💥UPSC 2026, 2027, 2028 UAP Mentorship (March Batch) + Access XFactor Notes & Microthemes PDF
Talk to mentor

Civilsdaily

Login

Type: Prelims Only

  • Nobel and other Prizes

    Sainath awarded 2021 Fukuoka Prize

    Prelims Only | Trivia | Mains Paper 1: Arts & Culture

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Fukuoka Prize

    Mains level: Not Much

    Noted journalist P. Sainath has been selected as one of the three recipients of the Fukuoka Prize for 2021.

    Fukuoka Prize

    • The Fukuoka Prize is given annually to distinguished people to foster and increase awareness of Asian cultures, and to create a broad framework of exchange and mutual learning among the Asian people.
    • The Prize was established in 1990 by the city of Fukuoka in Japan and the Fukuoka City International Foundation.
    • The Grand Prize has earlier been awarded to Muhammad Yunus from Bangladesh, historian Romila Thapar, and sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan. Eleven Indians have received the Fukuoka Prize so far.
    • 115 people from 28 countries and areas have received the Prize in the past 30 years.

    Citation for the award

    • In a statement issued Mr. Sainath was described as a “very deserving recipient of the Grand Prize of Fukuoka Prize”.
    • The Secretariat noted his work for creating a new form of knowledge through his writings and commentaries on rural India and for “promoting civil cooperation”.

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

    Attend Now

  • Historical and Archaeological Findings in News

    Skull found in China represents a new human species

    Prelims Only | Trivia | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Stone age man and his evolution

    Mains level: Not Much

    Scientists have announced that a skull discovered in northeast China represents a newly discovered human species they have named Homo longi, or “Dragon Man”.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.The word ‘Denisovan’ is sometimes mentioned in media in reference to (CSP 2019):

    (a) fossils of a kind of dinosaurs

    (b) an early human species

    (c) a cave system found in North-East India.

    (d) a geological period in the history of Indian subcontinent

    Who is the “Dragon Man”, the latest Chinese discovery?

    • The cranium found in China has been dubbed the “Dragaon Man” or Homo longi, a name that has been derived from the Long Jiang or Dragon River in the Heilongjiang province of China where the city of Harbin is located.
    • The skull was reportedly discovered back in 1933, when a bridge was built over the Songhua River.
    • For thousands of years, the skull remained buried in sediments.
    • Because of the distinctive shape of the skull, which was found almost complete, some members of the team have suggested that it be declared a part of a new species of the genus Homo.
    • Significantly, the size of the skull, which has a considerable brain capacity, is comparable to that of modern humans and Neanderthals.

    Why is this discovery being considered significant?

    • For one, it brings new knowledge about the evolution of Homo sapiens.
    • It might help to bridge the gaps between our ancient ancestors called Homo erectus and us.
    • This knowledge is important because there is very little consensus in the scientific community about how different human species are related, and which species are our immediate ancestors.
    • Smithsonian for instance notes that some palaeontologists believe Homo heidelbergensis to be our immediate ancestors.
    • This species was discovered in 1908, and lived about 700,000 to 200,000 years ago in Europe and possibly China and some parts of Africa.

    Back2Basics: Species of Humans

    • Modern humans are the only human species that exist in the world today.
    • While the exact number of human species is a matter of debate, most scientists believe that there are at least 21 of them.

    As per the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, there are over 21 human species.  Major among these are:

    (1) Sahelanthropus tchadensis

    • Sahelanthropus tchadensis is believed to be the oldest member of the human family tree.
    • It lived about 7-6 million years ago somewhere around present-day Chad in Africa.
    • It had both ape-like and human-like features and was bipedalled, an ability that may have increased its chances of survival.

    (2) Homo erectus

    • Homo erectus lived about 1.89 million-110,000 years ago, in Northern, Eastern, and Southern Africa and Western and East Asia.
    • ‘Turkana Boy’ is the most complete fossil belonging to this species and is dated to be around 1.6 million years old.

    (3) Modern man

    • Homo neanderthalensis lived about 400,000-40,000 years ago and co-existed with Homo sapiens for a few thousand years.
    • They lived in Europe and in southwestern and central Asia.
    • Homo sapiens evolved about 300,000 years ago, and are found worldwide.

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

    Attend Now

  • Defence Sector – DPP, Missions, Schemes, Security Forces, etc.

    What is a Full Ship Shock Trial (FSST)?

    Prelims Only | Security Issues | Mains Paper 3: Various Security Forces, Agencies & Their Mandates

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Full Ship Shock Trial (FSST)

    Mains level: Not Much

    The US Navy Friday carried out a ‘full ship shock trial’ on its newest and most advanced nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to ensure its hardness was capable of withstanding battle conditions.

    What is a Full Ship Shock Trial (FSST)?

    • During World War II, American warships suffered severe damage from enemy mines and torpedoes that had actually missed their target, but exploded underwater in close proximity.
    • The US Navy has since worked to improve the shockproofing of their ship systems to minimize damage from such “near miss” explosions.
    • In FSSTs, an underwater explosive charge is set off near an operational ship, and system and component failures are documented.
    • The FSST probes whether the components survive shock in their environment on the ship; it probes the possibilities of system failures, and large components that could not be otherwise tested.

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

    Attend Now

  • Genetically Modified (GM) crops – cotton, mustards, etc.

    First-ever genetically modified rubber planted in Assam

    Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: First-ever genetically modified rubber planted in Assam

    Mains level: Hazards of using GMO crops

    A Rubber Board research farm on the outskirts of Guwahati now sports the world’s first genetically modified (GM) rubber plant tailored for the climatic conditions in the Northeast.

    GM rubber

    • The GM rubber has additional copies of the gene MnSOD, or manganese-containing superoxide dismutase, inserted in the plant.
    • The plant was developed at the Kerala-based Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII).
    • It is expected to tide over the severe cold conditions during winter — a major factor affecting the growth of young rubber plants in the region.

    Why need GM rubber?

    • Natural rubber is a native of warm humid Amazon forests and is not naturally suited for the colder conditions in the Northeast, which is one of the largest producers of rubber in India.
    • Growth of young rubber plants remains suspended during the winter months, which are also characterized by progressive drying of the soil.
    • This is the reason for the long immaturity period of this crop in the region.

    What does MnSOD gene offer?

    • The MnSOD gene has the ability to protect plants from the adverse effects of severe environmental stresses such as cold and drought.
    • Laboratory studies conducted at the RRII showed the GM rubber plants overexpressed the MnSOD gene as expected, offering protection to the cells.
    • The plant is thus expected to establish well and grow fast in the region.
    • There was no risk of genes flowing from the GM rubber into any other native species, a concern often raised by environmental groups against GM plants in general.

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

    Attend Now

  • Monsoon Updates

    Retreating Monsoon is a global phenomenon: Study

    Prelims Only | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 1: Important Geophysical Phenomena

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Indian monsoon

    Mains level: Monsoon and climate change

    Rainfall during retreating monsoon, which parts of South India experience every year, is not a local anomaly and is global in nature and scale, according to a recent study by the University of Sydney.

    What is Retreating Monsoon?

    • In India, retreating monsoon is the withdrawal of south-west monsoon winds from North India.
    • The withdrawal is gradual and takes about three months.
    • With the retreat of the monsoons, the clouds disappear and the sky becomes clear. The day temperature starts falling steeply.
    • Monsoon rains weaken all over India except few southeastern states.
    • It is helpful in Rabi crop cultivation.

    What has the research found?

    • The research has identified regions in the northern hemisphere that receive the bulk of the rainfall during September, October and November and southern hemisphere that receive most of the rainfall from March to August.
    • The discovery that these are part of a global pattern and not one-off occurrences means they can be systematically studied, which will help understand how these communities could be affected by climate change.
    • Peninsular India and parts of South-East Asia are among the eight regions examined in the study.

    Factors affecting the retreat

    • The eight global regions identified by the study that receive most of their rainfall after summer, have several things in common.
    • They lie on the eastern fringes of landmasses and are in close proximity to mountain ranges with modest heights.

    Two predominant factors cause the phenomenon:

    • First, the low mountain range in each region runs from north to south, shielding it from west-bound winds that trigger summer monsoon.
    • After summer, the range aids in the ‘orographic lift’ or rising of east-bound air mass from a lower to higher elevation, forming clouds and resulting in rain.
    • The second factor is atmospheric convection or vertical movement of air.
    • As the earth is heated by the sun, different surfaces absorb different amounts of energy and convection may occur where the surface heats up very rapidly.
    • As the surface warms, it heats the overlying air, which gradually becomes less dense than the surrounding air and begins to rise.
    • This condition is more favorable from September to February because of the role played by sea surface temperature or water temperature.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.The seasonal reversal of winds is the typical characteristic of:

    (a) Equatorial climate

    (b) Mediterranean climate

    (c) Monsoon climate

    (d) All of the above climates

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

    Attend Now

  • Global Geological And Climatic Events

    What is Summer Solstice?

    Prelims Only | Trivia | Mains Paper 1: Geographical Features & Their Location

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Rotation and Revolution of Earth

    Mains level: NA

    The summer solstice will happen today around 9:02 am on Monday (Indian Standard Time).

    What is Summer Solstice?

    • Solstice means “sun stands still” in Latin.
    • The longest day of 2021 for those living north of the Equator is June 21.
    • This day is characterized by a greater amount of energy received from the sun.
    • In technical terms, this day is referred to as the summer solstice, the longest day of the summer season. It occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer, or more specifically right over 23.5-degree north latitude.

    The Southern Hemisphere receives most sunlight on December 21, 22 or 23 when the northern hemisphere has its longest nights– or the winter solstice.

    Why do we have summer solstice?

    • Since Earth rotates on its axis, the Northern Hemisphere gets more direct sunlight between March and September over the course of a day.
    • This also means people living in the Northern Hemisphere experience summer during this time.
    • The rest of the year, the Southern Hemisphere gets more sunlight.
    • During the solstice, the Earth’s axis — around which the planet spins, completing one turn each day — is tilted in a way that the North Pole is tipped towards the sun and the South Pole is away from it.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.On 21st June, the Sun (CSP 2019):

    (a) Does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle

    (b) Does not set below the horizon at Antarctic Circle

    (c) Shines vertically overhead at noon on the Equator

    (d) Shines vertically overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn

    Some other facts

    • Summer solstice does not mean the earliest sunrise or latest sunset.
    • Although June 21 will be the longest day in 2021, it does not necessarily mean that it brings the earliest sunrise or latest sunset.
    • It depends on the latitudinal location of the country.

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

    Attend Now

  • Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

    National Maritime Heritage Complex

    Prelims Only | History | Mains Paper 1: Arts & Culture

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: National Maritime Heritage Complex, Lothal

    Mains level: Not Much

    In order to showcase the maritime heritage and history of India, a National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) will be developed in the Lothal region of Gujarat.

    National Maritime Heritage Complex

    • It is to note that the National Maritime Heritage Complex will be made within the ASI site of Lothal that is located 80 km away from Ahmedabad in Gujarat.
    • The project, once completed, will be made an international tourist destination in India where people from across the countries can take a look at the maritime heritage of India from ancient to modern times.
    • The government is aiming to showcase this via an edutainment approach where the latest technology would be adopted to spread awareness.
    • The development will be done in an area expanding 400 acres.
    • The complex will have many offerings including National Maritime Heritage Museum, Heritage Theme Park, and Light House Museum.

    About Lothal

    • Lothal was one of the southernmost cities of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization located in Gujarat.
    • Construction of the city began around 2200 BCE.
    • According to the ASI, Lothal had the world’s earliest known dock, which connected the city to an ancient course of the Sabarmati river on the trade route between Harappan cities in Sindh and the peninsula of Saurashtra.
    • Lothal was a vital and thriving trade Centre in ancient times, with its trade of beads, gems, and valuable ornaments reaching the far corners of West Asia and Africa.
    • The techniques and tools they pioneered for bead-making and in metallurgy have stood the test of time for over 4000 years.
    • The Lothal site has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its application is pending on the tentative list of UNESCO.

    Answer this question from CSP 2019 in the comment box:

    Q. Which one of the following is not a Harappan site?

    (a) Chanhudaro

    (b) Kot Diji

    (c) Sohgaura

    (d) Desalpur

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

    Attend Now

  • Innovations in Sciences, IT, Computers, Robotics and Nanotechnology

    [pib] Space-time induces Neutrino Oscillations

    Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Neutrinos

    Mains level: NA

    Indian scientists have shown that the geometry of space-time can cause neutrinos to oscillate.

    What are Neutrinos?

    • A neutrino is a subatomic particle that is very similar to an electron but has no electrical charge and a very small mass, which might even be zero.
    • Since neutrinos are electrically neutral, they are not affected by the electromagnetic forces which act on electrons. Hence, they are also called Ghost Particles.
    • Neutrinos are affected only by a “weak” sub-atomic force of a much shorter range than electromagnetism and are therefore able to pass through great distances in matter without being affected by it.
    • They are also one of the most abundant particles in the universe. As they have very little interaction with matter, however, they are incredibly difficult to detect.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.The known forces of nature can be divided into four classes, viz, gravity, electromagnetism, weak nuclear force and strong nuclear force. With reference to them, which one of the following statements is not correct?

    (a) Gravity is the strongest of the four

    (b) Electromagnetism act only on particles with an electric charge

    (c) Weak nuclear force causes radioactivity

    (d) Strong nuclear force holds protons and neutrons inside the nuclear of an atom

    Finding of the new research

    • Neutrinos are mysterious particles, produced copiously in nuclear reactions in the Sun, stars, and elsewhere.
    • They “oscillate”- meaning that different types of neutrinos change into one another – as has been found in many experiments.
    • Probing of oscillations of neutrinos and their relations with mass are crucial in studying the origin of the universe.
    • Neutrinos interact very weakly with everything else – trillions of them pass through every human being every second without anyone noticing.
    • A neutrino’s spin always points in the opposite direction of its motion, and until a few years ago, neutrinos were believed to be massless.

    What makes this possible?

    • The geometry of space-time can cause neutrino oscillations through quantum effects even if neutrinos are massless.
    • Einstein’s theory of general relativity says that gravitation is the manifestation of space-time curvature.
    • Neutrinos, electrons, protons and other particles which are in the category of fermions show a certain peculiarity when they move in presence of gravity.
    • Space-time induces a quantum force in addition to gravity between every two fermions.
    • This force can depend on the spin of the particles and causes massless neutrinos to appear massive when they pass through matter, like the Sun’s corona or the Earth’s atmosphere.
    • Something similar happens for electroweak interactions, and together with the geometrically induced mass, it is enough to cause oscillation of neutrinos.

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

    Attend Now

  • Railway Reforms

    Kerala’s Silver-Line Railway Project

    Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways Etc.

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Silverline Project

    Mains level: Not Much

    Last week, the Kerala cabinet gave the green light to begin acquiring land for SilverLine, its flagship semi high-speed railway project.

    What is the SilverLine project?

    • The SilverLine Project entails building a semi high-speed railway corridor through the state linking its southern end and state capital Thiruvananthapuram with its northern end of Kasaragod.
    • It is billed as one of the biggest infrastructure enterprises being pushed by the ruling Left government.
    • The line is proposed to be 529.45 km long, covering 11 districts through 11 stations.
    • When the project is realized, one can travel from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram in less than four hours on trains traveling at 200 km/hr.
    • The current travel time on the existing Indian Railways network is 12 hours.
    • The project is executed by the Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL), a joint venture between the Kerala government and the Union Ministry of Railways.

    What was the need for the project?

    • It has long been argued by urban policy experts that the existing railway infrastructure in the state cannot meet the demands of the future.
    • Most trains run with an average speed of 45 km/hr due to a lot of curves and bends on the existing stretch.
    • The government claims the SilverLine project is the need of the hour as it can take a significant load of traffic off the existing railway stretch and make travel easier and faster for commuters.
    • This will in turn reduce the congestion on roads and help reduce accidents and fatalities.

    Issues with the Project

    • The unofficial deadline for the project is 2025 but many would say it’s not a realistic target, given the laborious nature of land acquisition in a highly densely populated state like Kerala.
    • Acquiring land, especially from private players, in urban areas remains the key challenge for the project.
    • There’s also significant opposition to the project by environmentalists citing potential damage to the state’s ecosystem in the path of the proposed route.
    • They fear irreversible impact to the state’s rivers, paddy fields, and wetlands, triggering floods and landslides in the future.

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

    Attend Now

  • Food Processing Industry: Issues and Developments

    FSSAI recognizes new precision Iodine Value Analyser

    Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Food Processing & Related Industries In India

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Precision Iodine Value Analyzer

    Mains level: Not Much

    The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Scientific Instruments Organization (CSIR-CSIO) has developed and transferred the technology of Precision Iodine Value Analyzer (PIVA).

    What is Precision Iodine Value Analyzer?

    • It is an instrument for the measurement of the degree of unsaturation (iodine value) in vegetable oils.
    • This indigenous food testing equipment was recognized by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on World Food Safety Day on June 7, 2021.
    • It has applications in oil extraction units, quality control and assurance labs, food regulatory authorities, soaps and cosmetics, bakeries, meat industry, paint industry, biodiesel analysis, and charcoal industry.
    • It is also useful in determining adulteration in edible oils and fats.

    Measuring iodine value

    • Iodine value is conventionally determined using manual titration and a few analytical instruments based on automated titration.
    • However, these methods take a longer time to analyze, are costly, and use toxic chemicals.
    • Researchers at CSIR-CSIO developed a rapid analysis technique that takes just three minutes to carry out the same analysis.
    • Currently, PIVA has been calibrated and tested for coconut, sunflower, mustard, palm, rice bran, soybean, groundnut, olive oil, and ghee.
    • This new development is a part of the ongoing effort to strengthen the food testing capabilities by introducing quick and advanced food testing kits.

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

    Attend Now