QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 14 December 2018

QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz,14 December 2018 QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz The following quiz will have 5-10 MCQs. The questions are mainly framed from The Hindu and PIB news articles. This quiz is intended to introduce you to concepts and certain important facts relevant to UPSC IAS civil services preliminary exam …

Insights Daily Current Affairs + PIB: 14 December 2018

Insights Daily Current Affairs + PIB: 14 December 2018 Paper 2: Topics Covered: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.   Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT)   What to study? For Prelims and Mains: TDSAT- composition, objectives, functions and powers.   Context: Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has rejected TRAI’s order that …

Nasa’s ICESat-2

Topics Covered: Awareness in space.   Nasa’s ICESat-2   What to study? For Prelims and Mains: Features, objectives and significance of ICESat- 2, melting of ice- reasons and concerns.   Context: NASA’s ICESat-2 — launched less than three months ago — has mapped melting ice sheets in Antarctica and the resulting sea level rise across …

Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA)

Topics Covered: Awareness in space.   Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA)   What to study? For Prelims and Mains: ALMA- objectives, significance and accomplishments. Context: Astronomers have obtained stunning, high-resolution images of 20 nearby protoplanetary disks, depicting the birth of planets, using Chile’s Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The observations are part of a major …

Guidelines for ground water extraction

Topics Covered: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.   Guidelines for ground water extraction   What to study? For Prelims: Overview of the guidelines and water conservation fee. For Mains: Groundwater usage- extent, concerns, pollution …

National Mission on Government e-Market (GeM) portal

Topics Covered: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance, e-applications, models, successes, limitations and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.   National Mission on Government e-Market (GeM) portal   The National Mission on GeM (NMG) was launched on 5th September 2018 to accelerate the adoption and use of Procurement …

Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission

Topics Covered: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance, e-applications, models, successes, limitations and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures. Population and associated issues.   Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission   The Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) is under implementation across the country (launched in 2016). It is …

Partners’ Forum

Topics Covered: Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate.   Partners’ Forum What to study? For Prelims and Mains: Partners’ Forum- objectives, composition and significance.   Context: The fourth Partners’ Forum was recently held in New Delhi. It was hosted by the Government of India, in association with the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn …

Dam Safety Bill 2018

Topics Covered: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.   Dam Safety Bill 2018   What to study? For Prelims and Mains: Highlights of the Bill and key functions of the National Dam Safety Authority, concerns expressed by states over the Bill.   Context: …

Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT)

Topics Covered: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.   Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT)   What to study? For Prelims and Mains: TDSAT- composition, objectives, functions and powers.   Context: Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has rejected TRAI’s order that had changed the definition of ‘significant market power’ (SMP) to identify …

Insights into Editorial: Is social media polarising society?

Insights into Editorial: Is social media polarising society? Introduction: Think about it: We live in a world where we aren’t only consumers of information but creators as well, which gives us a misplaced sense of control. It is misplaced because we live today on social media in filter bubbles and echo chambers, and our experiences …

Insights into Editorial: Becoming a citizen could become easier for some

Insights into Editorial: Becoming a citizen could become easier for some   Context: The winter session of Parliament may see the government push for the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill of 2016. The proposed law, which amends the original Citizenship Act of 1955, mandates that Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan …

[Insights Secure – 2019] Daily UPSC Mains Answer Writing Practice: 14 DECEMBER 2018

[Insights Secure – 2019] Daily UPSC Mains Answer Writing Practice: 14 DECEMBER 2018 Click on EACH question to post/upload you answers. How to Follow Secure Initiative? How to Self-evaluate your answer?  INSIGHTS NEW SECURE – 2019: YEARLONG TIMETABLE   Tomorrow’s Static Topic:Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens …

8) A woman is sexually harassed by a top-level senior executive in a large company. She sues the company, and during settlement discussions she is offered an extremely large monetary settlement. In the agreement, the woman is required to confirm that the executive did nothing wrong, and after the agreement is signed the woman is prohibited from discussing anything about the incident publicly. Before the date scheduled to sign the settlement agreement, the woman’s lawyer mentions that she has heard the executive has done this before, and the settlement amount is very large because the company probably had a legal obligation to dismiss the executive previously. The company however wants to keep the executive because he is a big money maker for the company. What are the issues of integrity, ethics and law posed in the case study? What options does the woman have? What should she do and why? (250 words)

Topic– Part of  the series of Ethics Case Studies 8) A woman is sexually harassed by a top-level senior executive in a large company. She sues the company, and during settlement discussions she is offered an extremely large monetary settlement. In the agreement, the woman is required to confirm that the executive did nothing wrong, …

7) Compare and contrast the performance of Delhi vis a vis Beijing in tackling air pollution?(250 words) 

Topic – Environmental pollution and degradation 7) Compare and contrast the performance of Delhi vis a vis Beijing in tackling air pollution?(250 words)  Financial express Why this question The article compares and contrasts the performance of Delhi and Beijing in tackling air pollution. Learning from the example of a city that has managed to successfully alleviate …

6) Stagnant incomes has more than offset any “asset” gains made in the recent period. Analyze.(250 words)

Topic-Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. 6) Stagnant incomes has more than offset any “asset” gains made in the recent period. Analyze.(250 words) Indian express Why this question The recent elections can be objectively analyzed if we look at the conditions of the rural sector of India …

5) One of the neglected areas of reforms of India’s senior civil services relates to the rationalisation of its branching structure and the related debate of generalist vs specialist services. Comment.(250 words)

Topic– Part of static series under the heading – “Role of civil services” 5) One of the neglected areas of reforms of India’s senior civil services relates to the rationalisation of its branching structure and the related debate of generalist vs specialist services. Comment.(250 words) Key demand of the question. The question wants us to …

4) Some authors have defined e-Governance as the e-business of the state. Do you agree. Comment.(250 words)

Topic– e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; 4) Some authors have defined e-Governance as the e-business of the state. Do you agree. Comment.(250 words) Reference Directive word Comment- here we have to express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall opinion thereupon. Key demand of the question The question wants …