UPSC Key-October 4, 2022: Why you should read ‘Prachand’ or ‘Green War Room’ or ‘Ragging’ for UPSC CSE

Made-in-India attack helicopters inducted; special moment: PM

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- THE Indian Air Force Monday formally inducted the indigenously developed multi-role Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), Prachand, which is suitable for operating in high-altitude battlefields, and capable of destroying enemy air defence and engaging in counter-insurgency operations.

• Genesis of the Light Combat Helicopter-How this idea came into the picture

• The development of Light Combat Helicopter-Who all are in the process of development?

• What are the unique features of Prachand?

• They say that the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) has been designed as a twin-engine-What is Twin- engine and what edge it gives?

• With LCH Prachand, how India’s position in defence technology enhances?

• Indigenous technology for the development of the attack helicopter in India-Know its journey in India

• Self-reliance in defence technology in India-reality or distant dream?

• The LCH has a narrow fuselage and has stealth features, armour protection, night attack capabilities and crash-worthy landing gear for better survivability- What is advantage of stealth feature?

• For your Information-LCH has the maximum take-off weight of 5.8 tonnes, maximum speed of 268 kilometers per hour, range of 550 kilometers, endurance of over three hours and service ceiling — the maximum density altitude to which it can fly — of 6.5 kilometres.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Light Combat Helicopter inducted into IAF: Features and capabilities

THE CITY

Between 2012 and 2021, PM 10 level in capital dropped 40%: Gopal Rai

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- The PM 10 level in Delhi has fallen by around 40% between 2012 and 2021 and the PM2.5 level has fallen by around 31% over the same time period, said Environment Minister Gopal Rai Monday based on data presented by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).

• What is ‘Green War Room’?

• Fine particulate matter (PM 10 and PM2.5)-What is this and how does it get into the air?

• What are the sources of particulate matter PM 10 and PM2.5?

• What are the Harmful Effects of particulate matter PM 10 PM2.5?

• What are the various Supreme Courts Judgments on Air Pollutions?

• Know about 2021 WHO air quality guidelines

• What was the Supreme court’s verdict in M. C. Mehta vs. Union of India (2016) regarding air quality in the National
Capital Region of Delhi?

• What are the different Air Quality Index (AQI) categories under Graded Response Action Plan?

• Has GRAP helped?

• What measures have been taken in other states?

• What are the reasons for Air pollution in Delhi?

• Why Delhi pollution is always in News?

• Know the Geographical location of Delhi

• Being landlocked makes Delhi worst in air pollution-How far you agree with this?

• Know the National Green Tribunal and Various Decisions given by NGT like modification in National Clean Air Programme

• Air Quality Management in NCR Region-Role and Steps Taken so Far

• Best International Practices to Curb Air Pollution in Urban Areas-Use it as a case study

• What is Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Graded Response Action Plan for Delhi & NCR

📍Explained: What is GRAP, Delhi-NCR’s action plan as air pollution increases?

EXPRESS NETWORK

Sugarcane arrears to farmers at 5-year low, govt data shows

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

• General Studies III: Food processing and related industries in India- scope’ and significance, location

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-With a jump in sugar exports and a spike in diversion for ethanol production, sugarcane arrears to be paid by mills to farmers for 2021-22 have come down to Rs 5,910 crore at end of the season on September 30, which is the lowest in five years, according to the latest data available with the Department of Food and Public Distribution.

• Sugar production and Sugar Cane Policy in India-Know in detail

• Sugarcane Cultivation in India-Know the Geographical Conditions of Growth

• What are the main by-products of the sugarcane industry?

• Map Work-Sugar Industry’s in India

• Fair and Remunerative Price and sugar mills-connect the dots

• Fair and Remunerative Price and Minimum Support Price-Compare and Contrast

• The data shows that sugarcane worth Rs 1.18 lakh crore was procured from farmers during the 2021-22 season, of which Rs 1.12 lakh crore has been paid till September 30 leaving Rs 5,910 crore in dues, which is five per cent of the amount payable- why this data is significant?

• What is Ethanol?

• What is Ethanol Blending?

• What is the Significance of Ethanol Blending?

• Is ethanol a by-product of sugar?

• Why the Government of India decided to “restrict” the export of sugar, effective from June 1?

• What are the latest curbs?

• How much did India export Sugar during the last few seasons?

• Why the curbs, now?

• What can be the sugar output this season?

• For Your Information-India’s sugar exports, which were a mere 0.46 lt in 2016-17 and 6.32 lt in 2017-18, soared to 38 lt, 59.40 lt and 71.90 lt in the subsequent three sugar years, before the all-time-high of 112 lt achieved in 2021-22.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Government must resist demands for banning exports. Real problem that requires addressing is yields

NMC sets up anti-ragging panel, seeks details of suicides by students

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-India’s medical education regulator, the National Medical Commission, has constituted an anti-ragging committee that has asked medical colleges for details on suicides by students over the last five years.

• What is ragging?

• Raghavan Committee was appointed Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) in 2007-Know their recommendations

• “Ragging is an act of human right abuse”-comment

• Why ragging is of serious concern in educational institutions?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Understanding ragging: Ahead of the academic season, a look at the problem, its impact

EXPLAINED

RSS alarm: Status of poverty, inequality, unemployment

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- In a webinar organised by RSS-affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale flagged issues of poverty, unemployment and rising inequality in the country.

• What did Hosabale say?

• Why is this important?

• What is poverty?

• What is inequality?

• What unemployment?

• What is the status of poverty, inequality and unemployment?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍RSS gen secy Dattatreya Hosabale raises alert on poverty, joblessness, inequality

Mapping Neanderthal genome

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- This year’s Nobel Prize for medicine has gone to a scientist who is credited with developing new and innovative methodologies to extract ‘clean’ DNA from human fossil tens of thousands of years old, and reading the genetic information contained therein.

• What is deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)?

• What does the deoxyribonucleic acid do?

• How is DNA structured?

• Who is Svante Paabo?

• What is Svante Paabo ground-breaking research that made him winner of the Noble Prize?

• Who are Neanderthals?

• What is the difference between Neanderthals and humans?

• What is the relation between evolution and biology?

• What are the challenges in carrying out such research?

• Who created the Nobel Prizes?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Medicine Nobel goes to Svante Pääbo: What his research tells us about human evolution

THE IDEAS PAGE

The real Shiv Sena

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- On September 27, a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud, allowed the Election Commission of India to decide on Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde’s petition staking claim over the “real” Shiv Sena and the party symbol of bow and arrow. This was a reversal of its earlier order restraining the poll body from adjudicating on the matter on a plea by Uddhav Thackeray.

• How Election Commission deal with such matters before the Symbols Order came into effect?

• It is important to note that the EC does not jump into such cases by taking suo motu cognisance, and comes into the picture only when a party approaches it with its claim. The Commission then starts proceedings under Section 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 which are quasi-judicial in nature- What is Section 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968?

• How election symbols are allotted?

• Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968-Know key highlights

• When parties split, how does EC decide who gets the symbol?

• What are the Election Commission’s powers in a dispute over the election symbol when a party splits?

• Is there a way other than the test of majority to resolve a dispute over election symbols?

• What happens to the group that doesn’t get the parent party’s symbol?

• Election Commission of India and Article 324 of the Constitution-Know in detail

• The independent and impartial functioning of the Election Commission-How it is ensured?

• Election Commission of India- Powers and Functions

• Chief Election Commissioner and the two other Election Commissioners have equal powers-True or False?

• In case of difference of opinion amongst the Chief election commissioner and/or two other election commissioners,
the matter is decided by the Supreme Court of India-Right or Wrong?

• Do You Know-A split in a political party is not a new phenomenon. There have been several cases in the past, with both factions seeking recognition as the real party. The most important case which became the benchmark is that of the Indian National Congress, mentioned above, which split in 1969 leading to the formation of two parties — Congress (O) and Congress (I).

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: When parties split, how does EC decide who gets the symbol?

ECONOMY

UNCTAD: India’s GDP growth to fall to 5.7% in 2022

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- India’s growth will likely ease to just 5.7% in 2022 from 8.2% in the previous year, as economic activity is “being hampered by higher financing costs and weaker public expenditures”, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) said in its Trade and Development Report 2022 on Monday. The country’s growth will further drop to 4.7% in 2023.

• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)-Know in detail

• What is the purpose of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)?

• What are the main functions of UNCTAD?

• What is the difference between WTO and UNCTAD?

• How many countries are in UNCTAD?

• Reports published by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)-Know in detail

• What United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said on India’s Growth?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍FDI flows to India slip 26% in 2021: UN report

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