INSIGHTS DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS + PIB SUMMARY- 19 February 2020

Table of Contents:   GS Paper 1: 1. Kambala 2. Swachh Iconic Places.   GS Paper 2: 1. Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC). 2. Kangaroo mother care (KMC).   GS Paper 3: 1. Aditya- L1 mission. 2. Northern European Enclosure Dam (NEED).   Facts for Prelims: 1. Ra’ad-II missile. 2. Kala Kumbh. 3. Institute for Defence …

Northern European Enclosure Dam (NEED)

Topics Covered: Disaster management. Northern European Enclosure Dam (NEED) What to study? For Prelims: NEED- features and geographical location. For Mains: Need for, significance, challenges involved and issues of feasibility. Context: A mammoth Northern European Enclosure Dam (NEED) has been proposed to protect millions of people and important economic regions of 15 Northern European Countries …

Aditya- L1 mission

Topics Covered: Awareness in space. Aditya- L1 mission What to study? For prelims and mains: Key features, objectives and significance of the mission. Context: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing to send its first scientific expedition to study the Sun. Named Aditya-L1, the mission, expected to be launched early next year, will observe the Sun from a …

Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC)

Topics Covered: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies. Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) What to study? For Prelims: CVC- eligibility, appointment and removal. For Mains: Corruption- issues, challenges and ways to prevent.  Context: Sanjay Kothari, Secretary to the President of India, will be the next Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC). The post of CVC has been vacant …

Kangaroo mother care (KMC)

Topics Covered: Issues related to health. Kangaroo mother care (KMC) What to study? For Prelims: Features of KMC. For Mains: Need for, it’s significance and relevance for India. Context: In News very often. About Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC): It is the intervention where babies are placed in skin-to-skin contact with their mothers and exclusively breast …

Swachh Iconic Places

Topics Covered: Urbanisation and related issues. Swachh Iconic Places What to study? For Prelims: SIP and SBM- key features, brief overview of places chosen for SIP project. For Mains: SBM- features, significance, challenges and sub- missions. Context: The 3rd Annual Review meeting on Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) was held recently at Baidyanath Dham Deoghar, Jharkhand. About …

Kambala

Topics Covered: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times. Kambala What to study? For Prelims: Key facts on Kambala. For Mains: Kambala- For and Against issues. Context: After Srinivas Gowda created a storm by covering 100 metres in 9.55 seconds recently, another Kambala runner …

QUIZ – 2020: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 19 February 2020

QUIZ – 2020: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 19 February 2020   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 2018. It is not …

RSTV: THE BIG PICTURE- MULTIPLE STATE CAPITALS & GOVERNANCE

RSTV: THE BIG PICTURE- MULTIPLE STATE CAPITALS & GOVERNANCE Introduction: The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed the AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill, 2020 that intended to give shape to state government’s plan of having three capitals — executive capital in Visakhapatnam, legislative in Amaravati and judicial in Kurnool. The amendments to …

Insights into Editorial: In political micro-targeting, the vulnerable Indian voter

Insights into Editorial: In political micro-targeting, the vulnerable Indian voter Context: In recent, there was a massive outcry against the hiring, by Indian political parties, of Cambridge Analytica, a data mining and analytics firm. The episode highlighted the need for regulating social media platforms by way of a comprehensive data protection law which takes issues …

[Insights Secure – 2020] Daily UPSC Mains Answer Writing Practice: 19 February 2020

Click on EACH question to post/upload you answers. How to Follow Secure Initiative? How to Self-evaluate your answer?  INSIGHTS NEW SECURE – 2020: YEARLONG TIMETABLE General Studies – 1   Topic:  Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India. . Social empowerment. 1. With making laws on prostitution still a solicitous debate, Discuss the factors driving …

“”The methods of Ethics are continuous with those of empirical science”, elaborate by emphasizing the essence of objectivity in Ethics.

Topic:  Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker-sections. 7. “”The methods of Ethics are continuous with those of empirical science”, elaborate by emphasizing the essence of objectivity in Ethics. (250 words) Reference: Ethics by Lexicon Publications Why this question: …

State the defining characteristics of Empathy, sympathy and compassion.

Topic:  Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker-sections. 6. State the defining characteristics of Empathy, sympathy and compassion. (250 words) Reference: Ethics by Lexicon Publications Why this question: The question is from the static portions of GS paper IV …

Discuss the effect of global price movements on food inflation in India.

Topic:   Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. 5. Discuss the effect of global price movements on food inflation in India. (250 words) Reference: Indian Express Why this question: The article brings out the fact that Retail and wholesale food inflation rates for December 2019 were the highest since …

Discuss the reasons leading to depletion of Native breeds of cattle in the country, recommend measures to preserve them.

Topic:  economics of animal-rearing. 4. Discuss the reasons leading to depletion of Native breeds of cattle in the country, recommend measures to preserve them. (250 words) Reference: The Hindu Why this question: The government has unveiled SUTRA PIC or Scientific Utilisation Through Research Augmentation-Prime Products from Indigenous Cows – a programme to research on ‘indigenous’ …

“Corruption deepens inequalities and increases poverty and obstructs the growth prospects of the nation. “Comment.

Topic:   Issues relating to poverty and hunger. Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability. 3. “Corruption deepens inequalities and increases poverty and obstructs the growth prospects of the nation. “Comment. (250 words) Reference: PIB Why this question: In a speech, Sri M Venkaiah Naidu said that corruption is biggest hurdle to inclusive growth and called …

Do you agree with the view that “Collegium system requires reconsideration”. Give reasons in support of your arguments.

Topic:  Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary; Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity. 2. Do you agree with the view that “Collegium system requires reconsideration”. Give reasons in support of your arguments. (250 words) Reference: The Hindu Why this question: …

With making laws on prostitution still a solicitous debate, Discuss the factors driving the sex workers to their industry and suggest measures to address it.

Topic:  Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India. . Social empowerment. 1. With making laws on prostitution still a solicitous debate, Discuss the factors driving the sex workers to their industry and suggest measures to address it. (250 words) Reference: Indian Express Why this question: As much as 68 per cent of women sex …