1.Phyto-Pharma Plant Mission

Objectives

• Rs 50 crore Mission aimed at conservation and cultivation of endangered and threatened endemic medicinal plants, and discovery of new botanical drugs for unmet medical needs using the rich traditional ethno-botanical knowledge and biodiversity of these states and at the same time also improve availability of authentic and quality botanical raw material on sustainable basis for a boom in the phyto-pharmaceutical industry
• Nodal Ministry –Ministry of Science & Technology

 

2.Brahmaputra Biodiversity and Biology Boat

Objectives

• B4 will establish a large barge on the river with a well-equipped laboratory for analysis of all components of the entire ecosystem of the river and surroundings. The B4 will link to all the local research institutions along the river, as well as national and international laboratories
• Nodal Ministry –Ministry of Science & Technology

 

3.Secure Himalaya

Objectives

• To Conserve Snow Leopard, Uplift Mountain Community Launched

 

4.Namami Gange

Objectives

• Aims at Ganga Rejuvenation by combining the existing ongoing efforts and planning under it to create a concrete action plan for future. It is an ambitious Union Government Project which integrates the efforts to clean and protect the Ganga river in a comprehensive manner
• Nodal Ministry –Ministry of Water resources

 

5.INSPIRE (INNOVATION IN SCIENCE PURSUIT FOR INSPIRED RESEARCH)

Objectives

• To attract talent to Science.
• To communicate to the youth of the country the excitements of creative pursuit of science, attract talent to the study of science at an early age and thus build the required critical human resource pool for strengthening and expanding the Science & Technology system and R&D base.
• It does not believe in conducting competitive exams for identification of talent at any level.
• It believes in and relies on the efficacy of the existing educational structure for identification of talent.
• INSPIRE has three components:
• i. Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent (SEATS)
• ii. Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE)
• iii. Assured Opportunity for Research Careers (AORC)
• The Inspire Awards have been renamed as MANAK

 

6.JIGYASA –

Objectives

• Student-Scientist Connect Programme
• connecting school students and scientists so as to extend student’s classroom learning with that of a very well planned research laboratory based learning.
• CSIR + Kendriya Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS)

 

7.VAJRA

Objectives –

• The Government of India recently launched VAJRA (Visiting Advanced Joint Research) Faculty scheme by the Department of Science and Technology which enables NRIs and overseas scientific community to participate and contribute to research and development in India. The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a Statutory body of the Department will implement the Scheme.
• International Faculty / scientists/technologists including Non-resident Indians (NRI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) / Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) are offered adjunct / visiting faculty positions in Indian Institutions / Universities for a period of 1-3 months under this scheme. The faculty can also undertake the role of teaching /mentoring apart from R&D.
• Public funded institutions and national laboratories are allowed to host the VAJRA faculty.
• Nodal Ministry –Ministry of Science & Technology

7. National Initiative for Developing & Harnessing Innovation (NIDHI)

Objectives

A programme to address the complete chain of innovation ecosystem right from scouting to mentoring to scaling up innovations. launched by DST. Establishment of a research park at IIT Gandhinagar has been supported at a cost of Rs.90 cr.

 

8.Surya Jyoti

Objectives

• In order to capture day light and concentrate the same inside a dark room, particularly in urban slum or rural areas which lack electricity supply, a low cost and energy efficient Micro Solar Dome (Surya Jyoti) has been tested and developed. -Potential users of this device are10 million households.
• According to preliminary estimates, if this technology is adopted in 10 million households only, it has the potential of saving 1750 million units of energy.
• It would also lead to an emission reduction of about 12.5 million ton of CO2 equivalent, hence giving a fillip to the mission of ‘Clean India, Green India’.
• The manufacturing process, being labour-intensive, would also generate huge job opportunities in the economy.
• Nodal Ministry – Department of Science & Technology.

1.Purple frog set to be crowned Kerala’s state amphibian

Purple Frog

• Quite similar to the lore of King Maveli, researchers have found that the Purple frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis), which lives almost its entire life in underground tunnels, comes out to the surface for a single day in a year to breed.
• Once it lays it’s eggs, the bloated frogs characterized by a protruding snout and powerful hind legs return to the earth’s deepest layers.
• This intriguing frog species is listed as Endangered on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• It feeds mostly on soil-mites, ants and termites using its fluted tongue.
• The male and female frogs mate underground and once in a year, they come out on the surface to lay thousands of eggs near seasonal streams in the months of May-June.
• How they time their emergence onto the surface along with the onset of early rains is a mystery that continues to baffle naturalists.

Why is it so special?

• It’s endemic to this part of the southern Western Ghats and cannot be found anywhere else.
• Described for the first time in 2003 by two scientists in the jungles of Kerala, the species sparks feverish imagination among herpetologists worldwide for a number of reasons.
• It’s evolutionary roots suggest it could have shared space with dinosaurs going back almost 70 million years ago.
• This could help scientists understand how it’s population may have evolved and learned to overcome the challenges of shifting land masses.
• A year after it was documented, the frog’s closest relatives were found in Seychelles, an island in the Indian Ocean off East Africa.
• This discovery led many to ask whether the species could indeed be living proof of the theory of Gondwanaland.

2.Despite objections, Bannerghatta National Park’s Eco-Sensitive Zone curtailed

• Bannerghatta National Park’s Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ), which provides a regulated buffer zone around protected areas, will remain at 168.84 sqkm despite thousands of citizens formally objecting to the reduction of nearly 100 sq. km. as compared to the original proposal.
• The new ESZ will range from 100 metres (towards Bengaluru) to 1 kilometre from the periphery of the protected area.

3.Grizzled Giant Squirrel

Grizzled Giant Squirrel

• For the first time, researchers have sighted nests of the grizzled giant squirrel at Pakkamalai Reserve Forests near Gingee in the Eastern Ghats.
• The grizzled giant squirrel is usually known to nest in the Western Ghats in Southern India ranging from Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary in Kerala to Anamalai Tiger Reserve and Palani hills in Tamil Nadu.
• Owing to habitat loss and poaching, the species has been categorised as near threatened by the Red List and listed under Schedule II of CITES.
• It is an endangered species listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
• The grizzled giant squirrel is usually known to nest in the Western Ghats in Southern India ranging from Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary in Kerala to Anamalai Tiger Reserve and Palani hills in Tamil Nadu.

4. Global Assessment Report by IPBES

Global Assessment Report

• It is compiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries and is a cornerstone of an emerging body of research the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
• Known as the Global Assessment, the report found that up to one million of Earth’s estimated eight million plants, insect and animal species is at risk of extinction, many within decades.
• It suggests the world may need to embrace a new “post-growth” form of economics if it is to avert the existential risks posed by the mutually-reinforcing consequences of pollution, habitat destruction and carbon emissions.

About IPBES

• The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is an independent intergovernmental body, established by member States in 2012 under the auspices of UNEP.
• The objective of IPBES is to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human well-being and sustainable development.
• The IPBES secretariat is based in Bonn, Germany.

5.Kashmir Stag (Hangul)

• A massive decline in the population of Kashmir’s iconic wildlife species, the Hangul (Cervus hanglu hanglu), also known as the Kashmir stag, continues to be a big concern.

Kashmir Stag (Hangul)

• Hangul, the state animal of Jammu & Kashmir, is restricted to the Dachigam National Park some 15 km north-west of Jammu & Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar.
• The Hangul is placed under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the J&K Wildlife Protection Act, 1978.
• The Hangul was once widely distributed in the mountains of Kashmir and parts of Chamba district in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh.
• The IUCN’s Red List has classified it as Critically Endangered and is similarly listed under the Species Recovery Programme of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Environmental Information System (ENVIS) of the MoEFCC.

5. Asiatic Wild Dogs (Dhole)

• A recent study has discovered a reduction in Dhole occupancy in Karnataka’s Western Ghats, from 62 percent in 2007 to 54 percent in 2015.

Asiatic Wild Dogs (Dhole)

• The dhole is on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species and is protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 in India.
• Globally, dholes have disappeared from approximately 82 percent of their former range.
• The Western Ghats perhaps supports the largest dhole population in the world and is therefore a critical conservation landscape for the species.

6. Hump-backed Mahseer

• The hump-backed Mahseer, found in the waters of the Cauvery, has been added to the IUCN Red List with Critically Endangered Status.

Hump-backed Mahseer

• The hump-backed mahseer is a large freshwater fish also called the tiger of the water and found only in the Cauvery river basin including Kerala’s Pambar, Kabini and Bhavani rivers.
• It is now “Critically Endangered”: more threatened than the tiger is, as per the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species.
• The fish is one of the 229 species added to the Red List last November; this update also reveals that the threat status of 12 other Indian species, including great hornbills, has increased.
• The inclusion was possible only once the fish got its scientific name last June—Tor remadevii.

7. Parrotfish in Andaman

• Coral cover protection along the existing protected marine areas in Andaman and Nicobar islands is necessary for conservation of the endangered Bumphead Parrotfish, a new study has suggested.

Bumphead Parrotfish

• Bumphead parrotfish, Bolbometopon muricatum, is an important component of coral reef ecosystem, but is highly endangered globally.
• It is categorized as ‘vulnerable’ in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• This fish is a highly prized resource, but is threatened due to limited knowledge about its distribution and abundance in Indian waters.
• A research recently studied the distribution, abundance and dangers to this species in the waters of Andaman and Nicobar islands.

8. Herbivore census in Gujarat’s Gir forest

• Every summer, the Forest Department of Gujarat conducts an Herbivore Census in Gir forest.

Herbivore Census

• The Herbivore Census covers ungulates such as spotted deer, blue bulls (nilgais), sambars, Indian gazelles (chinkaras), four-horned antelopes (choshinga) and wild boars, as well as Indian langurs and peafowl.
• This year’s exercise is of particular significance because it is the last Herbivore Census ahead of next year’s Lion Census, which is a once-in-five-years exercise.

9.DNA database for Indian Rhino

• The Environment Ministry has embarked on a project to create DNA profiles of all rhinos in the country.

DNA Database of Indian Rhino

• By 2021, the Indian rhino could be the first wild animal species in India to have all its members DNA-sequenced.
• The project’s proponents include the World Wildlife Fund for Nature-India (WWF-India) and the Centre-funded Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
• The exercise would be useful in curbing poaching and gathering evidence in wildlife crimes involving rhinos.
• There are about 2,600 rhinos in India, with over 90% of the population concentrated in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park.
• Around 60 samples of tissue have been collected so far from some rhinos living outside Kaziranga.

10.India’s biodiversity-rich zones also ‘hotspots’ of human impacts

• Human impacts on species occur across 84% of the earth’s surface, finds a study published in PLOS Biology, an international journal dedicated to biological science.

Human Footprint Data

• Southeast Asian tropical forests — including India’s biodiversity-rich Western Ghats, Himalaya and the north-east also fall in this category.
• Malaysia ranks first among the countries with the highest number of impacted species (125).
• India ranks 16th in such human impacts, with 35 species impacted on average.
• The study mapped the distribution of eight human activities — including hunting and conversion of natural habitats for agriculture — in areas occupied by 5,457 threatened birds, mammals and amphibians worldwide.

11.Sundarbans Wetlands

Sundarbans Wetlands

• This January 30^th, the Indian Sundarban was accorded the status of ‘Wetland of International Importance’ under the Ramsar Convention.
• It comprises hundreds of islands and a network of rivers, tributaries and creeks in the delta of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra at the mouth of the Bay of Bengal in India and Bangladesh.
• Located on the southwestern part of the delta, the Indian Sundarban constitutes over 60% of the country’s total mangrove forest area.
• It is the 27th Ramsar Site in India, and with an area of 4,23,000 hectares is now the largest protected wetland in the country.

12. Greens in the red: Why Aravallis matter to National Capital Region

• It was in 1900 that the then Government of Punjab enacted the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), aimed at “conservation of sub-soil water” and “prevention of erosion” by giving the state power to “regulate, restrict or prohibit” certain activities, including “clearing or breaking up” of land.
• As a result, for the last 118 years, the Act provided notified tracts of land in the Aravallis protection against real estate construction, urbanisation and mining.

13. Rhinos without borders is conservation credo

• International boundaries will not come in the way of conservation of rhinos, said representatives of Asian countries where the one-horned herbivore thrives.

New Delhi Declaration

• The Declaration was recently adopted at the second meeting of the Asian rhino range countries.
• It underscored trans-boundary collaboration among India, Nepal, and Bhutan for the conservation and protection of the greater one-horned rhino.

Rhinos without Borders

• There are no rhinos in Bhutan, but some from the Manas National Park in adjoining Assam or Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal are known to cross over occasionally.
• In Feb, the National Rhino Conservation Strategy for India called for active engagement between India and Nepal to protect the species.
• The plan said the single population of rhinos in Sukla-Phanta (Nepal), Valmiki Tiger Reserve (India) and Chitwan National Park (Nepal) and Dudhwa (India) is separated by the political boundary between the two countries.

14. 106 coastal sites picked for conservation

• The Centre has identified over 100 coastal and marine sites as conservation reserves under its National Wildlife Action Plan for 2017-2031, says a biennial report released by the government.

Highlights of the Report

1. Under the National Wildlife Action Plan for the period 2017 to 2031, the government is working towards the conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems from the impacts of climate change.
2. In the last four and a half years, India has not only been able to sustain but also increase its mangrove cover at a time when these ecosystems are disappearing at an alarming rate across the world.

15. Centre announces mascot for COP-13 on conservation of migratory species

• The Centre has announced that the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) will be its mascot for the 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) to be held in Gujarat in 2020.

About CMS COP-13

1. Representatives from 129 countries and eminent conservationists and international NGOs working in the field of wildlife conservation are expected to attend the COP-13, to be held in Gandhinagar.
2. It will provide a global platform for deliberations on the conservation and sustainable use of migratory wild animals and their habitat.
3. The CMS COP-13 would also bring together the states through which migratory animals pass.

16. First Captive Elephant Survey

• The details of the first survey of captive elephants in the country were submitted in an affidavit by the MoEFCC to the Supreme Court.
• The affidavit comes in the wake of rising elephant deaths and human-elephant conflicts, particularly in Kerala and Assam.

In Total

1. According to the affidavit, there are 2,454 elephants in captivity, of which 560 are in possession with forest departments and 1,687 with private individuals.
2. However, 664 of the total captive elephants in the country are without ownership certificate while there are 85 in zoos, 26 in circuses and 96 in temples.

17. Sustainable Catchment Forest Management (SCATFORM) Project in Tripura

• Tripura has launched a project for Sustainable Catchment Forest Management at Hatipara in West Tripura.

Sustainable Catchment Forest Management (SCATFORM) Project

1. The project is jointly funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Government of India.
2. It aims to improve quality of forest in the catchment area by sustainable forest management, soil and moisture conservation and livelihood development.
3. The Tripura Forest Department (TFD) is the Executing Agency of the Project.
4. Eighty per cent of the project would be funded by JICA while Government of India would fund 20 per cent of the project value.

18. Asian Waterbird Census (AWC)

1. AWC, the largest such census in Asia, is organised by Wetlands International, is an international programme that focuses on monitoring the status of waterbirds and wetlands.
2. The data collected each year is shared by Wetlands International with global conservation organisations such as IUCN and Ramsar Convention, while state coordinators share data with local wildlife departments to ensure conservation and sustainable management of wetlands in the region.
3. It also aims to increase public awareness on issues related to wetland and waterbird conservation.
4. The census is carried out each January as a voluntary activity at national and local level.
5. The AWC is co-ordinated by Wetlands International as part of global programme, the “International Waterbird Census”.
6. The AWC was started in 1987, and many birders were initiated into bird counting and monitoring through this project.
7. To take part one simply has to visit a wetland and count the birds he/she see there.

19.India submits sixth national report to Convention of Biological Diversity

• India submitted its sixth national report (NR6) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) highlighting the progress it has made in achieving the 12 National Biodiversity Targets (NBT) set under the convention process.

Highlights of the Report

1. The report was submitted online to the CBD Secretariat during the inaugural session of the 13th National Meeting of the State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs).
2. The report says that India had already exceeded two targets, it was on track to achieve another eight soon.
3. The remaining two would be met by the stipulated time of 2020.

20. Asiatic Lion Conservation Project

Asiatic Lion Conservation Project

1. The MoEFCC has launched the “Asiatic Lion Conservation Project” with an aim to protect and conserve the world’s last ranging free population of Asiatic Lion and its associated ecosystem.
2. The project will be funded from the Centrally Sponsored Scheme- Development of Wildlife Habitat (CSS-DWH) with the contributing ratio being 60:40 of Central and State share.
3. The conservation of Asiatic Lions has always been a priority of Government of India.
4. The Ministry in the past has supported Asiatic Lion in Gujarat by including it in list of 21 critically endangered species under the species recovery component of CSS-DWH.

21.India, Nepal, Bhutan plan joint task force to protect wildlife

• The governments of India, Nepal and Bhutan are actively considering having a joint task force for allowing free movement of wildlife across political boundaries and checking smuggling of wildlife across the Kanchenjunga Landscape.

About Kanchenjunga Landscape

1. The Kanchenjunga Landscape is a trans-boundary region spread across Nepal, India and Bhutan.
2. The landscape stretches along the southern side of Mount Kanchenjunga covers an area of 25,080 sq km spread across parts of eastern Nepal (21%), Sikkim and West Bengal (56%) and western and south-western parts of Bhutan (23%).
3. Other than seven million people, the Kanchenjunga Landscape is also home to 169 species of mammals and 713 species of birds.
4. The trio is setting up a joint task force in the road map on achieving the objectives of free movement of wildlife and checking smuggling of wildlife.

22. SC directs Centre to declare area around national parks as Eco-sensitive

Expand ESZ

1. The Supreme Court has directed the Union Environment Ministry to declare 10 km area around 21 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries across the country as ‘eco-sensitive zones’.
2. A Bench led by Justice Madan B. Lokur took the initiative after its amicus curiae informed the court that the State governments have taken no effort to protect the area around these sanctuaries and parks.
3. The court recorded that the issue has been pending for the past 12 years.

23. Country’s first owl festival organized in Pune

Indian Owl Festival

1. The Indian Owl Festival, the country’s first owl fest, will be held at Pingori village in Purandar taluka of Pune, Maharashtra.
2. The two-day festival is organised by Ela Foundation, an NGO working towards nature education and conservation.
3. It will give information on owl conservation and feature art forms like pictures, paintings, lanterns, lamp shades, posters, origami, stitched articles, poems and stories on owls.
4. It is a first-of-its-kind festival in the country that is being organised with the intention of creating awareness about owl as a bird and debunking numerous superstitions associated with it.

24. India gets UN Environment award for combating transboundary environmental crime

• UN Environment has awarded Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), Ministry of Environment with Asia Environment Enforcement Awards, 2018 for excellent work done in combating transboundary environmental crime.

About the Award

1. The Asia Environment Enforcement Awards publicly recognize and celebrate excellence in enforcement by government officials and institutions/teams combating transboundary environmental crime in Asia.
2. The awards are given to outstanding individuals and/or government organizations/teams that demonstrate excellence and leadership in enforcement of national laws to combat transboundary environmental crime.
3. The award was decided upon by a selection panel set up by the UN Environment and this is the second time in a row the awards are being given by UN Environment to India.

25. Nature pushed to the brink by ‘runaway consumption’, says WWF

 

Triggering another Mass Extinction

1. Uncontrolled consumption has decimated global wildlife and has triggered a mass extinction and exhausted Earth’s capacity to accommodate humanity’s expanding appetites, warned WWF.
2. From 1970 to 2014, 60% of all animals with a backbone — fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals — were wiped out by human activity.
3. WWF said all this in its “Living Planet” report, based on an ongoing survey of more than 4,000 species spread over 16,700 populations scattered across the globe.

Mountain Ranges

Sr. No.	Mountain Range	Important/Highest Peaks	Location	Description
1	Rocky Mountains	Mt. Elbert (highest peak in the Rockies)	North America	It is one of the longest fold mountains in the world and extends from Canada to Western US (New Mexico State)
2	Appalachian Mountains	Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina, US (highest peak of Appalachian Mountains)	North America	It is a fold mountain with rich in mineral resources
3	Alps	Mont Blanc (French –Italian border)	Europe	It is a folded mountain and source for rivers like Danube, Rhine, etc.
4	Sierra Nevada	Mt. Whitney	California, USA	Habitat for many Red Indian tribes
5	Alaska Range	Mt. McKinley	North America	Mt. McKinley highest peak in North America
6	Altai Mountains	Belukha mountain	Central Asia	Young folded mountain which extends from Kazakhstan to northern China.
7	Andes Mountains	Mt. Aconcagua	South America	Longest mountain chain in the world
8	Atlas Mountains	Mt. Toubkal	Northwestern Africa	Young fold mountain spreading over Morocco and Tunisia.
9	Drakensberg Mountains	Mt. Lesotho	South Africa	Young folded mountain
10.	Caucasus Mountain	Mt. Elbrus	Europe	Located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea
11.	Ural Mountains	Mt. Narodnaya	Russia	This mountain range act as a boundary between Europe and Asia.
12.	Hindukush Mountains	Mt. Trich Mir	Pakistan and Afghanistan	Folded mountain with rugged topography which makes it difficult for transportation.
13.	Himalayas	Mt. Everest	Asia	Young fold mountains in Asia which separates Indian sub-continent from Asian plains
14.	Arakan Yoma	Mt. Kennedy peak	Myanmar	It extends from north to south direction. Shifting cultivation is practised.
15.	Kunlun Mountains	Mt. Muztag	North of Tibetan plateau and western China	It is one of the young folded mountains.
16.	Vosges	Mt. Grand Ballon	Eastern France, Europe	Famous for the cultivation of grapes and manufacture of wines.
17.	Great Dividing Range	Mt. Kosciuszko	Australia	This range is the source for the rivers Darling and Murray.

 

 

APC Network: Association for Progressive Communications comprises more than 20,000 subscribers to electronic listservers in 95 countries, and have recently been very much involved in agitating for global development and democratization of the United Nations

Balance of payments: net flow of goods, services and financial transactions that takes into account outflows and inflows of money from a state

Balance of payments deficit: a state spends more than it receives from other countries

Balance of payments surplus: a state receives more than it spends in other countries

Balance of power: a condition in which the distribution of military and political forces among nations means no one state is sufficiently strong to dominate all the others. It may be global, regional or local in scope

Bargaining power: the general capacity of a state to control the behaviour of others, power to cause another actor to do an action (also see structural power)

Biodiversity: two kinds: species and genetic diversity, species diversity refers to the differences between species, while genetic diversity refers to differences within species

Brezhnev Doctrine: reinforced the right of the Soviets to ntervene where Moscow deemed socialism was threatened by ‘counter-revolutionary forces’

Brundtland Commission Report: published 1987, commissioned 1983 with Gro Harlem Brundtland, Prime Minister of Norway, as commissioner, mandate was to look into the alarming rate at which environmental resources were being consumed, a the levels of their waste, particularly in the case of development, at the ways in which developing countries were falling further and further behind the industrialized world in their standards of living, coined term ‘sustainable development’

Cold War: The period in world affairs from c.1947-1990, marked by ideological, economic and political hostility and competition between the US and the Soviet Union, and drawing in other powers at various levels of involvement

Common unit of exchange: a currency in which international economic exchanges are valued

Comparative advantage: Doctrine says that states should 1) produce and export whatever they can produce most efficiently relative to other states i.e., whatever they have a comparative advantage in; and they should 2) import those things they can’t produce as efficiently from states that can

Concert of Europe: the informal system of consultation set up by the Great Powers (Austria, Britain, France, Prussia and Russia) to manage the balance of power at the end of the Congress system

Conflict: perceived rival and incompatible claims over some desired “good”

Congress of Vienna: meeting of the four main victors over Napoleon and France: Austria, Britain, Prussia and Russia.

Containment: policy pursued by the US toward the Soviet Union c. 1947-1989, the aim of which was to deny Moscow opportunities to expand its political influence abroad, to draw a line and contain the Soviets within their borders, (also see Truman Doctrine )

CSCE: Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, from 1973-75 all European states (except Albania) plus the US and Canada met to discuss regional security (now the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and one of the central security organizations in Europe

D5: denuclearization, demilitarization, dealignment, democratization, and development, five main goals of peace and social movements

Defence strategy: involves the assumption that war will be fought with three aims in mind: 1. to punish the aggressor 2. to deny territorial gains 3. to limit the damage to oneself (also see deterrence)

Deterrence: efforts of an actor to dissuade the opponent from doing something considered against the actor’s interests by making the costs of action outweigh the benefits with threat of punishment, the implicit or explicit purpose of this strategy was to avoid actually fighting war (also see defence)

Doctrine of Flexible Response: a nuclear utilization strategy which legitimized the notion of limited nuclear war, involved two dimensions: limited targetting (‘counterforce strategy’) and the use of battlefield nuclear weapons (also see MAD)

Dollar overhang: the amount of US dollars overseas exceeded US reserves of gold, undermining dollar convertibility to gold

Ethnic group: a group of people who define themselves as distinct from other groups because of cultural differences

Eurodollar markets: free market where buyers and sellers exchange currencies outside of their country of origin

Exchange rate: value at which one currency is traded for another

Fixed exchange rate: the rate of exchange of a currency or currency is set by agreement between governments or by government policy (see also gold standard)

Floating exchange rate: the rate of exchange of currencies is permitted to rise and fall with supply and demand on the international private market

 

Free trade: means the buying or selling of goods and services across international borders with few or no restrictions (see also protectionism)

Fungibility: the extent to which one form of power can be converted into another

GATT: General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, drawn up in 1947 to codify the rules of conduct in trade for its members, in the GATT, states agreed to negotiate “reciprocal and mutually advantageous arrangements directed to the substantial reduction of tariffs and other barriers to trade” and to increase free and fair trade

Glasnost: ‘openness’, a term introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev about his post-1985 opening of Soviet society to dissidents, public criticism and limited admission of past Soviet mistakes (also see perestroika)

Gold standard: the value of a currency is fixed relative to an amount of gold, can be converted to gold at a fixed rate (see also fixed exchange rates)

GSP: Generalized System of Preferences: early 1970’s nineteen advanced industrial states agreed to eliminate tariffs on manufactured and semimanufactured goods exported by 140 LDCs unilaterally for ten years, renewed during 1980s for another decade (see UNCTAD, IPC)

Holy Roman Emperor: the supreme secular authority in Medieval Europe

Hugo Grotius (1583-1645): the ‘father’ of international law, a Dutch jurist, humanist and diplomat His great work ‘On the Law of War and Peace’ is widely regarded as a landmark in the development of international law

HYV’s: high-yielding varieties of agricultural plants, genetically designed to produce higher quantities of product with the aid of fertilizer, pesticides, and mechanized agricultural methods

ICBM’s: inter-continental ballistic missiles

IPC: Integrated Programme for Commodities, concerted attempt to control price fluctuations in commodities on which LDC’s depended for foreign exchange income (see UNCTAD, GSP)

LDC: Less Developed Country

MAD: Mutually Assured Destruction, strategic doctrine which guarantees that each side in a nuclear exchange would survive a first strike by its opponent with enough arms intact to launch a second-strike sufficient to destroy the aggressor (also see Doctrine of Flexible Response)

massive retaliation: a a nuclear strategy which calls for a nuclear response to any aggressive action

MFN: Most Favoured Nation: every member is treated as well as the “most favoured one”: ie: if U.S. offers low tariff to Canada on ice cubes: every other GATT member is entitled to the same treatment (see also free trade, GATT)

MIRV’S: multiple independently targetted re-entry vehicles (see also ICBM’S)

monetarism: a policy of manipulating the money supply (inflating or deflating a currency) to influence economic growth

monoculture: refers to the use of one genetic strain of plant or animal to replace a diversity of strains

Multiple-sum game: both actors can mutually gain (also see zero-sum game)

Natural law: the idea there existed rights and duties attached to human beings as such that existed in all times and all places, that could be discovered by reason, and that should be applied in the relations between groups

Negative peace: the absence of war and physical (direct) violence (also see positive peace)

Netwar: the primary objective of “netwar” is to use computer networks and databases to inflict cultural and political damage to the international image of the opponent.

News values: the criteria for determining what kinds of stories are reported; used to identify, define and present a story

NIEO: United Nations Resolution of May 1974 for a New International Economic Order to address concerns of LDC’s

Non-Aligned Movement: loose organization of Third World countries which dealt with statements on a wide variety of issues from nuclear proliferation to trade and development, first meeting: Bandung, Indonesia, 1955, led by a few relatively strong, independent personalities: Tito, Nehru, and Nasser (Yugoslavia, India, Egypt) (see also UNCTAD, NIEO)

Non-governmental organization (NGO): any private organization involved in activities that have transnational implications
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Nuclear fusion: relies on forcing two hydrogen atoms together, and in the process destroying some extra matter that is converted into energy (called H-bomb)

NWIO: New World Information and Communication Order, begun in the 1970s around the same time as the Group of 77 launched its drive for a NIEO, called for a more balanced flow of communications globally, development of communication infrastructure in LDC’s, control or elimination of information monopolies, and respect for each people’s cultural identity

OECD: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, organization of 29 industrialized countries

OPEC: Organization of Petroleum Exporting Companies: cartel of oil producers formed to control the price and supply of oil on world markets

Perestroika: ‘restructuring’, a term used by Mikhail Gorbachev to describe his plans to reform, modernize and partly decentralize the Soviet economy (also see glasnost)

Positive peace: the absence of structural violence as well as direct violence (see also negative peace)

Protectionism: protecting your economy from the international economy by imposing various restrictions on flow of imports or exports of goods or services into or out of your country (see also free trade)

Reserve currency: a currency that countries hold in reserve because of its strength and stability

Security dilemma: a situation in which states’ actions taken to assure their own security, tend to threaten the security of other states

Self-help: necessity to rely on a states’ own resources and capabilities

SLBM’s: submarine-launched ballistic missiles

specie money: solid money (gold or silver, traditionally)

spheres of influence: an area declared by a Great Power to be its exclusive area of interest, where it acts to defend its dominance and to exclude other Great Powers.

SOP’s: standard operating procedures

Sovereignty: means a government has the right, at least in principle, to do whatever it liks in its own territory (also see state)

Structural power: the power to change the rules of the game for others, the power to structure the choices of other actors

Structural violence: latent or hidden forms of social conflict

Stockholm Conference: UN Conference on the Human Environment, held 1972, was first worldwide environmental conference in history

Sustainable development: term coined by Brundtland Commission Report 1987, defined as development which can “ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”

Terms of trade: the ratio in prices between a country’s exports and its imports

Truman Doctrine: a promise of US aid to all ‘free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside powers” (also see Brezhnev Doctrine)

UNCED: United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio 1992. Effort by the int. Community to reach consensus on principles and a long-term workplan for global sustainable development, major output was Agenda 21 (referring to the Twenty-First Century), a global plan of action containing 294 pages encompassing every sectoral environmental issues as well as international policies affecting both environment and development and the full range of domestic social and economic policies.

UNCTAD: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development: formed 1964: first Secretary General Raul Prebisch: called for reform of system of international trade based on liberalism and comparative advantage, in order to assist development of poor countries, included calls for a GSP and IPC (see also NIEO)

War: legitimate use of organized violence or force to achieve “goods” (also see conflict)

zero-sum game: one actors’ gain is another’s loss

Dear students,

We understand that the UPSC exam is a generalist exam. It’s more important to cover more issues than to cover one issue in more depth. Hence, through Samachar Manthan, we are trying to maintain a fine balance of covering many important news items and having a detailed discussion on selected topics which require the same. On daily basis a news gets repeated multiple times. Scattered knowledge is not adequately useful when you have to write a 200 words answer within 6-7 minutes. To handle this, Samachar manthan covers such issues in a comprehensive and consolidated manner which is the smart strategy.

Benefits of Samachar Manthan

• Packed 3 – 3.5 hours Weekly videos will focus on news and its importance from both prelims and mains perspective.
• This program will also help you understand how to utilize current affairs in all your prelims and mains papers.
• This ideology makes this course the best utilization of your time.
• Detailed coverage would mean analysis from all the angles like background or history, features, significance, challenges and way forward. Also, multiple sources like epw, diplomat magazine etc will be referred to in the video lectures.
• Such an approach will help in writing multidimensional answers.
• Also which part of the topic is important from mains and prelims perspective will also be discussed.
• Audio Visual Learning is more impactful than simply glancing through the material. So that you are able to retain information for long also interlink with any new information you get.
• 4 stage structure of Video->Notes->testing->review to perfect your preparation
• The sequence of video->Notes->testing->review is the best way to ensure maximum retention and a rock solid preparation. Each component of the program has been meticulously crafted.

For example this week, we will be covering the following issues;

This Week’s Hottest Stories
Climate Change Impact on India and World- International Reports, Key Observations, etc. (5 Newscards)
Wildlife Conservation Efforts (3 Newscards)
Electoral Reforms In India (3 Newscards)
Indian Navy Updates (2 Newscards)
Judiciary Institutional Issues (2 Newscards)
Foreign Policy Watch: India-United States (2 Newscards)
Health Sector – UHC, National Health Policy, Family Planning, Health Insurance, etc. (2 Newscards)

Economics
[op-ed snap] Resolving India’s banking crisis
Lakshadweep recruits Barn Owls to fight rodent menace

Enviro & Biodiversity
UK has become the first country to declare a ‘climate emergency’
Global Assessment Report by IPBES
Grizzled Giant Squirrel
Purple frog set to be crowned Kerala’s state amphibian
[op-ed snap] One million species face extinction: Why biodiversity report matters
How China, followed by India, has led greening efforts across world
[op-ed snap] From Idai to Fani

Governance
[op-ed snap] No courts for women
Home Ministry terminates ‘Black List’ of Indian-origin people
WHO for eliminating industrially produced trans fats by 2023
India facing critical shortage of healthcare providers: WHO

International Relations
[op-ed snap] The quest for a military footprint
India re-elected as observer to Arctic Council
[op-ed snap] Taking tensions seriously
[op-ed snap] Loud and clear
[op-ed snap] Endless war
[op-ed snap] A fraught moment: U.S.-China trade war
[op-ed snap] Gulf warning
Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitrary Tribunal

Polity
Zero Pendency Courts Project
Sub-categorization of OBCs
Supreme Court pushes for ‘full’ strength of 31

Science Tech
Sand, a global sustainability challenge: UN report
[op-ed snap] Surveillance wars in space
Indian scientists discover how serotonin helps brain cells cope with stress
NASA spacecraft to hit an asteroid in 2022

Security Issues
Fourth Scorpene-class submarine INS Vela launched
IAF gets first Apache Guardian attack helicopter
Exercise Group Sail

Arts and culture
Thailand’s cultural roots with India
Genetic Study on people of Lakshadweep Islands

 

And these issues will be covered in detail

• Surveilance war in space
• Global report on extinction of species
• Zero pendency court project
• US china Trade War
• Instability in Gulf
• Gender disparity in Courts

So to be thorough in your preparation and to have an integrated approach, join Samachar Manthan here.

 

State	Monument	Place	Built by
Bihar	Golghar	Patna	British Govt.
	Pathar Ki Masjid	Patna	Pervez Shah
	Sher Shah’s Tomb	Sasaram	Sher Shah’s son
	Vishnupad Temple	Gaya	Rani Ahilyabai
Delhi	Feroz Shah Kotla	Delhi	Ferozshan Tughlaq
	Hauz Khas	Delhi	Alauddin Khilji
	Humayun Tomb	Delhi	Empress Bega Begum
	Jama Masjid	Delhi	Shahjahan
	Jantar-Mantar	Delhi	Sawai Jai Singh
	Khirki Masjid	Delhi	Ghyasuddin Tughlaq
	Lakshmi Narayan Temple	Delhi	Birla Family
	Moti Masjid	Delhi	Aurangzeb
	President House	Delhi	British Govt.
	Purana Qila	Delhi	Sher Shah Suri
	Qutub Minar	Delhi	Qutubuddin Aibak
	Red Fort	Delhi	Shahjahan
	Safdarjung Tomb	Delhi	Shuja-ud-daula
Gujarat	Sabarmati Ashram	Ahmadabad	Mahatma Gandhi
Jammu and Kashmir	Charar-E- Sharif	Budgam	Zainul Abedin
	Nishat Garden	Srinagar	Asaf Ali
	Shalimar Garden	Srinagar	Jahangir
Karnataka	Lal Bagh	Bangaluru	Hyder Ali
Maharashtra	Ajanta- Ellora Caves	Aurangabad	Gupta rulers
	Bibi Ka Maqbara	Aurangabad	Aurangzeb
	Elephanta Cave	Mumbai	Rashtrakuta rulers
	Gateway Of India	Mumbai	British Govt.
	Kanheri Fort	Mumbai	Buddhists
Odisha	Jagannath Temple	Puri	Anantavarman Ganga
	Sun Temple	Konark	Narasimhadeva I
Punjab	Golden Temple	Amritsar	Guru Ramdas
Rajasthan	Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra	Ajmer	Qutubuddin Aibak
	Bharatpur Fort	Bharatpur	Raja Surajmal Singh
	Ajmer Sharif Dargah	Ajmer	Sultan Shyasuddin
	Dilwara Jain Temple	Mount Abu	Siddharaja
	Hawa Mahal	Jaipur	Maharaja Pratap Singh
	Jaigarh Fort	Jaipur	Sawai Jai Singh
	Jodhpur Fort	Jodhpur	Rao Jodha
	Nahargarh Fort	Jaipur	Sawai Jai Singh
	Vijaya Stambha	Chittorgarh	Maharana Kumbha
Tamil Nadu	Saint George Fort	Chennai	East India Company
Telegana	Char- Minar	Hyderabad	Quli Qutub Shah
	Makka Masjid	Hyderabad	Quli Qutub Shah
Uttar Pradesh	Agra Fort	Agra	Akbar
	Akbar Rsquo Tomb	Sikandra	Akbar
	Anand Bhawan	Allahabad	Motilal Nehru
	Aram Bagh	Agra	Babur
	Bada Imambara	Lucknow	Asaf-ud-daula
	Chhota Imambara	Lucknow	Muhammad Ali Shah
	Deewan-E- Khas	Agra Fort	Shahjahan
	Fatehpur Sikri	Agra	Akbar
	Tomb of Itmad-Ud-Daula	Agra	Nurjahan
	Jama Masjid	Agra	Shahjahan
	Moti Masjid	Agra	Shahjahan
	Sati Burj	Mathura	Raja Bhagwan Das
	Shish Mahal	Agra	Shahjahan
	Taj Mahal	Agra	Shahjahan
Uttarakhand	Jim Corbett Park	Nainital	Sir Malcolm Hailey
West Bengal	Shantiniketan	West Bengal	Rabindranath Tagore
	Belur Math	Kolkata	Swami Vivekananda
	Victoria Memorial	Kolkata	British Govt.

Name of the Exercise	PartnerCountry/Countries	Details
Surya Kiran XIII	Nepal	This exercise was aimed at training on jungle warfare, anti-terrorism combat and disaster response activities.
Lamitye VIII	Seychelles	The focus of the exercise was to conduct counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist operations.
Shakti IV	France	The focus was on high degree of physical fitness, tactical drills, techniques and procedure.
Vinbax 1	Vietnam	The focus was on cooperation in the maritime domain.
Hamesha Vijayee	Southern Command	It aimed at fine tuning surveillance and destruction mechanisms to support precision strikes and manoeuvres by network enabled forces.
Ajeya Warrior	UK	The aim of the exercise was to build and promote bilateral relations and enhance interoperability.
Malabar	The USA and Japan	It’s a joint naval exercise.
AUSINDEX	Australia	It’s a joint naval exercise.
SIMBEX	Singapore	It’s a joint naval exercise.
IND–INDO CORPAT	Indonesia	It’s a joint naval exercise.
Varuna	France	It’s a joint naval exercise.
Nomadic Elephant	Mongolia	It’s a joint exercise between two armies.
Surya Kiran	Nepal	It’s a joint exercise between two armies.
Al-Nagah	Oman	It’s a joint army exercise.
EKUVERIN	Maldives	It’s a joint military exercise.
INDRA	Russia	It refers to joint exercises conducted between army, navy and airforce.
KONKAN	United Kingdom	It’s a joint naval exercise.
Hand in Hand	China	It’s a joint military exercise.
SAMPRITI	Bangladesh	It’s a joint military exercise.
Mitra Shakti	Sri Lanka	It’s a joint military exercise.
Yudh Abhyas	The USA	It’s a joint military exercise.
PRABAL DOSTYK	Kazakhstan	It’s a joint military exercise.
Maitree	Thailand	It’s a joint military exercise..
RIPMAC	Around 25 nations, including the USA, the UK, China and France.	It’s the world’s largest international maritime exercise.
Desert Eagle	United Arab Emirates	It’s a joint air combat exercise.
Garuda Shakti	Indonesia	It’s a joint military exercise.
Lamitye	Seychelles	It’s a joint military exercise.
IBSAMAR	South Africa and Brazil	It’s a joint naval exercise.
Sahyog-Kaijin	Japan	It’s a joint exercise between the coast guards of two countries.
SHAKTI	France	It’s a joint military exercise.
SLINEX	Sri Lanka	It’s a joint military exercise.
Indradhanush	The United Kingdom	It’s a bilateral air exercise.

Economics is one of the primary Pillars of UPSC preparation. It has substantial weightage in Prelims and also in  GS 3rd paper of mains. To ensure that students build  a strong foundation and  a strong hold over the subject, we at Civilsdaily, have the best and most trusted faculty, Himanshu Arora Sir.

Credentials of Himanshu Sir-

• MPhil Economics (JNU)
• Works at Prime Minister Economic Advisory Council
• Writes regularly in various famous Indian and international weeklies like Millenium post and Huffington Post.
• Worked as Assistant Professor in Delhi University.

Here is the article by Himanshu Sir  that was published today in  Business Line;

US sanctions have rarely worked

Instead of punishing ‘errant’ countries, sanctions inflict serious economic damage on other nations

Here is the link of the original Article

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/us-sanctions-have-rarely-worked/article27119264.ece

1Nai Manzil Scheme

OBJECTIVES –

• To address educational and livelihood needs of minority communities lagging behind in terms of educational attainments.
• It aims to provide educational intervention by giving the bridge courses to the trainees and getting them Certificates for Class XII and X from distance medium educational system.
• It seeks to provide trade basis skill training in four courses at the same time of formal education, in field of (i) Manufacturing (ii) Engineering (iii) Services (iv) Soft skills. It intends to cover people in between 17 to 35 age group from all minority communities as well as Madrasa students.
• Nodal Ministry –The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs

2. Nai Roshni

OBJECTIVES –

• Empower and install confidence in women of minority communities by equipping them with knowledge, tools and techniques to interact with government systems, banks and intermediaries
• Nodal Ministry –The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs

3. USTAAD Scheme

OBJECTIVES –

• The scheme aims at preserving and promoting the rich heritage of the traditional arts & crafts of the Minority communities. 2.In the light of globalisation & competitive market, these crafts have gradually lost their employability. 3.It also envisages at boosting the skill of craftsmen, weavers and artisans who are already engaged in the traditional ancestral work.
• Nodal Ministry –The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs

4. Hunar Haat

OBJECTIVES –

• It is aimed at promoting and supporting artisans from Minority communities and providing them domestic as well as international market for display and sell their products.
• The Hunar Haat exhibition has been organised by the National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC) under “USTTAD” scheme In it about 184 master artisans from across the country are showcasing their traditional art and skills at about 100 stalls at the international platform.
• It seeks to provide an excellent platform to artisans belonging to Minority communities from across nation to display their art and skills before domestic and international visitors.
• Nodal Ministry –The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs

5.Stanapan Suraksha Scheme

OBJECTIVES –

• To promote breastfeeding and keep a tab on “inappropriate” promotion of baby food items. Stanpan Suraksha is first-of-its-kind app deveopled for promoting breastfeeding and baby food promotion reporting mechanism.
• Using it any person can click a photograph of inappropriate baby food promotion around them and related equipment and send it to BPNI.
• The app also has a city-wise database of trained breastfeeding counsellor to educate and provide assistance to mothers during antenatal and postnatal period. It has sign up option for mothers who wish to become a breastfeeding counsellor, pledging for petition and donation.
• Nodal Ministry –Ministry of Tribal Affairs

6.Eklavya Model Residential Schools

• Eklavya Model Residential School Scheme was started in 1998
• First school was started in the year 2000 in Maharashtra.
• EMRSs have been functioning as institutions of excellence for tribal students.
• In order to further educational opportunities for more ST children, Government has sought to extend the facility of EMRSs in all the 672 Blocks where ST population is more than 50% of the total population in a span of next five years.
• Funds for establishing the school are arranged by both Centre and State government together.
• Nodal Ministry –Ministry of Tribal Affairs

7. Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme

OBJECTIVES –

• To decrease the dropout rate in the transition from elementary to secondary stage.Given for Class 9th and 10th.
• Nodal Ministry –Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

8. Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana

OBJECTIVES –

• Educational empowerment of Scheduled castes.
• Central assistance is provided to the implementing agencies viz. State Governments/UT Administrations/ Central and State Universities/ Non-Governmental Organisations/Deemed Universities in private sector, for construction of fresh hostels/expansion of existing hostel facilities for Scheduled Castes students.
• Nodal Ministry –Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

9.National Overseas Scholarship Scheme.

OBJECTIVES –

• Financial support to SC and ST students pursuing Master’s level courses and PhD/Post-Doctoral courses abroad.
• Nodal Ministry –Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

10.Scheme for upgradation of merit of SC students.

OBJECTIVES –

• Upgrade the merit of SC students by providing them remedial and special coaching in classes IX to XII.
• Income Ceiling: Rs. 3.00 Lakh per annum .
• Nodal Ministry –Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

11.Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS)

OBJECTIVES –

• To rehabilitate all the remaining manual scavengers and their dependents in alternative occupations.The main features of the Scheme include one-time cash assistance, training with stipend and concessional loans with subsidy for taking up alternative occupations.
• Nodal Ministry –Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

12. Sugmay Bharat abhiyaan.

OBJECTIVES –

• The target of this scheme is to make at least fifty government buildings disabled friendly under the campaign in each of the state till end of 2016 and make 25 per cent of the public transport vehicles under government as disabled friendly till mid 2017.
• A remarkable feature of the scheme is that a website will also be made where the people can put their views on the accessibility of any building.
• The international airports in the country and railway stations which come under A1, A and B categories will be made fully disabled-friendly.
• Special set-top boxes will be made available to make watching TV more convenient for the visually impaired. In the next 5 years, almost 200 persons will be trained to speak in sign languages on government TV channels. Government websites will also be made friendlier by using text to speech option.
• Under the scheme, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment will give free motorized tricycles to persons with 70-90% disability.
• A Sugamya Bharat mobile app which can provide information on disabled-friendly public facilities in a city, will be launched under the scheme.
• For awareness, a team of experts will conduct workshops for sensitizing the main parties including builders and activists.
• Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

13.Disha

OBJECTIVES –

• Early Intervention and School Readiness Scheme.
• This is an early intervention and school readiness scheme for children upto 10 years with the disabilities covered under the National Trust Act.
• Nodal Ministry –Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

14. VIKAASDay Care

OBJECTIVES –

• A day care scheme for persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities, above 10 years for enhancing interpersonal and vocational skills.
• Nodal Ministry –Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

15. SAMARTH Respite Care

OBJECTIVES –

• A scheme to provide respite home for orphans, families in crisis, Persons with Disabilities (PwD) from BPL, LIG families with at least one of the four disabilities covered under the National Trust Act.
• Nodal Ministry –Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

16.GHARAUNDA

OBJECTIVES –

• Group Home for Adults.
• This scheme provides housing and care services throughout the life of the person with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities.
• Nodal Ministry –Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

17.NIRMAYA Health Insurance Scheme.

OBJECTIVES –

• This scheme is to provide affordable Health Insurance to persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities.
• Nodal Ministry –Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

18. SAHYOGI Caregiver training scheme

OBJECTIVES –

• A scheme to set up Caregiver Cells (CGCs) for training and creating skilled workforce of caregivers to care for Person with Disabilities (PwD) and their families.
• Nodal Ministry –Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

19.GYAN PRABHA Educational support

OBJECTIVES –

• Scheme to encourage people with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities for pursuing educational/ vocational courses.
• Nodal Ministry –Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

20.PRERNA Marketing Assistance.

OBJECTIVES –

• A marketing scheme to create viable & wide spread channels for sale of products and services produced by persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities
• Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

Flora and Fauna in News

• 1. NBWL adds 4 species in Recovery Programme for Critically Endangered Species

• Northern River Terrapin: It is species of riverine turtle found in rivers that flow in Eastern India. It is hunted for its meat and It is hunted for its meat and carapace. It is native of Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia and Malaysia.

• Clouded Leopard: It is found in Himalayan foothills. It is threatened due to habitat loss, poaching for its skin and is also as a live pet trade. The IUCN in its Red List assessment of 2016 has categorized Clouded Leopard as ‘Vulnerable’ and indicating declining trend in its population.
• 
• Arabian Sea Humpback Whale: It is a species found in all of major oceans. This species migrates from the Oman coast through the Arabian sea, along the Indian coasts till the Sri Lankan coast. Ship strikes, unforgiving fishing gear and siesmic exploarations pose grave threat to it.
• 
• Red Panda: It is closely associated with montane forests with dense bamboo-thicket. It is found Sikkim, West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh. It is It is poached for its meat, and for use in medicines, and as a pet. The IUCN has categorized Red Panda as ‘Endangered’. As per its Red List assessment of 2015, population of this species is decreasing.
• 

2 Odisha police launch drive to bust Pangolin smuggling racket-

Why in news- Odisha Special Task Force (STF) has launched drive to bust an international syndicate that peddles ‘endangered’ pangolin, one of the world’s most illegal traded mammals. Pangolin                   

• Pangolin is only scaly mammal on the planet.
• According to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), it is also the most illegally traded vertebrate within its class (Mammalia).
• Of the eight species of pangolin worldwide, two are found in India. They are Chinese pangolin (manis pentadactyla), mostly found in northeast India and Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata).
• Pangolins has large, overlapping scales on its body which act as armour.
• It can also curl itself into ball as self-defence against predators.
• China is main illicit hub (market) for smuggled scales of Pangolins, where they have huge demand for medicinal and magical purposes.

Protection Status:

• • Chinese pangolin has been listed as “critically endangered” by UN affiliated International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List.
  • Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) has been listed as “endangered” in IUCN Red List.
  • It is also a Schedule I category protected animal, under the Wildlife Protection Act (1972).

3 Nilgiri tahr: Climate change threatening 60% of its habitat

Why in News –

• According to recent study published international journal Ecological Engineering, climate change is threatening the Nilgiri tahr,. It is estimated that endangered wild goat could lose approximately 60% of its habitat, starting from 2030s.

Nilgiri tahr                   

• It is state animal of Tamil Nadu.
• It is endemic to Western Ghats from the Nilgiris to Kanyakumari.
• It is confined to a narrow belt of higher elevation (altitudes) of Shola Forests in Western Ghats.
• Protection Status: IUCN in its red data book has classified it as Endangered (number fewer than 2,500 mature individuals). Besides it is protected species under Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.
• Largest population of Nilgiri Tahr is found within the Eravikulam National Park.

4 Snow leopard spotted in Lippa-Asra wildlife sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh.

WHY IN NEWS– A snow leopard was spotted at a height of about 4,000 metres in Lippa-Asra wildlife sanctuary in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh.

 Lippa-Asra wildlife sanctuary

• The sanctuary is part of district Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh and also is part of Moorang town.
• It houses wild species of animal like Yak, Ibex, Blue Sheep, Himalayan Musk Deer, Goral, Brown Bear and Himalayan Black Bear.
• The dry alpine scrub and dry coniferous type of forest are main type of flora found in this sanctuary.

 

5.Project Snow Leopard:

• Snow Leopard is globally endangered species as well as the most important flagship species of the mountain region
• Project aims to conserve biodiversity with community participation
• The project will be operational in five Himalayan States viz. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh with active support from wildlife institute of India and the Mysore based Nature Conservation Foundation.
• Species such as Snow Leopard, Asiatic Ibex, Tibetan Argali, Ladakh Urial, Chiru, Takin, Serow and Musk Deer will particularly benefit from this project.

Snow Leopard:               

• Snow leopard (Panthera uncial) is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia- including Himalayas, and Russia’s remote Altai mountains.
• Snow Leopard is found in 11 countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
• These countries formed the Global Snow Leopard Forum (GSLF) and signed the Bishkek Declaration to acknowledge its importance as the indicator of the health and sustainability of mountain ecosystems.
• It is the State animal of Himachal Pradesh.

Threats: It is threatened by poaching for their fur, habitat destruction by infrastructure developments and climate change.

Protection Status:

• It has been listed in Schedule I under Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, Appendix I of Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) and Appendix I Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).

6. India’s first dolphin research centre to come up soon in Patna

Context: India’s and Asia’s first Dolphin Research Centre will be set up on the banks of the Ganga river in Patna University campus in Patna, Bihar. It will be named- National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC).

Role: NDRC will play important role in strengthening conservation efforts and research to save endangered mammal whose population is decreasing. Bihar is home to around half of the country’s estimated 3,000 dolphin population.

 

About Gangetic Dolphins:    

• The Ganges River dolphin, or susu, inhabits the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.
• This dolphin is among the four “obligate” freshwater dolphins – the other three are the baiji now likely extinct from the Yangtze river in China, the bhulan of the Indus in Pakistan and the boto of the Amazon River in Latin America.
• Because of the sound it produces when breathing, the animal is popularly referred to as the ‘Susu’.

Conservation Status

• It is the national aquatic animal and had been granted non-human personhood status by government in 2017.
• It is also protected under the Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972).
• Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS) in Bihar is India’s only sanctuary for the Gangetic dolphin.
• It has been categorised as endangered on the Red List of Threatened Species by the IUCN

Threats:

The survival of the Ganges River dolphin is threatened by unintentional killing through entanglement in fishing gear; directed harvest for dolphin oil, which is used as a fish attractant and for medicinal purposes; water development projects (e.g. water extraction and the construction of barrages, high dams, and embankments); industrial waste and pesticides; municipal sewage discharge and noise from vessel traffic; and overexploitation of prey, mainly due to the widespread use of non-selective fishing gear.

Conservation Efforts

• A Conservation Action Plan for the Gangetic Dolphin 2010-2020 has been formulated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

 

7. ASIATIC LION CONSERVATION PROJECT

Why in News? The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the “Asiatic Lion Conservation Project” with an aim to protect and conserve the world’s last ranging free population of Asiatic Lion and its associated ecosystem.

 

About the Project

• It will be funded from the Centrally Sponsored Scheme- Development of Wildlife Habitat (CSS-DWH) with the contributing ratio being 60:40 of Central and State share.
• The project activities is envisaged in a manner to cause habitat improvement, scientific interventions, disease control and veterinary care supplemented with adequate eco development works for the fringe population in order to ensure a stable and viable Lion population in the Country.

8. RARE SPIDER REDISCOVERED

Why in news?

Recently, a rare spider (both a male and a female spider) was rediscovered from Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in Western Ghats, Kerala.

 

About Chrysilla Vollupe  

• The Spider belongs to the family of jumping spider (Salticidae).
• Female spider has blue iridescent bluish scales present in the top of head region of female and orange bands on both sides of the head.
• The spider has eight black eyes are arranged in the front and sides of head region.
• The spider makes a retreat between green leaves of small plants.

 

9. EURASIAN OTTER

Why in news? Recently scientist confirmed the presence of Eurasian otter in Western Ghats.

About Otter           

• They are carnivorous mammals and adapt to a variety of habitats ranging from marine to freshwater environments.
• India is home to 3 of the 13 species of otters found worldwide. These are
• Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra): IUCN: Near Threatened; CITES Appendix I; Wildlife (Protection) Act Schedule II.
• Smooth-coated Otter (Lutra perspicillata): IUCN: Vulnerable; CITES Appendix II; Wildlife (Protection) Act Schedule II.
• Small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus): IUCN: Vulnerable; CITES Appendix II; Wildlife (Protection) Act Schedule II.
• Though the Eurasian otter has been recorded historically from the Western Ghats (Coorg in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiri and Palani hill ranges), this is the first photographic and genetic confirmation of its presence here.

10. ALDABRA GAINT TORTOISE

Why in News? In a goodwill gesture, Seychelles has gifted a pair of giant Aldabra tortoise to India. The pair will be kept at Hyderabad Zoo.

Key facts:                       

• The Aldabra Giant Tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea) from the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles is said to be one of the largest species of tortoises on the planet.
• It is also one of the world’s longest living animals, with one Aldabra Giant Tortoise reaching the age of 255 years.
• The Aldabra giant tortoise’s current IUCN conservation status is ‘vulnerable’.
• The atoll has been protected from human influence and is home to around 100,000 giant tortoises, the world’s largest population of the animal.

11. EIGHT AVIAN SPECIES DECLARED “EXTINCT” IN NEW STUDY

• Scientists have declared eight species of birds to be extinct in what are being seen as the first avian extinctions of the 21st century.
• The study was conducted by non-profit “BirdLife International”. It assessed 51 species judged “critically endangered” on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) “Red List” by using a new statistical method.

Key facts:

• The species gone extinct include Spix’s macaw, the Alagoas foliage-gleaner, the cryptic tree hunter, the Pernambuco pygmy-owl, the poo-uli, or black-faced honeycreeper and the glaucous macaw.

12. BONNETHEAD SHARK

What is it? It is the first known omnivorous shark species identified by scientists recently.

Key facts:                        

• 60% of its diet consists of seagrass. The species graze upon seagrass, in addition to eating bony fish, crabs, snails and shrimp.
• The bonnethead shark is abundant in the shallow waters of the Western Atlantic, and the Gulf of Mexico.
• Though small by shark standards, adult females — the larger of the sexes —can still reach an impressive five feet long.
• Lacking the kind of teeth bestsuited for mastication,the shark may rely on strong stomach acids to weaken the plants’ cells so the enzymes can have their digestive effects.

 

13. PONDICHERRY SHARK

Context: Researchers recently spotted ‘Pondicherry shark’, an endangered species protected under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, in the East Godavari River Estuarine Ecosystem region.

Key facts:           

• Scientifically known as Carcharhinus hemiodon, it belongs to the Carcharhinidae family with a growth of 3.3 feet.
• Known as ‘Pala Sora’ in the local parlance, the Pondicherry Shark is on the verge of extinction even according to the conventional fishermen.
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the Pondicherry shark as Critically Endangered.

14. Census of Estuarine Crocodiles

What Is The Issue:

• The number of crocodiles rose to 1742 from last year’s census of 1698 in the Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha’s Kendrapara district.

15. Great Indian Bustard may be extinct soon

What Is The Issue:

• The GIB’s last remnant wild population of about 50 in Jaisalmer district accounts for 95% of its total world population.
• No progress has been made on the proposal for establishing a captive breeding centre at Sorsan in Kota district and a hatchery in Jaisalmer for conservation of the State bird of Rajasthan.

16. Crocodylus Palustris

What Is The Issue:

• The Gujarat Forest Department has started evacuating muggers from two ponds on the Sardar Sarovar Dam premises on the Narmada, to facilitate a seaplane service at the Statue of Unity.

MUGGER

SALTWATER CROCODILE

GHARIAL

17. HARRIER BIRDS

 

Why in News? Concerns have been raised that harrier birds, a migratory raptor species are declining from Indian Subcontinent.

About the Harrier Birds         

• Harrier Birds are the only diurnal ‘Raptor group or Birds of Prey’ nesting and roosting on the ground.
• These birds regularly visit vast swathes of Indian Subcontinent grasslands during winter to escape frigid Central Asia.
• Birds of Prey: being top predators, these are a vital indicator of ecosystem health especially of grassland and wetland ecosystem.
• Natural Controlling agents: of rodents, grasshoppers and birds which form their major prey base and hence their decline impacts farm productivity.

 

 

 

Dear students,

We take our Test Series very seriously. There is a rigorous process involved to decide what goes in and what doesn’t. If you have gone through our Nikaalo Prelims initiative, you would see so many questions that are almost impossible to come up from basic books. This is because we go to different lengths to get this done.

Over 500 students who have cleared prelims before are now enrolled in our FLTs via this initiative. *IMP – Free enrolment in our Full-Length Tests for Prelims Qualified Students

We wanted to present before you the questions we’ve prepared.

1. Reverse Engineering of Current Events

UPSC has the habit of asking current affairs oriented questions. We backtrace important questions which can be asked on those events.

Consider the following statements regarding the National Gene Fund,

1. It has been established by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority.
2. It receives the contribution from National and State Govt. only.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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With reference to the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001, consider the following statements.

1. It recognizes and protects the rights of both breeders as well as farmers in relation to the plant varieties.
2. The Act facilitates the protection of only new plant varieties.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Context-  PepsiCo, a US multinational company filed case against potato farmers in Gujarat, with regard to alleged infringement of its rights under Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPVFR) Act 2001.

2. Application Based Question– We in all our test keep the focus on the application based questions in all segments.

Floods caused due to an outburst of glacial lakes is known as Glacial Lakes Outburst Floods (GLOF). Consider the following factors in this regard:

1. Unpredictable monsoon rainfall patterns.
2. Slash and burn type of farming.
3. Earthquake.
4. Black Carbon

Which of the factors given above can trigger glacial lakes outburst floods?

Venus and Uranus undergo retrograde rotation. Which of the following may take place, if Earth also undergoes retrograde rotation?

1. Addition of a day on the crossing of International Date Line from West to
East.
2. Change in direction of rotation of Tropical Cyclones.
3. Reversal of geographical poles of Earth.

Select the correct answer using the code
given below.

 

3. Few out of league questions which cannot be found in standard textbooks.

With reference to Direct Seeded Rice system, consider the following statements:

1. It uses less water than traditional transplanted paddy cultivation.
2. It eliminates the need for weedicides.
3. Its adoption results in increased greenhouse gas emissions.

4. Evidence-based Question making

We have done through analysis of last 6 years prelims papers. We have divided subjects into themes and sub-themes. Our tests include more questions from those themes from which UPSC is asking more questions and fewer questions from those themes which UPSC has ignored in the last 6 years. The Questions at CD are not framed according to the whims and fancies of the content writer. The question framer has to provide objective evidence to the supervisory team about the relevance of the question. He has to prove that similar questions were asked by UPSC in xyz year. The philosophy of our test series is to remain as much close to the UPSC prelims exam as possible both in terms of toughness and Format.

5.Tikdam

Tikdams = तिकड़म = Smart Hacks for IAS Prelims

Tikdams are smart hacks which help you arrive at the right answer with just the basic knowledge. Tikdam Technique is an innovation by Dr. V(AIR 20) and has helped students gain additional marks. Our TS is the only TS that puts a conscious effort to build student’s risk-taking appetite. Our each and every test contains detailed explanation wrt to questions which can be solved using this technique. By perfecting this technique you can easily score 20-30 marks extra in your prelims exam.

Q18. Consider the following pairs:

  Theatre form :       State

1. Swang                 Haryana
2. Bidesia                Tamil Nadu
3. Nautanki              Uttar Pradesh

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

Statement 2 is incorrect.

Originally the theatre form from Haryana, Swang, was mainly music-based. Gradually, prose too played its role in the dialogues. The softness of emotions, accomplishment of rasa along with the development of character can be seen in this theatre form. The two important styles of Swang are from

Rohtak and Haathras. In the style belonging to Rohtak, the language used is Haryanvi (Bangru) and in

Haathras, it is Brajbhasha.

Nautanki is usually associated with Uttar Pradesh. The most popular centres of this traditional theatre

form are Kanpur, Lucknow and Haathras. The meters used in the verses are: Doha, Chaubola, Chhappai,

Behar-e-tabeel. There was a time when only men acted in Nautanki but nowadays, women have also

started taking part in the performances. Among those remembered with reverence is Gulab Bai of Kanpur.

She gave a new dimension to this old theatre form.

Bidesia:The folk theatre form of Bidesiya has originated in the 20th century and has been prevalent in the Bhojpuri-speaking regions of Bihar. Bidesiya is a dance version of Biraha songs and expresses the pain and despair of the women who are left behind by their men, away from home. The male dancers play the roles of female in the Bidesiya folk dance and for the purpose; they wear artificial long hair and dhoti. Despite the fact that many new modes of entertainment has come up, Bidesiya still has its charm amongst the people of Bihar.

Tikdam:

It’s tough to remember the name of all the folk theatre. However using some logic you can easily solve this question. Now closely observe statement 2.

Bidesia.Does it look like a Tamil name? Of Course not. Bidesia sounds like a Bhojpuri name. Once you eliminate statement 2 using this logic, you will automatically arrive at the correct answer without knowing the other 2 statements. 

 

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Don’t miss out on the program. Get enrolled NOW!   

Join the Endgame : Civilsdaily’s Prelims FLT Program 2019

Indian Festivals

Kumbha Mela	Held at all 4 places every 3 years by rotation (Allahabad, Haridwar, Nashik, Ujjain) Associated rivers : Ganga at Haridwar, the Sangam of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati at Allahabad,  Godawari at Nashik, and Shipra at Ujjain Ardha Kumbh Mela  : Haridwar and Prayag every 6 years Purna Kumbh Mela  : Prayag every 12 years Maha Kumbh Mela  : Prayag every 144 years
Holi	last full moon day of  Phalguna
Maha Shivaratri	13th night in Krishna Paksha of Phalguna
Navaratri	9 forms of Shakti are worshipped on 9 nights
Vinayaga Chaturthi	On occasion of birth of Ganesha
Vasant Panchami	Worshiping Saraswati –  the goddess of knowledge, music and art Children are taught to write their first words; Brahmins are fed ; ancestral worship is performed; the god of love- Kamadeva is worshipped People usually wear yellow garments
Ramzan	Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and sexual relations from dawn until sunset Intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility & spirituality
Guru Purnima	Buddhists in the honor of lord Buddha who gave his first sermon on this day at Sarnath Hindus on this day offer Puja or pay respect to their Guru
Buddha Poornima	Birth anniversary of Lord Buddha
Christmas	Commemorate the birth of Jesus
Easter	Oldest and holiest Christian festival – the day when Jesus Christ was crucified On this day Jesus Christ rose from the dead and ascended into heaven
Thai Pongal	Harvest festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Sri Lanka To thank the Sun God and farmstead livestock Boiling of milk in clay pot symbolize material abundance for household
Muharram	Celebrated on the 1st  month of the Islamic calendar unlawful to fight during this month
Dree Festival	an agricultural rite, which is observed by Apatanis in Arunachal Pradesh involves sacrifice of fowls, eggs and animals to the sun & moon god to appease these Gods to avoid feminine

Indian Dances

Indian Folk Music

 

• • Baul : It is a type of Bengali music and a religious sect. The lyrics carry influence from Bhakti movement as well as sufi movement.

• • Wanawan : Folk music from kashmir which is sung during wedding ceremonies.

• • Padwani : This music is based on Mahabharata and uses both singing and playing instruments.

• • Alha : Song is from Madhya Pradesh and is a heroic ballad song.

• • Paani hari : Song is from the state of Rajasthan and is thematically related to water. Songs are generally about women fetching water from nearby well.

• • Ovi : Maharashtra and Goan women sing such songs during leisure time.

• • Pai song : Songs are mostly from Madhya Pradesh sung during festivals.

• • Lavani : Popular folk song from Maharashtra. Music has powerful rhythm and beats and is suitable for dancing.

• • Maand : Developed in the royal circles

• • Dandiya raas : Performed in Gujarat and is associated with holi and lila of Krishna and Radha at Vrindavan

• • Powada : Folk type emerging from Maharashtra

• • Khongjom Parva : Important folk music from state of Manipur.

• Bhagwati : Popular amongst masses of Karnataka and Maharashtra. Musically they are close to ghazals and are sung on a slower pitch.

Classical Dances

The classical dance forms recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the Ministry of Culture are

• Bharatanatyam, from Tamil Nadu
• Kathak, from Uttar Pradesh and western India
• Kathakali, from Kerala
• Kuchipudi, from Andhra Pradesh
• Odissi, from Odisha
• Sattriya, from Assam
• Manipuri, from Manipur
• Mohiniyattam, from Kerala

Indian Music

MUSIC OF INDIA

The two main traditions of classical music in India are Carnatic music and Hindustani Music. Carnatic Music are found predominantaly in the peninsular regions and Hindustani music are found in the northern and central regions.

Hindustani Music

Hindustani music was not only influenced by ancient Hindu musical traditions but also enriched by the Persian performance practices of the Mughals.

Dhrupad is an old style of Hindustani singing, traditionally performed by male singers. The great Indian musician Tansen sang in the Dhrupad style. Dhrupad was the main form of northern Indian classical music but has now given way to Khyal.

Khyal is a form of vocal music in Hindustani music. It was adopted from medieval Persian music It is special as it is based on improvising and expressing emotion.

Another vocal form Tarana are medium to fast pa ced songs that ar e usual ly per formed towards the end of the concert. They consist of  a few lines of poetry with rhythmic syllables.

Tappa is a from of Indian semi- classical vocal music. It originated from the folk songs of the camel riders of Punjab and was developed as a form of classical music by Mian Ghulam Nabi Shori.

Thumri is a semi classical vocal form said to have begun in Uttar Pradesh. The lyrics are typically in Brij Bhasha and are usually romantic.

Ghazal is an originally Persian form of Poetry. In India, Ghazal became the most common form of poetry in the  Urdu language.

Although Hindustani music clearly is focused on the vocal   performance, recently instrumental Hindustani music is very popular than vocal music especially outside South Asia.

Carnatic Music

Carnatic  music is a system  of music commonly associated with the southern part of  India especially. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Carnatic music is completely melodic with improvised variations. Purandara Dasa is credited with having founded today’s Carnatic music.He is credited with having elevated Carnatic music from religious and devotional music into the realm of a performing art. Carnatic music is usually performed by a small ens embl e  of mus i cia ns consi s t ing of a principa l per former (vocalist ) a viol in, mridanga ,and a tamburu. Today carnatic music is presented by musicians in concerts or recordings either vocally or through instruments.

Indian Folk Music

 

• • Baul : It is a type of Bengali music and a religious sect. The lyrics carry influence from Bhakti movement as well as sufi movement.

 

• • Wanawan : Folk music from kashmir which is sung during wedding ceremonies.

 

• • Padwani : This music is based on Mahabharata and uses both singing and playing instruments.

 

• • Alha : Song is from Madhya Pradesh and is a heroic ballad song.

 

• • Paani hari : Song is from the state of Rajasthan and is thematically related to water. Songs are generally about women fetching water from nearby well.

 

• • Ovi : Maharashtra and Goan women sing such songs during leisure time.

 

• • Pai song : Songs are mostly from Madhya Pradesh sung during festivals.

 

• • Lavani : Popular folk song from Maharashtra. Music has powerful rhythm and beats and is suitable for dancing.

 

• • Maand : Developed in the royal circles

 

• • Dandiya raas : Performed in Gujarat and is associated with holi and lila of Krishna and Radha at Vrindavan

 

• • Powada : Folk type emerging from Maharashtra

 

• • Khongjom Parva : Important folk music from state of Manipur.

 

•  Bhagwati : Popular amongst masses of Karnataka and Maharashtra. Musically they are close to ghazals and are sung on a slower pitch.

 

Dear students,

We understand that the UPSC exam is a generalist exam. It’s more important to cover more issues than to cover one issue in more depth. Hence, through Samachar Manthan, we are trying to maintain a fine balance of covering many important news items and having a detailed discussion on selected topics which require the same. On daily basis a news gets repeated multiple times. Scattered knowledge is not adequately useful when you have to write a 200 words answer within 6-7 minutes. To handle this, Samachar manthan covers such issues in a comprehensive and consolidated manner which is the smart strategy.

Benefits of Samachar Manthan

• Packed 3 – 3.5 hours Weekly videos will focus on news and its importance from both prelims and mains perspective.
• This program will also help you understand how to utilize current affairs in all your prelims and mains papers.
• This ideology makes this course the best utilization of your time.
• Detailed coverage would mean analysis from all the angles like background or history, features, significance, challenges and way forward. Also, multiple sources like epw, diplomat magazine etc will be referred to in the video lectures.
• Such an approach will help in writing multidimensional answers.
• Also which part of the topic is important from mains and prelims perspective will also be discussed.
• Audio Visual Learning is more impactful than simply glancing through the material. So that you are able to retain information for long also interlink with any new information you get.
• 4 stage structure of Video->Notes->testing->review to perfect your preparation
• The sequence of video->Notes->testing->review is the best way to ensure maximum retention and a rock solid preparation. Each component of the program has been meticulously crafted.

For example this week, we will be covering the following issues;

This Week’s Hottest Stories
Global Geological And Climatic Events(2 Newscards)
Foreign Policy Watch: Cross-Border Terrorism(2 Newscards)
History- Important places, persons in news(2 Newscards)
Climate Change Impact on India and World – International Reports, Key Observations, etc.(2 Newscards)
Delhi Full Statehood Issue(2 Newscards)
RBI Notifications(2 Newscards)
Air Pollution(2 Newscards)
Citizenship and Related Issues(2 Newscards)

Economics
Ishad Mango is under the threat of becoming rare
Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001
Technical Textiles
[op-ed snap] An employment-oriented economic policy
[op-ed snap] Saving BSNL
[op-ed snap] GST buoyancy
[op-ed snap] Boardroom rot

Enviro & Biodiversity
Committee constituted to oversee clean air programme
Indian subcontinent’s collision with Asia boosted oxygen in world’s oceans
Kashmir Stag (Hangul)
Explained: Cyclone Fani- an unusual storm
Explained: Naming of cyclones
Ross Ice Shelf

Governance
[op-ed snap] The cost of antimicrobial resistance
SC view on foreigner’s detention defies constitutional obligations

International relations
[op-ed snap] No good options in Afghanistan
[op-ed snap] Wrong step
UNSC designates Masood Azhar as global terrorist
[op-ed snap] A global label

Polity
Contempt of Court
Supreme Court seeks ECs reply on voter prosecution
LG’s role in Puducherry
Explained: Age of consent & age gap under POCSO Act
[op-ed snap] Power shift
U.S. Commission says religious freedom in India deteriorated in 2018

Science Tech Art Culture
99942 Apophis
750th birth anniversary of Vedanta Desikan
Rare life-size stucco figurine unearthed in Telangana
ISRO plans to launch radar imaging satellite in May

Security Issues

Army invokes emergency powers for missiles deal
[pib] Exercise Varuna 19.1
Gadchiroli attacks

Trivia
M.N. Roy and his contribution for anti-colonial struggle in India

 

And these issues will be covered in detail

• Gadchiroli attacks
• LG’s role in Puducherry
• Cyclone Fani- an unusual storm
• An employment-oriented economic policy
• Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights
• Climate Change Impact on India and World

So to be thorough in your preparation and to have an integrated approach, join Samachar Manthan here.

 

[WpProQuiz 48]

 

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[WpProQuiz_toplist 32]

 

Details of the program + timetable can be found here – Mission Nikaalo Prelims – Keep the Josh High > 60 Day Revision Course with Prelims Spotlight and Free Tests