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  • Samachar Manthan 2022 launched | Program starting from 5th June 2021 | Enrollment open

    Program starting from 5th June 2021

    click here to enroll in samachar manthan 2022 Plus
    click here to enroll in samachar manthan 2022 – till Prelims
    Click here to enroll in samachar manthan 2022 Without Answer writing- till Prelims

    Absolutely no part of the IAS exam syllabus gets the level (even similar) of attention or emphasis as is received by Current Affairs. It is as ubiquitous as Oxygen on Earth, and for the exam, its importance is of similar magnitude. 

    Importance in Interview

    In Personality Tests often your opinions are asked on various issues. Current Affairs make you aware of the surroundings and allow you to give practical answers to the problems faced by the country.

    Current affairs are indispensable for every stage of the UPSC exam, be it prelims, mains, or interviews. Understanding the importance of current affairs is just one part of the UPSC puzzle. For solving the whole puzzle, we have Samachar Manthan.

    What is Samachar Manthan 2022?

    Samachar Manthan is our flagship program designed to help you develop a solid command on your newspaper reading and current affairs analyzing skills. We’re are also going to focus on imparting skills required to utilize current affairs. Since it builds your core, it is important for both Prelims and Mains. 

    Three variants of Samachar Manthan:

    (click) samachar manthan 2022 Plus – Till Mains 2022
    (click)samachar manthan 2022 – till Prelims 2022
    (Click) samachar manthan 2022 Without Answer writing- till Prelims

    Program inclusion

    1. Weekly 3+ hours video lecture

    2. High-quality Notes and reference material

    3. Membership to Samachar Manthan Habitat club – doubts,  discussion, and mentorship session.

    4. Weekly Current Affairs based Mains Test (10 Questions) and Evaluation

    5. Current Affairs Monthly Prelims Test package

    6. Marathon Revision sessions on Habitat before Prelims and Mains

    7. Frequent Google meet Sessions to check on Student’s Preparation status

    8. Micro notes to help you make your notes.

    About the faculty leading this program:

    Sajal Singh

    Sajal sir is known to make Economics and IR as easy as a cakewalk. He scored one of the highest marks in GS in the 2017 UPSC exam. Under his guidance, more than 80 percent of Students qualified for UPSC interview 2020 in Smash mains Program.

    Sudhanshu Mishra

    Sudhanshu sir has firsthand experience of 3 mains and two interviews of UPSC. He has served in the defense ministry for 10 years with keen interests in regional and global geopolitics and has ample experience of various other competitive exams as well.

    Duration of the program:

    This program will start from 1st week of June and has two variants which will continue till Prelims 2022 and Mains 2022 respectively.

    click here to enroll in samachar manthan 2022 Plus
    click here to enroll in samachar manthan 2022 – till Prelims
    Click here to enroll in samachar manthan 2022 Without Answer writing- till Prelims

    Why Samachar Manthan?

    5 stage structure of Lecture-Notes-Testing-Review-Mentoring

    Our unique five-stage methodology helps ensure maximum retention and rock-solid preparation. Each component has been meticulously crafted which repeated every week creates a virtuous cycle.

    Diversified and Comprehensive coverage

    We let news develop over a week, and a team under Sajal Sir daily covers it from various sources which include newspapers (The Hindu, The Indian Express, LiveMint, etc.), magazines (Yojana, Kurukshetra, EPW, Down to Earth), important websites (PIB, PRS, govt ministries, IDSA, etc.).

    UPSC is a generalist exam. It’s important to cover more issues than to cover a few, in more depth. Samachar Manthan ensures a fine balance of comprehensive news coverage and detailed discussion on the most important topics.

    It’s not just a Current affairs program we cover even those themes which are not in news but which we feel are important for the exam

    Eg:  Land reforms, PDS Reforms, Issues with Rajya Sabha

    Videos and Notes

    Carefully selected relevant news is analyzed and delivered in a weekly lecture spanning over 3 hours.

    You will be getting high-quality, well-designed notes. They are detailed with proper categorization of news into the Mains and Prelims category.

    Our focus is on conceptual clarity, simplicity, relevance, and making interlinkages between current affairs and basic/static part of the syllabus.

    Samachar Manthan Civilsdaily IAS Current Affairs UPSC

    Samachar Manthan Weekly Notes (Click to download)

    Samachar Manthan Micro-notes (click to download)

    A sample of Samachar Manthan micro notes

    Samachar Manthan will also help you understand how to utilize current affairs in all your Prelims and Mains papers. A part of which is done by tests.

    Weekly Mains Test and Evaluation

    Because learning is not enough, you must apply. Every week a 10 question UPSC level current affairs test follows with video and notes. The focus here is on Mains answer writing skills and practice.

    It’s a skill that is learned, honed, and perfected gradually. And this is why it should be done regularly. Our team of subject experts evaluates your answers and provides you with feedback. Answer enhancement is one of the objectives of this exercise.

    Samachar Manthan Civilsdaily IAS Current Affairs UPSC

    Evaluated answer sheet – 1 (Click to download)

    Evaluated answer sheet – 2 (Click to download)

    Current Affairs Monthly Prelims Test package

    This was a feedback that we had received from our students. Now every month we provide a Current Affairs prelims test package.

    All this completes a study loop and enhances your retention.

    Civilsdaily Handholding and mentoring: 

    Our team led by Sajal sir is there to provide handholding support all through your UPSC journey. Increased interaction with the faculty and teachers from Civilsdaily will help you align your preparation and make it more relevant. You can reach out to Sajal sir and other teachers on Habitat.

    Google meet sessions

    Another important component we have added this year is Google meet sessions. These sessions will be conducted on a regular basis with the aspirants.

    Samachar Manthan 2022 -Habitat club 

    You’ll get a membership of the exclusive Habitat club and it is where everything comes together learning, doubt clearing, notes, references, mentors, and a focussed community. You’re going to learn and discuss like never before. 

    How will your queries be resolved?

    • The moment you have a query, you post it in the group. Your doubts will get resolved asap.
    • More often than not, your peers will take part in your doubt discussions adding a lot of value.

    Besides doubts, what else is there on Habitat?

    • #DDS sessions – We have dedicated sessions every day to resolve doubts in real-time. Never keep a doubt to yourself. 
    • An ecosystem for co-learning and active learning.
    • A highly motivated community to bring flexibility and consistency to your preparation.

    Marathon revision sessions before Prelims and Mains

    To consolidate your coverage and revision we take revision sessions on Habitat.

    Revision session on Habitat
    click here to enroll in samachar manthan 2022 Plus
    click here to enroll in samachar manthan 2022 – till Prelims
    Click here to enroll in samachar manthan 2022 Without Answer writing- till Prelims

    This is what our students have to say about Samachar Manthan and Sajal Sir.

     

    Samachar Manthan Civilsdaily IAS Current Affairs UPSC
    Feedback from our students.

    Samachar Manthan Civilsdaily IAS Current Affairs UPSC
    From answers posted in Quora. Read more here.

    Two variants of Samachar Manthan:

    click here to enroll in samachar manthan 2022 Plus
    click here to enroll in samachar manthan 2022 – till Prelims
    Click here to enroll in samachar manthan 2022 Without Answer writing- till Prelims

  • Important Important Temples/Monasteries/Stupas/Caves

     
    23rd May 2021

    Samanvaya: Free 1-to-1 mentorship for UPSC IAS

    Fill up this form to schedule a free on-call discussion with senior mentor from Civilsdaily. Once submitted we will call you within 24 hours.

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  • Why community efforts are essential for real change

    The article highlights the important role played by civil society and suggest the need for the new framework for the participation of community in the solution of problems.

    Important role played by civil society in second wave of Covid

    • We also have to realise that the state or the market cannot be the only provider for what citizens need.
    • Effective social interactions and community participation can play an important role in scaling up some of the actions that have been found useful.
    • During the second wave of Covid infections, communities emerged as resilient entities across the country.
    • Active engagement with civil society: Recently,  the Prime Minister called for an active engagement of civil society in coping with the pandemic.
    • The empowered group of secretaries has also identified the role of civil society during this period of crisis.

    Tasks for NITI Aayog: New framework

    • NITI should engage government institutions that encourage public participation and also support new frameworks for crisis management.
    • This new framework should critically look into the weaknesses and failures of the existing ones in attracting community participation in an effective manner.
    • This would also help in NITI’s own goal of localisation of development as part of its SDG strategy.
    • NITI should create mechanisms for facilitating the creation of required space for community initiatives.
    • It should leverage advanced technologies ABCD — artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing and data analytics for bridging demand-supply gaps.
    • It is time for NITI to apply the institutional framework where it has to, to rationalise select activities of communities and overcome the failure of the state where it is imminent.
    • NITI should partner with willing state governments to explore the launch of platforms that promote cross-learning and experience-sharing to reduce the cost of operations.
    • This may help in scaling up and, in some cases, overcome the asymmetric flow of information.
    • Opportunities for the participation of communities in decision making and their implementation at local levels may be explored.
    • The advantage for NITI is DARPAN, its portal for all voluntary organisations/non-governmental organisations engaged in development activities.
    • Several informal entities, start-ups and others, at times undefined, may also have to be engaged.

    Initiatives and micro-models

    • Several micro-models are coming up, but few have a larger footprint.
    •  In Nandurbar, for instance, a district collector could achieve what now seems a rare coordination between beds, number of critical patients and supply of oxygen.
    • At the end of the day, they had more beds with oxygen than required.
    • Breathe India and HelpNow represent an array of options, these apps have facilitated access to oxygen concentrators, hospitals and ambulances.
    • There are several such initiatives that are taking place across the country with little connection with each other.
    • These micro-models need to be scaled up.

    Consider the question “The role played by the civil society during the second covid wave highlighted its importance. What we need is a new framework for community participation. In light of this, discuss the important aspects of such framework.”

    Conclusion

    Solutions to any social problem call for an effective collective action that coordinates the aspirations of several groups of stakeholders. The present situation underlines the necessity of combined efforts to face this challenge.

    B2BASICS

    What is civil Society?

    • The society considered as a community of citizens linked by common interests and collective activity is a civil society.
    • It is the aggregate of non-governmental organizations and institutions that manifest interests and will of citizens.
    • It is referred to as the third sector of the society distinct from government and business.

  • 25th May 2021 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    [WpProQuiz 649]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 649]

  • Semiconductor chips shortage, and how carmakers are coping

    A shortage of inputs, especially semiconductor chips, has made India-based car manufactures and premium bike makers curtail production across categories.

    Do you know?

    Electronic parts and components today account for 40% of the cost of a new internal combustion engine car, up from less than 20% two decades ago.

    Chip famine

    • The trigger point was the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns across the world that forced shut crucial chip-making facilities in countries including Japan, South Korea, China and the US.
    • A key feature in a chip shortage is that it almost always causes cascading effects, given that the first one creates pent-up demand that becomes the cause for the follow-up famine.

    Why such famine?

    • The COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions in supply chains and logistics.
    • This is coupled with a 13% increase in global demand for PCs owing to some countries’ shift to a stay-at-home economy.
    • This has impacted the availability of key chips necessary for the manufacturing of a broad range of electronics being a necessary component of every industry.

    What is the impact of the chip famine?

    • Consumers of semiconductor chips, which are mainly car manufacturers and consumer electronics manufactures, have not been receiving enough of this crucial input to continue production.
    • There were two reasons for this: a steady decline in input prices and improvements in the processing power of chips.
    • The number of transistors mounted in IC circuit chips has doubled every two years.
    • Notably, the increase in chip consumption over the last decade is also partly attributable to the rising contribution of electronic components in a car’s bill of materials.

    How have vehicle makers responded?

    • Supply constraints are learned to have caused some output issues at notable Indian auto firms.
    • In addition to delaying vehicle deliveries, some companies have reportedly started discarding features and high-end electronic capabilities on a temporary basis.

  • CBI

    The high-powered selection committee headed by the Prime Minister has finalized some names for the post of CBI director.

    Try answering this:

    Q.Why the CBI is called “a caged parrot speaking in its master’s voice”? Critically comment.

    Central Bureau of Investigation

    • The CBI is the premier investigating agency of India operating under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
    • It was originally set up to investigate bribery and governmental corruption.
    • In 1965 it received expanded jurisdiction to investigate breaches of central laws enforceable by the Government of India, multi-state organized crime, multi-agency or international cases.
    • The agency has been known to investigate several economic crimes, special crimes, cases of corruption, and other cases.
    • CBI is exempted from the provisions of the Right to Information Act. CBI is India’s officially designated single point of contact for liaison with Interpol.

    Its composition

    • The CBI is headed by a Director, an IPS officer with a rank of Director General of Police.
    • The director is selected by a high-profile committee constituted under The Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946 as amended through The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, and has a two-year term.
    • The Appointment Committee consists of:
    1. Prime Minister – Chairperson
    2. Leader of Opposition of Loksabha or the Leader of the single largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha, if the former is not present due to lack of mandated strength in the Lok Sabha – member
    3. Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court Judge recommended by the Chief Justice – member

    Jurisdiction, powers and restrictions

    • The legal powers of investigation of the CBI are derived from the DSPE Act 1946, which confers powers, duties, privileges and liabilities on the Delhi Special Police Establishment (CBI) and officers of the UTs.
    • The central government may extend to any area (except UTs) the powers and jurisdiction of the CBI for investigation, subject to the consent of the government of the concerned state.
    • Members of the CBI at or above the rank of sub-inspector may be considered officers in charge of police stations.
    • Under the DSPE Act, the CBI can investigate only with notification by the central government.

    Relationship with state police

    • The CBI was originally constituted under the DSPE Act, to operate within the territory of Delhi.
    • As policing and law is a subject that falls within state powers under the structure of Indian federalism, the CBI needs prior consent from other state governments in order to conduct investigations within their territory.
    • This consent can be in the form of a ‘general consent’ under Section 6 of the DSPE Act, which remains in operation for all investigations.
    • Once consent is granted, the CBI can investigate economic, corruption, and special crimes (including national security, drugs and narcotics, etc.)
    • Most Indian states had granted general consent to the CBI to investigate crimes within their territory.
    • However, as of 2020, several states have withdrawn their ‘general consent’ for the CBI to operate, and require special consent to be granted on a case-to-case basis.

    Issues with CBI

    • In 2013, Judge of the Supreme Court of India (and later CJI) R. M. Lodha criticized the CBI for being a “caged parrot speaking in its master’s voice”.
    • This was due to its excessive political interference irrespective of which party happened to be in power.

  • [pib] Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery

    Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery is set to begin from 15th June 2021.

    What is Hallmark Gold?

    1. The process of certifying the purity and fineness of gold is called hallmarking.
    2. Bureau of Indian Standards, the National Standards Body of India, is responsible for hallmarking gold as well as silver jewellery under the BIS Act.
    3. If you see the BIS hallmark on the gold jewellery/gold coin, it means it conforms to a set of standards laid by the BIS. Hallmarking gives consumers assurance regarding the purity of the gold they bought.
    4. That is, if you are buying hallmarked 18K gold jewellery, it will actually mean that 18/24 parts are gold and the rest is alloy.
    5. At present, only 30% of Indian Gold Jewellery is hallmarked.

    Here are the four components one must look at the time of buying gold (they are mentioned in the laser engraving of a hallmark seal):

    1. BIS Hallmark: Indicates that its purity is verified in one of its licensed laboratories
    2. Purity in carat and fineness (corresponding to given caratage KT)
    • 22K916 (91.6% Purity)
    • 18K750 (75% Purity)
    • 14K585 (58.5% Purity)
    1. Assaying & Hallmarking Centre’s mark
    2. Jeweler’s unique identification mark

    Answer this PYQ from CSP 2017 in the comment box

    Q.Consider the following statements:

    1. 1. The Standard Mark of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is mandatory for automotive tyres and tubes.
      2. AGMARK is a quality Certification Mark issued by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

    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

    Why need hallmark?

    • Hallmarking will enable Consumers/Jewellery buyers to make the right choice and save them from any unnecessary confusion while buying gold.
    • It will enhance the credibility of gold Jewelry and Customer satisfaction through third-party assurance for the marked purity/fineness of gold, consumer protection.
    • This step will also help to develop India as a leading gold market center in the World.

  • [pib] 3D distribution of Molecular & Atomic Hydrogen in Galaxies

    Indian scientists have estimated the three-dimensional distribution of molecular and atomic hydrogen in a nearby galaxy which can help lead to clues to the star formation processes and the evolution of the galaxy.

    Study on Hydrogen distribution

    • Galaxies like the one we reside in, the Milky Way, consist of discs containing stars, molecular and atomic hydrogen, and helium.
    • The molecular hydrogen gas collapses on itself in distinct pockets, forming stars, its temperature was found to be low –close to 10 kelvin, or -263 ºC, and thickness is about 60 to 240 light-years.
    • The atomic hydrogen extends both above and below the discs.
    • Indian scientists have estimated that molecular hydrogen extends farther from the disc in both directions, up to about 3000 light-years.
    • This gaseous component is warmer than the one straddling the disc and has comparatively lesser densities, thus escaping earlier observations.
    • They called it the ‘diffuse’ component of the molecular disc.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q. Which one of the following sets of elements was primarily responsible for the origin of life on the Earth?

    (a) Hydrogen, Oxygen, Sodium

    (b) Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen

    (c) Oxygen, Calcium, Phosphorous

    (d) Carbon, Hydrogen, Potassium

    Why does this study matter?

    • The molecular hydrogen gas converts to individual stars under the pull of gravity, thus holding clues to the star formation processes and the evolution of the galaxy.
    • If a significant part of the gas extends beyond the thin disc of a few hundred light-years, it may explain why astronomers also observe stars at a few thousand light-years perpendicular to the galactic disc.

  • [pib] Shahi Litchi from Bihar exported to the UK

    In a major boost to the export of GI-certified products, the season’s first consignment of Shahi Litchi from Bihar was exported to the United Kingdom by the air route.

    Tap here to read about all GI-tagged products in news.

    Shahi Litchi

    • India is the second-largest producer of litchi (Litchi chin) in the world, after China.
    • The translucent, flavored aril or edible flesh of the litchi is popular as a table fruit in India, while in China and Japan it is preferred in dried or canned form.
    • Shahi litchi was the fourth agricultural product to get GI certification from Bihar in 2018, after Jardalu mango, Katarni rice, and Magahi paan.
    • GI registration for Shahi Litchi is held with the Muzaffarpur-based Litchi Growers Association of Bihar.
    • Muzzafarpur, Vaishali, Samastipur, Champaran, Begusarai districts and adjoining areas of Bihar have favorable climate for growing Shahi Litchi.

    Back2Basics: Geographical Indication (GI)

    • The World Intellectual Property Organisation defines a GI as “a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin”.
    • GIs are typically used for agricultural products, foodstuffs, handicrafts, industrial products, wines and spirit drinks.
    • Internationally, GIs are covered as an element of intellectual property rights under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
    • They have also covered under the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement.

  • [pib] Competition Commission of India

    Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs recently commemorated the 12th Annual Day of the Competition Commission of India (CCI).

    Competition Commission of India

    • CCI is the competition regulator in India.
    • It is a statutory body responsible for enforcing The Competition Act, 2002 and promoting competition throughout India and preventing activities that have an appreciable adverse effect on competition in India.
    • It was established on 14 October 2003. It became fully functional in May 2009.

    Its establishment

    • The idea of CCI was conceived and introduced in the form of The Competition Act, 2002 by the Vajpayee government.
    • A need was felt to promote competition and private enterprise especially in the light of 1991 Indian economic liberalization.
    • The Competition Act, 2002, as amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007, follows the philosophy of modern competition laws.
    • The Act prohibits anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position by enterprises, and regulates combinations (acquisition, acquiring of control, and Merger and acquisition), which causes or likely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition within India.

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