Mains Guidance Plus is a wholesome package for UPSC Aspirants. The aim behind this program is not just to provide students with Model tests, but to cover multiple needs of students. From Mentorship to current affairs, the program has all the necessary elements needed for mains 2021.
Mains Super 50 is a program apt for those aspirants whose focus lies on clearing Mains 2021. Those Students who have been practicing some answer writing and want to directly start with FLTs should opt for this. This program also has complete mentorship support.
Mentorship is a forte of Civilsdaily and once you experience it, you will believe it. Mains Guidance Mini is a program focused on mentorship-based improvement. You can appear in any Test series, we will provide you the mentorship on that paper.
Kunal is a Computer Science graduate from IIT Hyderabad. He has worked for Goldman Sachs in the past. Kunal has scored AIR 130 in UPSC 2019 and AIR 211 in UPSC 2028 exams. He is an IRS and currently posted as an Assistant Commissioner, IT. Kunal’s optional was PSIR.
You don’t want to miss out on this opportunity to discuss, learn and get guidance from a UPSC topper.
You will be interacting with other UPSC toppers and rankers on Habitat as well.
UPSC-CSE is not only one of the toughest exams of the world, but one of the longest as well. An exam that is a year long, needs a preparation of 2 years to clear it.
Some of us have family responsibilities that cannot and should not be neglected. Maybe you are the only earning member of your family. But, is it impossible to juggle UPSC CSE and work? Not at all. It might be challenging, but it’s an achievable ambition. One needs the discipline to study everyday, whether they had a good or a bad day at work.
All aspirants get only 24 hours in a day, how they spend every hour determines their final result.
Does this mean there will be no scope for rest as a Working Junta? Don’t be surprised if we tell you toppers like Srishti Jayant Deshmukh (AIR 5, 2018) and Roman Saini (AIR 18, 2013) found time to take breaks in between their college studies (engineering and medical respectively) and UPSC preparation! While Srishti took a 5 minute break after every 30 minutes, Roman took a 10 minute break after every 1 hour.
Why should you attend this webinar?
When we asked Vaibhav Rawat and Ravi Kumar their secret of topping the exam despite working 8-9 hours everyday, their answer was time management and syllabus completion.
Instead of complaining about the limited time they had, they completed modules assigned by us within that time. Sometimes, they got 6 hours in a day and sometimes 5 hours. But after office, they never let the stress of work distract them. Nor did they compare their preparation to other full-time aspirants and get demotivated.
Every topper has their own time-management technique. As a working junta, its about time you learnt them. This is what Sudhanshu Sir will address in this upcoming webinar. You will not only get to know how to balance work and study in a day, but also when to take breaks in between the two!
What will you learn in this Webinar?
1. The 4 different phases of UPSC preparation. What to study in each phase?
2. Our 5-hour Step-by-Step learning plan. Also time-management techniques of other toppers.
3. Avoiding mistakes that cost you an attempt. How to kickstart your preparation in the right direction?
4. Advantages of being a UPSC aspirant as a working professional. What do you have that others don’t?
5. Studying smartly. How can you use the Civilsdaily App to get consolidated material that can save your time?
At the end of the session, Sudhanshu sir will hold an interactive Q&A session where all beginners and veterans are welcome to get solutions for their issues.
Webinar Details
Everyone is welcome to attend our free webinar for working professionals by Sudhanshu Sir. All you have to do is register your details.
Date: 28 October, 2021
Time: 6 PM
About Sudhanshu Sir
Sudhanshu Sir has served in the Defense Ministry for 10 years. He has a keen interest in regional and global geopolitics and has ample experience of various other competitive exams as well. Experienced with UPSC CS and Several State PSCs.
Our Hall of Fame boasts of nearly 150 aspirants who have cleared the exam as working professionals. This year, our Civilsdaily students — Vaibhav Rawat (AIR 25) and Ravi Kumar (AIR 84) worked really hard in their respective jobs and studies before they tasted success. This busts the myth that only full-time aspirants can clear the exam.
UPSC-CSE is not only one of the toughest exams of the world, but one of the longest as well. An exam that is a year long, needs a preparation of 2 years to clear it.
Some of us have family responsibilities that cannot and should not be neglected. Maybe you are the only earning member of your family. But, is it impossible to juggle UPSC CSE and work? Not at all. It might be challenging, but it’s an achievable ambition. One needs the discipline to study everyday, whether they had a good or a bad day at work.
All aspirants get only 24 hours in a day, how they spend every hour determines their final result.
Does this mean there will be no scope for rest as a Working Junta? Don’t be surprised if we tell you toppers like Srishti Jayant Deshmukh (AIR 5, 2018) and Roman Saini (AIR 18, 2013) found time to take breaks in between their college studies (engineering and medical respectively) and UPSC preparation! While Srishti took a 5 minute break after every 30 minutes, Roman took a 10 minute break after every 1 hour.
Why should you attend this webinar?
When we asked Vaibhav Rawat and Ravi Kumar their secret of topping the exam despite working 8-9 hours everyday, their answer was time management and syllabus completion.
Instead of complaining about the limited time they had, they completed modules assigned by us within that time. Sometimes, they got 6 hours in a day and sometimes 5 hours. But after office, they never let the stress of work distract them. Nor did they compare their preparation to other full-time aspirants and get demotivated.
Every topper has their own time-management technique. As a working junta, its about time you learnt them. This is what Sudhanshu Sir will address in this upcoming webinar. You will not only get to know how to balance work and study in a day, but also when to take breaks in between the two!
What will you learn in this Webinar?
1. The 4 different phases of UPSC preparation. What to study in each phase?
2. Our 5-hour Step-by-Step learning plan. Also time-management techniques of other toppers.
3. Avoiding mistakes that cost you an attempt. How to kickstart your preparation in the right direction?
4. Advantages of being a UPSC aspirant as a working professional. What do you have that others don’t?
5. Studying smartly. How can you use the Civilsdaily App to get consolidated material that can save your time?
At the end of the session, Sudhanshu sir will hold an interactive Q&A session where all beginners and veterans are welcome to get solutions for their issues.
Webinar Details
Everyone is welcome to attend our free webinar for working professionals by Sudhanshu Sir. All you have to do is register your details.
Date: 28 October, 2021
Time: 6 PM
About Sudhanshu Sir
Sudhanshu Sir has served in the Defense Ministry for 10 years. He has a keen interest in regional and global geopolitics and has ample experience of various other competitive exams as well. Experienced with UPSC CS and Several State PSCs..
Our Hall of Fame boasts of nearly 150 aspirants who have cleared the exam as working professionals. This year, our Civilsdaily students — Vaibhav Rawat (AIR 25) and Ravi Kumar (AIR 84) worked really hard in their respective jobs and studies before they tasted success. This busts the myth that only full-time aspirants can clear the exam.
UPSC-CSE is not only one of the toughest exams of the world, but one of the longest as well. An exam that is a year long, needs a preparation of 2 years to clear it.
Some of us have family responsibilities that cannot and should not be neglected. Maybe you are the only earning member of your family. But, is it impossible to juggle UPSC CSE and work? Not at all. It might be challenging, but it’s an achievable ambition. One needs the discipline to study everyday, whether they had a good or a bad day at work.
All aspirants get only 24 hours in a day, how they spend every hour determines their final result.
Does this mean there will be no scope for rest as a Working Junta? Don’t be surprised if we tell you toppers like Srishti Jayant Deshmukh (AIR 5, 2018) and Roman Saini (AIR 18, 2013) found time to take breaks in between their college studies (engineering and medical respectively) and UPSC preparation! While Srishti took a 5 minute break after every 30 minutes, Roman took a 10 minute break after every 1 hour.
Why should you attend this webinar?
When we asked Vaibhav Rawat and Ravi Kumar their secret of topping the exam despite working 8-9 hours everyday, their answer was time management and syllabus completion.
Instead of complaining about the limited time they had, they completed modules assigned by us within that time. Sometimes, they got 6 hours in a day and sometimes 5 hours. But after office, they never let the stress of work distract them. Nor did they compare their preparation to other full-time aspirants and get demotivated.
Every topper has their own time-management technique. As a working junta, its about time you learnt them. This is what Sudhanshu Sir will address in this upcoming webinar. You will not only get to know how to balance work and study in a day, but also when to take breaks in between the two!
What will you learn in this Webinar?
1. The 4 different phases of UPSC preparation. What to study in each phase?
2. Our 5-hour Step-by-Step learning plan. Also time-management techniques of other toppers.
3. Avoiding mistakes that cost you an attempt. How to kickstart your preparation in the right direction?
4. Advantages of being a UPSC aspirant as a working professional. What do you have that others don’t?
5. Studying smartly. How can you use the Civilsdaily App to get consolidated material that can save your time?
At the end of the session, Sudhanshu sir will hold an interactive Q&A session where all beginners and veterans are welcome to get solutions for their issues.
Webinar Details
Everyone is welcome to attend our free webinar for working professionals by Sudhanshu Sir. All you have to do is register your details.
Date: 28 October, 2021
Time: 6 PM
About Sudhanshu Sir
Sudhanshu Sir has served in the Defense Ministry for 10 years. He has a keen interest in regional and global geopolitics and has ample experience of various other competitive exams as well. Experienced with UPSC CS and Several State PSCs.
The Supreme Court of India has appointed a committee presided by Justice (Retd.) R V Raveendran to inquire into the Pegasus revelations.
Terms of reference
The court’s terms of reference include queries on, “What steps/actions have been taken by the Union of India after reports were published in the year 2019 about hacking of WhatsApp accounts”, and, “Whether any Pegasus suite of spyware was acquired by the Union of India, or any State Government, or any central or state agency for use against the citizens of India”.
The constitution of this committee marks an important step towards accountability for the victims and the larger public on the use of Pegasus.
Significance of the committee on Pegasus issue
1) Transparency and disclosure
The order of the court constituting the committee attains significance for three clear reasons.
The first is the court’s continuing insistence on transparency and disclosure by the Union government.
The only filing made in court by the government was a limited affidavit, containing short paragraphs of generalised denials and the sole annexure of a statement by the Minister for Electronics and IT before Parliament.
Immediately, the Supreme Court pointed out that these are inadequate and provided further time.
2) The SC’s approach towards national security
The second reason is the Supreme Court’s firm approach towards the national security submissions by the Union government.
The court correctly applied the settled convention on legal pleadings and affidavits by asking the government to, “necessarily plead and prove the facts which indicate that the information sought must be kept secret as their divulgence would affect national security concerns.”
The second aspect of the national security argument is how the court balances it with the fundamental right to privacy.
Here, drawing from the framework of the K S Puttaswamy judgment the court specifically states that, “national security cannot be the bugbear that the judiciary shies away from, by virtue of its mere mentioning” and, “mere invocation of national security by the State does not render the Court a mute spectator”.
These are significant observations that, when followed as precedent, will bolster confidence in constitutional adjudications especially when courts demand evidence on arguments of “national security” to avoid generalised statements made to evade accountability.
3) Rejection of the suggestion by the Solicitor-General to constitute a government committee of experts
The court correctly notes that even though the Pegasus revelations were first made on November 1, 2019, there has been little movement on any official inquiry.
It also records the genuine apprehension of the petitioners, many of whom are victims of Pegasus, that since the sale of this malware can only be made to governments, they fear the involvement of state agencies.
Challenges
These include the functioning of the committee and the cooperation of government witnesses, the publication of the report so as to ensure public confidence and, ultimately, the directions and remedy provided by the Supreme Court.
Conclusion
Hence, the constitution of this committee provides hope. At the same time, any honest assessment should consider the more challenging tasks ahead.
HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?
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If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th October is uploaded on 13th October, then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.
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The Supreme Court has appointed an independent expert technical committee overseen by a former apex court judge, Justice R.V. Raveendran, to examine allegations that the government used Israeli spyware, Pegasus, to snoop on its own citizens.
Why need a committee?
Decisions in cases seeking enforcement of fundamental rights are based on facts.
The task of determining these facts, when they are disputed or unknown, are often assigned to committees, which act as an agent of the court.
Such committees or fact-finding teams can summon individuals, prepare ground reports, and inform the court.
The Pegasus case involves technical questions, and requires extensive fact-finding for the court to determine whether fundamental rights were violated, and to pass suitable orders.
Functions of the committee:
What is Pegasus?
All spyware do what the name suggests — they spy on people through their phones.
Pegasus works by sending an exploit link, and if the target user clicks on the link, the malware or the code that allows the surveillance is installed on the user’s phone.
A presumably newer version of the malware does not even require a target user to click a link.
Once Pegasus is installed, the attacker has complete access to the target user’s phone.
Why in news?
The three-judge bench, headed by CJI N V Ramana rejected the government’s plea to let it constitute an expert panel to investigate the issue.
What did the SC rule?
The SC order broadly addresses three issues that have been flagged in the Pegasus row:
Citizen’s right to privacy (Article 21)
Judicial review when the executive invokes national security (Article 13, Article 32)
(Article13: declares that any law which contravenes any of the provisions of the part of Fundamental Rights shall be void.
Articles 32 and 226 entrusts the roles of the protector and guarantor of fundamental rights to the Supreme and High Courts.)
Implications of surveillance on free speech
[A] Upholding Right to Privacy
The Court, pointing to its own judgment in K S Puttaswamy Case (2017) has said that “right to privacy (under Article 21) is as sacrosanct as human existence.
It is inalienable to human dignity and autonomy.
While agreeing that it is not an absolute right, the Court has said any restrictions “must necessarily pass constitutional scrutiny”.
Any surveillance or snooping done on an individual by the state or any outside agency is an infringement of that person’s right to privacy.
Hence, any violation of that right by the state, even in national interest, has to follow procedures established by the law.
[B] Linking surveillance and censorship
The Court has also drawn a link between:
Surveillance, especially the knowledge that one is under the threat of being spied on”, and
Censorship, particularly self-censorship, to reflect on the potential chilling effect that snooping techniques may have
The chilling effect surveillance can produce, is an assault on the vital public-watchdog role of the press, which may undermine the ability of the press to provide accurate and reliable information.
[C] Constituting a panel
The Court has constituted a panel of experts under former SC judge Justice R V Raveendran.
It has sharply defined the questions it needs to ask and find answers to: Was any Pegasus suite of spyware acquired by the central or any state government for use against the citizens of India.
It would inquire under what law, rule, guidelines, protocol or lawful procedure was such deployment made.
These are vital questions at the heart of a citizen’s basic rights.
Significance of the Judgement
The order is a strong rebuttal of the government’s specious and self-serving use of national security.
The Court has ruled that the state does not get a free pass every time the spectre of ‘national security’ is raised.
This also means “no omnibus prohibition can be called for against judicial review” if the matter impinges on national security.
The Government of India has applied for loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to procure as many as 667 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines under the APVAX initiative.
Try this question from CSP 2019
Q.With reference to Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), consider the following statements:
AIIB has more than 80 member nations.
India is the largest shareholder in AIIB.
AIIB does not have any members from outside Asia.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
[wpdiscuz-feedback id=”gz52xyhnb9″ question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]
APVAX Initiative
The ADB is expected to lend $1.5 billion and the AIIB around $500 million for the vaccine purchase by India.
It which has been made under the ADB’s Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (APVAX) initiative.
Launched in December 2020, APVAX offers “rapid and equitable support to its developing member countries as they procure and deliver effective and safe COVID-19 vaccines”.
The Beijing-headquartered AIIB will co-finance the vaccine procurement.
About Asian Development Bank (ADB)
The ADB is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966.
It is headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines.
From 31 members at its establishment, ADB now has 68 members.
The ADB was modelled closely on the WorldBank, and has a similar weighted voting system where votes are distributed in proportion with members’ capital subscriptions.
ADB is an official United Nations Observer.
As of 31 December 2020, Japan and the UN each holds the largest proportion of shares at 15.571%.
China holds 6.429%, India holds 6.317%, and Australia holds 5.773%.
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
The AIIB is a multilateral development bank that aims to improve economic and social outcomes in Asia.
The bank was proposed by China in 2013 and the initiative was launched at a ceremony in Beijing in October 2014.
The bank currently has 103 members, including 16 prospective members from around the world.
The starting capital of the bank was US$100 billion, equivalent to 2⁄3 of the capital of the Asian Development Bank and about half that of the World Bank.
It received the highest credit ratings from the three biggest rating agencies in the world, and is seen as a potential rival to the World Bank and IMF.
AIIB and India
So far, the AIIB has approved loans for 28 projects in India amounting to $6.7 billion, more than for any other member of the multilateral bank.
India is the second-largest shareholder after China in the bank, which does not count the U.S. and Japan among its members.
