, however, should nudge India into overcoming this entrenched indifference. Comment. (15 marks)
Question 3)
Q.3 The data of the latest Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of agricultural households when normalised by their holding sizes, shows that Punjab’s ranked 11th and Haryana 15th place. In the context of this, suggest the way for the farmers in Punjab and Haryana to augment their incomes with more sustainable agriculture. (15 marks)
Question 4)
Q.4 Probity is an integral part of good governance, justify. How do you find it relevant in the present circumstances? (10 marks)
HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?
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Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.
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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.
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Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.
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Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.
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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
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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.
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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*.
For the philosophy of AWE and payment:
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26th October 2021 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions
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