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Type: Prelims Only

  • Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

    Person in news: Sree Narayana Guru

    24 August 2021 | Prelims Only | History
    Mains GS1: GS1-01.Indian Culture- Salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Sree Narayana Guru

    Mains level: SNDP Movement

    The Prime Minister has paid tributes to Sree Narayana Guru on his Jayanti.

    Sree Narayana Guru (1856-1928)

    • Narayana Guru was a philosopher, spiritual leader and social reformer in India.
    • He led a reform movement against the injustice in the caste-ridden society of Kerala in order to promote spiritual enlightenment and social equality.

    His legacy:

    Temple Entry

    • He was in the forefront of the movement for universal temple entry and against the societal ills like the social discrimination of untouchables.
    • He gave the famous slogan “One Caste, One Religion, One God for All”.
    • In 1888, he built a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva at Aruvippuram which was against the caste-based restrictions of the time.
    • In one temple he consecrated at Kalavancode, he kept mirrors instead of idols. This symbolised his message that the divine was within each individual.

    Untouchability

    • The social protest of Vaikom Satyagraha (1924-25) was an agitation by the lower caste against untouchability in Hindu society of Travancore.
    • He taught equality but felt the inequalities should not be exploited to carry out conversions and therefore generate strife in society.

    Philosophy

    • Sree Narayana Guru became one of the greatest proponents and re-evaluators of Advaita Vedanta, the principle of non-duality put forward by Adi Shankara.

    Answer this PYQ:

    Q.Which one of the following pairs does not form part of the six systems of Indian Philosophy?

    (a) Mimamsa and Vedanta

    (b) Nyaya and Vaisheshika

    (c) Lokayata and Kapalika

    (d) Sankhya and Yoga

     

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  • Renewable Energy – Wind, Tidal, Geothermal, etc.

    [pib] Simhadri PV Project: Largest floating Solar Project in the country

    23 August 2021 | PIBPrelims Only | Economics
    Mains GS3: GS3-13.Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc:

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: India's largest solar PV Project

    Mains level: Renewable Energy in India

    The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has commissioned the largest floating solar PV project of 25MW on the reservoir of its Simhadri thermal station in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

    Simhadri PV Project

    • The 2000MW coal-based Simhadri Station is the first power project to implement an open sea intake from the Bay of Bengal which has been functional for more than 20 years.
    • This is the first solar project to be set up under the flexibilization scheme of coal-powered plant, notified in 2018.
    • The floating solar installation which has a unique anchoring design is spread over 75 acres in an RW reservoir.
    • This floating solar project has the potential to generate electricity from more than 1 lakh solar PV modules.
    • This would not only help to light around 7,000 households but also ensure at least 46,000 tons of CO2e are kept at arm’s length every year during the lifespan of this project.
    • The project is also expected to save 1,364 million litres of water per annum. This would be adequate to meet the yearly water requirements of 6,700 households.

    Other important facts you must know

    • As of May 2021, India has 95.7 GW of renewable energy capacity, and represents ~ 25% of the overall installed power capacity.
    • The government plans to establish renewable energy capacity of 523 GW (including 73 GW from Hydro) by 2030.
    • India was the world’s 3rd largest renewable energy producer with 38% (136 GW out of 373 GW) of total installed energy capacity in 2020 from renewable sources.
    • Tamil Nadu has the highest installed solar power capacity in India. Kamuthi Solar Power Project near Madurai is the world’s second-largest solar park.

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    Back2Basics: NTPC

    • NTPC is an Indian statutory corporation engaged in the generation of electricity and allied activities.
    • It is incorporated under the Companies Act 1956 and is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Power.
    • NTPC’s core function is the generation and distribution of electricity to State Electricity Boards in India.
    • It is the largest power company in India with an electric power generating capacity of 62,086 MW.
    • It has also ventured into oil and gas exploration and coal mining activities.
    • In May 2010, NTPC was conferred Maharatna status by GoI, one of the only four companies to be awarded this status.

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  • AYUSH – Indian Medicine System

    Colourful molecules of turmeric

    23 August 2021 | Prelims Only | Science and Technology
    Mains GS3: GS3-17.Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nano-technology, Bio-technology and issues relating to Intellectual Property Rights.

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Turmeric

    Mains level: NA

    Researchers have come forward with some interesting findings on Turmeric.

    Turmeric

    • Turmeric has about 3% of the active component molecule called curcumin, a polyphenol diketone (and not a steroid).
    • Researchers point out that there is another molecule in turmeric called piperine, which is an alkaloid, responsible for the pungency of pepper that we use every day in our cooking, along with turmeric.
    • Piperine enhances curcumin absorption in the body. It gives turmeric its multivariate healing and protective power.

    Benefits of turmeric consumption

    • Turmeric has been known for over 4,000 years in the Indian subcontinent, West Asia, Burma, Indonesia and China, and is used as an essential part of our daily food – what the colonials called curry powder.
    • It has also been known as a medicine for ages, and to have anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
    • Herbal medicine experts have used turmeric to treat painful symptoms of arthritis, joint stiffness, and joint pain.
    • They have also claimed that turmeric helps cure acute kidney injuries. Some of these claims need to be checked using controlled trials.

    Against COVID-19

    • Most recently, an exciting study has recently been published by a group in Mumbai which shows that turmeric aids in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
    • The researchers did a trial of about 40 COVID-19 patients and found that turmeric could substantially reduce morbidity and mortality.

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  • Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

    Malabar Rebellion of 1921

    21 August 2021 | Prelims Only |
    Mains GS1: GS1-02.Modern Indian History- Mid-18th century – Present (significant events, personalities, issues);

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Moplah Revolt

    Mains level: Various tribal uprisings in India

    This August 20, marked the centenary of the Malabar rebellion, which is also known as the Moplah riots.

    Try this question from CSP 2020:

    Q. With reference to the history of India, “Ulgulan” or the Great Tumult is the description of which of the following event?

    (a) The Revolt of 1857

    (b) The Mappila Rebellion of 1921

    (c) The Indigo Revolt of 1859-60

    (d) Birsa Munda’s Revolt of 1899-1900

     

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    Malabar Rebellion

    • The Malabar Rebellion in 1921 started as resistance against the British colonial rule and the feudal system in southern Malabar but ended in communal violence between Hindus and Muslims.
    • There were a series of clashes between Mappila peasantry and their landlords, supported by the British, throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.
    • It began as a reaction against a heavy-handed crackdown on the Khilafat Movement, a campaign in defence of the Ottoman Caliphate by the British authorities in the Eranad and Valluvanad taluks of Malabar.
    • The Mappilas attacked and took control of police stations, British government offices, courts and government treasuries.

    Who was Variyankunna Kunjahammed Haji?

    • He was one of the leaders of the Malabar Rebellion of 1921.
    • He raised 75000 natives, seized control of large territory from the British rule and set up a parallel government.
    • In January 1922, under the guise of a treaty, the British betrayed Haji through his close friend Unyan Musaliyar, arresting him from his hideout and producing him before a British judge.
    • He was sentenced to death along with his compatriots.

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    Also read

    Important Rebellion

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

    Melting of the Greenland’s Snow Cover

    21 August 2021 | Prelims Only | Environment
    Mains GS1: GS1-14.Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.,

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Greenland

    Mains level: Not Much

    Recently the summit of Greenland received rain and not snow. This has sparked fear as scientists are pointing to it as evidence that Greenland is warming rapidly.

    About Greenland

    • Greenland is the world’s largest island located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
    • It is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
    • Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe (specifically Norway and Denmark, the colonial powers).
    • The majority of its residents are Inuit, whose ancestors migrated from Alaska through Northern Canada, gradually settling across the island by the 13th century.
    • It has three-quarters of its surface covered with a permanent ice sheet, which is increasingly coming under threat because of climate change.

    Rain at Greenland: The rarest phenomenon

    • At the highest point on Greenland’s ice sheet, the US maintains a Summit Station, a research facility that observes changes occurring over the island as well as in Arctic weather.
    • Researchers observed rain at the normally frigid summit, with the precipitation extending up to Greenland’s southeast coast.
    • The rain, coupled with warm conditions, caused a major melting event at the summit.
    • This led to rapid ice melting running off into the ocean in volumes, thus accelerating global sea-level rise.

    A cause of worry

    • Greenland, which is two-thirds the size of India, already witnessed one of its most severe melting events.
    • It has lost 8.5 billion tons of surface mass in one day– the third such extreme event in the past decade.
    • The UN’s “code red” climate report released last week concluded that the burning of fossil fuels led to Greenland melting in the last 20 years.
    • The rapid melting is also threatening polar bears, which now have to make their way hundreds of kilometers towards Greenland’s interior from the coasts, where they usually find enough food.

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  • Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

    Places in news: Panjshir Valley

    21 August 2021 | Prelims Only | International Relations
    Mains GS2: India & Its Neighborhood – Relations

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Panjshir Valley

    Mains level: Not Much

    The Taliban has sent hundreds of its fighters to the Panjshir Valley, one of the few parts of Afghanistan not yet controlled by the group.

    Panjshir Valley

    • Located 150 km north of Kabul, the Valley is near the Hindu Kush Mountain range.
    • It’s divided by the Panjshir river and ringed by the Panjshir mountains in the north and the Kuhestan mountains in the south.
    • The mountain tops are covered by snow throughout the year.
    • This difficult terrain makes the Valley a nightmare for invaders.

    Why is it significant?

    • The Valley has repeatedly played a decisive role in Afghanistan’s military history, as its geographical position almost completely closes it off from the rest of the country.
    • The only access point to the region is through a narrow passage created by the Panjshir River, which can be easily defended militarily.
    • Famed for its natural defenses, the region tucked into the Hindu Kush mountains never fell to the Taliban during the civil war of the 1990s, nor was it conquered by the Soviets a decade earlier.
    • Panjshir Valley was among the safest regions in the country during the time of the NATO-backed government from 2001 to 2021.
    • The valley is also known for its emeralds, which were used in the past to finance the resistance movements against those in power.

    Answer this PYQ:

    Consider the following pairs

    Towns: Country in news        

    1. Aleppo: Syria
    2. Kirkuk: Yemen
    3. Mosul: Palestine
    4. Mazar-i-sharif: Afghanistan

    Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched? (CSP 2018)

    (a) 1 and 2

    (b) 1 and 4

    (c) 2 and 3

    (d) 3 and 4

     

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  • RBI Notifications

    Government Securities Acquisition Programme (GSAP 2.0)

    19 August 2021 | Prelims Only | Economics
    Mains GS3: Mobilization Of Resources

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: G-Secs

    Mains level: Not Much

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that it will conduct an open market purchase of government securities of â‚č25,000 crore under the G-sec Acquisition Programme (G-SAP 2.0).

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.Consider the following statements:

    1. The Reserve Bank of India manages and services the Government of India Securities but not any State Government Securities.
    2. Treasury bills are issued by the Government of India and there are no treasury bills issued by the State Governments.
    3. Treasury bills offer are issued at a discount from the par value.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 3 Only

    (c) 2 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

     

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    What are Government Securities?

    • These are debt instruments issued by the government to borrow money.
    • The two key categories are:
    1. Treasury bills (T-Bills) – short-term instruments which mature in 91 days, 182 days, or 364 days, and
    2. Dated securities – long-term instruments, which mature anywhere between 5 years and 40 years

    Note: T-Bills are issued only by the central government, and the interest on them is determined by market forces.

    Why G-Secs?

    • Like bank fixed deposits, g-secs are not tax-free.
    • They are generally considered the safest form of investment because they are backed by the government. So, the risk of default is almost nil.
    • However, they are not completely risk-free, since they are subject to fluctuations in interest rates.
    • Bank fixed deposits, on the other hand, are guaranteed only to the extent of Rs 5 lakh by the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).

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  • Nuclear Energy

    Nuclear Fusion and the recent breakthrough

    19 August 2021 | Prelims Only | Science and Technology
    Mains GS3: GS3-17.Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nano-technology, Bio-technology and issues relating to Intellectual Property Rights.

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Nuclear Fusion Reaction

    Mains level: Cleaner energy resources

    California based researchers have announced that their experiment has made a breakthrough in nuclear fusion research.

    What exactly is Nuclear Fusion?

    • Nuclear fusion is defined as the combining of several small nuclei into one large nucleus with the subsequent release of huge amounts of energy.
    • The difference in mass between the reactants and products is manifested as either the release or the absorption of energy.
    • Nuclear fusion powers our sun and harnessing this fusion energy could provide an unlimited amount of renewable energy.
    • An example of nuclear fusion is the process of four hydrogens coming together to form helium.

    What was the experiment?

    • In the experiment, lasers were used to heat a small target or fuel pellets.
    • These pellets containing deuterium and tritium fused and produced more energy.
    • The team noted that they were able to achieve a yield of more than 1.3 megajoules of heat energy.
    • This megajoule of energy released in the experiment is indeed impressive in fusion terms.

    How was the new breakthrough achieved?

    • The team used new diagnostics, improved laser precision, and even made changes to the design.
    • They applied laser energy on fuel pellets to heat and pressurize them at conditions similar to that at the center of our Sun. This triggered the fusion reactions.
    • These reactions released positively charged particles called alpha particles, which in turn heated the surrounding plasma.
    • At high temperatures, electrons are ripped from an atom’s nuclei and become a plasma or an ionized state of matter. Plasma is also known as the fourth state of matter.
    • The heated plasma also released alpha particles and a self-sustaining reaction called ignition took place.

    Future prospects: Benefits

    • It is expected that fusion could meet humanity’s energy needs for millions of years.
    • Fusion fuel is plentiful and easily accessible: deuterium can be extracted inexpensively from seawater, and tritium can be produced from naturally abundant lithium.
    • Future fusion reactors will not produce high activity, long-lived nuclear waste, and a meltdown at a fusion reactor is practically impossible.
    • Importantly, nuclear fusion does not emit carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and so along with nuclear fission could play a future climate change mitigating role as a low carbon energy source.

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  • Trade Sector Updates – Falling Exports, TIES, MEIS, Foreign Trade Policy, etc.

    What is RoDTEP Scheme?

    18 August 2021 | Prelims OnlySchemes | Economics
    Mains GS3: GS3-12.Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: MEIS, RODTEP Scheme

    Mains level: Export promotion schemes in India

    The Centre has notified the rates and norms for the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme asserting that it would put ‘direct cash in the pockets of exporters’ soon.

    RoDTEP Scheme

    • RoDTEP is a scheme for Exporters to make Indian products cost-competitive and create a level playing field for them in the Global Market.
    • It has been kicked in from January 2021, replacing the earlier Merchandise and Services Export Incentive Schemes (MEIS and SEIS) that were in violation of WTO norms.
    • The new RoDTEP Scheme is a fully WTO compliant scheme.
    • It will reimburse all the taxes/duties/levies being charged at the Central/State/Local level which are not currently refunded under any of the existing schemes but are incurred at the manufacturing and distribution process.

    Answer this PYQ:

    Q.With reference to the international trade of India at present, which of the following statements is/are correct?

    1. India’s merchandise exports are less than its merchandise imports.
    2.  India’s imports of iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizers and machinery have decreased in recent years.
    3.  India’s exports of services ye more than its imports of services.
    4.  India suffers from an overall trade/current account deficit.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 2 and 4 only

    (c) 3 only

    (d) 1, 3 and 4 only

     

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    Why need such a scheme?

    • The scheme was announced last year as a replacement for the Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS), which was not found not to be compliant with the rules of the World Trade Organisation.
    • Following a complaint by the US, a dispute settlement panel had ruled against India’s use of MEIS as it had found the duty credit scrips awarded under the scheme to be inconsistent with WTO norms.

    Coverage of the scheme

    • It covers about 75% of traded items and 65% of India’s exports.
    • To enable zero-rating of exports by ensuring domestic taxes are not exported, all taxes, including those levied by States and even Gram Panchayats, will be refunded under the scheme.
    • Steel, pharma, and chemicals have not been included under the scheme because their exports have done well without incentives.

    Back2Basics: Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS)

    • MEIS was launched with an objective to enhance the export of notified goods manufactured in a country.
    • This scheme came into effect on 1 April 2015 through the Foreign Trade Policy and was in existence till 2020.
    • It intended to incentivize exports of goods manufactured in India or produced in India.
    • The incentives were for goods widely exported from India, industries producing or manufacturing such goods with a view to making Indian exports competitive.
    • The MEIS covered almost 5000 goods notified for the purpose of the scheme.

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  • Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

    Person in news: Maharaja Ranjit Singh

    18 August 2021 | Prelims Only |
    Mains GS1: GS1-02.Modern Indian History- Mid-18th century – Present (significant events, personalities, issues);

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Maharaja Ranjit Singh

    Mains level: Not Much

    A bronze statue of the first ruler of the Sikh Empire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was vandalized in Pakistan.

    Who was Maharaja Ranjit Singh?

    • Maharaja Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839), popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab or “Lion of Punjab”, was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.
    • He survived smallpox in infancy but lost sight in his left eye.
    • Prior to his rise, the Punjab region had numerous warring misls (confederacies), twelve of which were under Sikh rulers and one Muslim.
    • Ranjit Singh successfully absorbed and united the Sikh misls and took over other local kingdoms to create the Sikh Empire.
    • He repeatedly defeated invasions by outside armies, particularly those arriving from Afghanistan, and established friendly relations with the British.

    Empirical expansion

    • Ranjit Singh’s trans-regional empire spread over several states. His empire included the former Mughal provinces of Lahore and Multan besides part of Kabul and the entire Peshawar.
    • The boundaries of his state went up to Ladakh — Zorawar Singh, a general from Jammu, had conquered Ladakh in Ranjit Singh’s name — in the northeast.
    • His empire extended till Khyber pass in the northwest, and up to Panjnad in the south where the five rivers of Punjab fell into the Indus.
    • During his regime, Punjab was a land of six rivers, the sixth being the Indus.

    His legacy

    • Ranjit Singh’s reign introduced reforms, modernization, investment into infrastructure, and general prosperity.
    • His Khalsa army and government included Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, and Europeans.
    • His legacy includes a period of Sikh cultural and artistic renaissance, including the rebuilding of the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar, Takht Sri Patna Sahib, Bihar, and Hazur Sahib Nanded, Maharashtra under his sponsorship.

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