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  • Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission

    PM has launched the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (AB-HIM), one of the largest pan-India schemes for strengthening healthcare infrastructure.

    AB- Health Infrastructure Mission

    • AB-HIM is being rolled out as India’s largest scheme to scale up health infrastructure.
    • It is aimed at ensuring a robust public health infrastructure in both urban and rural areas, capable of responding to public health emergencies or disease outbreaks.

    Key features

    • Health and Wellness Centres: In a bid to increase accessibility it will provide support to 17,788 rural HWC in 10 ‘high focus’ states and establish 11,024 urban HWC across the country.
    • Exclusive Critical Care Hospital Blocks: It will ensure access to critical care services in all districts of the country with over five lakh population through ‘Exclusive Critical Care Hospital Blocks’.
    • Integrated public health labs: will also be set up in all districts, giving people access to “a full range of diagnostic services” through a network of laboratories across the country.
    • Disease surveillance system: The mission also aims to establish an IT-enabled disease surveillance system through a network of surveillance laboratories at block, district, regional and national levels.
    • Integrated Health Information Portal: All the public health labs will be connected through this Portal, which will be expanded to all states and UTs, the PMO said.

    Why is the scheme significant?

    • India has long been in need of a ubiquitous healthcare system.
    • A 2019 study has highlighted how access to public health care remained elusive to those living on the margins.
    • The study found that 70 per cent of the locations have public healthcare services.
    • However, availability was less in rural areas (65 per cent) compared to urban areas (87 per cent).
    • In 45 per cent of the surveyed locations, people could access healthcare services by walking, whereas in 43 per cent of the locations they needed to use transport.

     

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  • Mullaperiyar Dam Issue

    The Supreme Court has directed the Supervisory Committee to take an immediate and firm decision on the maximum water level that can be maintained at Mullaperiyar dam amidst torrential rains in Kerala.

    What is the news?

    • A report by United Nations has stated that the Mullaperiyar dam, situated in a seismically active area, faces the risk of failure.
    • Earlier this year, the Supreme Court warned the TN Chief Secretary against the failure to give information on the rule curve for dam which decides the discharge of excess water.

    Mullaperiyar Dam

    • It is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar River in Kerala.
    • It is located on the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats in Thekkady, Idukki District.
    • It was constructed between 1887 and 1895 by John Pennycuick and also reached in an agreement to divert water eastwards to the Madras Presidency area.
    • It has a height of 53.6 m (176 ft) from the foundation, and a length of 365.7 m (1,200 ft).

    Operational issue

    • The dam is located in Kerala but is operated and maintained by Tamil Nadu.
    • The catchment area of the Mullaperiyar Dam itself lies entirely in Kerala and thus not an inter-State river.
    • In November 2014, the water level hit 142 feet for first time in 35 years.
    • The reservoir again hit the maximum limit of 142 feet in August 2018, following incessant rains in the state of Kerala.
    • Indeed, the tendency to store water to almost the full level of reservoirs is becoming a norm among water managers across States.

    The dispute: Control and safety of the dam

    • Supreme court judgment came in February 2006, has allowed Tamil Nadu to raise the level of the dam to 152 ft (46 m) after strengthening it.
    • Responding to it, the Mullaperiyar dam was declared an ‘endangered’ scheduled dam by the Kerala Government under the disputed Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2006.
    • For Tamil Nadu, the Mullaperiyar dam and the diverted Periyar waters act as a lifeline for Theni, Madurai, Sivaganga, Dindigul and Ramnad districts.
    • Tamil Nadu has insisted on exercising the unfettered colonial rights to control the dam and its waters, based on the 1886 lease agreement.

    Rule of Curve issue

    • A rule curve or rule level specifies the storage or empty space to be maintained in a reservoir during different times of the year.
    • It decides the fluctuating storage levels in a reservoir.
    • The gate opening schedule of a dam is based on the rule curve. It is part of the “core safety” mechanism in a dam.
    • The TN government often blames Kerala for delaying the finalization of the rule curve.

     

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  • What is White Dwarf?

    Using the Hubble Space telescope and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), astronomers have identified several white dwarfs over the years.

    Where is this white dwarf?

    • A white dwarf is what stars like the Sun become after they have exhausted their nuclear fuel.
    • Near the end of its nuclear burning stage, this type of star expels most of its outer material, creating a planetary nebula.
    • Only the hot core of the star remains. This core becomes a very hot white dwarf, with a temperature exceeding 100,000 Kelvin.
    • Unless it is accreting matter from a nearby star, the white dwarf cools down over the next billion years or so.

    Limits for white dwarf

    • White Dwarf is half the size of our Sun and has a surface gravity 100,000 times that of Earth.
    • There is a limit on the amount of mass a white dwarf can have.
    • Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar discovered this limit to be 4 times the mass of the Sun. This is appropriately known as the “Chandrasekhar Limit.”

    Observing white dwarf

    • Many nearby, young white dwarfs have been detected as sources of soft, or lower-energy, X-rays.
    • Recently, soft X-ray and extreme ultraviolet observations have become a powerful tool in the study the composition and structure of the thin atmosphere of these stars.

    What is TESS?

    • The researchers observed this phenomenon using Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
    • TESS is a space telescope in NASA’s Explorer program, designed to search for extrasolar planets using the transit method.
    • The primary mission objective for TESS is to survey the brightest stars near the Earth for transiting exoplanets over a two-year period.
    • The TESS project will use an array of wide-field cameras to perform an all-sky survey. It will scan nearby stars for exoplanets.

    How does white dwarf ‘switch on and off’?

    • In these types of systems, the donor star orbit around the white dwarf keeps feeding the accretion disk.
    • As the accretion disk material slowly sinks closer towards the white dwarf it generally becomes brighter.
    • It is known that in some systems the donor stars stop feeding the disk.

     

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  • [pib] GoI Floating Rate Bonds

    The Government of India has announced the Sale (Re-issue) of Floating Rate Bonds, 2028’.

    What are Bonds?

    • Bonds are investment securities where an investor lends money to a company or a government for a set period of time, in exchange for regular interest payments.
    • Generally, bonds come with a fixed coupon or interest rate. For example, you can buy a bond of Rs 10,000 with a coupon rate of 5%.
    • Once the bond reaches maturity, the bond issuer returns the investor’s money.
    • Fixed income is a term often used to describe bonds, since your investment earns fixed payments over the life of the bond.

    Why are bonds launched?

    • Companies sell bonds to finance ongoing operations, new projects or acquisitions.
    • Governments sell bonds for funding purposes, and also to supplement revenue from taxes.

    What are Floating Rate Bonds?

    • A floating rate bond is a debt instrument that does not have a fixed coupon rate, but its interest rate fluctuates based on the benchmark the bond is drawn.
    • Benchmarks are market instruments that influence the overall economy.
    • For example, repo rate or reverse repo rate can be set as benchmarks for a floating rate bond.

    How do floating rate bonds work?

    • Floating rate bonds make up a significant part of the Indian bond market and are majorly issued by the government.
    • For example, the RBI issued a floating rate bond in 2020 with interest payable every six months. After six months, the interest rate is re-fixed by the RBI.

     

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  • How Civilsdaily Mentorship helped Karishma secure AIR 14 in UPSC 2020

    How Civilsdaily Mentorship helped Karishma secure AIR 14 in UPSC 2020

    It is always a proud moment for us when our students succeed, and we feel humbled when they thank us for our guidance. Karishma Nair (AIR 14, 2020) wrote a personal note to Sajal sir and Civilsdaily after securing AIR 14 and in the letter she explained how our mentorship helped her succeed!

    Register here to speak directly with Karishma’s Personal mentor

    Under the guidance of Sajal sir, Karishma Nair received regular detailed feedback. Each and every answer was analysed and every mistake removed. She says in the letter that the feedback helped her improve every day.

    Not only that, her mentor was always available to guide her. She received a structured approach to the UPSC syllabus and answer-writing along with help and motivation throughout her preparation. With time, she was able to improve her performance and was able to secure AIR 14 in UPSC 2020. You can read her letter below:

    Civilsdaily’s personal guidance and mentorship program helped 80 aspirants like Karishma crack UPSC exam. You could be next! Just fill the form below to speak personally with Karishma’s mentor, now!

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  • Don’t stop your Mains preparation even if you get low marks in Prelims|| Register for Free 1-1 Mentorship for UPSC 2022 – Samanvaya

    Do you know only 42% of toppers clear UPSC CSE examinations in their first attempt? The rest clear it because they didn’t give up. In our student Jayant Nahata’s (AIR 56, UPSC 2020) words, “Do you want the pain of hard work or do you want the regret of failure?”

    book your slot for Samanvaya free 1-on-1 mentorship

    Sajal Sir has helped over 400 aspirants secure ranks in the last 6 years. This year, he has guided over 30 students to secure ranks in the top 100 in UPSC 2020. He was the topper of GS 2017 Mains.

    Our next mentor, Sudhanshu Sir has cleared mains 3 times, attended interviews twice and has served the Ministry of Defence for 10 years.

    And this is what both of our mentors have to say to you —

    “It doesn’t matter how much you believe you scored based on the answer key, start preparing for mains right now! Study daily, every day and CONSISTENTLY. Do not give up on studying or spend more than 2 days without preparation until your name shows up on the list.”

    We understand that this year’s paper was tricky. We know you have burnt the midnight oil for months. You might be doubting yourself right now. But this is not the time to lose hope. This is not the time to give up. The Prelims results are not out yet. Do not stop preparing for Mains!

    Watch this video by our Civilsdaily student Anil Kumar Rathore who failed 4 times before he cleared UPSC’19 with AIR 81.

    You have already tried one way of preparation and it has not helped you get a really high score. Why waste another attempt trying to do the same things and expecting new results? Speak with us and learn a new way to prepare – the preparation technique that is specially designed to fetch high scores.

    book your slot for samanvaya free 1-on-1 mentorship

    Why Samanvaya 2022?

    With a dedicated 1-1 mentorship program, we use the tried and tested ‘SMART’ method of preparation that has helped more than 400 students become officers!

    1. Syllabus Completion
    2. Managing time consistently
    3. Awareness of your weak areas
    4. Revision of completed modules
    5. Test series every week

    At Civilsdaily, your assigned mentors interact with you on a daily basis. They are not just teachers, but coaches, philosophers, and guides. And this is how they will help you succeed:

    • Motivating you for one whole year and pushing you to complete the modules on time.
    • Helping you restart preparation despite low scores in test series.
    • Helping you study for 6 hours everyday if you are working.
    • Guiding you on how to revise the whole syllabus 3 months before prelims and mains.
    • Providing you topic-wise notes.
    • Teaching you elimination techniques, tikdams and helpful strategies like 4-2-4 model of preparation.
    • Keeping you updated on what to study and from where to study.
    book your slot for samanvaya free 1-on-1 mentorship

    Is it too early to start preparing for Mains 2022?

    Aspirants who become toppers devote the first 6-7 months of preparation for mains and the next 5-6 months for prelims revision and test series. This gives them an edge; they know how to write and present facts plus they can remember the same facts for prelims. So there is no better time than NOW to start mains.

    AIR 148 UPSC 2020 topper and our Civilsdaily student Ponmani explains why answer writing with mentorship for Mains is necessary.

    How have UPSC Toppers benefited from our Mentorship so far?

    See the source image
    book your slot for samanvaya free 1-on-1 mentorship

    After filling the form, rest assured, you will hear from a dedicated mentor in the next 24 hours.

  • [Burning Issue] 5G Technology

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    5G is the next-generation wireless cellular technology that will provide faster and more reliable communication with ultra-low latency. A government panel report points out that with 5G, the peak network data speeds are expected to be in the range of 2-20 Gigabit per second (Gbps). This can help in good governance and can lead to higher economic growth in India.

    Being a game-changer technology in many aspects, be it an economy or a science and technology or development, knowing about it is very important from an exam point of view. So let us look at the topic in detail.

    What is 5G technology?

    • 5G or fifth generation is the latest upgrade in the long-term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks.
    • 5G enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices. 
    • It’s a unified platform which is much more capable than previous mobile services with more capacity, lower latency, faster data delivery rate and better utilisation of spectrum.

    The low, mid, and high-frequency spectrum

    • 5G mainly works in 3 bands, namely low, mid and high frequency spectrum — all of which have their own uses as well as limitations.
    • The low band spectrum has a great promise in terms of coverage and speed of internet and data exchange but the maximum speed is limited to 100 Mbps (Megabits per second).
    • So Telcos can use and install it for commercial cell phone users who may not have specific demands for very high speed internet, the low band spectrum may not be optimal for specialized needs of the industry.
    • The mid-band spectrum offers higher speeds compared to the low band, but has limitations in terms of coverage area and penetration of signals.
    • This band may be used by industries and specialized factory units for building captive networks that can be moulded into the needs of that particular industry.
    • The high-band spectrum offers the highest speed of all the three bands, but has extremely limited coverage and signal penetration strength.
    • Internet speeds in the high-band spectrum of 5G has been tested to be as high as 20 Gbps (giga bits per second), while, in most cases, the maximum internet data speed in 4G has been recorded at 1 Gbps.

    Timeline: Evolution from 1G to 5G

    • 1G: Launched in the 1980s. Analog radio signals and supported only voice calls.
    • 2G: Launched in the 1990s. Uses digital radio signals and supported both voice and data transmission with a Bandwidth (BW) of 64 Kbps.
    • 3G: Launched in the 2000s. With a speed of 1 Mbps to 2 Mbps it has the ability to transmit telephone signal including digitized voice, video calls and conferencing.
    • 4G: With a peak speed of 100 Mbps-1 Gbps it also enables 3D virtual reality.
    • 5G: with a speed of more than 1Gbps, it is capable of connecting entire world without limits.

    How is 5G different from 4G?

    5G4G
    5G uses utilize much higher radio frequencies of 28 GHz.4G uses lower reading frequencies of 700 MHz to 2500 MHz.
    5G transfers more data over the air at faster speeds.4G speed is lesser with less data transfer.
    5G has lower latency i.e the delay before a transfer of data begins following an instruction. Latency for 5G is predicted to be below 10 milliseconds and in best cases around 1 millisecond.4G has higher latency as compared to 5G. The latency for 4G is around 20-30 milliseconds.
    5G uses a millimeter-wave spectrum which enables more devices to be used within the same geographic area supporting around one million per square kilometer.4G supports a lesser number of devices of about 4,000 devices per square kilometer.
    5G uses a new digital technology that improves coverage, speed, and capacity.4G has led to more congestion and lesser coverage as compared to 5G.

    Salient features

    • Capability: 5G will provide much faster mobile broadband service as compared to the previous versions and will provide support to previous services like mission critical communication and the massive Internet Of Things (IoT).
    • Upgraded LTE: 5G is the latest upgrade in the long-term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks.
    • Speed: With peak delivering rate of up to 20 Gbps and an average of 100Mbps, it will be much faster as compared to its predecessors. The speed increment is partly achieved partly by using higher-frequency radio waves than previous networks.
    • Capacity: There will be up to 100 x increase in traffic capacity and network efficiency.
    • Spectrum usage: Will provide better usage for every bit of spectrum, from low bands below 1 GHz to high bands.
    • Latency: It’s expected to have lower latency with better instantaneous, real-time access of the data. The 5G, like 4G LTE, also uses Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) but the new 5G NR (New Radio) air interface will enhance OFDM and provide better flexibility in data delivery.
    • Millimeter wave spectrum: The 5G networks will operate in the millimeter wave spectrum (30-300 GHz) which has the advantage of sending large amounts of data at very high speeds because the frequency is so high, it experiences little interference from surrounding signals.

    Applications of 5G technology

    1. High-Speed mobile network: 5G will revolutionize the mobile experience with supercharged wireless network. Compared to conventional mobile transmission technologies, voice and high-speed data can be simultaneously transferred efficiently in 5G.
    2. Entertainment and multimedia: 5G can provide 120 frames per second, high resolution and higher dynamic range video streaming without interruption. Audiovisual experience will be rewritten after the implementation of the latest technologies powered by 5G wireless. Augmented Reality and virtual Reality services will be better experienced over 5G.
    3. Internet of Things:  IoT applications collects huge amount of data from millions of devices and sensors and thus requires an efficient network for data collection, processing, transmission, control and real-time analytics which 5G network is a better candidate.
    4. Smart cities: Smart city application like traffic management, Instant weather update, local area broadcasting, energy management, smart power grid, smart lighting of street, water resource management, crowd management, emergency response etc can use a reliable 5G wireless network for its functioning.
    5. Smart farming: 5G technology will be used for agriculture and smart farming in the future. Using smart RFID sensors and GPS technology, farmers can track the location of livestock and manage them easily. Smart sensors can be used for irrigation control, access control and energy management.
    6. Mission critical applications: Like telemedicine services, remote control of critical infrastructure and vehicles. It has the potential to transform industries with highly reliable, low latency link.
    7. Better Governance: Better speed and connectivity would reduce red tapism. It will enhance speedy completion of projects and better implementation of policies. It will enable accountability in the system through a better monitoring system and will reduce corruption.
    8. Employment generation: 5G wireless technology will open greater opportunity for new device manufactures and application developers. New VoIP devices and smart devices will be introduced in the market and thus more job opportunities as well. This will help in inclusive growth reaping demographic dividend.
    9. Enhanced Security: 5G wireless technology is one the best solution for security surveillance due to higher bandwidth and unlicensed spectrum. It will enhance better coordination among various agencies. Smart appliances which can be configured and accessed from remote locations, closed circuit cameras will provide high quality real-time video for security purposes.
    10. Logistics and shipping: Logistic and shipping industry can make use of smart 5G technology for goods tracking, fleet management, centralized database management, staff scheduling and real-time delivery tracking and reporting.
    11. Industrial Growth: Future industries will depend on smart wireless technologies like 5G and LTE advanced for efficient automation of equipment, maintenance, safety, tracking, smart packing, shipping, logistics and energy management.
    12. Agricultural applications: 5g technology can be used for agriculture and smart farming in future. Using smart RFID sensors and GPS technology, farmers can track location of livestock and manage them easily. Smart sensors can be used for irrigation control, access control and energy management.
    13. Healthcare and mission critical applications: 5G technology will support medical practitioners to perform advanced medical procedures with reliable wireless network connected to another side of the globe. Doctors can connect with patients from anywhere anytime and advice them when necessary. Scientists are working on smart medical devices which can perform remote surgery. Smart medical devices like wearable will continuously monitor patient’s condition and activate alert during emergency.

    What are India’s Plans for 5G technology?

    • India is working on technologies that would enable to launch its Indigenous 5G.
    • This will help running its IOT platforms on indigenous technology for civilian as well as military applications.
    • PM is pushing for Aatamnirbharta (self-reliance), with the success of Digital India being a priority.
    • India banned Chinese apps & blocked its hardware supply chains to protect India’s business and security interests.
    • Scientists and Industries should work together to bring 5G technology quicker rather than getting entangled in policy processes & bureaucratic rift.
    • The implementation of 5G technology can make India a good alternative to China.
    • All the private telecom players in India have been urging the DoT to lay out a clear road map of spectrum allocation and 5G frequency bands, so that they would be able to plan the roll out of their services accordingly.

    What are the hurdles?

    • Enabling critical infrastructures: 5G will require a fundamental change to the core architecture of the communication system. The major flaw of data transfer using 5G is that it can’t carry data over longer distances. Hence, even 5G technology needs to be augmented to enable infrastructure.
    • Financial liability on consumers: For transition from 4G to 5G technology, one has to upgrade to the latest cellular technology, thereby creating financial liability on consumers.
    • Capital Inadequacy: Lack of flow of cash and adequate capital with the suitable telecom companies (like Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea) is delaying the 5G spectrum allocation.

    National Digital Communications Policy 2018

    • The new National Digital Communications Policy – 2018 has been formulated, in place of the existing National Telecom Policy-2012, to cater to the modern needs of the digital communications sector of India.
    • It will enable India to enter the era of modern technological advancements in the Telecom Sector such as 5G, loT, M2M etc.
    • It will introduce a ‘customer focused’ and ‘application driven’ policy for the Indian Telecom Sector, which can form the main pillar of Digital India by addressing emerging opportunities for expanding not only the availability of telecom services but also telecom based services.

    Objectives

    1. Broadband for all;
    2. Creating four million additional jobs in the Digital Communications sector;
    3. Enhancing the contribution of the Digital Communications sector to 8% of India’s GDP from ~ 6% in 2017;
    4. Propelling India to the Top 50 Nations in the ICT Development Index of ITU from 134 in 2017;
    5. Enhancing India’s contribution to Global Value Chains; and
    6. Ensuring Digital Sovereignty.

    In pursuit of accomplishing these objectives by year 2022, it envisages three Missions:

    1. Connect India: Creating Robust Digital Communications Infrastructure To promote Broadband for All as a tool for socio-economic development, while ensuring service quality and environmental sustainability.
    2. Propel India: Enabling Next Generation Technologies and Services through Investments, Innovation and IPR generation To harness the power of emerging digital technologies, including 5G, AI, IoT, Cloud and Big Data to enable provision of future ready products and services; and to catalyse the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) by promoting Investments, Innovation and IPR.
    3. Secure India: Ensuring Sovereignty, Safety and Security of Digital Communications To secure the interests of citizens and safeguard the digital sovereignty of India with a focus on ensuring individual autonomy and choice, data ownership, privacy and security; while recognizing data as a crucial economic resource.

    High-Level 5G India 2020 forum

    The government has constituted the High-Level 5G India 2020 Forum with three Secretaries of key Ministries/Departments Telecom, Meity, and DST, and also comprising renowned experts. The primary aims of the forum are:

    • early deployment of 5G in India.
    • A globally competitive product development and manufacturing ecosystem targeting 50% of India market and 10% of global market over next 5 to 7 years.

    The 5G Club ‘D10’

    • The Britain is proposing a ‘D10’ club of democratic partners that groups the G7 nations with Australia and the Asian technology leaders South Korea and India.
    • It would include G7 countries – UK, US, Italy, Germany, France, Japan and Canada – plus Australia, South Korea and India.
    • It is aimed for channeling investments into existing telecommunication companies within the 10 member states.
    • The group aim to create alternative suppliers of 5G equipment and other technologies to avoid relying on China.

    The China Factor

    China is taking its 5G technological advancement into other countries to digitally encircle the world.

    What are China’s plans for 5G technology in Nepal & outcomes of it?

    • China and Nepal recently agreed to increase the height of Mount Everest by three metres.
    • Infrastructure development by China in mountaineering sites will make Nepal’s borders vulnerable & keeps it under China’s control.
    • Nepal’s tourism industry might get attracted to Chinese cheap loans leading to a strategic debt trap.
    • Chinese 5G technological inroads in Nepal could affect Nepal’s business interests.
    • Nepal has to depend on Chinese 5G for Real-time information on weather, routes, map/terrain details, logistics and rescue programmes, etc.

    What are the other Chinese Investments across the world?

    • Chinese companies have made huge investments across the world to spread a 5G network.
    • They aim to encircle the planet digitally through technology.
    • Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will aid this aim & China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a clear example of how easily a country can be encircled.
    • Pakistan is today a virtual vassal state of China.
    • During pandemic, many countries who do not have indigenous 5G military capabilities had to depend on China.
    • These countries later became hostage to Chinese technology.

    Conclusion

    • India should not miss the opportunity and should proactively work to deploy 5G technology. We should focus on strengthening our cyber infrastructure.
    • Funds should be allocated and local technology and telecom firms should be incentivized to develop their internal capacities which would in turn help 5G technology succeed in the country.
    • 5G start-ups that enable this design and manufacturing capabilities should be promoted. This will spur leaps in the coverage, capacity and density of wireless networks.
    • It will power a surge in IoT technology and usher in a new era of technological capabilities.
    • This 5G Technology would bring low latency communication systems which can be used in agriculture, manufacturing sector and retail verticals too.
    • 5G however is still at a nascent stage in India and no commercial development has taken place so far.  Experts say that the move to adopt 5G technology and AI would usher into totally different use cases.

    What is 5G technology? Discuss the challenges and advantages of 5G technology for India. (250 words)

    Post your answers in comments below.

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  • Ace Anthropology Optional with the Mentorship of Anthropology 2019 Topper, Rinku Lather IRS|| Last 10 Seats Left|| LINK INSIDE

    Ace Anthropology Optional with the Mentorship of Anthropology 2019 Topper, Rinku Lather IRS|| Last 10 Seats Left|| LINK INSIDE

    Anthropology Marks enhancer for IAS Mains 2021 (For Mains written aspirants) | 300+ with Rinku sir
    Join Rinku Lather’s space on Habitat | Connect with him directly
    talk to mentors for anthropology optional

    A major dilemma faced by all UPSC aspirants is choosing the right Optional subject. There are 2 papers in Optional, each being 250 marks. Hence, you will be 500 marks closer to clearing Mains with an optional subject aligning to your academic background.

    If you’ve already decided on Anthropology as your Optional Subject, then congrats! First, for making up your mind and next, for choosing that life-saving optional which has helped many aspirants become toppers in UPSC.

    Is Anthropology Optional a Scoring Subject?

    After changing their optional to anthropology, Anudeep Durishetty bagged AIR 1 in his 4th attempt, Akshit Jain got AIR 2 in his 2nd attempt Apala Mishra bagged AIR 9 in her 2nd attempt, Geethanjali Sharma secured AIR 32 in her 3rd attempt and Rinku Lather secured AIR 232 in his 2nd attempt (with this optional). Anthropology is among the top 3 preferences of UPSC toppers. However, after 2019 the subject has got tougher and is no longer that easy for aspirants to score above 300 marks.

    Understanding the scoring nature of Anthropology Optional, we’ve launched a marks booster cum mentorship program by Rinku Lather IRS. Rinku has been able to score top marks in both of his attempts.

    How is the structure of Rinku Lather IRS’s Anthropology Optional Course?

    There are two variants of the course:

    1. For Mains written aspirants (click)
    2. For other aspirants

    Rinku Lather IRS sir will conduct syllabus completion classes on Google meet, which will help students write their own notes. Topic-wise discussions will be held.

    He will conduct both doubt clearing and answer writing discussion sessions on a daily basis. The aim is to provide quality enrichment sessions with value-added inputs on important topics.

    Apart from this, the program will have 1-on-1 mentorship calls* by Rinku Lather IRS sir with the intent to boost your scores in Anthropology Optional. (*For mains written aspirants)

    (click) ANTHROPOLOGY MARKS ENHANCER FOR IAS MAINS 2021 (FOR MAINS WRITTEN ASPIRANTS) | 300+ WITH RINKU SIR
    (click) ANTHROPOLOGY MARKS ENHANCER FOR IAS MAINS 2021-22 (FOR rest of the ASPIRANTS) | 300+ WITH RINKU SIR

    What will you learn in the Free Anthropology Orientation Session?

    It’s always better to learn the tricks of the trade with the best in the business. With 288 marks, Rinku Lather sir was among the Anthropology toppers of UPSC CSE 2019. In the first session, he will give an orientation on —

    1. Main dimensions of Anthropology Optional. How will Paper 1 and 2 be?

    2. His Go-To Preparation Strategy. What are the books he read and how many times he revised before exam?

    3. What are the scoring topics in Anthropology. Why is it better to focus more on the ROI topics?

    4. Difficulties faced by aspirants while preparing for Anthropology Optional and how to avoid them? Learning from experience of others’ mistakes is always the best way to go.

    Session Details

    The first session of the Anthropology Course by Rinku Lather sir is free for all to attend.

    Anyone writing UPSC Mains in 2021 and 2022 will benefit from the session. There will be a Q&A session too where all anthropology enthusiasts can engage with the topper, Rinku Lather IRS.

    To register for the free live discussion click on the link below.

    register for the free orientation session by rinku lather irs

  • Jagrati Awasthi (AIR 2) recommends the rich quality of Civilsdaily IAS content for UPSC || UNHERD: UPSC Toppers Series (Link inside)

    Jagrati Awasthi (AIR 2) recommends the rich quality of Civilsdaily IAS content for UPSC || UNHERD: UPSC Toppers Series (Link inside)

    We, at Civilsdaily, dedicate our work to our students, and we work hard every day to make sure our students get the best guidance and study material possible. Our efforts feel magical when our students succeed and share their views. Jagrati Awasthi, AIR 2, had an interview with a television channel about her success. And in that interview, she recommended Civilsdaily for preparation. She said that the content on Civilsdaily is rich and high quality. It helped her prepare better for Mains and succeed!

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    AIR 2

    UPSC Civil Services 2020

  • Nutritional security and climate-friendly agriculture for Punjab

    Context

    As per the latest Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of agricultural households conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO), an average Indian farmer earned Rs 10,218 per month in 2018-19 (July-June).

    SAS analysis: Variation across the states and cause of concern for Punjab

    • Across states, the highest income was received by a farming household in Meghalaya (Rs 29,348) followed by Punjab (Rs 26,701), Haryana (Rs 22,841), Arunachal Pradesh (19,225) and Jammu and Kashmir (Rs 18,918).
    • While the lowest income levels were in West Bengal (Rs 6,762), Odisha (Rs 5,112) and Jharkhand (Rs 4,895).
    • But this is not a fair comparison as holding sizes vary widely across states.
    • After normalising these incomes of agri-households by their holding sizes, as in the SAS, Punjab’s ranking on per hectare income falls from 2nd to 11th and Haryana goes down from 3rd to 15th (see figure).
    • The states that would do well on this score are Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.
    • In these states, people earn their income from cultivating fruits and vegetables, spices, and livestock.
    • These are high value in nature, not linked to MSPs, and market and demand-driven.
    • As per the SAS, the average operated area per holding for Punjab is 1.44 ha (we have used that in the figure), but the Census gives a much higher value of 3.62 ha of average operational holding.
    •  If we normalise incomes of agri-households using Census values of average holding sizes, Punjab’s rank would go further down to 21st (household monthly income Rs 7,376) out of 28 states.

    How can farmers in Punjab and Haryana augment their incomes with more sustainable agriculture?

    1) Swith from paddy to maize

    • Punjab’s former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had approached the Centre with an idea to create a fund of around Rs 25,000 crore to help farmers switch from paddy to maize.
    • The Centre should give this idea a serious thought with the following modifications:
    • One, the fund should be under a five-year plan to shift at least a million hectares of paddy area (out of a total of 3.1 million hectares of paddy area in Punjab) to maize.
    • Two, the corpus should have equal contributions from the Centre and state.
    • Three, since Punjab wants that farmers be given MSP for maize, an agency, the Maize Corporation of Punjab (MCP), should be created to buy maize from farmers at MSP.
    • Four, this agency should enter into contracts with ethanol companies, and much of this maize can be used to produce ethanol as the poultry and starch industries will not be able to absorb this surplus in maize once a million hectares of paddy area shifts to maize.
    • Fifth, maize productivity must be as competitive as that of paddy in Punjab and the best seeds should be used for that purpose.
    • This is to ensure that ethanol from maize is produced in a globally competitive manner.
    • The GoI’s policy for 20 per cent blending of ethanol in petrol should come in handy for this purpose.

    2) Diversification

    • Other parts of the diversification strategy have to be along the lines of increasing the area under fruits and vegetables, and a more focused policy to build efficient value chains in not just fruits and vegetables but also livestock and fisheries.
    • They are more nutritious and the SAS data shows that their profitability is much higher in these enterprises than in crop cultivation, especially cereals.
    • The sector needs to be backed by proper processing, grading and packaging infrastructure to tap its full potential.

    Benefits of switching to maize from paddy

    • Punjab will arrest its depleting water table as maize needs less than one-fifth the water that paddy does for irrigation.
    • Also, Punjab will save much on the power subsidy to agriculture, which was budgeted at Rs 8,275 crore in the FY2020-21 budget, as paddy irrigation consumes much of the power subsidy.
    • This saving subsidy resulting from the switch from paddy to maize can be used to fund a part of the state’s contribution to the Maize Corporation of Punjab.
    • This could result in a win-win situation for all — farmers, the Government of Punjab and the country — as there will be lesser methane emissions and less stubble burning.
    • Moreover, ethanol will also reduce GHG emissions in vehicular pollution.

    Consider the question “Switching from paddy cultivation to maize can help the Punjab farmers deal with the several issues. In light of this, explain the issues with paddy cultivation and suggest the way forward.”

    Conclusion

    Their income on a per hectare basis needs to increase more sustainably, protecting the state’s land, water and air from further degradation, and producing more nutritious food. Punjab can then shine again on the nutritional security front with sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture.

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