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  • GST Council not for inclusion of Petroleum Products

    The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has decided to keep petroleum products out of the GST regime.

    Present taxation of Fuels

    • Currently, taxes on petroleum products are levied by both the Centre and the states.
    • While the Centre levies excise duty, states levy value added tax (VAT).
    • For instance, VAT on petroleum products is as high as 40% in Maharashtra, contributing over ₹25,000 crore annually.
    • By being able to levy VAT on these products, the state governments have control over their revenues.

    Impact of inclusion of fuel under GST

    • If petroleum products are included under the GST, there will be a uniform price of fuel across the country.
    • However, petroleum products coming under GST not necessarily means that taxes or prices will come down.
    • If the GST council decides to opt for a lower slab, taxes may come down.
    • At present, India has four primary GST rates – 5 percent, 12 percent, 18 percent and 28 percent.
    • Levying a standard rate of GST on petrol would mean that the prices increase dramatically in Andaman and Nicobar, but on the flip side, they would fall in Maharashtra if the cumulative rate is lower than the current rate.

    Key takeaways from States VAT

    • Among the states, Rajasthan levies the highest tax across the country keeping VAT on petrol at 36 percent, followed by Telangana at 35.2 percent.
    • Other states with more than 30 per cent VAT on petrol include Karnataka, Kerala, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh.
    • On diesel, the highest VAT rates are charged by states like Odisha, Telangana, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
    • So far, five states, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Assam and Nagaland have cut taxes on fuel this year.

    Back2Basics: Petroleum Pricing Mechanism

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  • Pseudo-melanism in Tigers of Simlipal

    A team of scientists has resolved the genetic mystery of Simlipal’s so-called black tigers.

    What are Black Tigers?

    • Tigers have a distinctive dark stripe pattern on a light background of white or golden.
    • A rare pattern variant, distinguished by stripes that are broadened and fused together, is also observed in both wild and captive populations.
    • This is known as pseudo-melanism, which is different from true melanism, a condition characterized by unusually high deposition of melanin, a dark pigment.
    • This pseudo-melanism is linked to a single mutation in Transmembrane Aminopeptidase Q (Taqpep), a gene responsible for similar traits in other cat species.

    Where are they mostly found?

    • While truly melanistic tigers are yet to be recorded, pseudo-melanistic ones have been camera-trapped repeatedly, and only, in Simlipal, a 2,750-km tiger reserve in Odisha, since 2007.
    • Launched in 2017, the study was the first attempt to investigate the genetic basis for this unusual phenotype (appearance).

    Why they are rare?

    • Mutants are genetic variations which may occur spontaneously, but not frequently, in nature.
    • A cub gets two copies of each gene from both parents, and a recessive gene can show up only in the absence of the dominant one.
    • So, two normal-pattern tigers carrying the recessive pseudo-melanism gene will have to breed together for a one-in-four probability of giving birth to a black cub.
    • But recessive genes are rare and it is unlikely that two unrelated tigers will carry the same one and pass it on together to a cub.

    Connection with Simlipal TR

    • In an ideal tiger world, where far-ranging individuals are never short of choices for partners, that makes succession of black tigers a rarity.
    • Under exceptional circumstances, a black tiger may succeed as part of a very small population that is forced to inbreed in isolation for generations.
    • As it turned out, that is what happened at Simlipal.
    • Pseudo-melanistic tigers are also present in three zoos in India — Nandankanan (Bhubaneswar), Arignar Anna Zoological Park (Chennai) and Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park (Ranchi) — where they were born in captivity.
    • All of them have ancestral links to one individual from Simlipal.

    What about natural selection?

    • Natural selection eliminates the weakest from a gene pool, and the traits of the more successful get passed on.
    • Niche modelling, the study said, shows higher frequency of melanistic leopards in darker tropical and subtropical forests than in drier open habitats.
    • Likewise, darker coats may confer a selective advantage in both hunting and avoiding hunters in Simlipal’s tropical moist deciduous and semi-evergreen closed-canopy forest, with a relatively darker understory.

    Try this PYQ:

    Two important rivers – one with its source in Jharkhand (and known by a different name in Odisha), and another, with its source in Odisha – merge at a place only a short distance from the coast of Bay of Bengal before flowing into the sea. This is an important site of wildlife and biodiversity and a protected area.

     

    Which one of the following could be this?
    (a) Bhitarkanika
    (b) Chandipur-on-sea
    (c) Gopalpur-on-sea
    (d) Simlipal

     

    Post your answers here.

    Back2Basics: Project Tiger

    • Project Tiger is a tiger conservation program launched in April 1973 during PM Indira Gandhi’s tenure.
    • In 1970 India had only 1800 tigers and Project Tiger was launched in Jim Corbett National Park.
    • The project is administrated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
    • It aims at ensuring a viable population of Bengal tigers in their natural habitats, protecting them from extinction etc.
    • Under this project the govt. has set up a Tiger Protection Force to combat poachers and funded relocation of villagers to minimize human-tiger conflicts.

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  • [pib] Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)

    The Prime Minister has participated virtually in the Joint SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization)-CSTO Outreach Session on Afghanistan.

    What is CSTO?

    • The CSTO is a Russia-led military alliance of seven former Soviet states that was created in 2002.
    • Current CSTO members are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation and Tajikistan. Afghanistan and Serbia hold observer status in the CSTO.
    • Its purpose is to ensure the collective defence of any member that faces external aggression.
    • It has been described by political scientists as the Eurasian counterpart of NATO, which has 29 member states, while the CSTO has just six.

    Outlined functions of CSTO

    • CSTO supports arms sales and manufacturing as well as military training and exercises, making the CSTO the most important multilateral defence organization in the former Soviet Union.
    • Beyond mutual defence, the CSTO also coordinates efforts in fighting the illegal circulation of weapons among member states and has developed law enforcement training for its members in pursuit of these aims.

    What does CSTO membership provide?

    • While CSTO membership means that member states are barred from joining other military alliances, limiting, for example, their relationship with NATO.
    • Its members receive discounts, subsidies, and other incentives to buy Russian arms, facilitating military cooperation.
    • Most importantly, membership presumes certain key security assurances – the most significant of which is deterring military aggression by third countries.
    • In the CSTO, aggression against one signatory is perceived as aggression against all.
    • It however remains unclear whether this feature works in practice.

    Back2Basics: NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

    • NATO was found in the aftermath of the Second World War.
    • Its purpose was to secure peace in Europe, to promote cooperation among its members and to guard their freedom – all of this in the context of countering the threat posed at the time by the Soviet Union.
    • It is a military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington Treaty) of April 4, 1949.
    • It sought to create a counterweight to Soviet armies stationed in Central and Eastern Europe after World War II.
    • Its original members were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
    • NATO has spread a web of partners, namely Egypt, Israel, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland and Finland.

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  • General Sherman: World’s largest tree

    Two wildfires in California are burning through the Sequoia National Park in the Sierra Nevada that is home to some of the largest trees in the world.

    Among these trees is the world’s largest tree popularly known as General Sherman, which firefighters are now trying to protect from the blaze.

    About General Sherman

    • The General Sherman tree is the world’s largest in terms of volume and exists in the Giant Forest sequoia grove of the national park.
    • As per recent estimates, General Sherman is about 2,200 years old.
    • It stands at a height of 275 feet (taller than the leaning tower of Pisa) and has a diameter of 36 feet at the base.
    • Even 60 feet above the base, the tree has a diameter of 17.5 feet.
    • Giant sequoia trees have existed in the national park for thousands of years and there are an estimated 2,000 such trees in the park.

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  • Improve your Prelims score by 30-35 marks with last-minute FREE session by Arpit sir | Envt. and S&T | For Prelims 2021 and UPSC 2022 aspirants | Limited slots available

    Improve your Prelims score by 30-35 marks with last-minute FREE session by Arpit sir | Envt. and S&T | For Prelims 2021 and UPSC 2022 aspirants | Limited slots available

    Dear aspirants,

    In the past few years, UPSC has been asking a number of questions from subjects like – Environment and Science, and Technology consistently in both Preliminary and Main Exam. This Webinar has very clear objectives to streamline your preparation in these subjects if you have started it, and to guide you if you are going to start now.

    REGISTER HERE FOR THE FREE WEBINAR | LIMITED SLOTS AVAILABLE

    Why is this session important?

    Environment and S&T make up 20% of the paper. You cannot afford to miss a single question.

    What can you learn in this webinar?

    1. The contour of syllabus: What to read – implicit and explicit decoding of the syllabus (for both static and current affairs).
    2. Confidence Building in subjects – Environment and S&T for Prelims 2021/22. This is essential for those done with at least one reading of the basic material.
    3. Process Orientation: The right methodology to reach to a logical conclusion while solving MCQs in Environment and S&T questions.
    4. Integration: Static + Dynamic And Knowledge + Reasoning
    5. Answer Writing: Outlining the importance and approach towards answer writing in these subjects. 
    6. Managing With Work: Discussion on approach towards the exam for working professionals to utilise their time better.

    Dedicated Q&A session for specific queries.

    This live webinar is going to be one of the best ways to start or rejuvenate your preparation in these subjects. 

    Overall, this is the first step to rationalize your preparation and maximize the probability of cracking UPSC CSE.

    The webinar is absolutely free. 

    Date: 19/9/21 (Sunday)

    Time: 7:00 P.M.

    register here for the free webinar | Limited slots available

    About your Mentor – Arpit Verma
    Arpit is an Engineer by qualification and a teacher by inclination. He has experience in all the stages of UPSC and is in the coaching industry for about 8 years with diverse exposure. For him, the process is more important than instant gratification as once learned, it is the process that will ensure exam outcome.

    REGISTER HERE FOR THE FREE WEBINAR | LIMITED SLOTS AVAILABLE

  • [Burning Issue] India – Sri Lanka relations in recent times

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    India and Sri Lanka have a legacy of intellectual, cultural, religious, and linguistic interaction, and the relationship between the two countries is more than 2500 years old. Trade and investment have grown and there is cooperation in the fields of development, education, culture, and defense.

    India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy towards Sri Lanka had resonated with Sri Lanka’s ‘India First’ foreign and security policy in 2020.

    However in recent times, due to Chinese intervention, the ties between the two countries have plummeted. The condition is likely to worsen with Sri Lanka declaring a state of emergency in the country.

    Brief background of India-SL relations

    • India is the only neighbor of Sri Lanka, separated by the Palk Strait; both nations occupy a strategic position in South Asia and have sought to build a common security umbrella in the Indian Ocean.
    • There are deep racial and cultural links between the two countries. Both share a maritime border.
    • The India- SL relations have been however tested by the Sri Lankan Civil War and by the controversy of Indian intervention during the war.
    • In recent years Sri Lanka has moved closer to China, especially in terms of naval agreements.
    • India has signed a nuclear energy deal to improve relations and made a nuclear energy pact with Sri Lanka in 2015.

    India’s role in the Lankan Civil War

    • In the 1970s–1980s, the RAW and the state government of Tamil Nadu were believed to be encouraging the funding and training for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist insurgent force.
    • In 1987, faced with growing anger amongst its own Tamils, and a flood of refugees India intervened directly in the conflict for the first time.
    • This was after the Sri Lankan government attempted to regain control of the northern Jaffna region by means of an economic blockade and military assaults; India supplied food and medicine by air and sea.

    Why did India intervene?

    • Indian intervention in Sri Lankan civil war became inevitable as that civil war threatened India’s unity, national interest and territorial integrity.

    Outcomes

    • The peace accord assigned a certain degree of regional autonomy in the Tamil areas with a body controlling the regional council and called for the Tamil militant groups to lay down their arms.
    • Further India was to send a peacekeeping force, named the IPKF to Sri Lanka to enforce the disarmament and to watch over the regional council.
    • The accord failed over the issue of representations. The result was that the LTTE now found itself engaged in military conflict with the Indian Army.

    Areas of cooperation

    Economic Relations
    • India and Sri Lanka enjoy a vibrant and growing economic and commercial partnership, which has witnessed considerable expansion over the years.
    • India and Sri Lanka are member nations of several regional and multilateral organizations such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme, South Asian Economic Union and BIMSTEC.
    • India is Sri Lanka’s third largest export destination, after the US and UK.
    • India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA): More than 60% of Sri Lanka’s exports enjoy the benefits of the agreement, which came into effect in March 2000.
      • Sri Lanka remains among the largest trade partners of India in the SAARC.
    Development co-operation
    • Line of Credit: India is active in a number of areas of development activity in Sri Lanka. About one-sixth of the total development credit granted by India is made available to Sri Lanka.
    • Development Partnership: India’s development partnership with Colombo has always been demand-driven, with projects covering social infrastructure like education, health, housing, access to clean water and sanitation, besides industrial development.
    • Concessional financing of about $2 billion has been provided to Sri Lanka through various Indian government-supported Lines of Credit across sectors for railway connectivity, infrastructure, etc.
    • Foreign direct investment (FDI) from India amounted to around $ 1.7 billion over the years from 2005 to 2019.
    • Fishing Sector: Projects for providing fishing equipment to the fishermen in the East of Sri Lanka and solar energy aided computer education in 25 rural schools in Eastern Sri Lanka are under consideration.
    • Healthcare: India has supplied medical equipment to hospitals at Hambantota and Point Pedro, supplied 4 state-of-the-art ambulances to the Central Province etc.
    • Tourism: Indian governments have also showed interest in collaborating with their Sri Lankan counterparts on building tourism between the two countries based on shared religious heritage.
    Defense and strategic cooperation
    • India and Sri Lanka conducts one of the largest joint Military exercises called ‘Mitra Shakti’. Both conducts joint naval exercise called ‘SLINEX’.
    • India is the largest provider of defense training program to Sri Lankan soldiers and Defence officials
    • India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives have signed trilateral maritime security cooperation in the Indian Ocean region.
      • The cooperation aims at improving surveillance, anti-piracy operations and reducing maritime pollution
    Cultural relations
    • India and Sri Lanka have a shared legacy of historical, cultural, religious, spiritual and linguistic ties that is more than 2,500 years old.
    • In contemporary times, the Cultural Cooperation Agreement signed between the two governments forms the basis for periodic Cultural Exchange Programmes between the two countries.
    People-to-people ties
    • Buddhism is one of the strongest pillars connecting the two nations and civilizations from the time when the Great Indian Emperor Ashoka sent his children Arhat Mahinda and Their Sangamitta to spread the teachings of Lord Buddha at the request of King Devanampiya Tissa of Sri Lanka.
    • Underlining the deep people-to-people connect and shared Buddhist heritage, the venerated relics of Lord Buddha from Kapilawasthu discovered in 1970 in India have been exhibited two times in Sri Lanka.
    • India in 2020, announced USD 15 million grant assistance for protection and promotion of Buddhist ties between India and Sri Lanka.
      • It may be utilized for construction/renovation of Buddhist monasteries, education of young monks, strengthening engagement of Buddhist scholars and clergy, development of Buddhist heritage museums, etc.
    Plummeting relations
    • The ties began to worsen between the two since February, 2021 when Sri Lanka backed out from a tripartite partnership with India and Japan for its East Container Terminal Project at the Colombo Port, citing domestic issues.
      • However, later, the West Coast Terminal was offered under a public private partnership arrangement to Adani Ports and Special Economic Zones Ltd.
    • Sri Lanka in a state of economic emergency: Sri Lanka is running out of foreign exchange reserves for essential imports like food. It has recently declared a state of economic emergency.
      • Covid Impact:
        • Sri Lanka increased policy rates after the covid pandemic in response to rising inflation in August 2021 caused by currency depreciation.
        • Tourism sector has suffered since the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 2019, followed by the pandemic.
        • Earnings fell from $3.6 billion in 2019 to $0.7 billion in 2020, even as FDI inflows halved from $1.2 billion to $670 million over the same period.
        • Sri Lanka’s fragile liquidity situation has put it at high risk of debt distress. Its public debt-to-GDP ratio was at 109.7% in 2020, and its gross financing needs remain high at 18% of GDP.
        • Its gross official reserves slipped to $2.8 billion, which is equivalent to just 1.8 months of imports. More than $2.7 billion of foreign currency debt will be due in the next two years.

    Major outstanding issues

     Fishing disputes
    • There have been several alleged incidents of Sri Lankan Navy personnel firing on Indian fishermen fishing in the Palk Strait, where India and Sri Lanka are only separated by 12 nautical miles.
    • The issue started because of Indian fishermen having used mechanized trawlers, which deprived the Sri Lankan fishermen (including Tamils) of their catch and damaged their fishing boats.
    • The Sri Lankan government wants India to ban use of mechanized trawlers in the Palk Strait region, and negotiations on this subject are undergoing.
    • So far, no concrete agreement has been reached since India favors regulating these trawlers instead of banning them altogether.
    Alleged political interference
    • A media report from Colombo soon after Rajapaksa’s defeat in the January 8 elections of 2015 had said that an Indian Intelligence official was instrumental in uniting rival political parties — the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP) — against him during the polls.
    • In October 2018, President Sirisena alleged that Indian intelligence agencies were plotting his assassination.
    Katchatheevu Island
    • It is an uninhabited island that India ceded to Sri Lanka in 1974 based on a conditional agreement called “Kachchativu island pact”.
    • Later on, Sri Lanka declared Katchatheevu, a sacred land given the presence of a Catholic shrine.
    • But Tamil Nadu claimed that Katchatheevu falls under the Indian Territory and Tamil fishermen have traditionally believed that it belongs to them and therefore want to preserve the right to fish there.
    China factor
    • Sri Lanka has a history of taking independent decisions even if they cause misgivings in India.
    • In the period of low profile relationship between the two nations, Sri Lanka apparently started favoring China over India.
    • China is Sri Lanka’s largest bilateral creditor: China’s loans to the Sri Lankan public sector amounted to 15% of the central government’s external debt, making China the largest bilateral creditor to the country.
      • Sri Lanka has increasingly relied on Chinese credit to address its foreign debt burden.
    • China’s Exports surpasses India: China’s exports to Sri Lanka surpassed those of India in 2020 and stood at $3.8 billion.
      • India’s exports were $3.2 billion.
    • Infrastructural Investment by China: Owing to Sri Lanka’s strategic location at the intersection of major shipping routes, China’s investment stands at $12 billion between 2006 and 2019.
      • Unable to service its debt, in 2017, Sri Lanka lost the unviable Hambantota port to China for a 99-year lease.
      • Sri Lanka passed the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act, which provides for establishing a special economic zone around the port and also a new economic commission, to be funded by China.
      • The Colombo port is crucial for India as it handles 60% of India’s trans-shipment cargo.
    • Shifting interests due to economic crisis: Sri Lanka’s economic crisis may further push it to align its policies with Beijing’s interests.
      • This comes at a time when India is already on a diplomatic tightrope with Afghanistan and Myanmar.
      • Other South Asian nations like Bangladesh, Nepal and the Maldives have also been turning to China to finance large-scale infrastructure projects.

    Why is Sri Lanka important to India?

    • India is Sri Lanka’s closest neighbor. Both sides have built upon a legacy of intellectual, cultural, religious and linguistic interaction.
    • Sri Lanka has always been politically and economically important to India given its strategic geographical position in the Indian Ocean. The relationship has been marked by close contacts at all levels.
    • Sri Lanka sits at the epicenter of the arc connecting the Persian Gulf to the Strait of Malacca. An island nation with an economy that’s mainly reliant on tourism and tea exports, Sri Lanka’s blessed geography puts it at a crucial juncture of the busy shipping lanes of the Indian Ocean.
    • India also has a vital strategic stake in Sri Lanka for its own security interests. An unfriendly Sri Lanka or a Sri Lanka under influence of a power unfriendly to India would strategically discomfit India.
    • For the Indian Navy, Sri Lanka is important as the switching of naval fleets from the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian Sea and vice versa requires the fleets to go around the island nation.
    • Both countries share a common broad understanding on major issues of international interest and experience common social-political problems relating to community divides.

    What does Sri Lanka expect from India?

    • The humanitarian work by Indian agencies like supplies of medicines, doctors and providing refuge to more than 3 lakhs IDP’s during the decade-old civil war has created a sense of mutual cooperation among the countries natives.
    • SL is one of the leading recipients of India’s Line of Credits.
    • India has always rushed for the relief at the first signs of the rains and floods in SL recently. SL still commends the post-tsunami HADR relief operations carried out by India in the end-2004.
    • India’s military, intelligence and security establishment has maintained its relations with its Sri Lankan counterpart, and both sides have been on the same page at all times.
    • The security environment in the neighborhood will be discussed in light of the 21 April Easter Church bombings, and lessons learned from it.
    • India is also the largest provider of defense training programs for Sri Lankan soldiers and Defence officials.

    A greater role for India

     Gathering convergence towards SL

    • Delhi needs to invest some political capital in resolving problems such as the long-standing dispute over fisheries.
    • Beyond its objection to China’s BRI projects, Delhi, either alone or in partnership with like-minded countries like Japan, should offer sustainable terms for infrastructure development.
    • Delhi also needs to contribute more to the development of Colombo’s defence and counter-terror capabilities.

    Answering the Tamil Question

    • The second structural factor shaping India’s relations with Sri Lanka is the Tamil question.
    • Delhi has certainly learned the dangers of being drawn too deep into the domestic conflicts of neighboring countries.
    • If the new government in Colombo can advance reconciliation with the Tamil minority, it will be easier for India to strengthen ties with the Gotabaya government.

    No china factor indeed

    • Labeling governments in Sri Lanka as “pro-China” or “pro-India” is irrelevant. It is evident that China’s economic and strategic salience in the subcontinent is not tied to the regime leadership.
    • Previous Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena who considered as pro-India came to power criticizing the Chinese projects in Sri Lanka, but within two years into power, it extended full backing to the Chinese projects.

    Harnessing the ray of hope

    • Our challenges in Sri Lanka will continue, but we are off to a good start with the new government.
    • The new president has made repeated statements that his government would like Sri Lanka to be a “neutral country” and that “Sri Lanka won’t do anything that will harm India’s interests.”
    • Gotabaya was also critical of the previous government giving Hambantota Port on a 99-year lease to China.
    • He went on to add that giving land as investment for developing a hotel or a commercial property was not a problem but the strategically important, economically important harbor, giving that is not acceptable.
    • The Rajapaksas have acknowledged that India has not interfered in the recent elections.
    • The first visit abroad by Gotabaya Rajapaksa to India has its own symbolic significance, translating into a diplomatic gesture his statement to the EAM that while China is a trade partner, India is a relative.

    Way Forward

    • Nurturing the Neighborhood First policy with Sri Lanka will therefore be important for India, albeit with due caution, to preserve its strategic interests in the Indian Ocean region.
    • Regional platforms like the BIMSTEC, SAARC, SAGAR and the IORA could be leveraged to foster cooperation in common areas of interest like technology-driven agriculture and marine sector development, IT and communication infrastructure, renewable energy, and transport and connectivity.
    • Both countries could also cooperate on enhancing private sector investments to create economic resilience.
    • This stability in the Indian government should find synergy with the new Sri Lankan president policy which includes “neutrality” and “non-alignment” between major powers.
    • Rather than focusing on building the case against China, New Delhi must step up its efforts to show what it is for.
    • India can never match Beijing’s economic wherewithal to make a difference to Colombo’s developmental requirements.
    • But it can carve out a niche role in some areas and also partner smartly with likeminded strategic partners like Japan to make an economic and strategic difference in Sri Lanka and make use of and leverage India’s soft power.

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  • Streak Daily Compilation of Questions & Videos – Sep 17, 2021

    Maintaining consistency is one of the biggest issues faced by IAS Aspirants. Streak’s initiative is to help Aspirants in their day-to-day preparation. You can follow the monthly, weekly, and daily timetables and continue this streak until you find yourself on the final list.

    Please register for Streak Initiative (free) through this link:- https://www.civilsdaily.com/course/streak-daily-initiative/

    You will get following study material:-

    1. Questions (PDF).
    2. RSTV/Yojana monthly notes (PDF).
    3. Burning issue (PDF).
    4. Subject specific (PDF).
    5. Mentor’s phone call for support & encouragement.

    _____________________________________________

    Daily Study Plan with Answer Writing Challenge || STREAK FREE INITIATIVE FOR UPSC IAS – by Ravi Ranjan

    UPSC PRELIMS-2021 || Current Affairs Based Most Probable Questions on International Relations – by Sukanya Rana

    Q1) Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) which aims to build resilient supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region was launched by which of the following countries? 

    1. India 

    2. China 

    3. Australia 

    4. Sri Lanka 

    5. New Zealand 

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below: 

    a. 1 and 3 only 

    b. 1, 2 and 4 only 

    c. 1, 2 and 4 only 

    d. All of the above

    Q2) Global EV Outlook 2021 is published by which of the following organisations? 

    a. International Energy Agency 

    b. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 

    c. International Atomic Energy Agency 

    d. International Renewable Energy Agency

    Q3) With respect to India-UK bilateral relations, consider the following statements: 

    1. India and the United Kingdom have enjoyed a Strategic Partnership since 2004. 

    2. The UK is the 3rd largest inward investor in India, after Mauritius, and Singapore. 

    3. Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) was jointly initiated by India and the United Kingdom. 

    Which of the statements given above are correct? 

    a. 1 and 2 only 

    b. 1 and 3 only 

    c. 2 and 3 only 

    d. 1, 2 and 3

    Q4) With respect to One Health, sometimes seen in the news recently, consider the following statements: 

    1. It is a high-level expert panel formed by the World Health Organization (WHO). 

    2. It will study the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases and advise global agencies on how future outbreaks, especially due to zoonotic diseases, can be averted. 

    Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 

    a. 1 only 

    b. 2 only 

    c. Both 1 and 2 

    d. Neither 1 nor 2

    Q5) Consider the following statements with respective to Open Skies Treaty Arms Control Pact 

    1. Under the treaty, a member state can “spy” on any part of the host nation, with the latter’s consent. 

    2. Both the U.S and India are members of the treaty and Russia is not a member of the treaty. 

    Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 

    a. 1 only 

    b. 2 only 

    c. Both 1 and 2 

    d. Neither 1 nor 2

  • Building a resilient economy

    Context

    To revive and sustain growth, action is needed both at the international and national levels.

    Hopes of V-shaped recovery of Indian economy

    • The National Statistical Office (NSO) had recently estimated that India’s economic growth has surged to 20.1% in the April-June quarter.
    • In its recently launched Trade and Development Report 2021, UNCTAD has estimated global growth to hit 5.3% in 2021 and growth in India to hit 7.2%.
    • According to the report, India showed strong quarterly growth of 1.9% in the first quarter of 2021, on the back of the momentum of the second half of 2020 and supported by government spending in goods and services.
    • Given the inherent fragilities, India’s growth in 2021 as a whole is estimated at 7.2%, which is one of the fastest compared to most countries in the analysis.
    • But it is still not sufficient to regain the pre-COVID-19 income level.
    • However, going forward, the economy is likely to experience a deceleration of growth to 6.7% growth in 2022.

    Ways to sustain growth

    1) Efforts at the International level

    • To revive and sustain growth, action is needed both at the international and national levels.
    • TRIPS waiver: The report strongly supports India’s proposed temporary suspension of the World Trade Organization TRIPS waiver.
    • Waiver is considered as a necessary step to enable the local manufacture of vaccines in developing countries

    2) Steps to be taken at the national level

    • Resilience: At the national level, COVID-19 has reinforced the idea that resilience is a public good and responsibility of the state.
    • It has to be delivered through a robust public sector with the resources to make the necessary investments, provide the complementary services and coordinate the multiple activities that building resilience involves.
    • Mobilising financial resources: We need a financial system that accords a more significant role to public banks, breaks up and guards against the emergence of megabanks, and exercises stronger regulatory oversight is more likely to deliver a healthier investment climate.
    • Minimum wage:  Wages are a critical source of demand and their growth can stimulate productivity and underpin a strong social contract.
    • Minimum wages and related labour legislation are needed for appropriate protection against abusive practices.
    • Policies for informal sector: Policies targeting informality are of particular importance, especially for a country like India with a large informal economy.

    Conclusion

    It is important to build a healthy, diversified economy. For this, a strong industrial policy focusing on building digital capacities is needed. A resilient economy goes beyond offering a residual category of safety nets designed to stop those left behind from falling further.

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  • How to Prepare Environment and S&T holistically| Free Session by Arpit sir | For Prelims 2021 and UPSC 2022 aspirants | Limited slots available

    How to Prepare Environment and S&T holistically| Free Session by Arpit sir | For Prelims 2021 and UPSC 2022 aspirants | Limited slots available

    Dear aspirants,

    In the past few years, UPSC has been asking a number of questions from subjects like – Environment and Science, and Technology consistently in both Preliminary and Main Exam. This Webinar has very clear objectives to streamline your preparation in these subjects if you have started it, and to guide you if you are going to start now.

    REGISTER HERE FOR THE FREE WEBINAR | LIMITED SLOTS AVAILABLE

    Why is this session important?

    Environment and S&T make up 20% of the paper. You cannot afford to miss a single question.

    What can you learn in this webinar?

    1. The contour of syllabus: What to read – implicit and explicit decoding of the syllabus (for both static and current affairs).
    2. Confidence Building in subjects – Environment and S&T for Prelims 2021/22. This is essential for those done with at least one reading of the basic material.
    3. Process Orientation: The right methodology to reach to a logical conclusion while solving MCQs in Environment and S&T questions.
    4. Integration: Static + Dynamic And Knowledge + Reasoning
    5. Answer Writing: Outlining the importance and approach towards answer writing in these subjects. 
    6. Managing With Work: Discussion on approach towards the exam for working professionals to utilise their time better.

    Dedicated Q&A session for specific queries.

    This live webinar is going to be one of the best ways to start or rejuvenate your preparation in these subjects. 

    Overall, this is the first step to rationalize your preparation and maximize the probability of cracking UPSC CSE.

    The webinar is absolutely free. 

    Date: 19/9/21 (Sunday)

    Time: 7:00 P.M.

    register here for the free webinar | Limited slots available

    About your Mentor – Arpit Verma
    Arpit is an Engineer by qualification and a teacher by inclination. He has experience in all the stages of UPSC and is in the coaching industry for about 8 years with diverse exposure. For him, the process is more important than instant gratification as once learned, it is the process that will ensure exam outcome.

    REGISTER HERE FOR THE FREE WEBINAR | LIMITED SLOTS AVAILABLE

  • Important Historical Sculpture/Tribes in India, Their festivals, and Culture

    17th Sept 2021

     

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    Important Historical Sculpture and Paintings
             Famous Sculpture/                             PaintingEra/ Dynasty     Monument
      Bodhisattva PadmapaniGupta PeriodAjanata
      Mahakapi JatakaSungaBharhut stupa
      Torso of VishnuGupta PeriodMathura
      Stupa worshipMauryan/Sunga periodBharhut stupa
      YakshiniMauryan/Sunga periodBharhut stupa
      Queen Maya’s dreamMauryan/Sunga periodBharhut stupa
      Painting of Yashodahara,Rahul & buddhaGupta PeriodAjanata
      Standing BuddhaGupta PeriodSarnath
      Seated BuddhaKushanasMathura
      Standing BuddhaKushanasGandhara
      Mara VijayaMultiple periodAjanta
      MaheshmurthiRashtrakuta PeriodElephanta caves
      Shiva chasing boarVijaynagara PeriodLepakshi temple
      Shiva killing Tripurasura Thanjavoor
      DakshinamurthyVijaynagara PeriodLepakshi temple
      Ladies attending ParvathyVijaynagara PeriodLepakshi temple
      Krishna playing the flute Pundareekapuram temple
      Sheshashayana VishnuGupta PeriodDashavtar temple
      Vishnu in Nara-Narayan formGupta PeriodDashavtar temple
      Arjun PenancePallavasMahabalipuram
      Statue of SuparshvanathaPallavas 
      Statue of Gommateshwara,Ganga DynastyShravanbelagola, Karnataka
      YakshiMauryan PeriodDidarganj
      Durga with eight arms shown in the act of defeating Mahishasura,PallavasMahishasura Mardini Cave, Mahabalipuram
      Ravana Shaking Mount KailashaRashtrakutaEllora
      Nandi bullCholasBrihadeshwara temple
      Kalyana Sundara MurthyRashtrakutaEllora
      NayikaGanga DynastyLingraj temple
      NatarajaCholasBrideshwar temple
      Manjira playerGanga DynastySurya Mandir,Odhisa
      MohiniHoysalasChennakeshava temple
      Pillars with horse riderNaykasMeenakshi temple
      Worship of Bodhi treeMauryan PeriodBharhut
      Animals worshipping Bodhi treeSungasSanchi
      YakshiniSungasSanchi
      Taming of Nalagiri elephantMauryan PeriodAmravati
      Head of BuddhaKushanasGandhara
      Seated BuddhaKushanasMathura
      Dwarfish Yaksha Pithalkoda caves
      Five RathaPallavasMahabalipuram
      VrikshikaSungaSanchi Stupa
      Buddha’s Great departureKushanasGandhara
      Indra flying amid clouds together with celestial nymphsGupta PeriodAjanta
    The following table contains the tribes in India, significant aspects of their life, and festivals they celebrate.
     Name of the tribeStates/ RegionSignificant aspects related to the tribeFestivals
     MundaChota Nagpur Plateu1.Christianity is their main religion.
    2..They speak Mundari which is austro-asiatic Language.    		Main festivals of Munda tribe are Mage Parab , Ind-Parab Jom-Nagoa or Jom Nawa ,Batauli ,Kolom Sing ,Phagu Festival ,Sarhul or Ba Parab ,Karam and Sohrai Festival
     SanthalsWest Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand and Assam.1.Santhals are the third largest tribe in India.
    2.Santhals speak Santhali, which belongs to the Austro- Asiatic language family. Santhals have their script called Olchiki, which was developed by Dr Raghunath Murmu in 1925.
    3.Santhals have no temples of their own. They even do not worship any idols. Santhals follow the Sarna religion.    		Santhals mainly celebrate the Karam festival which falls in the month of September and October
     AngamiNagaland1.Men wear shawls called white Mhoushu and the black Lohe. The women wear Mechala – the wrap around skirt and shawls of unique designs and patterns
    2.Christianity is the major religion followed among the Angami tribal people
    3.Angamis are quite popular for their woodcraft and artwork.    		Sekrenyi is the main festival celebrated among the Angamis in Nagaland.
     BhilsThe central Bhils are found in the mountain regions in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujrat and Rajasthan. Bhils are also found in the north eastern parts of Tripura.1.Religion practice among the Bhils differ from place to place. Most of them worship local deities like Khandoba, Kanhoba, Bahiroba, and Sitalmata. Some of the worship Tiger God called ‘vaghdev’. They have no temples of their own.
    2.Ghoomar is the most famous dance among the Bhils.
    3.Than Gair is the religious dance drama performed by the men in the month of Sharavana (July and August)    		The Baneshwar fair is the main festival celebrated among the Bhils. This fair is held during the period of Shivatri (in the month of January or February) and is dedicated to Baneshwar Mahadev also known as Lord Shiva. On this occasion Bhils gather all together set up camps on the banks of the Som and Mahi river.
     ChenchusChenchu inhabit in the Nallamalai hills, which have been the part of the Nagarjuna Sagar Tiger Sanctuary for centuries in Andhra Pradesh India.1.Chenchus talk in Chenchu language with the Telgu accent. Their language is also known as Chenchucoolam, Chenchwar, Chenswar or Choncharu.
    2.Chenchus worship number of deities. They mainly believe in Bhagaban taru who lives in the sky and look after the Chenchus in all their doings. Another deity they worship is Garelamai Sama, who is the Goddess of forest.    		 
     KhasisKhasi tribe is mainly found in the sate of Assam and the Khasi Jaintia hills in Meghalaya1.Khasis speak Khasi, which is an Austro- Asiatic language. It is the part of the Mon-Khmer group of languages.
    2.Khasis have a matriachal society.
    3.Most of the Khasis follow Christianity as the religion. The Khasi believe in the supreme creator God U Blei Nong-thaw.    		Nongkrem is the major festival celebrated among the Khasis.
     BhuthiasBhutia tribes are of the Tibetan origin. They migrated to Sikkim around 16th century. In the northern part of the Sikkim where they are the major inhabitants, they are known as the Lachenpas and Lachungpas. Majority of the Bhutias are concentrated in the dry valley of the North Sikkim.1.Bhutia tribes usually speak Sikkimese.
    2.The legal system among the Bhutias is termed as the Dzumsa, which means the rendezvous point of the common masses.
    3. Bhutia male wear Bakhu which is a loose traditional dress with the full sleeves. While the women dress consists of Silken Honju, which is the full sleeves blouse    		Losar and Losoong are the main festivals celebrated among the Bhutia tribes.
     GondsThe Gonds are the tribal community mostly found in the Gond forests of central India. They are widely spread in the Chhindwara District of Madhya Pradesh1.Gonds tribe speak Gondi language which is related to the Telgu and the other Dravidian languages.
    2.Gonds have been largely influenced by the Hindus and for the long time have been practicing the Hindus culture and traditions. Gonds are the worshipers of Janani or the mother of creator.
    3.Gusadi dance is the most famous dance perfomed by the Gonds.    		Gonds fair and festivals are influenced from the Hindu traditions. Keslapur Jathra is the important festival of the Gonds.
     GaddisHimachal Pradesh.1.The main occupation of Gaddi tribes is shepherding and they make their livelihood by rearing and selling sheeps, goats, mules and horses
    2. They speak Gaddi langauge    		The Namagen dance is performed in the month of September to celebrate the autum. They were costumes which are largely woolen and studded with ornaments of silver. They are worn by women.
     BirhorChattisgarh1.They follow Hinduism and have their indigenous traditional beliefs. ‘Sing Bonga’, is regarded by the people as the supreme god.
    2.Birhor tribe is one of the primitive tribes. They belong to the Proto-Australoid stock; linguistically, they originate from the Austro-Asiatic group.    		 
     GaroMeghalaya1.In Garo tribes, women are the owners of property thus making it a matrilineal society.
    2.most of the Garos adopted Christianity. These tribes speak Garo language, which is also further divided into different sub-languages or dialects.    		Wangala is one of the significant festivals of these tribes This festival is celebrated after the harvest of crops as thanks giving ceremony to their deity Salijong
     ZeliangNagaland1.The Zeliang practice wet cultivation or Panikheti and terraced cultivation. They practice Jhum cultivation though they prefer Panikheti.
    2.Many have accepted the religion of Christianity.    		The Hega festival is one of the most important and the largest festivals among the Zeliang community
     RengmaNagaland1.They belong to the Mongoloid racial stock. The Rengma is a patriarchal society therefore the line of descent is traced through the male side and property rights goes to the male line.   2.The Rengma tribes are agriculturists. They grow paddy through Jhum cultivation and wet cultivation. 3.Traditionally Rengma tribes are worshippers of supernatural beings. The Supreme god is known as Teronyu. Nyensug and Nyensugi are the next important god and goddesses who are worshipped for household wealth. Now most of the Rengma tribes are ChristiansNgada is the most important festival of Rengma tribes. It is celebrated after harvesting the crop or at the end of November or in the beginning of December. Actually it is a “Thanks giving” festival of the Rengma tribes
     AoNagalandThe Ao Nagas are rich in their folk literature.
    With the arrival of Christian missionaries in the 19th century the Ao were some of the earliest converts to Christianity among the other Naga tribes.    		1. The Aos observe Moatsü Mong after the sowing is done. The festival provides them a period of recreation and entertainment after the stressful work of clearing fields, burning jungles, sowing seeds, cleaning up the Tsubu (wells) and repairs and construction of houses by elders of the Putu Menden, stretching over a week.
    2.Aos have another festival called Tsüngrem Mong. It is celebrated in the eve of the harvest.
     LushaiManipur/Mizoram1.Lushai tribes have developed expertise in swimming and hunting. That they are good archers are apparent from the fact that they can nicely handle ‘Sairawkher’.
    2.The way they dress shows that these Lushai tribes have got aesthetic sense. Lukhum is a special hat worn by the Lushai tribes. It is sharp in shape, mainly prepared from ‘bamboo splits’. Special open-hexagonal weave are used for weaving these hats.
    3.For proper administration, the whole of the Lushai society are segregated into clans and castes, nicely run by a village head. Different is the way in which they practice the ‘Sakhua sacrifice’. These Lushai tribes are pious.    		There Bamboo dance(known as Cheraw dance) is very famous.
     HmarManipur1.The society is patrilineal and patriarchal in nature.
    2. Hmars worship supernatural beings. Pathien is the supreme god.
    3.The Hmars depend on forest products. Their economy can be classified dually -traditional and subsidiary occupations.    		Chawn-lam, Dar-lam, Pheipheet-lam, Hrang-lam, Tinna-Hla-lam are the common dances of the Hmar community. All dances are based on the rhythmic tunes of musical instruments.
     KukiManipurKuki Tribe of Manipur are mainly followers of Christianity and Judaism. 
     MizoMizoram1.The Mizos are of the Mongoloid racial stock with well built features.
    2.They follow Christianity
    3.The Mizos are mainly an agricultural people. Jhum cultivation is the traditional form of agriculture that is practiced    		The Mizo celebrate many festivals among which Chapchar kut and Pavlkut are most important festivals. Chapchar kut is celebrated in the month of March. It is the spring festival celebrated. Pawl kut is a harvest festival celebrated in the months of December and January.
     ChakesangNagaland Held in between March and April, the Tsukhenyi festival is one of the least known tribal festivals in India that is celebrated with great enthusiasm by the Chakesang Nagass
     LimboosSikkim1.Many Limbu follow a combination of Buddhism and their traditional beliefs.
    2.There traditional group dance is called dhannach and is performed during marriage,death or any festivities
    3.The traditional dress of Limboos are mekhli and Taga    		 
     LepchasSikkim1.The Lepchas are the aboriginal inhabitants of Sikkim and they are mostly settled in North Sikkim. They are mostly Buddhist but many of them have now adopted Christianity
    2. The traditional cloths of the Lepchas are woven in exquisite colour combinations. Men’s dress is called Thokro-Dum and the female’s dress is called Dumdyam or Dumvum.
    3. The Lepcha trace their descent patrilineally. The marriage is negotiated between the families of the bride and the groom.    		 
     ApataniAruanchal Pradesh1.UNESCO has proposed the Apatani valley for inclusion as a World Heritage Site for its “extremely high productivity” and “unique” way of preserving the ecology
    2. Women of the Apatani Tribe, in India’s Apatani plateau, are famous for the bizarre nose plugs they’ve been wearing since times long passed.    		They have two major festival- Dree and Myoko.
     NyishisAruanchal Pradesh1.The Nyishi language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family, however, the origin is disputed.
    2.Polygyny is prevalent among the Nyish.
    3. The Nyishis, who traditionally wear cane helmets surmounted by the crest of a hornbill beak (known as pudum, padam), have considerably affected the population of this bird.
    Several organizations, such as the Arunachal Wildlife and Nature Foundation and the Wildlife Trust of India, have been trying to stop the Nyishi hunting these birds in order to protect them from extinction. Nature reserves, such as the Pakke Sanctuary, are being set up to protect the birds, while artificial materials, such as fiberglass, have been introduced as an alternative to the hornbill beak in Nyishi dress.    		Nyokum is the festival celebrated by the Nyishi people, a religion which commemorates their ancestors.
     AdisAruanchal PradeshAdi dances vary from the slow, rustic and beautifully enchanting style Ponung (performed in Solung festival) to the exhilarating, exuberant thumps of Delong performed by Men in Etor festival. These dances have led to certain forms of dancing which jointly narrate a story, the Tapu (War Dance). In the Tapu War Dance, the dancers vigorously re-enact the actions of war, its gory details and the triumphant cries of the warriors. Yakjong is performed in Aran festival.The Adi celebrate a number of festivals, in particular their prime festivals are Aran, Solung, Etor.Solung, is observed in the first week of September for five days or more. It is a harvest festival performed after the sowing of seeds and transplantation, to seek for future bumper crops. Ponung songs and dances are performed by women folk during the festival
     Sema/Sumi NagasNagaland1.The ‘Sumi Naga’ is one of the major Naga peoples in Nagaland, India. The Sumis mainly inhabit the Zunheboto district, although many have spread and is now living in a few more districts within Nagaland.
    2.Sumi Naga tribe practiced kiti-do and were a headhunter as every other Naga tribals .    		Tuluni (July 8) is a festival of great significance for the Sumi. This festival is marked with feasts as the occasion occurs in the bountiful season of the year. Drinking rice beer indispensably forms as part of the feasts. Rice beer is served in a goblet made of bamboo or made from the leaf of plantain. This drink is called Tuluni which gives the festival its name.
     Konyak tribeNagalandThe Konyak are a Naga people, and are recognised among other Naga by their tattoos, which they have all over their face and hands; facial tattoos were earned for taking an enemy’s head. They are called the land of Angh’s. They have the largest population among the Nagas.Aoleang is the biggest festival for the Konyak. They wear their traditional attire and sing folk song to celebrate the Aoleang festival.
     ReangTripura1.The Reangs are basically a semi-nomadic tribe who practice jhum (slash and burn) or shifting method of cultivation on the hill sides.
    2. The Reang basically belonged to the Mongoloid group and speaks the Tibeto-Burmese language ‘Kau Bru    		The Hodaigri dance amongst the Reang (Bru) was usually performed on the occasion of Maikhlungmo rituals i.e. worship of Goddess of food grains and cotton especially during the month of September-October
     MishingAssam1.The Mishing tribe is the second largest tribe among the other tribes of North- East India.
    2.Traditionally Mishing people live near the bank of river and they build their “Chang Ghar” with the help of timber bamboo, thatch, etc for comfort living.    		Mishing people are easy going, very simple living and are fond of festivals. The main festival is “Ali-Aye-Ligang” which is the most colourful spring festival held every year on first Wednesday of the month “Gimur polo”(Feb-March).
     KarbiAssam1.The Karbis believes in animism which consists of such a belief in the role of spiritual beings in human life.
    2. Various types of dances are performed by the youths during the performances of Chomangkan, the death ceremony and other socio-religious festivals. The Karbis have very limited number of musical instruments. A big drum called Cheng is their main musical instrument.    		A number of festivals are observed by the people belonging to Karbi tribal group. Like for instance, they celebrate ‘Chojun Puja’ or ‘Swarak Puja’, ‘Rongker’, ‘Chokk-eroi’, ‘Hacha-Kekan’, ‘Chomangkan’.
     MikirAssam  
     KolsMadhya PradeshMost of these tribes are landless labourer. They prefer to live in groups near villages called Kolhan 
     BondaOdhisaThe Bonda are an ancient tribe of people who live in the isolated hill regions of the Malkangiri district of southwestern Odisha, India, 
     OaronsOdhisa,Bihar and Jharkhand1.Oraon also called Kurukh, aboriginal people of the Chota Nagpur region in the state of Jharkhand, India. They call themselves Kurukh and speak a Dravidian language akin to Gondi and other tribal languages of central India.
    2.Speakers of Oraon number about 1,900,000, but in urban areas, and particularly among Christians, many Oraon speak Hindi as their mother tongue.
    3.It was long thought that the Oraons and the other tribals were animists, people who attribute a living soul to plants, inanimate objects and natural phenomena. This view has been discarded although amateur anthropologists still sort it out in articles, in popular magazines. The Oraons are not nature worshipers.    		 
     MuriasChattisgarh1.The Muria are an adivasi (scheduled tribe) of the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, India. They are part of the Gondi people.
    2.They have mixed-sex dormitories where adolescents are sent to practice premarital sex, sometimes with a single partner and sometimes serially.
    3.The Muria are traditionally animists, with village and clan deities    		 
     KorbaChattisgarhFamous for there Karma dance 
     SahariyaRajasthan1.Sahariya Tribe is the only primitive tribe of the Rajasthan state
    2.They follow Hindu religious practices and speak a dialect influenced by Hadoti.    		 
     IrulasTamil Nadu1. They inhabit the area of the Nilgiri mountains, in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, India
    2.Early 20th century anthropological literature classified the Irular under the Negrito ethnic group.
    3.Unlike the Negrito tribes in the Andaman Islands who have retained their language, Irular speak the Irula language, a Dravidian language that is closely related to Tamil, Yerukala, Sholaga and other Tamil languages    		 
     BadagasTamil Nadu1.The Badagas live in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu, India. They speak the unwritten Badaga language and are the one of the social groups in Nilgiris
    2.Thundu (a white piece of cloth) forms an integral part of the attire of Badaga women and as a cultural item, is presented to visiting dignitaries as a gesture of good will.    		Their important festival is Hethai Habba.
     UralisKerela1.The Urali tribes like most of the tribes in south India, worship nature as Gods and inventor of the world. They consider the Sun as ‘the creator of all souls’ and moon as the mother of all creation.
    2.The Uralis generally do not engage in inter-tribal marriage, instead they prefer to marry within their own tribe. It is custom amongst them to wear a sacred thread on special occasions like weddings and funerals.    		 
     JarawasAndaman & Nicobar Island1.The Jarawa are still at the primitive stage of life on earth. They entirely depend upon forest and sea for food. Wild boar and monitor lizard are consumed. Various kinds of fruit , honey and tubers are parts of their diet too.
    2.The jarawas of both sexes go complete naked. However some ornaments made with shells and palm leaves are worn by them but these are not in the sense to cover their nudity.
    This tribe has lived in the southeast part of Andaman but after the British regime they shifted to the western region of the island. They have forever been hunter gatherers in the true sense however things have changed since the 1990’s specially after the building of the old trunk road.    		 
     SentineleseAndaman & Nicobar Island1.The Sentinelese people are said to be so hostile that their home has been named the ‘hardest place to visit’ in the world.The Sentinelese and other indigenous Andamanese peoples are frequently described as negritos,
    2.They inhabit the North Sentinel island, and are the only remaining tribe in the Andamans to still maintain their isolation from the rest of the world. Nobody knows exactly how they look, the population or how they live. Since 1967, the indian governments with the help of anthropologists have tried to make contact with the tribe. They tried giving gifts of food, coconuts, etc but they were always met with hostility. The tribe showers arrows and stones at whoever comes near the island.
    .    		 
     OngeAndaman & Nicobar IslandOnges are one of the most primitive tribes in India. They belong to the Negrito racial stock and they have been mainly seen near the Dugong creek in Little Andaman. They are dependent on the food provided by nature and are a semi-nomadic tribe.
    The onge population fell post british colonization from 672 in 1986 to 92 in 1901 but has remained stable since.    		 
     ShompenAndaman & Nicobar IslandThe Shompens, who live in the Great Nicobar island, are a semi-nomadic people. They wander in their forest and coastal habitat in search of fruits and games. There are two territorial groups among the Shompens; The habitation of Shompens is the Great Nicobar which is the largest among the Nicobar group of Islands. Like the Nicobarese, they belong to the Mongoloid race. 
     PangwalHimachal Pradesh.1.These rugged people, who are Hindus, have their unique customs, traditions, and institutions. The native Pangwals and Bhotis are robust, hardworking, handsome people who keep the valley’s unique culture alive in folk songs, music and tribal dances.Music, dance and the locally brewed liquor ‘patar’, play a significant role in the life of the Pangwals. One of the major festivals celebrated towards the end of February is ‘Jukaru’
     SherdukpenAruanchal Pradesh1.The Sherdukpen language is part of the Kanauri branch of the Tibeto-Burman family.
    2.Bardo Chham is a folk dance of Sherdukpens, a small community of West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh, Bardo Chham is based on the stories of good and evil. According to the local beliefs, there are both good and evil in mankind. The Sherdukpens mask themselves representing the different animals and dance to show an act of fighting the evil forces.    		 
     Wattal tribeJammu & KashmirDumhal dance is performed by Wattal tribe on special occassions 
     BhutiasSikkim1.The Bhutia are a community of people of Tibetan ancestry, who speak Lhopo or Sikkimese, a Tibetan dialect fairly mutually intelligible to standard Tibetan
    2. Singhi Chham or Kanchendzonga Dance is a dance form in Sikkim whereby the dancers perform in a lion costume that represents the snow lion. It is a dance of the Bhutia people    		 
     TodasTamil NaduTribals of Nilgiri hills 

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