NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same time gives you extra points in the form of background information.
General Studies – 1
Topic: Social empowerment
Reference: Indian Express
Why the question:
The question is premised on the status of women in India and the progress made on gender equity.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain though women in India have made some progress recently, India’s performance in Global Gender Gap Index released by the World Economic Forum proves the progress is insufficient due to the prevalence of gender-based discrimination
Directive:
Elucidate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start with the findings of the report.
Body:
Discuss that in India Gender-based discrimination begins before birth and is instilled in the home. But the current health crisis, with men sharing domestic chores and women carrying corpses, may be an inflection point for Indian gender norms.
Explain the reasons that have led to this.
Conclusion:
Conclude with solutions to address.
Introduction
India has slid 28 spots to rank at 140 among 156 countries on the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap index. The pandemic causing a disproportionate impact on women jeopardises rolling back the little progress made in the last decades—forcing more women to drop off the workforce and leaving them vulnerable to domestic violence.
Body
India’s performance in Gender Gap and inequality
- India scores quite low in when it comes to gender inequality, according to latest UNDP Human development report, India is ranked 125 of 159 countries in the Gender Inequality Index (GII).
- Labour participation: In terms of labour participation only 23.3% of women (79.1% men) above 15 years are part of India’s labour force.
- Wage gap: Research from India’ leading diversity and inclusion consulting firm Avtar Group shows that women are paid 34% less than men for performing the same job with the same qualifications.
- Lack of Economic Empowerment: Women are underrepresented in senior managerial position and overrepresented in low paying jobs. Oxford Survey shows that globally only 19% firms have a female senior manager.
- Access to productive capital: It is harder for women to access funds and capital for farming, starting a business or for other developmental works.
- Secondary Education for women is lower than man in majority of countries while this stands at less than 80% in India.
- Social norms and stereotypes: Classifying men as “bread winners” and women pursuing jobs as “career women” was reported by Oxford University Survey. It also highlighted that most of the unpaid work is seen as a women’s job.
Need of the hour
- Behavioral Nudge: For instance, by using taxes to incentivize fairly sharing child-care responsibilities, or by encouraging women and girls to enter traditionally male-dominated sectors such as the armed forces and information technology. Eg Supreme Court in India declared that women could now hold commanding positions in Army.
- Paternity leaves for men, to share the responsibility of child rearing.
- Incentivizing companies to employ women, and reach 50% target.
- Gender Justice at Work
- Bridging the wage gap for equal work.
- Making work places safer through strong laws. India has enacted Sexual Harassment at workplaces act.
- Promote diversity and anti-bias courses for all employees.
- Comprehensive leadership training for women to excel in their fields.
- Gender sensitization: Breaking the social barriers by gender sensitization and education at families, schools and workplaces. Eg : In the NCERT Books, gender roles, bias and prejudice inducing writings were removed.
- Social security and financial literacy: Formalization of jobs should be pushed to avail benefits to many women. Until then, social security benefits should be provided to women in unorganized sector. Eg : Self Help Group-Bank Linkage Programme in India
- Embedding financial literacy in programmes where women have significant representation could be a good starting point.
- Strong laws and policies wrt equal pay for equal work, maternity benefits are needed to promote women’s representation in economy.
- Political Representation: India has provided 33% reservation for women in the Panchayats and Local Bodies. Capacity Building and training can increase their capabilities further.
Way forward
- Learning from the Nordic region, noteworthy participation of women in politics, institutions and public life is the catalyst for transformational change.
- Women need to be equal participants in the labour force to pioneer the societal changes the world needs in this integral period of transition.
- Every effort must be directed towards achieving gender parallelism by facilitating women in leadership and decision-making positions.
- Social protection programmes should be gender-responsive and account for the differential needs of women and girls.
- Research and scientific literature also provide unequivocal evidence that countries led by women are dealing with the pandemic more effectively than many others.
Conclusion
Gender equality is a human right which entitles all persons irrespective of their gender to live with dignity and with freedom. Gender equality is also a precondition for development and reducing of poverty. Gender shouldn’t be an unreasonable determining factor curbing the potential of women.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Reference: Indian Express
Why the question:
The article explains a case for dismantling our exam-centric education system that only creates hyper-competitiveness and perpetuates inequalities.
Key Demand of the question:
Examine the case for dismantling our exam-centric education system that only creates hyper-competitiveness and perpetuates inequalities.
Directive:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start with brief background of the question.
Body:
The answer body must have the following aspects covered:
Explain the qualities provided by education for children: Sensitize them; make them humble wanderers; activate their patience and endurance; cultivate the ethics of care; prepare them to pass through existence with the songs of collective redemption.
Discuss then the problems with exam-centric education system; Standardized exams are not neutral, Not the substance of meaningful education, every subject is reduced to a set of exam riddles, Kills the spirit of learning as self-exploration, Legitimizes hyper-competitiveness as a way of life, against the spirit of reciprocity, symmetry and cooperation.
Conclusion:
Conclude that Neurosis of exam-centric education shall be replaced with something truly challenging and life-affirming.
Introduction
With the aggressive return of COVID-19, we are experiencing heightened anxiety. And amid this turmoil, we are also witnessing the breakdown of “normalcy” in our education system. As board exams get cancelled or postponed around the country, students, parents and teachers are at a loss.
Body
Expectations from a good education system
- Schooling does not always lead to learning. Worldwide, there are more non-learners in school than out of school.
- Quality learning requires a safe, friendly environment, qualified and motivated teachers, and instruction in languages students can understand.
- It also requires that learning outcomes be monitored and feed back into instruction.
- Accessibility, affordability and quality are the three ingredients needed. Such an education system must increase the curiosity of young minds and give them freedom to explore their interests.
- Thus, an education system must sensitize children and make them humble wanderers.
- It must activate their patience and endurance; cultivate the ethics of care; prepare them to pass through existence with the songs of collective redemption.
Problems with exam-centric education system
- To begin with, let it be stated clearly that these standardised tests or exams are by no means neutral.
- With a huge difference in their access to social/cultural/economic capital, the performances of children from various social backgrounds are bound to differ.
- Moreover, the absurdity of these “neutral” exams becomes clear as we look at the digital divide in the country, and accept that the much-hyped “online” teaching/learning is a myth and has done injustice to those who cannot afford it.
- It is important to deconstruct our schooled mind, and realise that the kind of exams we are familiar with is by no means the substance of meaningful education.
- Instead, the ritualisation and tyranny of exams cause immense psychic anxiety, generate widespread fear, and, above all, deprive the entire experience of learning/unlearning/exploring of a sense of joy, wonder and self-discovery.
- Instead, they transform one into a clever strategist; one is trained (by coaching centres as well as school teachers obsessed with the exam performance of their students) to master the technique of giving the “right” answer. Hence, every subject is reduced to a set of exam riddles.
- Third, this exam-centric education breeds fear, envy and superiority/inferiority complex. In a way, it legitimises hyper-competitiveness as a way of life; it is inherently against the spirit of reciprocity, symmetry and cooperation.
Conclusion
The art of relatedness, humility, the ethos of sharing, and trust in the innate possibility and uniqueness of every human soul — we do not allow our children to develop these qualities. Instead, schools orient them to be warriors. It would not be entirely wrong to say that the sort of exams we have taken for granted is the worst form of violence we inflict on the consciousness of young children.
Topic: India and its neighborhood- relations.
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The article throws light upon the lives of hundreds of fishermen who have been languishing in Pakistan’s prisons for years with no end in sight.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss the need for India and Pakistan to evolve a policy to ensure and guarantee Prisoners their rights and early repatriation.
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Fishermen from India end up in Pakistani waters and are arrested by authorities for illegally entering their territory. The problem is aggravated due to the failure in agreement over the maritime boundary and the dispute over Sir Creek in Kutch.
Body:
Agreement between India and Pakistan – Attempts to resolve the issue. India and Pakistan signed the Agreement on Consular Access in 2008. Despite some lacunae, it was significant.
Consular access is an exception. Without it, the nationality of the person is not confirmed and the repatriation process cannot begin. Though the agreement does not state a time limit, there are numerous instances in which both countries have not confirmed nationality for as long as 18 months, during which the arrested men languish in jails.
Also, in 2007, India and Pakistan set up a joint judicial committee on prisoners comprising four retired judges from each side.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward.
Introduction
Fishermen from India, especially the Saurashtra region of Gujarat often get arrested when they unintentionally cross over into Pakistani waters. They suffer, and so do their families, who are now even more worried because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite an agreement being in place, these are not implemented. Thereby, violating basic human rights of people.
Body
India Pakistan agreement on prisoners and consular access
- India and Pakistan signed the Agreement on Consular Access in 2008.
- Though the deal has a few lacunae, it was significant. Section 4 of the agreement said, “Each government shall provide consular access within three months to nationals of one country, under arrest, detention or imprisonment in the other country.”
- Further, Section 5 of the agreement stated, “Both governments agree to release and repatriate persons within one month of confirmation of their national status and completion of sentences.”
- More than 300 Indian fishermen remain in Pakistan’s custody in Malir jail. Consular access is an exception.
- Without it, the nationality of the person is not confirmed and the repatriation process cannot begin.
- Though the agreement does not state a time limit, there are numerous instances in which both countries have not confirmed nationality for as long as 18 months, during which the arrested men languish in jails.
Need for a better policy
- Ideally, prisoners should be released and repatriated the day they complete their prison sentence.
- But this has happened in just one case, with Hamid Ansari, the only person who was released and repatriated on the day of completion of their sentence.
- In 2007, India and Pakistan set up a joint judicial committee on prisoners comprising four retired judges from each side.
- The committee used to convene twice a year to meet prisoners. It made unanimous recommendations, including on the release and repatriation of fishermen and women prisoners.
- Its last meeting was held in 2013, after which it was discontinued. In 2018, efforts were made to revive it, but Pakistan is yet to nominate judges or call for a meeting.
- It is in the interest of both nations that the committee be revived and must expeditiously look into repatriating those who have completed their prison term.
- Another way of dealing this can be to return those prisoners who inadvertently cross borders or fishermen who are caught unaware.
Conclusion
Both India and Pakistan have a seat on the UNHRC and it is despicable that they are not addressing the violation of human rights in their own backyard. Despite the hostilities, it is time that the two nations work out a solution for the cases of fishermen languishing in jails and help them get back to their lives. It can be a start to the diplomatic lull between the nations.
Topic: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life. Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Reference: Business Standard
Why the question:
The article presents to us the importance of manufacturing chip designs in India.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain in detail the growing importance of Semiconductors or chips/integrated circuits (ICs) and China’s experience with the manufacturing and design of the same provides a strong case for focusing on chip designs.
Directive:
Comment– here we have to express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall opinion thereupon.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start with brief background of the question.
Body:
Growing importance of Semiconductors or chips/integrated circuits (ICs) and China’s experience with the manufacturing and design of the same provides a strong case for focusing on chip designs.
Discuss points explaining the growing importance of Semiconductors or chips/integrated circuits (ICs).
Give reasons for India to focus on chip design.
Conclusion:
Conclude that India should use its scarce capital to incentivize and promote chip design and niche areas of manufacture in older generation chips rather than manufacturing contemporary technology semiconductors.
Introduction
Semiconductor shortage is turning into an acute issue. Due to it, the growth prospects of the auto industry are once again in jeopardy. This issue also offers immense opportunity for India to foray in to Integrated Circuits and Chip design.
Body
Background to Semiconductor and chip shortage
- The global $450 billion semiconductors industry got blindsided due to the global pandemic, after a massive demand for semiconductors.
- Semiconductors are typically silicon chips that perform control and memory functions in products ranging from computers and cell phones to vehicles and microwave ovens.
- The world saw an unprecedented demand for servers, internet connectivity and cloud usage as online collaboration grew massively during work from home.
- And according to the EY report, the semiconductors industry was already facing a demand-supply crisis and the delay in imports from China after the Indo-China clash at the Galwan Valley added fuel to the fire.
- The OEM’s faced massive supply chain issues after the government implemented curbs on imports from china.
- The crunch led to supply chain issues as the industry relied on a few giant players.
- Ford, Nissan, Volkswagen, Fiat Chrysler and Toyota were some of the top automakers that curtailed production amid a global semiconductor shortage.
- Operations of mobile manufacturers Lava and Micromax were almost stuttered to a halt after its chipset supplier, MediaTek, ran out of stock.
Why India must focus on Chip Design?
- The semiconductors form the DNA of a wide variety of new-age gadgets like smartphones, computers, industrial equipment and cars. They are also sought for emerging markets of AI, computing and advanced wireless networks.
- The semiconductor industry carries huge potential. It is a highly demanded commodity.
- There is a huge scope not just in the domestic market but also to emerge as a global supplier. However, the industry requires heavy capital expansion.
- Before manufacturing semiconductor chips, India will need to be self-sufficient in manufacturing Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA).
- It is the board on which various electronic components are mounted. As per the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), the current market size for PCBAs in India is $16 billion.
- It is expected to grow to $87 billion by 2025-26. ICEA says that with government support 99% of the PCBAs can be assembled in India.
- Hence, there is a huge incremental opportunity. Also, it will reduce the imports drastically, making Indian manufacturers more competitive.
Challenges in this regard
- The scarcity of semiconductors in the past few months brutally exposed India’s original equipment manufacturers’ soft underbelly their heavy reliance on imported components.
- The government has also introduced an ambitious production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes to encourage in-house production.
- The most important here is semiconductors or chips that form the central component of items from auto to laptops and mobile phones as the current disruptions showed, it is an area where we can ill-afford to depend on others.
- India currently has a limited number of fabless startups and companies with state-of-the-art R&D centres focusing on chip design.
- The business also requires hefty running costs, and technology needs to be upgraded typically every 3-4 years.
Conclusion
As a global shortage of semiconductor looms, it would make sense for India to focus on chip design rather than manufacturing. Make in India and Assemble in India can work seamlessly if India’s capabilities in this regard is amplified.
General Studies – 3
Topic: issues relating to intellectual property rights.
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The reaffirmation of intellectual property rules has served as a lethal barrier to the right to access healthcare over the last few decades. The article throws light upon how over the last few decades, intellectual property rules have served as a lethal barrier to the right to access healthcare.
Key Demand of the question:
One is expected to critically analyse the global patent regime, with a focus on the pharmaceutical sector.
Directive:
Critically analyze – When asked to analyse, you have to examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them as a whole in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a fair judgment.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start with brief context of the question. India and South Africa had submitted a joint petition to the WTO, requesting a temporary suspension of rules under the 1995 Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
Body:
The answer body must have the following aspects covered:
First explain what you understand by a Patent.
Then comment on the existing patent regime globally. And discuss the lacunae and challenges facing it.
Discuss the refuting the objection of the pharma sector; the pharma sector argues that unless corporations are rewarded, they would be unable to spend on R&D. Under the current system, those unfortunate enough to have the disease are forced to pay the price, and that means the very poor in the developing world are condemned to death etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude that the pandemic has demonstrated how iniquitous the existing world order is, and it is time to move forward from the feudal calculus regime under the TRIPS.
Introduction
Even an unprecedented pandemic can do little, it appears, to upset the existing global regime governing monopoly rights over the production and distribution of life-saving drugs. If anything, since the onset of COVID-19, we’ve only seen a reaffirmation of intellectual property rules that have served as a lethal barrier to the right to access healthcare over the last few decades.
Body
Patent: Background
A patent is a conferral by the state of an exclusive right to make, use and sell an inventive product or process. Patent laws are usually justified on three distinct grounds: on the idea that people have something of a natural and moral right to claim control over their inventions; on the utilitarian premise that exclusive licenses promote invention and therefore benefit society as a whole; and on the belief that individuals must be allowed to benefit from the fruits of their labour and merit, that when a person toils to produce an object, the toil and the object become inseparable.
Global Patent Regime
- Even when the world is grappling with the pandemic and vaccine inequality, the small set of countries such as the US, UK and the EU continue to block the move to remove strict patent clauses.
- On October 2 last year, India and South Africa submitted a joint petition to the World Trade Organization (WTO), requesting a temporary suspension of rules under the 1995 Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
- A waiver was sought to the extent that the protections offered by TRIPS impinged on the containment and treatment of COVID-19.
- As we now know, quick and efficient vaccination is the surest route to achieving global herd immunity against the virus.
- Should the appeal for waiver be allowed, countries will be in a position, among other things, to facilitate a free exchange of know-how and technology surrounding the production of vaccines.
- The follies in this new world order became quickly apparent when drugs that reduced AIDS deaths in developed nations were placed out of reach for the rest of the world.
- It was only when Indian companies began to manufacture generic versions of these medicines, which was made possible because obligations under TRIPS hadn’t yet kicked in against India, that the prices came down.
- But lessons from that debacle remain unlearned.
India’s Patent laws
- The colonial-era laws that the country inherited expressly allowed for pharmaceutical patents.
- But in 1959, a committee chaired by Justice N. Rajagopala Ayyangar objected to this on ethical grounds.
- It noted that access to drugs at affordable prices suffered severely on account of the existing regime.
- The committee found that foreign corporations used patents, and injunctions secured from courts, to suppress competition from Indian entities, and thus, medicines were priced at exorbitant rates.
- To counter this trend, the committee suggested, and Parliament put this into law through the Patents Act, 1970, that monopolies over pharmaceutical drugs be altogether removed, with protections offered only over claims to processes.
- This change in rule allowed generic manufacturers in India to grow. As a result, life-saving drugs were made available to people at more affordable prices.
Conclusion
We cannot overlook the need for global collective action. The pandemic has demonstrated to us just how iniquitous the existing world order is. We cannot continue to persist with rules granting monopolies which place the right to access basic healthcare in a position of constant peril. In its present form, the TRIPS regime, to borrow the law professor Katharina Pistor’s words, represents nothing but a new form of “feudal calculus”.
Topic: GS-2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
GS-3: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The article explains how COVID-19 may just be the harbinger of future crises – Antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss in detail the possible future threat of AMR.
Directive:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start with what you understand by AMR.
Body:
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the phenomenon by which bacteria and fungi evolve and become resistant to presently available medical treatment.
Explain in detail the diverse challenges that AMR poses – AMR represents an existential threat to modern medicine. Without functional antimicrobials to treat bacterial and fungal infections, even the most common surgical procedures, as well as cancer chemotherapy will become fraught with risk from untreatable infections. Neonatal and maternal mortality will increase. All these effects will be felt globally, but the scenario in the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) of Asia and Africa is even more serious.
Explain what needs to be done to address these challenges.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward.
Introduction
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the ability of a microorganism (like bacteria, viruses, and some parasites) to stop an antimicrobial (such as antibiotics, antivirals and antimalarials) from working against it. As a result, standard treatments become ineffective, infections persist and may spread to others.
Body
Antimicrobial resistance is a silent threat of future
- Antibiotics have saved millions of lives till date. Unfortunately, they are now becoming ineffective as many infectious diseases have ceased to respond to antibiotics.
- Antibiotic Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria develop the ability to defeat drugs which have been specifically designed to kill them.
- Infections caused by such resistant germs are very difficult and often impossible to treat and it can affect humans at all stages of life.
- AMR is occurring across the globe and is severely affecting the treatment of infectious diseases.
- Even though antimicrobial resistance is a natural process, the misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals is accelerating the process.
- A large number of infections such as tuberculosis, pneumonia and gonorrhoea are becoming very difficult to treat since the antibiotics used for their treatment are becoming less effective.
- Globally, use of antibiotics in animals is expected to increase by 67% by 2030 from 2010 levels. The resistance to antibiotics in germs is a man-made disaster.
- Irresponsible use of antibiotics is rampant in human health, animal health, fisheries, and agriculture.
- Complex surgeries such as organ transplantation and cardiac bypass might become difficult to undertake because of untreatable infectious complications that may result post-surgery.
Reasons for growing AMR across the world
- Antibiotic resistance occurs naturally, but misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals is accelerating the process. Poor infection prevention and control further accelerate it.
- While in humans’ antibiotics are primarily used for treating patients, they are used as growth promoters in animals, often because they offer economic shortcuts that can replace hygienic practices.
- In their quest for survival and propagation, common bugs develop a variety of mechanisms to develop antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
- The indiscriminate use of antibiotics is the greatest driver in selection and propagation of resistant bugs. It has the potential to make fatal even minor infections.
- Wrong diagnosis: Doctors sometimes prescribe antimicrobials “just in case,” or they prescribe broad-spectrum antimicrobials when a specific drug would be more suitable. Using these medications in this way increases the risk of AMR.
- Inappropriate use: If a person does not complete a course of antimicrobial drugs, some microbes may survive and develop resistance to the drug. Also antibiotics recommended by quacks or pharmacist contribute to magnify the issue.
Measures being taken
- The World Health Organization is also coordinating a global campaign “Handle with care” to raise awareness and encourage best practices for antibiotic use.
- In India, the government has launched a National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR) as well.
- India’s NAP- National Action Plan to combat Antimicrobial Resistance goes hand in hand with the World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan (GAP) for AMR.
- The Union health ministry’s Anti-Microbial Resistance awareness campaign urges people not to use medicines marked with a red vertical line, including antibiotics, without a doctor’s prescription.
- In 2012, India’s medical societies adopted the Chennai Declaration, a set of national recommendations to promote antibiotic stewardship.
- The government has also capped the maximum levels of drugs that can be used for growth promotion in meat and meat products.
- On July 19, 2019, the Central Government banned the manufacture, sale and distribution of Colistin and its formulations for food producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplements with immediate effect to prevent AMR.
Conclusion
Antimicrobial resistance is a global crisis that threatens a century of progress in health and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Unless the world acts urgently, antimicrobial resistance will have disastrous impact within a generation.
Topic: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, Nano-technology, biotechnology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
Reference: Down to Earth
Why the question:
Recently, an international team of astronomers has discovered the most distant ‘Radio-Loud’ Quasar with the help of European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT).
Key Demand of the question:
Explain what Quasars are and their relation with Black holes.
Directive:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start with the definition of a Quasar.
Body:
The answer body must have the following aspects covered:
Discuss the concept of Quasars in detail with their key features.
Then discuss its relation with Black holes – Quasars are very luminous objects in faraway galaxies that emit jets at radio frequencies. The word quasar is short for “quasi-stellar radio source”. The name, which means star-like emitters of radio waves, was given in the 1960s when quasars were first detected.
The name is retained today, even though astronomers now know most quasars are faint radio emitters. In addition to radio waves and visible light, quasars also emit ultraviolet rays, infrared waves, X-rays, and gamma-rays. Most quasars are larger than our solar system. A quasar is approximately 1 kilo parsec in width. They are only found in galaxies that have supermassive black holes which power these bright discs.
Conclusion:
Conclude with importance of such discoveries.
Introduction
An international team of astronomers have discovered the most distant ‘radio-loud’ quasar with the help of European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT). It took 13 billion years for the quasar’s light to reach earth, according to a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal.
“Quasar” is short for “quasi-stellar radio source,” which is how these objects were discovered. About 60 years ago, astronomers saw strange, starlike objects in visible light and radio surveys. Today, we know that not only are these objects quite distant, they are also powered by accretion onto a supermassive black hole.
Body
Concept of quasars
- Quasars are very luminous objects in faraway galaxies that emit jets at radio frequencies.
- They are only found in galaxies that have supermassive blackholes which power these bright discs.
- However, 90 per cent of them do not emit strong radio waves, making this newly-discovered one special.
- Most active galaxies have a supermassive black hole at the centre which sucks in surrounding objects.
- Quasars are formed by the energy emitted by materials spiralling around a blackhole right before being sucked into it.
Quasars and blackholes
There is a black hole behind every quasar, but not every black hole is a quasar.
- To become a quasar, a black hole must meet a few criteria. It must be supermassive: millions or billions of times the mass of our Sun.
- Such black holes are found in the centres of most large galaxies, but even then, not every galaxy hosts a quasar.
- Specifically, a quasar is a supermassive black hole that is actively feeding on material.
- The infalling matter has swirled into a disk that has heated up, and it shines so brightly that its light drowns out the rest of the galaxy around the black hole.
- There are supermassive black holes that aren’t feeding so voraciously.
- These are not quasars. Some are relatively dormant, like our own Milky Way’s central black hole.
- Others are active, but not active enough to outshine their host galaxies.
- Astronomers call them active galactic nuclei, and they come in a variety of flavors.
- Quasars simply top the list for the brightest active galactic nuclei.
Conclusion
A quasar seems to be a relatively short-lived phase of a black hole’s life. So, a black hole that is quiet today may have once been a quasar, and the quasars we see in the distant past will eventually “turn off” after they’ve consumed everything around them.
