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Type: Prelims Only

  • Health Sector – UHC, National Health Policy, Family Planning, Health Insurance, etc.

    N K Singh bats for moving Health Sector to Concurrent List

    Prelims Only | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Concurrent List

    Mains level: India's healthcare

    Health should be shifted to the Concurrent list under the Constitution, and a developmental finance institution (DFI) dedicated to healthcare investments set up, Fifteenth Finance Commission Chairman N.K. Singh has said.

    Other key recommendations

    • Bringing health into the Concurrent list would give the Centre greater flexibility to enact regulatory changes and reinforce the obligation of all stakeholders towards providing better healthcare.
    • He has urged the government spending to enhance expenditure on health to 2.5% of GDP by 2025.
    • He said primary healthcare should be a fundamental commitment of all States in particular and should be allocated at least two-thirds of such spending.

    The Concurrent List or List-III (of Seventh Schedule) is a list of 52 items (though the last subjects are numbered 47) given in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India.

    What is the Seventh Schedule?

    • This Schedule of the Indian Constitution deals with the division of powers between the Union government and State governments.
    • It defines and specifies the allocation of powers and functions between Union & States. It contains three lists; i.e. 1) Union List, 2) State List and 3) Concurrent List.

    The Union List

    • It is a list of 98 (Originally 97) numbered items as provided in the Seventh Schedule.
    • The Union Government or Parliament of India has exclusive power to legislate on matters relating to these items.

    The State List

    • It is a list of 59 (Originally 66) items.
    • The respective state governments have exclusive power to legislate on matters relating to these items.

    The Concurrent List

    • There are 52 (Originally 47) items currently in the list.
    • This includes items which are under the joint domain of the Union as well as the respective States.

    Must read

    [Burning Issue] India’s Ailing Health Sector and Coronavirus

    Healthcare in India

    • The Indian Constitution has incorporated the responsibility of the state in ensuring basic nutrition, basic standard of living, public health, protection of workers, special provisions for disabled persons, and other health standards, which were described under Articles 39, 41, 42, and 47 in the DPSP.
    • Article 21 of the Constitution of India provides for the right to life and personal liberty and is a fundamental right.
    • Public Health comes under the state list.
    • India’s expenditure on healthcare has shot up substantially in the past few years; it is still very low in comparison to the peer nations (at approx. 1.28% of GDP).

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  • Wetland Conservation

    Places in news: Chilika Lake

    Prelims Only | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Chilika Lake

    Mains level: Ramsar wetlands in India

    The Chilika Lake in Odisha, Asia’s largest brackish water lake, was once part of the Bay of Bengal, a study by the marine archaeology department of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa, has found.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Consider the following statements:

    1. In India, the Himalayas are spread over five States only.
    2. Western Ghats are spread over five States only.
    3. Pulicat Lake is spread over two States only.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 3 only

    (c) 2 and 3 only

    (d) 1 and 3 only

    Chilika Lake

    • Chilika Lake is a brackish water lagoon, spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha.
    • It is located at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal, covering an area of over 1,100 km2.
    • It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the largest brackish water lagoon in the world after The New Caledonian barrier reef.
    • It has been listed Ramsar Site as well as a tentative UNESCO World Heritage site.

    Its formation

    • The process of the formation of the Chilika might have begun in the latter part of the Pleistocene epoch, around 20,000 years ago.
    • India’s peninsular river Mahanadi carried a heavy load of silt and dumped part of it at its delta.
    • As the sediment-laden river met the Bay of Bengal, sand bars were formed near its mouth.
    • These created a backflow of the seawater into the sluggish fresh water at the estuary, resulting in the huge brackish water lake.
    • Marine archaeological studies on the Odisha coast clearly show that the Chilika once acted as a safe harbour for cargo ships bound for Southeast Asia and other parts of the world.

    Historical accounts on Chilika

    The lake has been a useful centre for maritime activities since the third millennium before the Common Era (CE).

    • Greek geographer Claudius Ptolemy (150 CE) described Palur as an important port of Kalinga and referred to it as ‘Paloura’.
    • This port was situated close to the ‘point of departure’ located outside the southern tip of the lake at Kantiagarh, from where ships used to sail directly for Southeast Asia.
    • Stone anchors and hero stones from Manikapatna, Palur and the adjoining onshore regions of the Chilika suggest that the present brackish water lagoon was in fact a part of the Bay of Bengal.
    • Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang (7th century CE) recorded ‘Che-li-ta-lo-Ching’ as a flourishing port.
    • This port was located at Chhatargarh on the banks of the Chilika.
    • The Brahmanda Purana (10th century CE approximately) says the Chilika was an important centre of trade and commerce, with ships sailing to Java, Malaya and Ceylon.
    • The famous Sanskrit poet Kalidas called the king of Kalinga ‘Madhodhipati’ or ‘Lord of the Ocean’.

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  • Climate Change Impact on India and World – International Reports, Key Observations, etc.

    Early bud-break genes and climate change

    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: Genetics and climate change

    Mains level: Impacts of climate change on plant dynamics

    Changing climate has transformed the time spring unfolds in front of us.

    Early bud-break

    • Bud-break — which is when trees leaf out — has undergone a change.
    • Several trees initiate bud-break too early or too late, which affects the harvest.
    • Spring, for example, arrived earlier than usual in Kashmir this year due to higher temperatures in February and March.
    • Gul-tour, a spring-flowering herb started blooming in mid-February in Kashmir. Its yellow flowers would usually blossom in March, heralding Spring.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Other than resistance to pests, what are the prospects for which genetically engineered plants have been created?

    1. To enable them to withstand drought
    2. To increase the nutritive value of the produce
    3. To enable them to grow and do photosynthesis in spaceships and space stations
    4. To increase their shelf life

    Select the correct answer using the code given below

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 3 and 4 only

    (c) 1, 2 and 4 only

    (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    Answer: (d)

    What causes early bud-break?

    • This is why understanding the genetics of bud-break helps scientists modify or select crop varieties that can be more resilient to the climate threat.
    • The properties of transcription factors are genes that regulate other genes by binding to deoxyribonucleic acid and giving activation instructions.
    • It helps scientists determine what other genes might be involved in a process such as a bud-break.

    EBB genes

    • Researchers of the study had earlier identified transcription factors for early bud-break 1 (EBB1) and short vegetative phase (SVL), which directly interact to control bud-break.
    • EBB1 is a positive regulator of bud-break, whereas SVL is a negative regulator of bud-break.
    • Now, the research team has identified and characterized the early bud-break 3 (EBB3) gene.

    Identified mechanism of Bud-break

    • EBB3 is a temperature-responsive, positive regulator of bud-break that provides a direct link to activation of the cell cycle during bud-break.
    • EBB3 provides a direct link through the signalling pathway for how these cells divide.
    • The analysis reveals how particular genes activate through the season or in response to specific environmental factors.

    Significance of the study

    • New approaches for accelerated tree adaptation to climate change helps ensure bud-break happens at the right time each spring.
    • Using their understanding of the genetic pathways that control bud-break, scientists hope to genetically modify crops to adapt to warmer winters and unpredictable frosts.

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  • Festivals, Dances, Theatre, Literature, Art in News

    Shigmo Festival of Goa

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

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Shigmo Festival

    Mains level: NA

    The Shigmo or the Goan Carnival celebrations may be terminated this year due to rising covid cases.

    Try this PYQ from CSP 2017:

    Q.Consider the following pairs:

    Traditions                                            Communities

    1. Chaliha Sahib Festival              —          Sindhis
    2. Nanda Raj Jaat Yatra                —          Gonds
    3. Wari-Warkari                            —          Santhals

    Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) None of the above

    What is Shigmo or Shigmotsav?

    • Shigmo is the celebration of a ‘rich, golden harvest of paddy’ by the tribal communities of Goa.
    • Agricultural communities including the Kunbis, Gawdas and Velips celebrate the festival that also marks the onset of spring.
    • Shigmo celebrations last over a fortnight in the months of Phalgun-Chaitra months of the Hindu calendar that correspond with March-April every year.

    Various activities in celebrations

    • The festival begins with ‘Naman’ that is the invocation of the local folk deities on the village ‘maand’ or the village stage.
    • It is held to the beats of percussion instruments like the Ghumat, Dhol, Mhadle and Tashe by the male folk.
    • This is called the ‘romta mell’ that moves from one village to another.
    • The celebration is replete with traditional, colourful costumes, mythological installations, painted faces and costumes of various hues.
    • Folk dances like Ghodemodini (a dance of equestrian warriors), Gopha and Phugadi are among the many dances performed by the participating communities.

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  • Foreign Policy Watch: India-Bangladesh

    Gandhi Peace Prize

    Prelims Only | Trivia | Mains Paper 2: India & Its Neighborhood – Relations

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Gandhi Peace Prize

    Mains level: NA

    The Culture Ministry has announced that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the late Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said Al Said, would be awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2020 and 2019 respectively.

    Note the features of the award such as prize, the composition of jury etc.

    Gandhi Peace Prize

    • The International Gandhi Peace Prize, named after Mahatma Gandhi, is awarded annually by the Government of India.
    • As a tribute to the ideals espoused by Gandhi, the GoI launched the International Gandhi Peace Prize in 1995 on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
    • This is an annual award given to individuals and institutions for their contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods.

    Its features

    • The award carries ₹1 crore (US$140,000) in cash, convertible in any currency in the world, a plaque and a citation.
    • It is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, creed or gender.
    • A jury consisting of the PM of India, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Chief Justice of India, Speaker of the Lok Sabha and one other eminent person decides the awardees each year.
    • Ordinarily, only proposals coming from competent persons invited to nominate are considered.
    • However, a proposal is not taken as invalid for consideration by the jury merely on the ground of not having emanated from competent persons.

    Information about the awardees

    (1) Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1920-1975)

    • The Prize recognizes the immense and unparalleled contribution of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in inspiring the liberation of Bangladesh.
    • It acknowledges the contribution in bringing stability to a nation born out of strife, laying the foundation for the close and fraternal relations between India and Bangladesh and promoting peace and non-violence in the Indian subcontinent.

    (2)Sultan Qaboos Bin Said (1940-2020)

    • Sultan Qaboos was a visionary leader whose twin policy of moderation and mediation in addressing international issues won him praise and respect across the globe.
    • He played an important role in supporting peace efforts in various regional disputes and conflicts. H.M. Sultan Qaboos was the architect of the special ties between India and Oman.
    • He had studied in India and always maintained a special relationship with India.
    • Under his leadership, India and Oman became strategic partners and our mutually beneficial, comprehensive partnership strengthened and scaled newer heights.

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  • Oil and Gas Sector – HELP, Open Acreage Policy, etc.

    Emerging crisis of obtaining Helium in India

    Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: S&T – Applications In Everyday Life

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Helium and its practical uses

    Mains level: Helium imports of India

    India imports helium for its needs and with the U.S. appearing set to cut off exports of helium since 2021, the Indian industry stands to lose out heavily.

    Helium is not just for balloons but it is the key ingredient for India’s high technology and the most sophisticated medical diagnosis.

    Helium on Earth

    • Helium is a chemical element with the symbol He and atomic number 2.
    • It is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas, the first in the noble gas group in the periodic table. Its boiling point is the lowest among all the elements.

    Its discovery

    • In 1906 a young Englishman by the name of Moris Travers arrived in Bangalore, to take up the position of the Director of Indian Institute of Science.
    • Travers extracted helium in small quantity by heating up monazite sand abundantly available in Kerala beach, in a pioneering effort.
    • Dutch physicist Kamerlingh Onnes liquefied Helium by cooling the gas to -270 degrees Celsius.
    • It is known that Onnes collected helium gas from the springs of Bath in Baden Baden, Germany for his liquefaction experiment.

    Helium in India

    • India’s Rajmahal volcanic basin is the storehouse of helium trapped for billions of years, since the very birth of our Earth from the Sun.
    • At present, researchers are mapping the Rajmahal basin extensively for future exploration and harnessing of helium.

    Why India needs Helium?

    • Every year, India imports helium worth Rs 55,000 crores from the U.S. to meet its needs.
    • Helium is used in medicine, scientific research, for blimp inflation, party balloons as well as having welding applications.
    • It finds many applications, mainly in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, in rockets and in nuclear reactors.

    US monopoly in Helium

    • The U.S. became the most important exporter of helium across the world.
    • It was soon realized that the U.S. was also the biggest storehouse of helium.
    • The US is now planning to switch off the export of helium from 2021.
    • Qatar is a possible exporter but acute political and diplomatic wrangles have made Qatar unreliable.

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  • Global Geological And Climatic Events

    Indian monsoon 25 million years ago resembled present day Australia’s

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

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Drift of Indian plate from Gondwanaland

    Mains level: History of Indian Monsoon

    Using leaf fossils, researchers have found that the Indian monsoon 25 million years ago resembled present-day Australia’s.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Which one of the following is the appropriate reason for considering the Gondwana rocks as the most important rock systems of India?

    (a) More than 90% of limestone reserves of India are found in them

    (b) More than 90% of India’s coal reserves are found in them

    (c) More than 90% of fertile black cotton soils are spread over them

    (d) None of the reasons given above is appropriate in this context

    India’s drift

    • About 180 million years ago, India separated from the ancient supercontinent Gondwana and took a long northward journey of about 9,000 km to join Eurasia.
    • During this journey, the subcontinent moved from the southern hemisphere, crossed the Equator to reach its current position in the northern hemisphere.
    • Due to these changing latitudes, it experienced different climatic conditions, and a new study has now tried to map these climatic variations using leaf fossils.

    Clueless over the evolution of monsoon

    • The evolution of the monsoonal climate in India is still debatable and not fully understood.
    • Though recent data indicates that the monsoon system we experience now dates back to about 25 million years, it is still unclear how the climate was during its long voyage.

    Indian research

    • The researchers analysed the morphological characters of fossil leaves collected from Deccan Volcanic Province, East Garo Hills of Meghalaya, Gurha mine in Rajasthan and Makum Coalfield in Assam.
    • The four fossil assemblages were found to be from four different geological ages.
    • It has been observed from across the globe that plant leaf morphological characters such as apex, base and shape are ecologically tuned with the prevailing climatic conditions.
    • The research applied this model to characterize the past monsoon from fossil leaves.

    It’s finding

    • The results indicated that the fossil leaves from India were adapted to an Australian type of monsoon and not the current Indian monsoon system during its voyage.
    • The reconstructed temperature data show that the climate was warm (tropical to subtropical) at all the studied fossil sites with temperatures varying from 16.3–21.3 degrees C.
    • All the fossil sites experienced high rainfall, which varied from 191.6 cm to 232 cm.

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  • Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

    Who was Lachit Borphukan?

    Prelims Only | | Mains Paper 1: Modern Indian History

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Lachit Borphukan

    Mains level: Not Much

    The Prime Minister (in an election campaign) has called 17th-century Ahom General Lachit Borphukan a symbol of India’s “atmanirbhar” military might.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.What was the immediate cause for Ahmad Shah Abdali to invade and fight the Third Battle of Panipat:

    (a) He wanted to avenge the expulsion by Marathas of his viceroy Timur Shah from Lahore

    (b) The frustrated governor of Jullundhar Adina Beg khan invited him to invade Punjab

    (c) He wanted to punish Mughal administration for non-payment of the revenues of the Chahar Mahal (Gujrat Aurangabad, Sialkot and Pasrur)

    (d) He wanted to annex all the fertile plains of Punjab upto borders of Delhi to his kingdom

    Who was Lachit Borphukan?

    • The year was 1671 and the decisive Battle of Saraighat was fought on the raging waters of the Brahmaputra.
    • On one side was Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb’s army headed by Ram Singh of Amer (Jaipur) and on the other was the Ahom General Lachit Borphukan.
    • He was a commander in the Ahom kingdom, located in present-day Assam.
    • Ram Singh failed to make any advance against the Assamese army during the first phase of the war.
    • Lachit Borphukan emerged victorious in the war and the Mughals were forced to retreat from Guwahati.

    Lachit Diwas

    • On 24 November each year, Lachit Divas is celebrated statewide in Assam to commemorate the heroism of Lachit Borphukan.
    • On this day, Borphukan has defeated the Mughal army on the banks of the Brahmaputra in the Battle of Saraighat in 1671.
    • The best passing out cadet of National Defence Academy has conferred the Lachit gold medal every year since 1999 commemorating his valour.

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  • Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

    Tomar king Anangpal II and his connection with Delhi

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

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: History of Delhi

    Mains level: Delhi sultanate

    The Union government has recently formed a committee to popularize the legacy of 11th-century Tomar king, Anangpal II.

    Revision: Delhi Sultanate and their contemporaries

    Who was Anangpal II?

    • Anangpal II, popularly known as Anangpal Tomar, belonged to the Tomar dynasty that ruled parts of present-day Delhi and Haryana between the 8th and 12th centuries.
    • The capital of Tomars changed many times from being initially at Anangpur (near Faridabad) during the reign of Anangpal I (who founded the Tomar dynasty in the 8th century), to Dhillikapuri (Delhi) during the reign of Anangpal II.
    • The Tomar rule over the region is attested by multiple inscriptions and coins, and their ancestry can be traced to the Pandavas (of the Mahabharata).
    • Anangpal Tomar II was succeeded by his grandson Prithviraj Chauhan, who was defeated by the Ghurid forces in the Battle of Tarain (present-day Haryana) after which the Delhi Sultanate was established in 1192.

    His connection with Delhi

    • Anangpal II is credited to have established and populated Delhi during his reign in the 11th century.
    • He was instrumental in populating Indraprastha and giving it its present name, Delhi.
    • The region was in ruins when he ascended the throne in the 11th century, it was he who built Lal Kot fort and Anangtal Baoli.
    • He was the founder of Dhillikapuri, which eventually became Delhi.

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  • Festivals, Dances, Theatre, Literature, Art in News

    Jaapi, Xorai and Gamosa in Assam

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

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Jaapi, Xorai and Gamosa

    Mains level: NA

    As the polling date draws closer, decorative jaapis (field hats), hand-woven gamosas and bell-metal xorais are making frequent appearances in Assam.

    Primarily used to felicitate important people and guests, these important symbols of Assamese identity and culture are abundantly seen in political campaigns across the state.

    Jaapi

    • The jaapi is a conical hat made of bamboo and covered with dried tokou (a palm tree found in rainforests of Upper Assam) leaves.
    • It is most often used in official functions to felicitate guests.
    • The landscape of rural Assam features a more utilitarian version, which farmers wear to protect themselves from the harsh weather, both sun and rain, while working in the fields.
    • The first possible recorded use of jaapi dates back to the Ahom-era buranjis, or chronicles. Kings and ministers would wear them then.

    Gamosa

    • The Gamosa, which literally translates to a cloth to wipe one’s body, is omnipresent in Assam, with wide-ranging uses.
    • It can be used at home as a towel (uka gamosa) or in public functions (phulam/floral gamosa) to felicitate dignitaries or celebrities.
    • The popularity of the gamosa has now traveled beyond Assam and is often used by a number of public figures.
    • It was during the anti-foreigner Assam Agitation of the early 1980s, when Assamese nationalism reached its crescendo, that the gamosa assumed a new role.

    Xorai

    • Made of bell-metal, the xorai — essentially a tray with a stand at the bottom, with or without a cover — can be found in every Assamese household.
    • While it is primarily used as an offering tray during prayers, or to serve tamale-paan (betel-nut) to guests, a xorai is also presented along with the jaapi and gamosa while felicitating someone.
    • The bulk of xorais in Assam are made in the state’s bell metal hub Sarthebari in Bajali district.

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