Don’t miss the chance to get value addition inputs to score better in the examination! This webinar is absolutely free. All aspirants are welcome to attend.
What will you Learn in This Free Live Webinar by Parth Sir?
1. The significance of PYQs and an examination of toppers’ copies for your own preparation.
2. Breaking myths: The syllabus, not the books, must be completed.
3. What are the best book to refer? Based on a last 10-year UPSC-CSE paper analysis.
4. Recognize the UPSC requirement. What kinds of test series are useful? Which mock test series should be avoided?
5. Complete UPSC-CSE Preparation Timeline for a Working Professional
6. The skill of taking notes. What topics necessitate notes and which do not?
7. Working hard in the right direction vs. working hard in the wrong direction: Is it possible to be successful solely by studying hard?
8. There are only two consolidated sources for current events. What exactly are they?
9. Revision techniques that are common, standard, and used frequently. What exactly are they?
About Parth Sir
Our Civilsdaily Mentor, Mr Parth has been mentoring students since 2017. He has an admirable experience of attending UPSC-CSE interview two times. Parth sir has always scored 400+ in all the 4 GS Mains Subjects. The secret of success according to him is consistency and time-management.
India and USA have reaffirmed their commitment to promote regional stability and rule of law at the fourth 2 +2 Ministerial Dialogue held in Washington recently.
Outcome of the dialogue
India’s Defence and EAM and their US counterparts undertook a comprehensive review of cross-cutting issues in the India-US bilateral agenda related to Foreign Policy, Defence and Security.
PM Modi and US President Biden also held a virtual meeting before the 2+2 dialogue where both leaders discussed the destabilizing impacts of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Modi also pointed out that India placed importance on the safety of the civilian population in Ukraine and the uninterrupted supply of humanitarian aid to them including medicines and relief materials.
Both sides also expressed their commitment to strengthening the bilateral relationship through cooperation.
Major Outcome: Both agreed to differ on Ukraine
India stood firm in its stand despite what appeared to be growing pressure from the US.
New Delhi continued to promote dialogue to end the war.
It didn’t criticise Russia directly but chose some strong words about the need to respect the sovereignty of each nation.
In a candid remark, Mr Blinken agreed that India’s relationship with Russia has developed over decades at a time when the United States was not able to be a partner to India.
What is the 2+2 talks between India and allies?
The 2+2 dialogue is a format of meeting of the foreign and defence ministers of India and its allies on strategic and security issues.
A 2+2 ministerial dialogue enables the partners to better understand and appreciate each other’s strategic concerns and sensitivities taking into account political factors on both sides.
This helps to build a stronger, more integrated strategic relationship in a rapidly changing global environment.
India has 2+2 dialogues with four key strategic partners: US, Australia, Japan, and RUSSIA.
Inception of the idea
The inaugural 2+2 dialogue with Australia was held in September 2021 when Jaishankar and Singh met with their counterparts Marise Payne and Peter Dutton in New Delhi.
India held its first 2+2 dialogue with Russia in December last year, when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu visited India.
The first India-Japan talks in the 2+2 format were held on November 30, 2019 in New Delhi.
Dialogue with the US
The US is India’s oldest and most important 2+2 talks partner.
The first 2+2 dialogue between the two countries was held during the Trump Administration.
It hosted then-Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and then-Secretary of Defence James Mattis and the late Sushma Swaraj and then Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi in September 2018.
The second and third editions of the 2+2 dialogues were held in Washington DC and New Delhi in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
Defence and strategic agreements
Over the years, the strategic bilateral relationship with its partners, including the dialogues held in the 2+2 format, have produced tangible and far-reaching results for India.
Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016
Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) after the first 2+2 dialogue in 2018, and
Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) in 2020
Deterrents in the dialogue
Bullying India: For the first time since the Biden administration came to office, the US has raised the issue of India’s human rights record in a public forum.
No defined protocol: There is little doubt as to how beneficial this mechanism has been.
Progress in Indo-Pacific: On one side, the ‘two plus dialogue’ is expected to abate, if not resolve, highly problematic issues such as Chinese aggression.
Russia factor: This time, the US is sceptical of India’s mammoth oil import from Russia. Another problematic pointer is India’s voluminous weaponry sanctions from Russia.
Holding 2+2 with Russia
Russia is one of those countries with which a 2+2 format talk “fits perfectly” in India’s foreign policy.
Traditional partners: Having a 2+2 with Russia also means that India is “not in anyone’s camp” and that bilateral ties between Moscow and New Delhi are “traditional and comprehensive”.
Strategic partnership: India and Russia have shared a strategic relationship since October 2000, which later got upgraded to ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’ in December 2010. To be sure, the India-Russia 2+2 does have a particularly strong signalling component when seen against the backdrop of the S400 controversy.
Non-Alignment: Holding the 2+2 talks with Russia is much needed. This gives out a strong message to the world that India sees everyone to be on the same level.
National interests: This is visible messaging that India cannot be compelled to choose partners. India pursues an independent foreign policy serving its national and non-allied interests.
Onus lies on the US
It’s clear that there is a lot more ground to cover for the US to replace Moscow as India’s largest partner.
Washington acknowledged that Russia is India’s biggest defence supplier – accounting for more than 50% of its imports.
In contrast, the US was India’s second-largest supplier between 2011 and 2015 after Russia, but fell behind France and Israel in the period between 2016 and 2021.
India continues to import from Russia because it gets good value for money, and, crucially, transfers of technology in some areas.
The US needs to give commitments on technology transfers to be able to get a bigger share of India’s defence imports.
Way forward
India and the US don’t set ‘red lines’ and are pushing for “an honest dialogue”, the ongoing 2+2 dialogue is an opportunity for both India and the US.
The US also understands that India is one of the few countries that could leverage its relationship with Russia to bring the two warring parties to the negotiating table through a ceasefire and diplomatic resolution.
For Delhi, it is a season for careful and adroit diplomacy.
All new aspirants who have made up their mind to be a civil servant have no idea in the beginning how to prepare for the examination. They get nervous that the books are too lengthy, the test series seem to be baffling and the syllabus indefinite.
You might have consulted numerous websites on the internet on how to go about your UPSC 2023 preparation, but still you are confused as they address only the skin-deep theories about Do’s and Don’ts.
90% of websites suggest reading Ramesh Singh for India Economy. But after reading 2-3 pages of R. Singh you realize that you are not able to remember anything after just a couple of hours!
Attend the free live webinar conducted by Civilsdaily’s toppers’ mentor Parth Verma sir to understand how to start a concrete preparation from scratch, eliminate confusions and remain consistent and disciplined for one whole year.
Webinar Details
Don’t miss the chance to get value addition inputs to score better in the examination! This webinar is absolutely free. All aspirants are welcome to attend.
Our Civilsdaily Mentor, Mr Parth has been mentoring students since 2017. He has an admirable experience of attending UPSC-CSE interview two times. Parth sir has always scored 400+ in all the 4 GS Mains Subjects. The secret of success according to him is consistency and time-management.
All new aspirants who have made up their mind to be a civil servant have no idea in the beginning how to prepare for the examination. They get nervous that the books are too lengthy, the test series seem to be baffling and the syllabus indefinite.
You might have consulted numerous websites on the internet on how to go about your UPSC 2023 preparation, but still you are confused as they address only the skin-deep theories about Do’s and Don’ts.
90% of websites suggest reading Ramesh Singh for India Economy. But after reading 2-3 pages of R. Singh you realize that you are not able to remember anything after just a couple of hours!
Attend the free live webinar conducted by Civilsdaily’s toppers’ mentor Parth Verma sir to understand how to start a concrete preparation from scratch, eliminate confusions and remain consistent and disciplined for one whole year.
Webinar Details
Don’t miss the chance to get value addition inputs to score better in the examination! This webinar is absolutely free. All aspirants are welcome to attend.
Our Civilsdaily Mentor, Mr Parth has been mentoring students since 2017. He has an admirable experience of attending UPSC-CSE interview two times. Parth sir has always scored 400+ in all the 4 GS Mains Subjects. The secret of success according to him is consistency and time-management.
China’s intervention has proved disastrous for the economies of Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
China-Myanmar relations and its implications
Myanmar, China’s closest neighbour with a long history of cross border trade, was the first country to voluntarily turn towards Beijing, from 1988, when the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) took over the reins of government.
World sanctions followed, but Beijing reassured the generals of its continued support and in 1989, signed a treaty of trade and cooperation that made China the sole supporter of the illegitimate military government.
The strong western sanctions after 2007, made China virtually its sole trading partner.
The link with China became essential for the regime’s survival but did little to increase economic prosperity.
Wood alone accounts for about 70 per cent of Myanmar’s exports to China.
It’s clear that China is stripping bare Myanmar’s centuries-old teak forests.
Implications for Pakistan
In 2012, Pakistan signed on to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.
New Delhi and Washington imagined wrongly that the CPEC would lead to a major People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) expansion into the Indian Ocean through Gwadar, which even now is a largely disused port.
As a conservative IMF estimate put it, Islamabad’s poor management of the economy and reckless borrowing has put its immediate financial needs (2022) at $51 billion.
Projects chosen are unviable like the Gwadar port and the Lahore Metro and attracted huge public criticism. The CPEC was put on hold and rebooted.
The IMF warned Islamabad of the CPEC repayment boosting the current account deficit, forcing Pakistan to cut Chinese interest payments for 10 years.
The CPEC has been a humbling experience for China and an economic disaster for Pakistan.
Implications for Sri Lanka
Against all economic surveys and advice, the Hambantota port was built, it floundered and Sri Lanka transferred the land as equity to China for 99 years.
From 2012 to 2016, China accounted for 30 per cent of all FDI to Sri Lanka, becoming the top source of foreign investment
Today China is funding 50 projects in the country, involving more than $1 billion, including the Colombo Port and the Lakvijaya thermal power plant.
Today, the Sri Lankan economy is in complete meltdown, with China holding the largest amount of Sri Lankan debt.
Private banks have run out of funds to finance imports. Its main sources of revenue, tourism and remittances, have dried up, and the government is in a crisis.
Conclusion
The recourse to availing Chinese money by Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka has led to a feeling of hubris among the leaders, inducing them to take bad economic decisions in the perception that Beijing is footing the bills.
Recently, Chinese state-sponsored hackers targeted Indian electricity distribution centres near Ladakh.
Amid a surge in cyberattacks on India’s networks, the Centre is yet to implement the National Cyber Security Strategy which has been in the works since 2020.
Recent trends of Cyber-attacks in India
As per American cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks’ 2021 report, Maharashtra was the most targeted State in India — facing 42% of all ransomware attacks.
India is among the more economically profitable regions for hacker groups and hence these hackers ask Indian firms to pay a ransom, usually using cryptocurrencies, in order to regain access to the data.
One in four Indian organisations suffered a ransomware attack in 2021.
Indian organisations witnessed a 218% increase in ransomware — higher than the global average of 21%.
Software and services (26%), capital goods (14%) and the public sector (9%) were among the most targeted sectors.
Increase in such attacks has brought to light the urgent need for strengthening India’s cybersecurity.
What is the National Cyber Security Strategy?
Conceptualised by the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), the report focuses on 21 areas to ensure a safe, secure, trusted, resilient, and vibrant cyberspace for India.
The main sectors of focus of the report are:
Large scale digitisation of public services: There needs to be a focus on security in the early stages of design in all digitisation initiatives and for developing institutional capability for assessment, evaluation, certification, and rating of core devices.
Supply chain security: There should be robust monitoring and mapping of the supply chain of the Integrated circuits (ICT) and electronics products. Product testing and certification needs to be scaled up, and the country’s semiconductor design capabilities must be leveraged globally.
Critical information infrastructure protection: The supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) security should be integrated with enterprise security. A repository of vulnerabilities should also be maintained.
Digital payments: There should be mapping and modelling of devices and platform deployed, transacting entities, payment flows, interfaces and data exchange as well as threat research and sharing of threat intelligence.
State-level cyber security: State-level cybersecurity policies and guidelines for security architecture, operations, and governance need to be developed.
What steps does the report suggest?
To implement cybersecurity in the above-listed focus areas, the report lists the following recommendations:
Budgetary provisions: A minimum allocation of 0.25% of the annual budget, which can be raised up to 1% has been recommended to be set aside for cyber security.
Ministry-wise allocation: In terms of separate ministries and agencies, 15-20% of the IT/technology expenditure should be earmarked for cybersecurity.
Setting up a Fund of Funds: The report also suggests setting up a Fund of Funds for cybersecurity and to provide central funding to States to build capabilities in the same field.
R&D, skill-building and technology development: The report suggests investing in modernisation and digitisation of ICTs, setting up a short and long term agenda for cyber security via outcome-based programs and providing investments in deep-tech cyber security innovation.
National framework for certifications: Furthermore, a national framework should be devised in collaboration with institutions like the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and ISEA (Information Security Education and Awareness) to provide global professional certifications in security.
Creating a ‘cyber security services’: The DSCI further recommends creating a ‘cyber security services’ with cadre chosen from the Indian Engineering Services.
Crisis management: For adequate preparation to handle crisis, the DSCI recommends holding cybersecurity drills which include real-life scenarios with their ramifications. In critical sectors, simulation exercises for cross-border scenarios must be held on an inter-country basis.
Cyber insurance: Cyber insurance being a yet to be researched field, must have an actuarial science to address cybersecurity risks in business and technology scenarios as well as calculate threat exposures.
Cyber diplomacy: Cyber diplomacy plays a huge role in shaping India’s global relations. To further better diplomacy, the government should promote brand India as a responsible player in cyber security and also create ‘cyber envoys’ for the key countries/regions.
Cybercrime investigation: It also suggests charting a five-year roadmap factoring possible technology transformation, setting up exclusive courts to deal with cybercrimes and remove backlog of cybercrimes by increasing centres providing opinion related to digital evidence under section 79A of the IT act.
Advanced forensic training: Moreover, the DSCI suggests advanced forensic training for agencies to keep up in the age of AI/ML, blockchain, IoT, cloud, automation.
Cooperation among agencies: Law enforcement and other agencies should partner with their counterparts abroad to seek information of service providers overseas.
Progress in its implementation
The Centre has formulated a draft National Cyber Security Strategy 2021 which holistically looks at addressing the issues of security of national cyberspace.
Without mentioning a deadline for its implementation, the Centre added that it had no plans as of yet to coordinate with other countries to develop a global legal framework on cyber terrorism.
Way forward
India has to contend with the importance and necessity of cyber offenceas much as cyber defence.
As of today, India’s primary or possibly only response measures appear to be defensive.
India has to also invest in more offensive cyber means as a response.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is in the news now and often.
About Enforcement Directorate (ED)
It goes back to May 1, 1956, when an ‘Enforcement Unit’ was formed in the Department of Economic Affairs.
It then aimed for handling Exchange Control Laws violations under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA).
The ED today is a multi-dimensional organisation investigating economic offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, Foreign Exchange Management Act and FERA.
From where does the ED get its powers?
When proceeds of crime (property/money) are generated, the best way to save that money is by parking it somewhere, so one is not answerable to anyone in the country.
Therefore, there was a need to control and prevent the laundering of money.
The PMLA was brought in for this exact reason in 2002, but was enacted only in 2005.
The objective was to prevent parking of the money outside India and to trace out the layering and the trail of money.
So as per the Act, the ED got its power to investigate under Sections 48 (authorities under act) and 49 (appointment and powers of authorities and other officers).
At what stage does the ED step in when a crime is committed?
Whenever any offence is registered by a local police station, which has generated proceeds of crime over and above ₹1 crore, the investigating police officer forwards the details to the ED.
Alternately, if the offence comes under the knowledge of the Central agency, they can then call for the First Information Report (FIR) or the chargesheet if it has been filed directly by police officials.
This will be done to find out if any laundering has taken place.
What differentiates the probe between the local police and officers of the ED?
Case study:
If a theft has been committed in a nationalised bank, the local police station will first investigate the crime.
If it is learnt that the founder of the bank took all the money and kept it in his house, without being spent or used, then the crime is only theft and the ED won’t interfere because the amount has already been seized.
But if the amount which has been stolen is used after four years to purchase some properties, then the ill-gotten money is brought back in the market.
Or if the money is given to someone else to buy properties in different parts of the country, then there is ‘laundering’ of money.
Hence the ED will need to step in and look into the layering and attachment of properties to recover the money.
If jewellery costing ₹1 crore is stolen, police officers will investigate the theft. The ED, however, will attach assets of the accused to recover the amount of ₹1 crore.
What are the other roles and functions of the ED?
The ED carries out search (property) and seizure (money/documents) after it has decided that the money has been laundered, under Section 16 (power of survey) and Section 17 (search and seizure) of the PMLA.
On the basis of that, the authorities will decide if arrest is needed as per Section 19 (power of arrest).
Under Section 50, the ED can also directly carry out search and seizure without calling the person for questioning.
It is not necessary to summon the person first and then start with the search and seizure.
If the person is arrested, the ED gets 60 days to file the prosecutioncomplaint (chargesheet) as the punishment under PMLA doesn’t go beyond seven years.
If no one is arrested and only the property is attached, then the prosecution complaint along with attachment order is to be submitted before the adjudicating authority within 60 days.
Can the ED investigate cases of money laundering retrospectively?
If an ill-gotten property is acquired before the year 2005 (when the law was brought in) and disposed off, then there is no case under PMLA.
But if proceeds of the crime were possessed before 2005, kept in storage, and used after 2005 by buying properties, the colour of the money is still black and the person is liable to be prosecuted under PMLA.
Under Section 3 of PMLA, a person shall be guilty of money-laundering, if such person is found to have directly or indirectly attempted to indulge or knowingly assist a party involved in one or more of the following activities:
Concealment; possession; acquisition; use; or projecting as untainted property; or claiming as untainted property in any manner etc.
The retirements in the topmost rung of the judiciary in 2022 will encompass changes in the powerful Supreme Court Collegium and see two new Chief Justices in a span of months.
Why in news?
The retirements come at a time when the court is in the process of steadying itself after particularly brutal waves of the pandemic.
Pendency in Supreme Court
The Supreme Court’s statistics show that 70,362 cases are pending with it as on April 1, 2022.
Over 19% of them are not ready to be placed before a Bench for judicial hearing as they have not completed the required preliminaries.
While 52,110 are admission matters, 18,522 are regular hearing cases.
The number of Constitution Bench cases (both main and connected matters) totals 422.
General scenario: Pendency of Cases
India’s legal system has the largest backlog of pending cases in the world – as many as 30 million pending cases.
This number is continuously increasing and this itself shows the inadequacy of the legal system.
And also due to this backlog, most of the prisoners in India’s prisons are detainees awaiting trial.
Factors leading to under-performance of Indian Judiciary
The issue of heavy arrears pending in the various courts of the country has been a matter of concern since the time of independence.
The primary factors contributing to docket explosion and arrears as highlighted by Justice Malimath Committee report are as follows:
Population explosion
Litigation explosion
Hasty and imperfect drafting of legislation
Plurality and accumulation of appeals (Multiple appeals for the same issue)
Inadequacy of judge strength
Failure to provide adequate forums of appeal against quasi-judicial orders
Lack of priority for disposal of old cases (due to the improper constitution of benches)
Issue of appointment in Quasi-Judicial Bodies
Way ahead
For pendency, time limits should be prescribed for all cases based on priorities.
So setting time standards is essential and it will vary for different cases, and also for different courts depending on their disposal capacity.
Alternative disputes resolution (ADR) mechanisms should be promoted for out-of-court settlements.
Recently, Telangana CM and members of his Cabinet staged a protest demanding a uniform paddy procurement policy. The protest came after the Centre said it was stopping the purchase of excess parboiled rice, of which Telangana is a major producer.
What is Parboiled Rice?
The dictionary meaning of ‘parboil’ is ‘partly cooked by boiling’.
Thus, the expression parboiled rice refers to rice that has been partially boiled at the paddy stage, before milling.
Parboiling of rice is not a new practice, and has been followed in India since ancient times.
However, there is no specific definition of parboiled rice of the Food Corporation of India or the Food Ministry.
How is it prepared?
There are several processes for parboiling rice.
The Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru, uses a method in which the paddy is soaked in hot water for three hours, in contrast to the more common method in which paddy is soaked for 8 hours.
The water is then drained and the paddy steamed for 20 minutes.
Also, the paddy is dried in the shade in the method used by the CFTRI, but is sun-dried in the common method.
The Paddy Processing Research Centre (PPRC), Thanjavur follows a method known as the chromate soaking process.
It uses chromate, a family of salt in which the anion contains both chromium and oxygen, which removes the odour from the wet rice.
All processes generally involve three stages—soaking, steaming and drying. After passing through these stages, the paddy goes for milling.
Are all rice varieties suitable for parboiling?
Generally, all varieties can be processed into parboiled rice, but it is ideal to use long slender varieties to prevent breakage during milling.
However, aromatic varieties should not be parboiled because the process can make it can lose its aroma.
What are the benefits?
Parboiling makes rice tougher. This reduces the chances of the rice kernel breaking during milling.
It also increases the nutrient value of the rice.
It has a higher resistance to insects and fungi.
Certain disadvantages
The rice becomes darker and may smell unpleasant due to prolonged soaking.
Besides, setting up a parboiling rice milling unit requires a higher investment than a raw rice milling unit.
How much is the stock of parboiled rice in the country?
According to the Food Ministry, the total stock of parboiled rice is 40.58 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) as on April 1, 2022.
Out of this, the highest stock is in Telangana at 16.52 LMT, followed by Tamil Nadu (12.09 LMT) and Kerala (3 LMT).
The stock was in the range 0.04–2.92 LMT in 10 other states —Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Karnataka, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana.
From the other 10 rice-producing states, including Telangana, the Ministry has no plan to procure parboiled rice.
In the coming days, the total parboiled rice stock will increase to 47.76 LMT.
How high is the demand?
The Food Ministry pegs the parboiled rice demand at 20 LMT per annum for distribution under the National Food Security Act, 2013.
According to the Ministry, the demand for parboiled rice has come down in recent years.
In the last few years, production in parboiled rice-consuming states such as Jharkhand, Kerala and Tamil Nadu has increased, resulting in less movement to the deficit states.
Earlier, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) used to procure parboiled rice from states such as Telangana to supply to these states.
But in recent years, parboiled rice production has increased in these states.
The current stock is sufficient to meet the demand for the next two years.
A Fuel Ship with 750 tons of diesel sinks off the Gulf Of Gabes in Tunisia.
Gulf of Gabes
The Gulf of Gabes also known as Lesser Syrtis contrasting with the Greater Syrtis in Libya, is a gulf on Tunisia’s east coast in the Mediterranean Sea, off North Africa.
The gulf roughly spans the coast from Sfax to Djerba.
At the head of the gulf is the city of Gabès (Ghannouche) where the tides have a large range of up to 2.1 m at spring tides.
Both Gabès and Sfax are major ports on the gulf, supporting sponge and tuna fisheries, with Gabès being the economic and administrative centre.
It is 60 miles (100 km) long and 60 miles wide and is bounded by the Qarqannah (Kerkena) Islands on the northeast and by Jarbah (Djerba) Island on the southeast.
Regional economy of the gulf
Except for the Strait of Gibraltar and the Gulf of Venice, it is the only part of the Mediterranean with a substantial tidal range, causing the uncovering of extensive sandbanks at low water.
Sponge and tuna fisheries are located at the main ports of Qābis (Gabès) and Ṣafāqis (Sfax).
Oil and natural-gas deposits have been found in the gulf, east of Ṣafāqis.
All new aspirants who have made up their mind to be a civil servant have no idea in the beginning how to prepare for the examination. They get nervous that the books are too lengthy, the test series seem to be baffling and the syllabus indefinite.
You might have consulted numerous websites on the internet on how to go about your UPSC 2023 preparation, but still you are confused as they address only the skin-deep theories about Do’s and Don’ts.
90% of websites suggest reading Ramesh Singh for India Economy. But after reading 2-3 pages of R. Singh you realize that you are not able to remember anything after just a couple of hours!
Attend the free live webinar conducted by Civilsdaily’s toppers’ mentor Parth Verma sir to understand how to start a concrete preparation from scratch, eliminate confusions and remain consistent and disciplined for one whole year.
Webinar Details
Don’t miss the chance to get value addition inputs to score better in the examination! This webinar is absolutely free. All aspirants are welcome to attend.
Our Civilsdaily Mentor, Mr Parth has been mentoring students since 2017. He has an admirable experience of attending UPSC-CSE interview two times. Parth sir has always scored 400+ in all the 4 GS Mains Subjects. The secret of success according to him is consistency and time-management.
All new aspirants who have made up their mind to be a civil servant have no idea in the beginning how to prepare for the examination. They get nervous that the books are too lengthy, the test series seem to be baffling and the syllabus indefinite.
You might have consulted numerous websites on the internet on how to go about your UPSC 2023 preparation, but still you are confused as they address only the skin-deep theories about Do’s and Don’ts.
90% of websites suggest reading Ramesh Singh for India Economy. But after reading 2-3 pages of R. Singh you realize that you are not able to remember anything after just a couple of hours!
Attend the free live webinar conducted by Civilsdaily’s toppers’ mentor Parth Verma sir to understand how to start a concrete preparation from scratch, eliminate confusions and remain consistent and disciplined for one whole year.
Webinar Details
Don’t miss the chance to get value addition inputs to score better in the examination! This webinar is absolutely free. All aspirants are welcome to attend.
Our Civilsdaily Mentor, Mr Parth has been mentoring students since 2017. He has an admirable experience of attending UPSC-CSE interview two times. Parth sir has always scored 400+ in all the 4 GS Mains Subjects. The secret of success according to him is consistency and time-management.
All new aspirants who have made up their mind to be a civil servant have no idea in the beginning how to prepare for the examination. They get nervous that the books are too lengthy, the test series seem to be baffling and the syllabus indefinite.
You might have consulted numerous websites on the internet on how to go about your UPSC 2023 preparation, but still you are confused as they address only the skin-deep theories about Do’s and Don’ts.
90% of websites suggest reading Ramesh Singh for India Economy. But after reading 2-3 pages of R. Singh you realize that you are not able to remember anything after just a couple of hours!
Attend the free live webinar conducted by Civilsdaily’s toppers’ mentor Parth Verma sir to understand how to start a concrete preparation from scratch, eliminate confusions and remain consistent and disciplined for one whole year.
Webinar Details
Don’t miss the chance to get value addition inputs to score better in the examination! This webinar is absolutely free. All aspirants are welcome to attend.
Our Civilsdaily Mentor, Mr Parth has been mentoring students since 2017. He has an admirable experience of attending UPSC-CSE interview two times. Parth sir has always scored 400+ in all the 4 GS Mains Subjects. The secret of success according to him is consistency and time-management.
All new aspirants who have made up their mind to be a civil servant have no idea in the beginning how to prepare for the examination. They get nervous that the books are too lengthy, the test series seem to be baffling and the syllabus indefinite.
You might have consulted numerous websites on the internet on how to go about your UPSC 2023 preparation, but still you are confused as they address only the skin-deep theories about Do’s and Don’ts.
90% of websites suggest reading Ramesh Singh for India Economy. But after reading 2-3 pages of R. Singh you realize that you are not able to remember anything after just a couple of hours!
Attend the free live webinar conducted by Civilsdaily’s toppers’ mentor Parth Verma sir to understand how to start a concrete preparation from scratch, eliminate confusions and remain consistent and disciplined for one whole year.
Webinar Details
Don’t miss the chance to get value addition inputs to score better in the examination! This webinar is absolutely free. All aspirants are welcome to attend.
Our Civilsdaily Mentor, Mr Parth has been mentoring students since 2017. He has an admirable experience of attending UPSC-CSE interview two times. Parth sir has always scored 400+ in all the 4 GS Mains Subjects. The secret of success according to him is consistency and time-management.
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Panelists for Mock Interviews:
Shri Shankar Aggarwal, IAS (retd.), former Secretary
Dr. Noor Mohammad, IAS (retd.), former EC
Dr. P.K. Agrawal, IAS (Retd.), former Ch. Secy
Shri T. N. Thakur, IAAS (retd.), former Dy CAG
Shri V. P. Singh, IRPS
Mrs.Aditi Gupta, Corporate Leadership Specialist
Prof. U.M. Amin, Jamia Milia University
Mr. S. D. Singh, IFoS (Retd.)
Mr. Kunal Aggarwal, IRS
Mr. Debraj Das, IPS
Tentative: Shri S. Y. Quraishi (former CEC), Shri Harsh V. Pant (Observer Research Foundation), Shri SN Tripathi, IAS (Director IIPA), Shri Yogesh Narain (Retd. Defence Secretary), Shri Dipankar Gupta (Indian Sociologist), and others.
Upcoming Mock interview and session
This week’s mock interview dates have been fixed.
Mock interview this week 19th April onwards – (Book your slot)
Time: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Mode:Online/Offline
Do You Know That Civilsdaily Has a 75% Success Rate In UPSC Interview?
Beyond Ukraine’s borders, far beyond the media spotlight, the war has launched a silent assault on the developing world. This crisis could throw up to 1.7 billion people — over one-fifth of humanity — into poverty, destitution and hunger on a scale not seen in decades.
Impact of the war on the developing world
Ukraine and the Russian Federation provide 30 per cent of the world’s wheat and barley, one-fifth of its maize, and over half of its sunflower oil.
Together, their grain feeds the poorest and most vulnerable people, providing more than one-third of the wheat imported by 45 African and least-developed countries.
At the same time, Russia is the world’s top natural gas exporter, and second-largest oil exporter.
But the war is preventing farmers from tending their crops while closing ports, ending grain exports, disrupting supply chains and sending prices skyrocketing.
The World Food Programme has warned that it faces the impossible choice of taking from the hungry to feed the starving.
It urgently needs $8 billion to support its operations in Yemen, Chad and Niger.
But while much of the world has stepped up in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, there is no sign of the same support for the 1.7 billion other potential victims of this war.
The Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance
The group aims to develop coordinated solutions to these interlinked crises, with governments, international financial institutions and other key partners.
1] On food, the group is urging all countries to keep markets open, resist hoarding and unjustified and unnecessary export restrictions, and make reserves available to countries at the highest risk of hunger and famine.
2] On energy, the use of strategic stockpiles and additional reserves could help to ease this energy crisis in the short term.
But the only medium- and long-term solution is to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy.
3] And on finance, the G20 and international financial institutions must go into emergency mode.
They must find ways to increase liquidity and fiscal space, so that governments in developing countries can invest in the poorest and most vulnerable, and in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Social protection, including cash transfers, will be essential to support desperate families through this crisis.
But many developing countries with large external debts do not have the liquidity to provide these safety nets.
Conclusion
The only lasting solution to the war in Ukraine and its assault on the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world is peace.
All new aspirants who have made up their mind to be a civil servant have no idea in the beginning how to prepare for the examination. They get nervous that the books are too lengthy, the test series seem to be baffling and the syllabus indefinite.
You might have consulted numerous websites on the internet on how to go about your UPSC 2023 preparation, but still you are confused as they address only the skin-deep theories about Do’s and Don’ts.
90% of websites suggest reading Ramesh Singh for India Economy. But after reading 2-3 pages of R. Singh you realize that you are not able to remember anything after just a couple of hours!
Attend the free live webinar conducted by Civilsdaily’s toppers’ mentor Parth Verma sir to understand how to start a concrete preparation from scratch, eliminate confusions and remain consistent and disciplined for one whole year.
Webinar Details
Don’t miss the chance to get value addition inputs to score better in the examination! This webinar is absolutely free. All aspirants are welcome to attend.
Our Civilsdaily Mentor, Mr Parth has been mentoring students since 2017. He has an admirable experience of attending UPSC-CSE interview two times. Parth sir has always scored 400+ in all the 4 GS Mains Subjects. The secret of success according to him is consistency and time-management.
Historical importance of good nutrition was ignored by the modern therapist who tried to control TB initially with streptomycin injection, isoniazid and para-aminosalisylic acid. In the ecstasy of finding antibiotics killing the germs, the social determinants of disease were ignored.
Lack of patient-centric TB treatment
With more drug arsenals such as rifampicin, ethambutol, pyrazinamide, the fight against TB bacteria continued, which became multidrug resistant.
The regimes and the mode of delivery of drugs were changed to plug the loopholes of non-compliance of patients.
Blister packs of a multi-drug regime were provided at the doorstep, and the directly observed treatment/therapy (DOT) mechanism set up.
Many of the poor discontinued blister-packaged free drugs thinking that these were “hot and strong” drugs not suited for the hunger pains they experienced every night.
Role of nutrition in dealing with TB
India has around 2.8 million active cases. It is a disease of the poor.
And the poor are three times less likely to go for treatment and four times less likely to complete their treatment for TB, according to WHO, in 2002.
The fact is that 90% of Indians exposed to TB remain dormant if their nutritional status and thereby the immune system, is good.
When the infected person is immunocompromised, TB as a disease manifests itself in 10% of the infected.
The 2019 Global TB report identified malnutrition as the single-most associated risk factor for the development of TB, accounting for more cases than four other risks, i.e., smoking, the harmful use of alcohol, diabetes and HIV.
The work and the findings of a team at the Jan Swasthya Sahayog hospital at Ganiyari, Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh established the association of poor nutritional status with a higher risk of TB.
Way forward
Chhattisgarh initiated the supply of groundnut, moong dhal and soya oil, and from April 2018, under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana of the National Health Mission.
All States began extending cash support of ₹500 per month to TB patients to buy food. This amount needs to be raised.
Nutrition education and counselling support: Without simultaneous nutrition education and counselling support, this cash transfer will not have the desired outcome.
Conclusion
Food is a guaranteed right for life under the Constitution for all citizens, more so for TB patients. Thus, the goals of reducing the incidence of TB in India and of reducing TB mortality cannot be reached without addressing undernutrition.
As the Prelims is getting closer, many tasks line up like static revisions, attempting mocks and wrapping up your current affairs. Quick revisions can help you remember the factual information on the final day.
To take care of your quick revision plan, Civilsdaily is introducing Prelims Mahasangram 2022.
The program will focus on targeted coverage of syllabus; Daily Discussion with Q&A; weekly zoom calls.
Program Starts on Monday 18th April, 2022.
Your War Commanders are Core mentors from Civilsdaily. They mentored around 50 Aspirants in 2021 and more than 22 Aspirants cleared prelims following their Strategy.
Now that the battleground is ready, Are you ready for the Mahasangram?
Complete the most important books like Laxmikant, Spectrum, NCERTs etc with Prelims Battle: Gamified.
Win daily, weekly and eventually final War with your favourite War Commanders.
Be the top on the weekly Leaderboard and arrange a strategy session on Google Meet with your War Commanders.
Major Components of The Program
Detailed Plan: You War commanders will provide you with a broader, Weekly and daily plan. They will also set Daily Accountability to ensure Consistency. Every morning you will be given a target to complete, which will be eventually taken up for discussion in the evening.
A Roadmap to secure 105 marks in Prelims 2022: You are not supposed to score 200 but just 100+ to secure a seat for mains 2022. Reading Everything in detail right now will create confusion and panic. Your War Lords will give you their smart strategy which helped their older spartans to clear prelims with flying colors. They will tell you the perfect plan to reach this milestone.
Daily Sessions: Evaluation is necessary after you complete your targets. Your War commanders will conduct daily sessions and ensure you do not miss any relevant topic. These session will be based on Q&A method on our Official Civilsdaily Space, Habitat.
Strategy: Strategy will definitely help you to plan your study for the next 45 days in a more efficient manner.You War commanders will provide you subject wise strategy specifically for prelims.
Daily and Weekly Leaderboard: Follow the daily schedule and earn reward points.
Weekly Rewards: Those who get the top 5 spots on the weekly leaderboard will get a personal session with the mentors over google meet.
TIKDAM: Learn the Art of Elimination and Be the warrior who will win the war. Ravi Sir is one of the pioneers of Tikdam and he will help you in developing logics. These logics will definitely help you clear the exam.There will be 10 Tikdam sessions.
You can get the joining and payment details for the program on the link given below:
See How Tikdam Works even with the toughest questions:
Q. Consider the following statements:
1. 21st February is declared to be the International Mother Language Day by UNICEF.
2. The demand that Bangla has to be one of the national languages was raised in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Statement-1: It is a part of culture therefore it should be UNESCO not UNICEF. Also by TIKDAM Rule-1, Above statement should be incorrect.
Statement 2: Present Bangladesh was a part of the then Pakistan. The statement does not say for the first time or only in the Assembly but a general statement that the demand was raised which sounds logical because East Bengal was a part of it as well. Therefore this statement should be correct.
Q Consider the following statements:
1. Moringa (drumstick tree) is a leguminous evergreen tree.
2. The Tamarind tree is endemic to South Asia.
3. In India, most of the tamarind is collected as minor forest produce.
4. India exports tamarind and seeds of moringa.
5. Seeds of moringa and tamarind can be used in the production of biofuels.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1, 2, 4 and 5
(b) 3, 4 and 5
(c) 1, 3 and 4
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 5
Almost every Indian has seen the Moringa Trees(Mungna, Saijan in hindi). They drop their leaves as we have seen. This means they are not evergreen. By eliminating we can get B as an answer.
Q What is blue carbon?
(a) Carbon captured by oceans and coastal ecosystems
(b) Carbon sequestered in forest biomass and agricultural soils
(c) Carbon contained in petroleum and natural gas
(d) Carbon present in atmosphere
We all know blue is used for Water/Oceans. Now option A has Ocean.
Q. With reference to the book “Desher Kather” written by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar during the freedom struggle, consider the following statements :
1. It warned against the Colonial States hypnotic conquest of the mind.
2. It inspired the performance of swadeshi street plays and folk songs.
3. The use of desh‘ by Deuskar was in the specific context of the region of Bengal.
Which of the statements given above are curt?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Anything in the context of Bengal used to start as ‘Bang.’ For example Bang Bhasha Prakashak Sabha, Bang Bhang, Bangladesh etc. Therefore Desh should not be in the context of Bengal. Now by simply eliminating S3 we can get the answer.
