A micro snail species named Georissa mawsmaiensis has recently been discovered from Mawsmai, a limestone cave in Meghalaya, 170 years after the last such discovery was made.
Georissa mawsmaiensis
Georissa is found in soil or subterranean habitats in lowland tropical forest as well as high altitude evergreen forests or on rock surfaces rich in calcium.
The members of the Georissa genus are widely distributed across and reported from Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.
However, they are confined to microhabitats consisting of limestone caves or karst landscapes formed by the dissolution of limestone.
About Mawsmai Cave
The Mawsmai cave is situated in the small village of Mawsmai, around four kilometres from Cherrapunjee (Sohra) in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya.
It is located at an altitude of 1,195 metres above sea level and is indirectly influenced by the streams of the Kynshi river originating from the East Khasi Hills.
The term ‘Mawsmai’ means ‘Oath Stone’ in the Khasi language. The Khasi people use the local term ‘Krem’ for the cave.
It is famous for its fossils, some which can be spotted looking at the walls and formations inside.
The longest is Krem Liat Prah in the Jaintia Hills, which is 30,957 m (31 km approx.)
National security concepts have, in the two decades of the 21st century, undergone fundamental changes. Cyberwarfare has vastly reduced the deterrent value of conventional deterrents.
Emergence of cyberwarfare
In the 21st century, after cybertechnology enters as an important variable in nations’ defence policies.
Geographical land size or GDP size will be irrelevant in war-making capacity or deterrence.
These fundamental changes are entirely due to the earlier 20th century innovations in cybertechnology and software developments.
Drones, robots, satellites and advanced computers as weapons are already in use.
Some examples of further innovations are artificial intelligence and nanotechnology.
Tracking those cyber warfare threat will need a new national security policy.
By credible accounts, China, recently, publicly cautioned Indians to sit up and take notice by using cybertechnology to shut down Mumbai’s electric supply in populated areas of the city, for a few hours.
Four dimensions of national security policy
Objectives: the objective of the National Security Policy in the 21st century is to define what assets are required to be defended, the identity of opponents.
Although the novel coronavirus is perhaps accidental, it has completely destabilised peoples globally and their governments in all nations of the world over.
This is a preview of the kinds of threats that await us in the coming decades which a national security policy will have to address by choosing a nation’s priorities.
Priorities: National security priorities will require new departments for supporting several frontiers of innovation and technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells, desalination of seawater, thorium for nuclear technology, anti-computer viruses, and new immunity-creating medicines.
This focus on a new priority will require compulsory science and mathematics education, especially in applications for analytical subjects.
Strategy: The strategy required for this new national security policy will be to anticipate our enemies in many dimensions and by demonstrative but limited pre-emptive strikes by developing a strategy of deterrence of the enemy.
For India, it will be the China cyber capability factor which is the new threat for which it has to devise a new strategy.
Resource mobilisation: The macroeconomics of resource mobilisation depends on whether a nation has ‘demand’ as an economic deficit or not.
If demand for a commodity or service is in deficit to clear the market of the available supply of the same, then liberal printing of currency and placing it in the hands of consumers is recommended for the economy to recover the demand-supply parity.
A way to increase demand is by lowering the interest rate on bank loans or raising the rates in fixed deposits which will enable banks to obtain liquidity and lend liberally for enhancing investment for production.
If it is ‘supply’ that is short or in deficit compared to demand, then special measures are required to incentivise to encourage an increase in supply.
Conclusion
National security at its root in the 21st century will depend on mind-boggling skills in the four dimensions mentioned above.
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Have you appeared Prelims-2021 and worried about the results? Santosh Gupta Sir does a hard hitting analysis of topics and subtopics by dissecting the entire paper. It will not only help you understand the mind of UPSC but also help you to be ready for the 2022 prelims.
He will also be mentoring 2022 aspirants through his mentorship program #Smash Prelims-2022.
Fill the google form here to get a call from mentor to help your issues here:-
For any further details about his mentorship, reach out to him: 88829 14738
He has mentored 25 students for prelims-2021 under Super-25 program out of 15 aspirants are scoring above 95 and expected to qualify for Mains.
About Santosh Gupta sir:- Santosh Gupta sir has scored above 140 twice in UPSC prelims and always 120 plus in all 6 attempts. He wrote all 6 mains and appeared for Interviews 3 times. He has qualified UPSC EPFO and BPSC 56-59th also.
He has been teaching and mentoring UPSC aspirants for the last 5 years with tremendous interest in environment and ecology and Polity.
In the mid-twentieth century, the French social philosopherSimone de Beauvoir wrote the magnum opus ‘Second Sex’.
Here she elaborated the secondary position of the women because of social-cultural factors.
She famously written that ‘one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.’
She mentions that the ‘sex’(biological difference between male and female) in the course of time becomes ‘gender’ (a socio-cultural construct).
It happens due to primary (family peer groups, community) and secondary (school, college, club, public library, offices, sports, etc.) socialisation.
Recent Judicial Orders for Gender Justice
Marriage of IFS Officers: In IFS Services Rules, the permission of Govt. was required before the marriage of women officers, and married women were not allowed to join IFS. Hence, the Supreme Court (SC) quashed it outright.
Quashing of punishment for adultery: In Joseph Shine v Union of India case, the Section 497 of IPC (punishment for adultery) was struck down as unconstitutional, being violative of Articles 14, 15, and 21.
Ban on Triple Talaq: The SC had declared Talaq-e-biddar (triple talaq at the same time) unconstitutional & arbitrary (violative of fundamental right to equality).
Factors attributing Empowerment of Women
The Fifth National Family Health Survey (2019-20) talks of the following factors for the empowerment of women:
Ownership of physical assets: Mobile phones, bank accounts, land & housing;
Access to menstrual hygiene: Products such as sanitary napkins etc.
Participation in household decisions: Healthcare for herself, household purchases, visits to family relatives)
Employment: in formal sector
Gender violence: Emancipation from femicide
Marriage: under the age of 18 years
Educational attainment: More than 10 years
Success of Policy Imperatives in this direction
Sex Ratio: at birth in 2020 increased to 942
Hygienic methods: Share of women using hygienic methods increased from 60% to 78% (2015-2020).
Access to banking facilities: Due to PMJDY, women’s bank accounts increased by 28% (2015- 2020).
Decision making: Participation in household decision-making increased marginally to 85%.
Child marriage prevention: Share of women marrying before 18 years is about 30% (both in 2015 and 2020).
Domestic violence: Domestic violence stagnating but during the Covid-19 lockdown it surged to 60%.
Budgetary grant: Share of Union Budget spent on women-related schemes has stagnated at about 5.5% since 2009, and less than 30% of which is being spent on 100% women-focused schemes.
Enhanced the maternity period: The Govt has increased the maternity period to 26 weeks under the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 to benefit 18 lakh women workers in the organized sector.
Conclusion
Sometimes economic development leads to gender equality but other times, empowerment (especially in decision-making) leads to gender equality, hence both are necessary.
However, as the Nobel Laureate Esther Duflo rightly points out, there should be a continuous policy commitment to equality for its own sake.
India plans to host an international conference on Afghanistan in the second week of November.
Is the Indian foreign policy changing course?
All signs point towards a major calibration of the foreign-policy compass in recent weeks since the tumultuous events in Kabul two months ago culminated in the formation of an interim government by the Taliban.
As regards the way forward in Afghanistan, India has opted to align with the Anglo-American camp in the international line-up arrayed against the Eurasian axis of Russia, China and Iran.
While the US has an attitude of “You’re either with us, or against us”, vis-a-vis the Taliban, Russia, China, Iran and other neighbouring states give primacy to stability and security of Afghanistan.
Being a discontented party, unsurprisingly, India would have more in common with the revisionist powers — the US and the UK.
While the stated purpose of the participating countries is marking Afghanistan, it is the future that matters, being an epochal one that would transform the geopolitics of the region.
Thus, Delhi has moved up to the centrestage of the Quad.
In turn, the US accepts that the Quad ought to be “inclusive”. Global Britain is knocking at the door.
On its part, Delhi has displayed its comfort level with the AUKUS.
The historical Western experience of the EU and NATO moving in tandem to weaken a common enemy is being replicated with Asian characteristics.
A dual containment strategy is unfolding against China and Russia.
Thus, its short-lived dalliance with Iran is losing its gravitas and India has swung to the other extreme to identify with a new quadrilateral platform in West Asia, with Israel, UAE and the US.
India shrugs its shoulders as its “time-tested” friend, Moscow, bemoans the Quad and AUKUS.
This astonishing zigzagging in India’s regional policy takes the breath away.
Challenges for India
India lives in its region and the Quad and AUKUS are of no help when it comes to Afghanistan.
Pakistan and China are riding high in the Hindu Kush; Moscow and Beijing have moved close in Central Asia which Washington is having a hard time in dealing with.
India’s much-touted “influence” in Kabul has turned out to be delusional.
Its own capacity to shape future events is virtually nil. These are the hard realities.
Conclusion
With the conference where India hopes to create an equivalent of the vajrayudha of the ancient Vedas which would allow India to reclaim its rightful place in the Afghan pantheon of gods and demi-gods.
The Essay Paper in Mains makes or breaks your dream of becoming an IAS officer. Do you know a well-structured essay uplifts your rank by more than a 100 notches?
While the performance of students is more or less the same in GS papers (especially 1,2,3), but in the case of essay the variation of marks is rather huge (in 60s to 160). Yes, a single Essay paper can create a gulf of 100 marks.
If you have not yet started writing essays or if you’re confused on how to write quality answers within a short duration, then this webinar is for you!
Open to All, Attend the Webinar Essay FLT.
The orientation session is about learning the basics of essay writing. We welcome all the sincere and serious aspirants who understand the value of scoring 120+ in the essay paper. This is the only paper where mere management of time and thoughts will fetch you marks more than any other paper.
Who must join the webinar?
One who is attempting Mains in 2021.
One who is going to attempt Prelims 2022.
Anyone who has a basic understanding of the UPSC syllabus.
What can you learn from this webinar?
1. Right sources to prepare Essay Paper for Mains.Is just reading GS Subjects and Current Affairs enough for Essay Paper?
2. Understanding the type of questions asked. What are the 8 broad themes of essay?
3. Brainstormingthe topic before writing. What are the 10 parameters by which your essay will be evaluated?
4. Organising your thoughts into paragraphs. How to divide the 1200 word essay into well-structured paragraphs?
5. Framing the correct thesis statement. How to sound persuasive yet logical?
6. Different types of introduction you can write for your essay. What kind of anecdotes work?
7. Developing balanced main body arguments. How to be less biased with an interdisciplinary approach?
8. Concluding the essay perfectly. How can you score additional marks over here?
Arpit Sir will also hold a Q&A Session where beginners and veterans can clarify their doubts.
So attend this webinar and start the very first step of essay writing in the right direction!
Webinar Details
Date – 22nd October 2021(Friday)
Time – 4:00PM-5:00PM
About Arpit Sir
Arpit Sir has the experience of attending all the stages of UPSC CSE – prelims, mains and interview. He has been mentoring aspirants for the last 8 years. According to him, enjoying the process of preparation will prevent the fear of the end result.
Large-scale solar projects in Tamil Nadu have seen rapid growth in recent years. By embracing advances in solar technologies, India can continue to lead in this sector.
Factors driving growth
In the past five years, the cumulative installed capacity witnessed a four-fold increase in Tamil Nadu to 4.4 GW, as of March 2021.
High insolation level: Aiding this capacity addition is the State’s reasonably high insolation levels and matching solar potential, estimated at 279GW.
Decline in price: The sharp decline in the prices for solar and resulting cost competitiveness is another factor.
National target: Additionally, in response to the ambitious national targets and to spur sector specific development, Tamil Nadu released the Solar Policy of 2019, aiming for 9GW of solar installations by 2023.
Type of technology use for solar panel
1) Mono-crystalline Vs multi-crystalline panels:‘First-generation’ solar cells use mono-crystalline and multi-crystalline silicon wafers.
The efficiency of mono-crystalline panels is about 24%, while for multi-crystalline panels it is about 20%.
Mono-crystalline cells are dominant today.
Although mono-crystalline panels are priced higher than multi-crystalline ones, the difference is diminishing and will soon attain parity.
This would result in mono panels being preferred over multi due to their higher efficiency, greater energy yield and lower cost of energy.
2) Bifacial solar cells: Newer technologies incorporating crystalline silicon focus on bifacial solar cells, capable of harvesting energy from both sides of the panel.
Bifacials can augment the power output by 10-20%.
Within this, the Passive Emitter and Rear Contact technology is predicted to gain popularity. However, it is yet to achieve price parity for large-scale deployment.
3) Thin-film technologies: It is classified as the ‘second generation of solar PVs.
In addition to being used in solar farms and rooftops, thin films with their low thickness, light weight and flexibility are also placed on electronic devices and vehicles, power streetlights and traffic signals.
Mainstream thin films utilise semiconductor chemistries like Cadmium Telluride with module efficiencies of around 19%.
Other technologies include Amorphous Silicon and Copper Indium Gallium Di-Selenide.
Nanocrystal and dye-sensitised solar cells are variants of the thin film technology. These are in early stages for large-scale commercial deployment
However, the efficiency of thin films is lower than that of crystalline silicon.
4) Perovskite: These are grouped as ‘third generation’ and contain technologies such as perovskite, nanocrystal and dye-sensitised solar cells.
Perovskites have seen rapid advances in recent years, achieving cell efficiency of 18%.
They have the highest potential to replace silicon and disrupt the solar PV market, due to factors such as ease of manufacture, low production costs and potential for higher efficiencies.
5) Use of Graphene Quantum-dots: Graphene is made of a single layer of carbon atoms bonded together as hexagons.
Solar cells made of graphene are of interest due to high theoretical efficiency of 60% and its super capacitating nature.
Quantum-dot PVs use semiconductor nanocrystals exhibiting quantum mechanical properties capable of high efficiency of about 66%.
However, both these are in the early stages of research.
Technologies to better integrate solar PVs into the grid
These technologies include weather forecasting and power output prediction systems; operation monitoring and control systems; and scheduling and optimisation systems.
Additionally, automatic systems have been developed for the smooth resolution of output fluctuations.
Way forward
A portion of the budget for renewable energy targets should be set aside exclusively for new technologies.
Grants and subsidies can also be provided for their adoption.
Efforts must be taken to address gaps in research, development, and manufacturing capabilities in the solar sector through sector-specific investment and incentives.
There must also be greater industry-academia collaborations and funding opportunities for startups.
A comprehensive sector-specific skilling programme is also required for workers.
Conclusion
All these efforts would help the country become a global player in the solar power sector.
Last month, the EU released it “EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific”. This document is very rich and needs to be analysed in the context of the rapprochement between the EU and India, which culminated in the June EU-India summit, a “turning point” according to some analysts.
Important takeaways from EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy
The EU strategy in the Indo-Pacific appears to be over-determined by China’s expansionism.
“The display of force and increasing tensions in regional hotspots such as in the South and East China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait may have a direct impact on European security and prosperity,” the document says.
If security interests are highlighted in the beginning, they are rather low in the list of the objectives of the EU Indo-Pacific strategy, which are listed as: “Sustainable and inclusive prosperity; green transition; ocean governance; digital governance and partnerships; connectivity; security and defence; human security”.
Many paragraphs of the document are dedicated to values, including human rights.
India does not figure prominently in the policy document
In terms of partnerships, India does not figure very prominently.
By contrast, ASEAN is presented as “an increasingly important partner for the EU”.
However, India appears in the list of the countries which already have an Indo-Pacific strategy and with which the EU is interested in a deeper “engagement”, a list made of ASEAN, Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the UK and US.
However, the document does not mention the role India could play in value-chain diversification, a top priority of the EU since the Covid-19 pandemic in particular.
Yet, India is mentioned few pages later in a similar perspective when it is said that the EU will help “low and middle-income Indo-Pacific partners to secure access to the Covid-19 vaccine through the Covax facility and through other means”.
What the French see as India’s main asset, its strategic dimension, is not central in the EU document.
India is listed as the EU’s first partner only in one area: “under the project Enhancing Security Cooperation in and with Asia (ESIWA), which covers counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, maritime security and crisis management.
The pilot partners are India, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Vietnam, with EU military experts already operating in Indonesia and in Vietnam.”
Understanding the German influence on the policy document
Thus, the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific is more in tune with the German vision of the Indo-Pacific than with the French one.
The fact that the German approach prevails in the EU document is a reflection of the influence of Berlin’s weltanschauung (worldview) in Europe — something Brexit has accentuated, Great Britain’s Indo-Pacific strategy being similar to France’s.
But China’s attitude may force Germany — and the EU — to change their mind in the near future.
Conclusion
By and large, the Indo-Pacific strategy of the EU remains driven by economic considerations and India, whose main asset is geopolitical and even geostrategic, does not figure prominently in it.
