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  • Oculudentavis khaungraae

    Scientists have found the skull of a 99-million-year-old flying dinosaur that is tinier than the tiniest bird known to humans.

    • The bird-like dinosaur was found stuck in a gob of tree resin that eventually hardened into amber, preserving it for millions of years to come.
    • The fossil was dug up in 2016 from a mine in Myanmar. It was so slight; it likely weighed just 2 grams.
    • The dinosaur skull holds around 100 sharp teeth, which hints at its ferocious nature despite its small size.
    • It even had teeth in the back of its jaw, under its eye.

     

  • Social Distancing and Flattening the Curve

    The last two days, a number of states in India have enforced measures aimed at reducing public gatherings. This is called “social distancing”.

    How does social distancing work?

    • To stem the speed of the coronavirus spread so that healthcare systems can handle the influx, experts are advising people to avoid mass gatherings.
    • Offices, schools, concerts, conferences, sports events, weddings, and the like have been shut or cancelled around the world, including in a number of Indian states.
    • An advisory by the US Centers for Disease Control recommends social distancing measures such as: reducing the frequency of large gatherings and limiting the number of attendees; limiting inter-school interactions; and considering distance or e-learning in some settings.

    What is the objective of such restrictions?

    • Compared to deadlier diseases such as bird flu, or H5N1, coronavirus is not as fatal —which ironically also makes it more difficult to contain.
    • With milder symptoms, the infected are more likely to be active and still spreading the virus.
    • For example, more than half the cases aboard a cruise ship that has docked in California did not exhibit any symptoms.
    • In a briefing on March 11, WHO officials said, “Action must be taken to prevent transmission at the community level to reduce the epidemic to manageable clusters.”
    • The main question for governments is to reduce the impact of the virus by flattening the trajectory of cases from a sharp bell curve to an elongated speed-bump-like curve.
    • This is being called “flattening the curve”. How does ‘flattening the curve’ help?
    • Limiting community transmission is the best way to flatten the curve.

    What was the curve like in China?

    • The numbers show that the virus spread within Hubei exponentially but plateaued in other provinces.
    • Some say it’s because many of these countries learnt from the 2003 SARS epidemic.
    • Just as Chinese provinces outside of Hubei effectively stemmed the spread in February, three other countries —South Korea, Italy, and Iran — were not able to flatten the curve.

    Flattening The Curve

    • In epidemiology, the idea of slowing a virus’ spread so that fewer people need to seek treatment at any given time is known as “flattening the curve.”
    • It explains why so many countries are implementing “social distancing” guidelines — including a “lockdown” order that affects 1.3 billion people in India, even though COVID-19 outbreaks in various places might not yet seem severe.

    What is the curve?

    • The “curve” researchers are talking about refers to the projected number of people who will contract COVID-19 over a period of time.
    • To be clear, this is not a hard prediction of how many people will definitely be infected, but a theoretical number that’s used to model the virus’ spread. Here’s what one looks like:

    • The curve takes on different shapes, depending on the virus’s infection rate.
    • It could be a steep curve, in which the virus spreads exponentially (that is, case counts keep doubling at a consistent rate), and the total number of cases skyrockets to its peak within a few weeks.
    • Infection curves with a steep rise also have a steep fall; after the virus infects pretty much everyone who can be infected, case numbers begin to drop exponentially, too.
    • The faster the infection curve rises, the quicker the local health care system gets overloaded beyond its capacity to treat people.
    • As we’re seeing in Maharashtra or Ahmedabad, more and more new patients may be forced to go without ICU beds, and more and more hospitals may run out of the basic supplies they need to respond to the outbreak.
    • A flatter curve, on the other hand, assumes the same number of people ultimately get infected, but over a longer period of time.
    • A slower infection rate means a less stressed health care system, fewer hospital visits on any given day and fewer sick people being turned away.

  • [pib] Effects of Himalayan slip on its Hydrology

    Researchers from the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism have found the mighty Himalayas subside and move up depending on the seasonal changes in groundwater.

    Tectonic activity and groundwater

    • The Himalayan foothills and the Indo-Gangetic plain are sinking because its contiguous areas are rising due to tectonic activity associated with landmass movement or continental drift.
    • The new study shows that subsidence and uplift are found to be associated with seasonal changes in groundwater, apart from the normal, common reasons.
    • Water acts as a lubricating agent, and hence when there is water in the dry season, the rate of the slip of the fault in this region is reduced.
    • In the Himalaya, seasonal water from glaciers, as well as monsoon precipitation, plays a key role in the deformation of the crust and the seismicity associated with it.
    • The subsidence rate is associated with groundwater consumption.

    Findings of the study

    • The researchers have made the combined use of GPS and Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) data, which has made it possible for them to quantify the variations of hydrologic mass.
    • The GRACE satellites, launched by the US in 2002, monitor changes in water and snow stores on the continents.
    • The combined data suggest a 12% reduction in the rate of the subsurface slip. This slip refers to how fast the fault is slipping relative to the foot and hanging wall.
    • The slip occurs at the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT), due to hydrological variations and human activities, over which there is the periodic release of accumulated strain.

    About GRACE Mission

    • The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) was a joint mission of NASA and the German Aerospace Center.
    • Twin satellites took detailed measurements of Earth’s gravity field anomalies from its launch in March 2002 to the end of its science mission in October 2017.
    • By measuring gravity anomalies, GRACE showed how mass is distributed around the planet and how it varies over time.

     

  • [pib] National Creche Scheme

    The WCD Minister has informed about some progress in the National Creche Scheme. As of today, 6453 creches are functional across the country under the Scheme.

    National Creche Scheme

    • Earlier named as Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme, the NCS is being implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme through States/UTs with effect from 1.1.2017.
    • It aims to provide daycare facilities to children (age group of 6 months to 6 years) of working mothers.

    Salient features of the Scheme

    • Daycare Facilities including Sleeping Facilities.
    • Early Stimulation for children below 3 years and pre-school education for 3 to 6 years old children.
    • Supplementary Nutrition ( to be locally sourced)
    • Growth Monitoring
    • Health Check-up and Immunization

    Further, the guidelines provide that :

    • Crèches shall be open for 26 days in a month and for seven and a half (7-1/2) hours per day.
    • The number of children in the crèche should not be more than 25 per crèche with 01 Worker and 01 helpers respectively.
    • User charges to bring in an element of community ownership and collected as under:
      1. BPL families – Rs 20/- per child per month.
      2. Families with Income (Both Parents) of up to Rs. 12,000/- per month – Rs. 100/- per child per month
      3. Families with Income (Both Parents) of above Rs. 12,000/- per month – Rs. 200/- per child per month.

     

  • SAMANVAYA: Students Preparing for UPSC 2021 > Come join US !

    SAMANVAYA: Students Preparing for UPSC 2021 > Come join US !

     

    At the core of Samanvaya lies the fact that each one of you will have a unique journey while preparing for the exam. Some will get through on the first attempt without much effort while others will take both more time and more effort.

    We want to understand you better to help you optimize your journey so you can focus on the right things and not waste time on the wrong ones. We are asking you to tap into the valuable experiences of mentors who underwent the same grind and realize the pitfalls and understand the shortcuts to make it.

     

    Samanvaya program involves the following – 

     
    1. Identifying your weaknesses
    Over 80% of students who claimed to have revised NCERTs twice were unable to answer basic questions. Many were not comfortable with at least 1 GS subject and Optional. Many struggled with ‘What went wrong’ after 2-3 years of hard work. Our mentors will provide free preliminary assignments so we can assess your preparedness and suggest accurate strategies.
     
    2. Strategy and study plan discussions
    Over 90% of students couldn’t stick to a plan. Study plans and strategies are iterative in nature and we want to help you with that. Many are unable to perform in tests despite preparing hard. This could be due to a variety of factors – lack of adequate prep, jitters in the exam hall, inadequate revision, lack of practice of test series or just a bad day at work. Tell us what you think went wrong and we’ll figure out a way to get you over the line next time.
     
    3. Helping you understand the exam better – which books to read, different approaches, etc. Over 60% of students we talked to did not find NCERTs relevant and saw no point in being thorough with them.
     
    4. Lack of motivation
    We have all had those days when it’s been hard to motivate ourselves to hit the books and just study. It happens to the best of us sometimes and for some of us, it happens more frequently. And it is understandable, Civil Service preparation is a long and often lonely process. Every aspirant, from toppers to those who have quit have been overwhelmed by this process at some point in time. Working alone is monotonous and Help you keep motivated by ensuring you are actively and passively studying every day. Focused telegram groups to foster discussions.

    Samanvaya Code of Conduct to be followed

    • Be honest with your mentors about your preparation levels and stage.
    • Follow their advice and participate in tests and assignments that they set for you
    • Stay active in the telegram groups, ask doubts, don’t hold yourself back.
    • Don’t expect spoonfeeding. You have to drive the initiative.

    Click here to fill the form. We will call on a first-come, first-serve basis

     

    Here’s the feedback that we got from some of our students:

     

    Fill the form below or click here. 

     

  • [Prelims Spotlight] Key terms related to Medieval and Ancient history.

     

    Prelims Spotlight is a part of “Nikaalo Prelims 2020” module. This open crash course for Prelims 2020 has a private telegram group where PDFs and DDS (Daily Doubt Sessions) are being held. Please click here to register.

    14th March 2020

     

    Important officers and their role in the Maurya Empire

    1. Sannidhata – Treasurer and keeper of the stores in Maurya Period. He was in charge of the collection of revenue from various parts of the kingdom and looked after the income and expenditure by supervising the works of akshapataladhyaksha (Accountant-General)
    2. Samharta– His function was to collect Revenue both in cash and kind.
    3. Amatyas–They were some sort of administrative personnel or civil servants who filled the highest administrative and judicial appointments.
    4. Rajukas–Ashoka appointed a class of officers known as the Rajukas, who were vested with the authority of rewarding as well we punishing people.
    5. Adhyaksas-­ The officers who looked after the various departments.
    6. Yuktas- They appear to have been the subordinate official whose duties were largely secretarial works and accounting.
    7. Gopa and Sthanika- There was an intermediate level of administration between the district level and village level, which was administered by the Gopa and Sthanikas.
    8. Gramika- Head of the village. He was not a paid servant and was chosen among village elders.
    9. Grambhojaka- Gramika was helped by Grambhojaka.
    10. Pramukha- Eighteen chief handicrafts of the time were organised in guilds called as Shrenis, the president of Shrenis was known as Pramukha.

    Important officers of the Gupta empire

    1. Uparika- He was directly appointed by the king as a provincial governor.
    2. Kumaramatyas- A link between the central and the provincial administration under the Guptas was provided by the officers called Kumaramatyas and Ayuktas. Kumaramatyas was a body of top-ranking officials attached not only to the king but also to the crown-prince and sometimes placed in charge of district.
    3. Gopasramin- In Samudraguptas period an officer working as akshapataladhikrita. Their function was to enter numerous matters in the accounts register, recover royal dues and to check embezzlement and recover fines.
    4. Sandhivigrahika-The foreign minister, minister of war and peace. First appeared under the rule of Samudragupta.
    5. Mahabaldikarta-Commander-in-Chief.
    6. Mahadandanayaka-
    7. Mahapratihara- Chief of palace guards.
    8. Pustapala- Record-keeper. Maintained record of land transactions in a district. They were also known as Karanika.
    9. Vishaya- Vishayas were divided into smaller parts called Vithis which were the villages and consisted of the lowest unit of administration.
    10. Mahattama,Mahattaka and Mahattara- Elder who assisted the Gramika in the village administration.
    11. Agharikas- During the reign of Harsha, Agharikas looked after the land given in charity.
    12. Samantas- Feudal chiefs.

    Important officers of Satvahana Period

    1. Uparakshita- In Satvahanas kingdom, their function was building caves for monks.
    2. Gaulamika- Administration of the villages was placed under them in the Satvahana period.
    3. Valaikkarars- Troops in the royal service and were the bodyguard of the monarch

     

     

    Medieval India

    Amils– Revenue officers

    Arz-i-mamalik– Minister in-charge of the army of the whole country.

    Ahl-i-qalam– Reporter

    Baqqal– Trader, grain-dealer

    Batai– Division of crop between the cultivator and landlord or the government, payments may be in

    kind or cash

    Barid- An intelligence officer appointed by the state to collect information

    Chachar– Land out of cultivation for 3-4 years.

    Chaauth or Chauthaai– One-fourth of the land revenue, originally a Zamindari charge in Gujrat demanded by Shivaji as a war expense.

    Charai– A tax on cattle.

    Dagh System– A system of branding of horses and animal.

    Dam- A copper coin considered as 1/40* the silver rupee for the official purposes.

    Dastur-al-amal- Rule book

    Dhimmi-  A non-Muslim client or subject

    Darul Mulk- Capital

    Gumashta- An agent or representative

    Hamam– A room for the bath of hot and cold water

    Hundi- A bill of exchange

    Jamabandi– Settlement of the amount of revenue assessed upon an estate or district

    Jarib– A measurement, land measurement or survey

    Jihat– Extra cesses

    Jizya– (a) In the literature of Delhi sultanate, any tax which is not kharaj or land tax

    (b) In the Shariat, a personal and yearly tax on non-Muslims.

    Kankut– Estimation of land revenue

    Karori– A revenue officer.

    Khiraj– Land revenue

    Mahal- A group of land regarded as a unit for land revenue purposes.

    Mansab– A military rank conferred by the Mughal emperor.

    Mauza- Revenue term for village

    Mokasa- Grant of land for military service, rent-free land.

    Nabud– Remission of land revenue on account of natural disasters.

    Paibaqi- Land reserved for allotment in jagir

    Polaj- Land continuously in cultivation

    Sarrafs– Money Chargers, bankers

    Saurghal-Rent-free land

    Taqavi- Advance of money for sowing or extending cultivation

    Upari- Temporary occupant; tenant at will.

    Usar- Barren land

    Zawabit- Secular laws.

  • Positive response

    Context

    Cooperation between the Centre and the States in dealing with the threat of the virus is commendable.

    Hope in dealing with the pandemic and India’s response to the pandemic

    • What is the best response?  World Health Organisation declared it a pandemic, Secretary-General offered hope: “If countries detect, test, treat, isolate, trace, and mobilise their people in the response, those with a handful of cases can prevent those cases becoming clusters, and those clusters becoming community transmission.”
    • The advantage with India: India, with 70-odd cases, has the advantage, and commendably, the central and state governments have reacted rapidly to the developing pandemic
    • Equally importantly, they have set aside the acrimony over the CAA-NRC question and pulled together, without the need for external urging.
      • Because everyone realises that COVID-19 is everyone’s problem.
    • Steps taken by the government: No visas are being issued, screening is in progress, health education messaging is visible, public gatherings are sharply reduced and there is no sign of the wearying political blame game which generally besets such challenges.

    No room for complacency

    • Display of political will: The secretary-general has also cautioned that while many nations can avoid the pandemic, the operative verb is not “can” but “will”. The Indian response has displayed political will, but there is no room for complacency.
    • Fear of the unknown: This is the first coronavirus to reach pandemic levels. For at least 18 months, no vaccine can be market-ready. At least until the summer, there will be insufficient information about the behaviour of the organism in the wild. Wisely, Homo sapiens fears the unknown.
    • Caution is the best prescription: Until we learn more about the nature of the beast, abundant caution is the only credible prescription.
      • Isolation at the focus of the response: At present, the focus of the response is isolation (including self-isolation) and the maintenance of sanitation barriers. Schools have been closing down, some workplaces are screening staff, and people are discouraged from leaving home without a compelling reason.
      • However, outside the controlled conditions in homes and hospitals, maintaining the patency of the sanitation barrier requires extraordinary vigilance and self-control.

    Status of healthcare infrastructure

    • The readiness of healthcare facilities: In the case of breaches — a few oversights or accidents are inevitable — the readiness of healthcare facilities would become a serious factor in controlling mortality.
    • Variation in states’ preparedness: The quality of the states’ level of preparedness and the quality of health services varies. While Kerala efficiently controlled the Nipa virus, Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state, has failed to contain annual outbreaks of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome for over a decade.
      • And the capital’s initial failure in the face of seasonal waves of lethal mosquito-borne diseases cannot be forgotten.
    • Rural cluster-most vulnerable: How much less protected would a rural cluster be, serviced by a poorly equipped primary health centre?

    Conclusion

    If community transmission becomes commonplace, it would become a difficult battle. Hence, the sanitation barrier remains the most reliable epidemiological response. If the government has to resurrect primordial provisions from the era of bubonic plagues to keep it patent, so be it.

  • Is the worst really over for the country’s agricultural sector?

    Context

    Estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) released on 28 February confirmed that India’s economy is decelerating. The silver lining was growth in agriculture, which accelerated for the third quarter in a row to 3.5%.

    How agriculture sector has performed in the last few years?

    • Robust growth in the last 5 years: A look at the national accounts for a longer period shows robust agricultural growth during the first five years.
      • With agriculture growing at 3.17% per annum between 2013-14 and 2019-20.
      • This is remarkable, given that the broader economy is witnessing a slowdown.
    • Rural economy seen from the other indicators: A variety of other indicators show that the rural economy has been going through possibly its worst phase, with declining wage growth and farmer incomes causing serious distress.

    Crop sector growth rate at lowest

    • A clue to this disconnect between the national accounts and other indicators lies in a breakdown of the national accounts.
    • Crop sector growing at lowest in two decades: The GDP data for the agricultural sector shows that the crop sector, which accounts for 56% of total agricultural output and employs a majority of the farmers, has been growing at only 0.3%, the lowest in two decades.
      • By comparison, the sector grew 3.3% per annum during the 10 years under United Progressive Alliance governments.
    • Which sector of agri. is growing at a high rate? The agricultural sub-sectors that showed high growth between 2013-14 and 2018-19 were livestock (8.1%), forestry (3.1%) and fisheries (10.9%).
      • It is a puzzle what drove the high growth of livestock at a time when the crop sector was experiencing negligible growth.
      • The trend defies the logic: This defies past trends and is also difficult to believe, given contrasting trends in other indicators of livestock
    • The declining income of farmers and a decline in wages: The poor performance of the crop sector confirms the declining income of farmers, the majority of whom depend on crops for subsistence. Not surprisingly, even real rural wages are declining.
    • Inflationary pressure and hopes of growth in income of farmers: Hopes were kindled in the last three months as agricultural commodities showed signs of inflationary pressures, with food inflation hitting double-digit rates.
      • Increase in rural demand not the cause of inflation: A careful analysis of the data rules out rising rural demand as the cause of that inflationary trend.
      • Many price pressures were due to the mismanagement of cereal supplies by the government and supply shocks in vegetables.
      • In such circumstances, farmer income could not have risen. Some of this was also a result of food prices rising internationally.

    Trend pointing to the fall in agri. prices

    • Softening of food prices: Recent trends in international markets suggest a softening of food prices led by an overproduction of cereals and easing edible oil inflation. Following 3 factors may contribute to its fall.
    • Impact of fall in crude oil price: This trend will gain strength in the wake of the recent slide in crude oil prices.
      • With the global economy displaying signs of a slowdown, prices of agricultural commodities are likely to fall sharply.
      • Relation of food prices with oil prices: They tend to follow movements in crude oil prices, as was seen during the latter’s collapse in August 2014. In all likelihood, a similar decline in agricultural prices is upon us.
    • Food-grain stock with FCI: A second factor that may exacerbate the income troubles in agriculture is the presence of massive food-grain stocks with the Food Corporation of India.
      • This may slow the procurement of farm produce and lower price realizations, particularly cereals but also other crops.
    • The coronavirus outbreak: Lastly, the global slowdown due to the coronavirus outbreak is likely to dampen demand in the economy, and in turn hurt the agricultural sector.

    Conclusion

    • Limited room to improve the situation: These factors are likely to worsen agricultural incomes, and domestic policy has limited room to manoeuvre.
    • Opportunity to revive the demand: This situation is also an opportune time to revive rural demand The government could pass on some of the windfalls from the drop in oil prices to rural consumers. This could help lift rural incomes.
      • The government could also increase spending in rural areas to help boost demand and prevent a collapse in agricultural prices.
    • Worst for agriculture is not yet over: Whether the government uses the opportunity or fritters it away again will be known in the coming months. What appears certain for now, though, is that the worst of the rural slowdown is far from over.

  • Fighting COVID-19 together for a shared future

    Context

    The Chinese government has mobilised the whole nation with confidence, unity, a science-based approach and targeted response.

    Aspects that were focused by China to deal with COVID-19

    • Formulated timely strategies for epidemic prevention and control.
    • Strengthened a unified command and response in Wuhan and Hubei.
    • Coordinated the prevention and control work in other regions.
    • Strengthened scientific research, emergency medical and daily necessity supplies.
    • Effectively maintained social stability.
    • Strengthened public education.
    • Actively engaged in international cooperation.

    Mutual support between India and China

    • China and India have maintained close communication and cooperation on epidemic prevention and control. In a letter to President Xi, India’s Prime Minister has expressed support for China.
    • China appreciates the medical supplies provided by India and have helped facilitate the safe return of Indian nationals in Hubei.
    • The global footprint of COVID-19: China has been closely following the global footprint of COVID-19.

    Cooperation on a global level for disease control:

    • Chines govt. will stay in close communication with WHO.
    • Share its epidemic control experience with other countries.
    • Seek closer international cooperation on medicine and vaccine development.
    • Provide assistance to the best of its capabilities to countries and regions that are affected by the spread of the virus in keeping with its role as a responsible major
    • The Chinese reach-out: China has provided various kinds of assistance including testing reagents, remote assistance and medical supplies to countries with a severe outbreak.
    • Sharing of experience and protocol for treatment: China have shared diagnosis and treatment experience and protocols with many countries including India.
      • China is ready to maintain communication with India, share experience in a timely manner, render assistance and make joint efforts to overcome the epidemic.

    Impact and recovery of China

    • Robust economy: The impact on the Chinese economy will be short-lived and generally manageable. China has a resilient economy with robust domestic demand and a strong industrial base. We will definitely sustain the good momentum of economic and social development and meet the goal of achieving moderate prosperity in our society and eradicating extreme poverty in China.
    • Strengthen coordination and communication: China will also strengthen coordination and communication with economic and trading partners and give priority to the resumption of production and supply of leading enterprises and key sectors that have a major impact on the stability of global supply chains.
      • The fundamentals of China’s economy will remain strong in the long run, and China will remain an important engine for global economic growth.

    Conclusion

    The history of civilisation is also one of a history of fighting diseases and a great journey of ceaseless global integration. To prevail over a disease that threatens all, unity and cooperation is the most powerful weapon.

     

     

     

  • 13th March 2020 | Nikaalo Prelims Quiz- History Test

    [WpProQuiz 392]

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