GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology Source: IE Context: Two books – Lilavati’s Daughters (2008) and Lab Hopping (2023) – highlight the complicated relationship between science and gender in India. Some notable women scientists of India: Anandibai Joshi (India’s first woman physician), Iravati Karve (India’s first woman anthropologist), …
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation Source: IE Context: Should new land be generated in oceans by land reclamation, given that coastal regions around the world are endangered by rising sea levels and more severe storms? Challenges: Most coastal land expansions happened in low-lying areas, with more than 70% of …
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Environment, Conservation/Disaster management Source: DTE Context: According to a new study by the ESCAP, most countries in Asia-Pacific (AP) are inadequately prepared to manage the rising challenges of extreme weather events and natural disasters. Highlights of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) study: …
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Indian economy, agriculture and related issues Source: IE Context: Both agricultural exports from and imports into India have scaled new highs in the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2023. Provisional data of Department of Commerce on agri imports-exports: Agricultural trade surplus (Exports – Imports): It has marginally dipped …
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Environment, conservation Source: TH Context: According to the 2nd edition of the Global Land Outlook (GLO) report, humans have breached four out of nine planetary boundaries. GLO: It is a United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification’s (UNCCD) flagship publication, whose 1st edition was launched in 2017 at the …
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Linkages between Development and Spread of Extremism Source: IE Context: The efficacy of the Maoist movement needs to be gauged in terms of their declining social base, not on the basis of how many violent incidents occur. What led to the failure of the above approaches: Declining Maoist presence/violence …
Continue reading “Maoist challenge: Needs political understanding, not securitisation”
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Environment, Conservation Source: DTE Context: In the past decade, debt-for-climate swaps have grown relatively popular among low- and middle-income countries. Insta Links:
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Energy, Environment, Conservation Source: IE Context: India’s energy strategy is presently recognised as being pragmatic and balanced since it is motivated by assuring energy access, availability, and affordability for its vast population. What is energy justice? Energy justice envisions elements of a global energy system that fairly distributes …
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Environment, Conservation Source: DTE Context: According to a new study, efforts to translocate wildlife must incorporate human-related factors, and biological and environmental considerations to realise the desired outcomes. Wildlife translocation: It is the intentional movement of animals for conservation purposes – a technique to mitigate the loss and …
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Indigenization of Technology and Developing New Technology/Energy Source: TH Context: There are doubts about whether nuclear power, with its associated concerns about cost and safety, remains a viable choice for India as solar and wind power gain popularity globally. Global outlook for nuclear power: In Europe and the U.S., …
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Challenges to Internal Security Source: IE Context: Ten personnel of the Chhattisgarh Police’s District Reserve Guard (DRG) were reported killed in an IED attack by Maoists in the state’s Dantewada district. The left-wing extremism (LWE) or Naxal insurgency in India: It originated in a 1967 uprising in Naxalbari (West …
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Environment, Conservation Source: TH Context: As per the WMO’s ‘State of the Global Climate 2022’ report, the world’s sea level is rising at an unprecedented rate. Rising sea levels: The rate of global mean sea-level [GSML] rise has doubled from 2.27 mm/year in 1993-2002 to 4.62 mm/year in 2013-2022. GSML …
Continue reading “Rising sea levels and their disastrous consequences”
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Issues related to Direct and Indirect Farm Subsidies Source: IE Context: None of the government measures has succeeded in reducing urea consumption in India. Background: In 2015, the Centre made it mandatory to coat all indigenously manufactured and imported urea with neem oil. This was followed by replacing 50-kg …
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Agriculture and related issues Source: DTE Context: ITC Limited has helped form 78 farmer-producer companies (FPC) between November 2022 and February 2023. FPC: It is a hybrid between cooperative societies and private limited companies, registered under the Companies Act 2013, owned and operated by farmers. It is a type …
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Indian economy and related issues Source: TH Context: The European Parliament has approved the world’s first set of comprehensive rules – MiCA – to bring largely unregulated cryptocurrency markets under the ambit of government authorities. The Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) legislation: Need: 22% of the global crypto industry …
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Conservation and pollution-related issues Source: DTE Context: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) revised the financial grants for biomass pellet manufacturing units. What are Biomass pellets? Biomass pellets production/usage in India: It is mandatory to use biomass or agricultural residue (5-10%) as combustion fuel along with coal in …
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Effects of Liberalisation on the Economy Source: TH Context: The Supreme Court issued notices to five tyre companies and the industry body Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA). Background: The All-India Tyre Dealers Federation (AITDF) in a reference to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) alleged 5 tyre companies …
Continue reading “Cartelization among domestic tyre manufacturers”
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Security Challenges and their Management in Border Areas – Linkages of Organized Crime with Terrorism Source: IE Context: The issue of narcotics trade has kept security agencies and law enforcement agencies on the tenterhooks. Background: Legally speaking, the term “narcotic” has negative connotations – narcotic drugs (such as heroin) …
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation Source: TH Context: As India celebrates 50 years of its Project Tiger (1973), there is a need to reflect on what needs to change in conservation practice in India. Background: The Tiger is an “umbrella species”. Hence, saving the tiger means saving the entire …
Continue reading “Can we democratise tiger conservation in India?”
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation Source: DTE Context: According to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, though the Namami Gange Programme has been able to reduce the overall pollution load in the Ganga River, the river still remains polluted. Namami Gange Programme: It is an Integrated Conservation Mission, approved as …
