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Tiger Density in India
Preliminary findings of a study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) suggest that the density of tigers in the Sunderbans may have reached the carrying capacity of the mangrove forests, leading to frequent dispersals and a surge in human-wildlife conflict.

Tiger Density of India
- In the Terai and Shivalik hills habitat — think Corbett tiger reserve, for example — 10-16 tigers can survive in 100 sq km.
- This slides to 7-11 tigers per 100 sq km in the reserves of north-central Western Ghats such as Bandipur, and to 6-10 tigers per 100 sq km in the dry deciduous forests, such as Kanha, of central India.
- The correlation between prey availability and tiger density is fairly established.
- There is even a simple linear regression explaining the relationship in the 2018 All-India Tiger report that put the carrying capacity in the Sunderbans “at around 4 tigers” per 100 sq km.
- A joint Indo-Bangla study in 2015 pegged the tiger density at 2.85 per 100 sq km after surveying eight blocks spanning 2,913 sq km across the international borders in the Sunderbans.
Conflict: cause or effect
- The consequence, as classical theories go, is frequent dispersal of tigers leading to higher levels of human-wildlife conflict in the reserve peripheries.
- Physical (space) and biological (forest productivity) factors have an obvious influence on a reserve’s carrying capacity of tigers.
- What also plays a crucial role is how the dispersal of wildlife is tolerated by people — from the locals who live around them to policymakers who decide management strategies.
- More so when different land uses overlap and a good number of people depend on forest resources for livelihood.
Why tiger corridors are not a solution?
- But though vital for genes to travel and avoid a population bottleneck, wildlife corridors may not be the one-stop solution for conflict.
- First, not all dispersing tigers will chance upon corridors simply because many will find territories of other tigers between them and such openings.
- Even the lucky few that may take those routes are likely to wander to the forest edges along the way.
- Worse, the corridors may not lead to viable forests in reserves such as Sunderbans, bounded by the sea and villages.
Way ahead
- Artificially boosting the prey base in a reserve is often an intuitive solution but it can be counter-productive.
- To harness the umbrella effect of tigers for biodiversity conservation, it is more beneficial to increase areas occupied by tigers.
- For many, the prescription is to create safe connectivity among forests and allow tigers to disperse safely to new areas.
Try this PYQ from CSP 2020:

Q.Among the following Tiger Reserves, which one has the largest area under “Critical Tiger Habitat” ?

(a) Corbett

(b) Ranthambore

(c) Nagarjunasagar- Srisailam

(d) Sunderbans

[wpdiscuz-feedback id=”3sm90ja3rc” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
March 7, 2022
Ex Vayu Shakti 2022
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to postpone its firepower demonstration, Ex Vayu Shakti, scheduled in the Pokhran ranges in Rajasthan.

Exercise Vayu Shakti
- It is conducted once in three years which is participated by fighters, helicopters, force enablers and support systems.
- The aim of the exercise is to detect and identify targets and neutralise them in day, dusk and night capability demonstrations.
- The Indian Air Force showcases repower capability of indigenously developed aircrafts and its missile arsenal in this exercise.
- Fighter aircraft including Jaguar, Rafale, Sukhoi-30, MIG-29, light combat aircraft Tejas, MIG-21 Bison, Hawk 32, M200 participates in the exercise.
Also read

Various Defence Exercises in News

UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
March 7, 2022
[Sansad TV] Perspective: Cost of Free Power
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

Context
- Ongoing assembly elections in five states have seen a flurry of promises from political parties.
- The prominent one amongst these is the promise of free or subsidised power for farmers and domestic consumers.
Also read:

[Sansad TV] Mudda Aapla: Culture of Freebies

The Lure of Free Electricity
- Free or subsidized power to farmers (sometimes accompanied to the farm loan waiver) is present in election manifestos of each political parties during elections.
- According to a report:
  1. Free power to farmers accounts for 70% of total subsidies.
  2. Free power to the Scheduled Caste, backward caste and BPL families contribute 14%.
  3. Subsidized power to industrial consumers constitutes 16% of total subsidies.
Why free electricity is an issue?
- Cost bared by the States: The entire cost of electricity that includes the cost of production, the purchase price of power, the cost of distribution and collection is bound by the state government.
- Burden on exchequer: Due to free power in Delhi, the total state subsidy amounts to 11% of the total expenses.
- States incapacity to pay back: The State governments have to reimburse the Discoms, but given the financial state of the governments, they either defer the payments or delay the payments.
- DISCOM failure due to poor finances: As the Discoms suffer from financial shortage their ability to provide service is affected, especially in rural and far-flung areas.
- Shortage and outages: This is a key reason for the limited electrification of the industrial and commercial sectors.
Necessity check
- Unaffordability: Providing subsidised low tariffs for small consumers is necessary, considering the rising costs of the electricity supply.
- Relief in distress: Free or low-tariff power is at best a short-term relief, which should be provided to those who desperately need it.
Long term impact

Free power distorts demand, discourages efficient use and resource management.
- Impact on power generation: This makes Discoms unable to pay the generators who are dependent on these finances for the procurement of coal.
- Financial burden on end-customers: It leads to industrial and commercial consumers paying cross-subsidy in terms of higher power tariffs to compensate for the under-recoveries of Discoms.
- Burden on Banks: Banks are also affected as power generators can’t pay the interest due to which the costs of borrowing also increases.
- Tariff Issues: The high tariff also makes the states and the country uncompetitive against the other countries in the global market.
- Ignorance to critical issues: The financial implications are immense, undermining a state’s ability to provide critical services such as health, education and basic infrastructure.
Consequences of free power

The free/subsidized power supply is provided for improving the financial condition of farmers. However, this has led to certain dysfunctions:
- Overuse of Power and Wastage
- Wastage of water through overt irrigation
- Land degradation due to Water Logging
- Such cultivation often leads to Crop Failure
Giving free power imposes intergenerational costs in terms of exacerbating water scarcity and deterioration of air quality.

Policy alternatives: PM-KUSUM
- Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) is an Indian central government-sponsored scheme led by MNRE.
- The PM-KUSUM scheme helps Indian farmers in installing solar pumps as well as solar power plants in India.
- Under KUSUM yojana, you will have to bear only 10% of the total cost. The remaining 30% will be provided by the central government and 30% by the state government as solar pump subsidies.
- In that way, you’ll receive a total 60% subsidy on your solar water pump. The remaining 30% will be financed.
Way forward
- DBT: Eschewing free power is not anti-poor. Electricity-poor households can be supported through direct benefit transfers or prepaid meters.
- Cap on usage: The subsidies should be given for a limited number of units and be given in increasing slabs to avoid overconsumption and wastage.
- Subsidization: Currently, the subsidies are also extended to the large cultivators who grow cash crops, vineyards, sugarcane and make huge profits.
- Concessional tariffs: Fixing concessional tariffs (not below 50% of the discom’s average cost of supply) for consumers with monthly consumption below 50 kWh and connected load up to 1 kW.
- Extensive eligibility: Rather than giving the subsidy to the discoms, the expert group proposed the subsidy be paid as a direct benefit transfer to eligible consumers.
- Feeder separation: Separation of agricultural meters from non-agricultural meters should be implemented throughout the country.
Conclusion
- India needs greater electrification of its economy. It must create the conditions that encourage this.
- The reckless and indiscriminate promise of free power prevents that transition.
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
March 7, 2022
Super-25: 90 days Strategic Study Plan for 25 Chosen Students Appearing in Prelims 2022 ||Aim Everyday for 100+ in Prelims with 2 Veteran UPSC Mentors Giving You 1-1 Guidance|| Popular Prelims Program with 70% Success Rate,Over 100 Tests, Weekly Value Added Notes, 1.5 years of Current Affairs Coverage through Live Classes
talk to us before enrolling in super-25 prelims program

click here for samples of prelims 2021 test paper, discussions & notes

check here for the full timetable OF SMASH PRELIMS super 25

Smash Prelims Super-25 Program is back after a thumping success in Prelims 2021. Out of 25 students Santosh sir has mentored, 15 have cleared prelims this time. Our students were kind enough to take time out of their hectic Mains preparation and let us know how Santosh sir’s mentorship benefitted them in the exams. We wish them all the very best for the upcoming Mains exam from 7th January onwards!

Why Your Focus for Next 3 Months Must be About Scoring Above Cut-Off Marks in UPSC-CSE Prelims? Isn’t the last 1 Month Enough for This?

register here to enroll to Super-25 PROGRAM

REGISTER HERE to get a call before enrolling in super-25 PRELIMS 2022 PROGRAM

CHECK HERE FOR PRELIMS TIMETABLE -Super-25

Every year, the competition for UPSC-CSE is increasing while vacancies are decreasing drastically. This year there are only 712 vacancies as against 2019 which had 927 vacancies. However, atleast 10 lakh students will attempt the prelims exam. This is why right now, it’s important to start having an Olympic Athlete mindset. You need to daily focus on scoring above the cut-off marks in your test series.

Civilsdaily Student and 2019 UPSC-CSE AIR 8 Topper Abhishek Saraf had practiced nearly 6000+ MCQs under us to clear prelims!

What makes prelims tough? It’s because the paper is unpredictable. If this year, science questions are a breeze then the next year you will have to answer advanced concept-based questions. Unlike Mains, Prelims has negative markings.

Toppers like Pranav Vijayvergiya (AIR 65) and Swati Sharma (AIR 17) have found Prelims to be tougher than Mains. In fact, Pranav failed to clear Prelims thrice. But, in his fourth attempt he took Civilsdaily mentorship and cleared Prelims, Mains and Interview in one shot!

Are you feeling low that you are unable to get the required cut-off marks in your test series. Worry not, for about 65% of the UPSC toppers have said that they scored below cut-off marks till December. But by June, they were able to boost their marks to get through the prelims hurdle. It’s time to be like them now.

One has to be good at elimination methods to choose the right option amongst two similar ones. Our Smash Prelims Super-25 Program started as a pilot project last year with an aim to introduce step-wise improvement in our chosen 25 aspirants. Over a period of 2 months, Santhosh sir inculcated confidence in aspirants who were either newbies or gave too many attempts. This year, we achieved a remarkable 60% success ratio. Next year, we have set our eyes on 100%. Yes, we are ambitious and aspirational just like any other UPSC aspirant.

How will Super-25 Program be structured?

We have neither diluted the criteria for selecting aspirants nor the core strategy. Infact, this year Super-25 will be a more effective version of last year.

Four Pillars of Super- 25 Program
1. It is mentorship led test series and value addition program over 90 days.
1. Two-Tier Mentorship: You will have one dedicated mentor during the entire journey, while Santosh Gupta sir will be strategic mentor. Santosh sir will take strategic mentoring calls twice in a week. It would ensure that you do not fall back at any cost and benefit from the experience of two mentors who have cleared the exam 6 times. We will ensure that you achieve not your weekly targets but the target of clearing prelims.
1. Number of tests: 60 practice tests (50 questions) + 40 Full length tests ( 12 Basic + 6 advanced + 10 Current affairs test + 8 FLTs+ 4 CSATs) . It means everyday you can give a test. With this, we will ensure that you revise your syllabus 3 times in three months at least.
1. Current affairs: Entire Current affairs of 1.5 years ( Jan 2021 – April 2022) will be covered by Core faculty, comprising of Santosh sir, Sajal sir, Sudhanshu sir, Birendra sir and Sukanya Ma’am. You will learn how to link current affairs with static topics on the go.
1. Strategic Value Addition Sessions: They say that a woodcutter sharpens his axe for 8 hours to cut 1 tree. This is the most popular session aroun taken by Santosh Gupta sir to enrich your knowledge base and analytical ability.
Approach of Super-25

1. Keyword approach to revise syllabus of 1 subject in 2-3 hours.
2. Focus on FCE approach ( Factual, Conceptual and Elimination ) to enhance your score.
3. Critical gap filling sessions and notes, learning to link static with current affairs and vice versa.
4. Evidence based questions to ensure 360 degree testing.
5. Weekly monitoring of targets by dedicated mentor and your strategic mentor Santosh Gupta.

How Super- 25 will help you

1. Setting a clear strategy for the next 90 days to get 120+ score in Prelims.
2. Revising the whole syllabus in an effective manner.
2. Filling critical gaps in preparation.
4. Practice tests to enhance your chances of qualifying prelims.
5. Covering the entire current affairs from a prelims perspective.

Who can be part of Super-25?

1. Only those who are struck in the range of 80-90 marks in last 2-3 attempts and are desperate to write mains.
2. Those who have given prelims at least once.
3. Those willing to give 100% or nothing less.

There are no secrets to success, it is a result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure. Are you willing to learn from failures? Let’s start together.

register here to clear your doubts before enrolling to Super-25 PROGRAM

check here for super-25 prelims schedule

Click here to enroll In Super-25 PROGRAM

Self Preparation with Mentorship: What do Civilsdaily Students think of Santosh Sir’s Mentorship for UPSC-CSE Prelims?

Santhosh Sir, Core Civilsdaily Mentor. He has attended Interview Thrice & Cleared Prelims 6/6 times with above 145 marks.

We asked Santosh sir’s students about their opinion on mentorship — if it was something that saved their time or wasted their time in studies and this is what they had to say:

Kamini: “If I can say in one word, then Santosh sir’s mentorship is unique. Before I joined his program, I used to score 90 marks in Full Length Test Series. Santhosh sir had done in depth analysis of my test papers and suggested ways to reduce the negatives. Right now I am able to score 100+ in advanced test series of not only Civilsdaily but other institutes. He is always available to clear my doubts and solve my issues on call or phone. No issue is too big enough for Santosh sir. He has always told me after you finish a test series, read the same topics again and take another test series the same day to see if your marks improve. From Santosh sir’s polity and economic survey notes, we got questions in 2021 Prelims. I always feel its better to do self studies with mentorship than join coaching institutes and get spoon fed with information.”
Read other testimonials of santosh sir’s mentorship

Sweetie Raj: “I am a banking professional, living with a joint family. Attending coaching classes is out of question because I won’t have time to read the books myself. Santosh sir helps me self-study by providing me mentorship daily. I study daily from 9PM to 3AM. Santosh sir has been available for 1 hour strategy calls even during this time. No other teacher would have wanted me to succeed as much as he wants me to. I can understand concepts by myself and don’t need help in that. I want someone who pushes me to complete the target modules, checks if I did my mains answer writing for the day and analyses the previous year question papers with me. Because of Santosh sir, I understood that its just not enough reading one book but at the same time I dont have to waste time reading many books. He tells me the topic-wise sources to refer. Also he has designed a study plan for me that I can follow every week. Once, I told Santhosh sir I was missing test series discussion classes as it was conducted at 7PM. Immediately, he provided me recorded videos and kept the session at 8.30PM.”

check here for full super-25 prelims 2022 timetable

Samples From Smash Super-25 Program

Sample 1-on-1 Mentorship for Smash Prelims

Sample 1-on-1 Test Discussion on Google Meet

Sample Notes

Sample Test Series

Sample classes on CSAT & Topic Wise Analysis

https://youtu.be/OcGSeXe31ek

Sample Notes & Handout Material

click here for smash prelims super-25 sample handout notes

click here to for doubts regarding smash prelims super-25

Click here to enroll in Super-25 PROGRAM

Toppers’ Speak: How Civilsdaily Mentorship Helped Me Clear UPSC?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSwO38weHAA

About Santosh Gupta Sir

Santosh sir has scored above 140 twice in UPSC prelims and 120 plus in all 6 attempts. He has written all 6 mains and has appeared for Interviews 3 times. He has qualified UPSC EPFO and BPSC 56-59th also. As the Prelims coordinator at Civilsdaily, he has helped 15 out of 25 students clear the prelims examination this year.

REGISTER HERE FOR DOUBTS REGARDING PRELIMS super-25 PROGRAM
March 6, 2022
Super-25: 90 days Strategic Study Plan for 25 Chosen Students Appearing in Prelims 2022 ||Aim Everyday for 100+ in Prelims with 2 Veteran UPSC Mentors Giving You 1-1 Guidance|| Popular Prelims Program with 70% Success Rate,Over 100 Tests, Weekly Value Added Notes, 1.5 years of Current Affairs Coverage through Live Classes
talk to us before enrolling in super-25 prelims program

click here for samples of prelims 2021 test paper, discussions & notes

check here for the full timetable OF SMASH PRELIMS super 25

Smash Prelims Super-25 Program is back after a thumping success in Prelims 2021. Out of 25 students Santosh sir has mentored, 15 have cleared prelims this time. Our students were kind enough to take time out of their hectic Mains preparation and let us know how Santosh sir’s mentorship benefitted them in the exams. We wish them all the very best for the upcoming Mains exam from 7th January onwards!

Why Your Focus for Next 3 Months Must be About Scoring Above Cut-Off Marks in UPSC-CSE Prelims? Isn’t the last 1 Month Enough for This?

register here to enroll to Super-25 PROGRAM

REGISTER HERE to get a call before enrolling in super-25 PRELIMS 2022 PROGRAM

CHECK HERE FOR PRELIMS TIMETABLE -Super-25

Every year, the competition for UPSC-CSE is increasing while vacancies are decreasing drastically. This year there are only 712 vacancies as against 2019 which had 927 vacancies. However, atleast 10 lakh students will attempt the prelims exam. This is why right now, it’s important to start having an Olympic Athlete mindset. You need to daily focus on scoring above the cut-off marks in your test series.

Civilsdaily Student and 2019 UPSC-CSE AIR 8 Topper Abhishek Saraf had practiced nearly 6000+ MCQs under us to clear prelims!

What makes prelims tough? It’s because the paper is unpredictable. If this year, science questions are a breeze then the next year you will have to answer advanced concept-based questions. Unlike Mains, Prelims has negative markings.

Toppers like Pranav Vijayvergiya (AIR 65) and Swati Sharma (AIR 17) have found Prelims to be tougher than Mains. In fact, Pranav failed to clear Prelims thrice. But, in his fourth attempt he took Civilsdaily mentorship and cleared Prelims, Mains and Interview in one shot!

Are you feeling low that you are unable to get the required cut-off marks in your test series. Worry not, for about 65% of the UPSC toppers have said that they scored below cut-off marks till December. But by June, they were able to boost their marks to get through the prelims hurdle. It’s time to be like them now.

One has to be good at elimination methods to choose the right option amongst two similar ones. Our Smash Prelims Super-25 Program started as a pilot project last year with an aim to introduce step-wise improvement in our chosen 25 aspirants. Over a period of 2 months, Santhosh sir inculcated confidence in aspirants who were either newbies or gave too many attempts. This year, we achieved a remarkable 60% success ratio. Next year, we have set our eyes on 100%. Yes, we are ambitious and aspirational just like any other UPSC aspirant.

How will Super-25 Program be structured?

We have neither diluted the criteria for selecting aspirants nor the core strategy. Infact, this year Super-25 will be a more effective version of last year.

Four Pillars of Super- 25 Program
1. It is mentorship led test series and value addition program over 90 days.
1. Two-Tier Mentorship: You will have one dedicated mentor during the entire journey, while Santosh Gupta sir will be strategic mentor. Santosh sir will take strategic mentoring calls twice in a week. It would ensure that you do not fall back at any cost and benefit from the experience of two mentors who have cleared the exam 6 times. We will ensure that you achieve not your weekly targets but the target of clearing prelims.
1. Number of tests: 60 practice tests (50 questions) + 40 Full length tests ( 12 Basic + 6 advanced + 10 Current affairs test + 8 FLTs+ 4 CSATs) . It means everyday you can give a test. With this, we will ensure that you revise your syllabus 3 times in three months at least.
1. Current affairs: Entire Current affairs of 1.5 years ( Jan 2021 – April 2022) will be covered by Core faculty, comprising of Santosh sir, Sajal sir, Sudhanshu sir, Birendra sir and Sukanya Ma’am. You will learn how to link current affairs with static topics on the go.
1. Strategic Value Addition Sessions: They say that a woodcutter sharpens his axe for 8 hours to cut 1 tree. This is the most popular session aroun taken by Santosh Gupta sir to enrich your knowledge base and analytical ability.
Approach of Super-25

1. Keyword approach to revise syllabus of 1 subject in 2-3 hours.
2. Focus on FCE approach ( Factual, Conceptual and Elimination ) to enhance your score.
3. Critical gap filling sessions and notes, learning to link static with current affairs and vice versa.
4. Evidence based questions to ensure 360 degree testing.
5. Weekly monitoring of targets by dedicated mentor and your strategic mentor Santosh Gupta.

How Super- 25 will help you

1. Setting a clear strategy for the next 90 days to get 120+ score in Prelims.
2. Revising the whole syllabus in an effective manner.
2. Filling critical gaps in preparation.
4. Practice tests to enhance your chances of qualifying prelims.
5. Covering the entire current affairs from a prelims perspective.

Who can be part of Super-25?

1. Only those who are struck in the range of 80-90 marks in last 2-3 attempts and are desperate to write mains.
2. Those who have given prelims at least once.
3. Those willing to give 100% or nothing less.

There are no secrets to success, it is a result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure. Are you willing to learn from failures? Let’s start together.

register here to clear your doubts before enrolling to Super-25 PROGRAM

check here for super-25 prelims schedule

Click here to enroll In Super-25 PROGRAM

Self Preparation with Mentorship: What do Civilsdaily Students think of Santosh Sir’s Mentorship for UPSC-CSE Prelims?

Santhosh Sir, Core Civilsdaily Mentor. He has attended Interview Thrice & Cleared Prelims 6/6 times with above 145 marks.

We asked Santosh sir’s students about their opinion on mentorship — if it was something that saved their time or wasted their time in studies and this is what they had to say:

Kamini: “If I can say in one word, then Santosh sir’s mentorship is unique. Before I joined his program, I used to score 90 marks in Full Length Test Series. Santhosh sir had done in depth analysis of my test papers and suggested ways to reduce the negatives. Right now I am able to score 100+ in advanced test series of not only Civilsdaily but other institutes. He is always available to clear my doubts and solve my issues on call or phone. No issue is too big enough for Santosh sir. He has always told me after you finish a test series, read the same topics again and take another test series the same day to see if your marks improve. From Santosh sir’s polity and economic survey notes, we got questions in 2021 Prelims. I always feel its better to do self studies with mentorship than join coaching institutes and get spoon fed with information.”
Read other testimonials of santosh sir’s mentorship

Sweetie Raj: “I am a banking professional, living with a joint family. Attending coaching classes is out of question because I won’t have time to read the books myself. Santosh sir helps me self-study by providing me mentorship daily. I study daily from 9PM to 3AM. Santosh sir has been available for 1 hour strategy calls even during this time. No other teacher would have wanted me to succeed as much as he wants me to. I can understand concepts by myself and don’t need help in that. I want someone who pushes me to complete the target modules, checks if I did my mains answer writing for the day and analyses the previous year question papers with me. Because of Santosh sir, I understood that its just not enough reading one book but at the same time I dont have to waste time reading many books. He tells me the topic-wise sources to refer. Also he has designed a study plan for me that I can follow every week. Once, I told Santhosh sir I was missing test series discussion classes as it was conducted at 7PM. Immediately, he provided me recorded videos and kept the session at 8.30PM.”

check here for full super-25 prelims 2022 timetable

Samples From Smash Super-25 Program

Sample 1-on-1 Mentorship for Smash Prelims

Sample 1-on-1 Test Discussion on Google Meet

Sample Notes

Sample Test Series

Sample classes on CSAT & Topic Wise Analysis

https://youtu.be/OcGSeXe31ek

Sample Notes & Handout Material

click here for smash prelims super-25 sample handout notes

click here to for doubts regarding smash prelims super-25

Click here to enroll in Super-25 PROGRAM

Toppers’ Speak: How Civilsdaily Mentorship Helped Me Clear UPSC?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSwO38weHAA

About Santosh Gupta Sir

Santosh sir has scored above 140 twice in UPSC prelims and 120 plus in all 6 attempts. He has written all 6 mains and has appeared for Interviews 3 times. He has qualified UPSC EPFO and BPSC 56-59th also. As the Prelims coordinator at Civilsdaily, he has helped 15 out of 25 students clear the prelims examination this year.

REGISTER HERE FOR DOUBTS REGARDING PRELIMS super-25 PROGRAM
March 6, 2022
Starting Today @ 7PM, Registrations Closing in 3Hrs|| Target 2023: How to Balance Prelims and Mains Preparation In The Beginning Itself?|| How to Squeeze in Time for Mains if You are a UPSC 2022 Aspirant?|| Free Live Webinar by Civilsdaily Mains Guidance Head Sukanya Rana Ma’am|| Limited Slots Available, Register Now

register for free live webinar by sukanya rana ma’am

Many of you right now are planning to start prelims preparation from a clean slate. But as you pick a book and complete a chapter, you are bothered by a confusion — should I study for Mains or Prelims right now?

Since, Prelims is the first exam of UPSC, logically it should be given the first preference. However, the marks you get in prelims are only qualifying by nature and will not be considered for your final ranking by default. At the same time, Prelims exam is known to have trickier questions than Mains or Interview. Hence one cannot postpone this preparation at a later stage.

UPSC Mains on the other hand is conducted 3 months after Prelims results are announced. If you qualify the Mains exam in 2023, you cannot prepare the vast syllabus of 9 papers in just 3 months. Marks obtained in the Optional Subject rescues you if you happen to score low in other GS Papers or in the personality round. This is why you need to prepare for your Optional Subject from the first month itself.

75% of UPSC Toppers in 2020 have attributed a Prelims-Mains integrated approach of study as the reason for their success

The best solution would be to study for both Prelims and Mains at the outset. But the nagging question is — HOW?

Open to All, Free Live Webinar by Sukanya Rana Ma’am on Prelims-Mains Preparation

Adopting an integrated study approach for prelims and mains is easier said than done for aspirants who are studying without any coaching. Mains have extra topics for the same subject you study for prelims. Focus on current affairs sees a sea change when you shift from Prelims to Mains.

register for free live webinar by sukanya rana ma’am

This is why you need a veteran mentor to take you through every step of the preparation, while clearing your doubts. Sukanya Rana Ma’am will exactly do this coming Saturday in her free live webinar.

Sukanya ma’am has the experience of 4 mains and 2 interviews in UPSC. She has also appeared in the State PCS interview. Before being a mentor at Civilsdaily, she worked as an officer in a public sector bank. Sukanya Rana Ma’am is passionate about guiding future officers in finding success.

As an aspirant, she consistently scored 100+ marks in Ethics paper. Notably, in 2019 her marks were 140 in GS 4. Under her mentorship, many Smash Mains 2020 students were able to secure 110+ marks.

Now, as a mentor she is garnering positive reviews from our Civilsdaily students. Students have always felt she helped them score above 100+ marks in Mains exams. Below are certain testimonials from them —

What Will You Learn in This Free Live Webinar by Sukanya Rana Ma’am?

1. What are the different approaches in Prelims and Mains Preparation? Start studying the priority focus topics of Prelims and Mains as a 2023 aspirant.
2. How should UPSC 2022 aspirants focus on mains answer writing when prelims is just 90 days away? Managing time without feeling the stress.
3. What should the timetable of UPSC 2023 aspirant look like? 3 different strategies for working professionals, college students and full timers.
4. How many months should be dedicated to prelims? How much time should be given to the optional subjects?
5. How to revise previous day’s topics and make time for new topics? Sukanya Ma’am answers from her personal experience.

Webinar Details

All aspirants are welcome to interact with Sukanya Ma’am and clear their doubts and get their preparation mistakes corrected in the Q&A session. This webinar is absolutely free and only requires prior registration.

Date: 5 th February (Saturday)

Time: 7 P.M

register here for free live webinar by sukanya rana ma’am

March 5, 2022
Missed Prelims Open Test? || Fret Not, You Can Retake The Test Again || Nikaalo Prelims Free Test Live Now- Roll Up Your Sleeves & Pull Up Your Socks! || All Participants Stand a Chance to Gain Free Guidance for Next 90 Days Revision Plan After Test|| Hurry Up & Enroll Now
REGISTER HERE FOR NIKAALO PRELIMS OPEN TEST

REGISTER HERE IF YOU WANT 1-1 MENTORSHIP AFTER THE OPEN PRELIMS TEST SERIES

Before taking the prelims exam, it’s always better to try the mock tests of various institutes to evaluate your level of understanding and knowledge. Once you know the weak spots, you can spend the rest of the 90 days in revising them

What Must a Quality Prelims Test Have?

A quality mock test wiill highlight your shortcomings in all the areas.

We at Civilsdaily understand the nuances of setting a paper. Through five cases explaining five questions, we’ll try to give you an idea about the varied difficulty level of prelims questions.

These questions have been taken from the first test of Nikaalo Prelims All India Open Mock Test 2020 about Government Schemes and Policies.

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(First test to go live on 4th March 2022 @ 9:30 a.m.)

CASE 1 – The oldest trick in the book.

Deliberately changing names to confuse you. Be it schemes or concepts. UPSC is well known to flip names of similar-sounding schemes and concepts. Look at this question.

Ques. Which of the following are the result areas of STRIVE
1. Improved performance of ITI.
2. Improved and Broadened Apprenticeship Training.
3. India International Skill Centers
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

a. 1 and 2 only

b. 2 and 3 only

c. 1 and 3 only

d. 1 only

Correct answer- 1 and 2 only

In the above question, STRIVE has been used for SANKALP. Both of them were announced at the same time for boosting Skill India Mission. It is very easy to get confused mark a wrong answer.

CASE 2: Misleading names

A lot of times especially in match the following type of questions misleading names are used.

Ques. Consider the following pairs:

Schemes Objectives
1. NIDHI: nurturing ideas and innovations into successful startups.
2. SATYAM: rejuvenate research in yoga and meditation.
3. MANAK: to help build a critical human resource pool for strengthening and increasing the research & development base.
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

a. 1 and 2 only

b. 2 and 3 only

c. 1 and 2 only

d. 1, 2 and 3

Correct answer: 1, 2 and 3

Misleading yet important names of initiatives under Ministry of Science and Technology have been used here. All pairs are correctly matched but it is very easy to get confused.

CASE 3: Are you rooted in society?

UPSC has been playing with the expenditure figures and other such facts. It is done not only for the sole reason of checking your rote memory, but the ability to think in-depth about the issues faced by various sections.

Ques. With reference to ‘Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) Scheme’, consider the following statements:
1. The scheme provides for the installation of grid-connected solar power plants each of capacity up to 2 MW in the rural areas.
2. The farmers will have to spend 50% of the total expenditure to acquire and install solar pumps.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a. 1 only

b. 2 only

c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2

Correct answer: 1 only

A very important scheme. The farmers have to tolerate only 10% of the total expenditure to acquire and install solar pumps. The Central Govt. will provide 60% cost while the remaining 30% will be taken care of by bank as credit. One must understand the inability of Indian farmers to spend 50% on solar pumps. This would have helped in eliminating options also.

CASE 4: Going international.

International collaboration and aid in our schemes and policies are relevant. If you ever read about them, know that the issue is of critical importance for the government and society.

Ques. With reference to Atal Bhujal Yojana, consider the following statements:
1. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with funding pattern of 50:50 between Government of India and states.
2. This scheme is approved by the World Bank.
Which of the following statements given above is/are correct?

a. 1 only

b. 2 only

c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2

Correct answer: 2 only

Here the Government of India’s collaboration with World Bank makes it important. Half of the financial contribution is from the World Bank in this initiative.

Students must not ignore the contribution of international institutions especially if it is of such overwhelming nature.

CASE 5: Core of the core

You should be able to remember the bare minimum. There is no other way in such questions. You either know them or you don’t.

Ques. Which of the following are the components of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)?
1. National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS)
2. Annapurna.
3. Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS)
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

a. 1 and 3

b. 2 and 3

c. 3 only

d. 1, 2, and 3

Correct answer: 1, 2 and 3

The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) which came into effect from 15th August 1995, represents a significant step towards the fulfilment of the Directive Principles in Article 41 of the Constitution.

It is a very important scheme under Ministry of Rural Development. Students are supposed to do flagship schemes of various ministries.

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Get ready to challenge yourself on 4th March 2022. Register for the second edition of Nikaalo Prelims Open Mock Test now.

After the exam, CD Mentors will discuss the solutions of the questions on the Nikaalo Prelims telegram group(click to join)
March 5, 2022
Need for political will to tackle climate change
Context

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released on Monday its sixth assessment report.

Bleak assessment of our future
- In its sixth assessment report, titled ‘Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability’, the IPCC discusses the increasing extreme heat, rising oceans, melting glaciers, falling agricultural productivity, resultant food shortages and increase in diseases like dengue and zika.
- Failed climate leadership: Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary General, quoted in The New York Times, describes the IPCC report as being “an atlas of human suffering and a damning indictment of failed climate leadership.”
- The IPCC warns that should our planet get warmer than 1.5 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial times (we are at 1.1 degrees at present), then there will be irreversible impact on “ecosystems with low resilience” such as polar, mountain and coastal ecosystems “impacted by glacier melt, and higher sea level rise”.
- This will cause devastation to “infrastructure in low-lying coastal settlements, associated livelihoods and even erosion of cultural and spiritual values.”
- The increased heat will lead to an increase in diseases like diabetes, circulatory and respiratory conditions, as well as mental health challenges.
Impact on India
- Climate “maladaptation”: The IPCC also highlights that climate “maladaptation” will especially affect “marginalised and vulnerable groups adversely, indigenous people, ethnic minorities, low-income households and informal settlements” and those in rural areas.
- Therefore, India, with a majority of its people falling in these categories, will be especially devastated.
- The IPCC highlights India as a vulnerable hotspot, with several regions and cities facing climate change phenomena like flooding, sea-level rise and heatwaves.
- For instance, Mumbai is at high risk of sea-level rise and flooding, and Ahmedabad faces the danger of heat waves — these phenomena are already underway in both cities.
- Vector-borne and water-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue will be on the rise in sub-tropical regions, like parts of Punjab, Assam and Rajasthan.
- When the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases, the grains we consume, including wheat and rice, will have diminished nutritional quality.
- Over the past 30 years, major crop yields have decreased by 4-10 per cent globally due to climate change.
- Consequently, India, which continues to be predominantly agrarian, is likely to be especially hurt.
- Urban India is at greater risk than other areas with a projected population of 877 million by 2050 nearly double of 480 million in 2020.
- The concentration of population in these cities will make them extremely vulnerable to climate change.
Conclusion

Fighting climate change requires fiscal expenditure and policy changes fuelled by political will, which will reap results in a decade or so. Yet, our political class has no cohesive and urgent policy roadmap to combat rising emissions and our diminishing life spans.

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March 5, 2022
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Many of you right now are planning to start prelims preparation from a clean slate. But as you pick a book and complete a chapter, you are bothered by a confusion — should I study for Mains or Prelims right now?

Since, Prelims is the first exam of UPSC, logically it should be given the first preference. However, the marks you get in prelims are only qualifying by nature and will not be considered for your final ranking by default. At the same time, Prelims exam is known to have trickier questions than Mains or Interview. Hence one cannot postpone this preparation at a later stage.

UPSC Mains on the other hand is conducted 3 months after Prelims results are announced. If you qualify the Mains exam in 2023, you cannot prepare the vast syllabus of 9 papers in just 3 months. Marks obtained in the Optional Subject rescues you if you happen to score low in other GS Papers or in the personality round. This is why you need to prepare for your Optional Subject from the first month itself.

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March 5, 2022
Why draft data accessibility policy is dangerous
Context

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) released the“Draft India Data Accessibility & Use Policy 2022”.

Objectives of the policy
- If passed, it would govern, “all data and information created/generated/collected/archived by the Government of India” as much as, “State Governments [who] will also be free to adopt the provisions of the policy”.
- The twin purpose to which this data will be put to will be government-to-government sharing and high value datasets for valuation and licensing.
Issues with the draft policy

1] Original objective will get dilutes in favour of commercial interests
- The immediate risk arises when a government starts licensing citizen data.
- Over the past three years, there has been a rapid expansion in the nature and scope of our most intimate details.
- While the middle classes faced the mendacity of voluntarily linking their Aadhaar to their bank accounts and mobile connections, today, the digital sweep is all pervasive.
- For agriculture, there is an Agristack; for unorganised labourers, we have the e-SHRAM portal; in health we have Aarogya Setu and ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission); and for school children and teachers there is NDEAR (National Digital Education Architecture).
- For every area of our lives, the government now has a database filled with our personal data.
- Purpose of data collection: The stated purpose for collection has been improving service delivery, planning and checking leakages.
- Public data is now being viewed as a prized asset of the Union government that should be freely shared, enriched, valued and licensed to the private sector.
- Given that more data means more money, commercial interests will prompt the government to collect granular personal details through greater capture and increased retention periods.
- Tying government policy determinations with a fiscal potential may also lead to distortion of the aims of data collection — the welfare of farmers, healthcare, unorganised labourers or even schoolchildren.
- There is no indication that consent will be sought in a meaningful form.
- Over time, the original objectives for which databases are built will get diluted in favour of commercial interests.
2] Absence of values and objectives related to transparency
- The second issue emerges from the disingenuous phrasing of “making data open by default”.
- Importance of open data: The World Bank notes that one of the first benefits of open data is that it supports “public oversight of governments and helps reduce corruption by enabling greater transparency”.
- These principles were recognised in past policy pronouncements of the government.
- Specifically, the National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy, 2012 and the implementation guidelines formulated in 2017 refer to the Right to Information Act, 2005.
- However, within the present draft data accessibility policy, while the phrase “open data” has been used, its values and objectives are absent.
- The primary, overpowering objectives in the draft data accessibility policy and the background note are commercial.
3] Absence of legal basis
- The final area for reconsideration is a larger trend of policy-based administration detached from our constitutional framework.
- Compounding this problem, the present policy, as many others, is untethered to any legislative basis and contains no proposals for the creation of a legal framework.
- As per the Supreme Court’s Puttaswamy judgment on the fundamental right to privacy, the first ingredient to satisfy constitutionality is the existence of a legal, more often a legislative, basis.
- Without a law, there is absence of defined limits to data sharing that are enforceable and contain remedies.
- Inadequate provisions for privacy preservation: In this case, the promise of privacy preservation through anonymisation tools holds little promise when it cannot be independently assessed by a body for data protection.
- Even heavily sampled anonymised datasets are unlikely to satisfy the modern standards for anonymisation set forth by GDPR and seriously challenge the technical and legal adequacy of the de-identification release-and-forget model.
- This becomes vital as it is the principal measure suggested in the draft data accessibility policy.
Suggestions
- Parliamentary enactments also help bring accountability through deliberation that furthers foresight and contains financial memorandums – given that public money would be spent to enrich datasets of public data.
- Since the policy contemplates sharing data between databases of the central and state governments as well as through central funded schemes, it may also be prudent to deliberate further in the Rajya Sabha.
- Federalism becomes a relevant issue given that such data, when it is generated, processed and enriched by state governments to comply with interoperability standards, will lead to revenue generation for itself.
Consider the question “What are the benefits of open data? Why privacy and welfare activists have raised concerns with the Draft India Data Accessibility & Use Policy 2022?”

Conclusion

These are the glaring issues in this short, draft data accessibility policy, which appears to transform the Union government into a data broker.

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March 5, 2022

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