UPSC CSE Key – February 4, 2022: What you need to read today

Ken-Betwa link to new Goa airport to Odisha mine: Six mega projects ignore green commitments they made

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change

Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Locate on Map: Ken-Betwa River linking project, Dibang multipurpose project, Lower Subansiri hydel project, Kulda
coal mine, & Tamnar Thermal Plant (Given in the Article)

• Ken, Betwa, Dibang, Subansiri, and Mahanadi Rivers-Source and Location

• What do you understand by the term ‘Environmental Impact Assessment’ (EIA)?

• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environment Protection Act, 1986-How they are related with each other?

• Why Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is Important?

• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and India

• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Rules Amendment, 2006

• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2020

• Environmental Impact Assessment-Achievements, Issues and Challenges

• Supreme court of India on Environment Impact Assessment (ex-post facto environmental clearance)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Cabinet set deadline for Ken-Betwa link before it got clearances in place

📍 Ignoring green commitments: Weak political will, lack of a monitoring system

Govt getting ready to sell IDBI Bank, may keep some stake: Top official

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Main Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• The sale of IDBI Bank “voluntary discovery” of the buyer through an open bidding process-What does this statement
means?

• Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM)-About, Under which Ministry, Role etc

• What are Public sector undertakings in India?

• Banking in India, Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and Banking Laws (Amendment Bill 2021)

• Privatization of Public Sector Banks (PSBs)-Requirement, Pros and Cons

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Move to privatise banks: Why the proposal? What are the concerns?

IN PARLIAMENT

Steam over water scheme: Allies BJP, JD(U) face off in Lok Sabha

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Main Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Jal Jeevan Mission-Know about the Scheme

• Ministry of Jal Shakti-About, Role and Mandate

• What is Centrally Sponsored Scheme?

• What is the difference between central sector scheme and centrally sponsored scheme?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Drinking Water Supply schemes of Rs. 15,381.72 Crore approved for Madhya

📍 What is Centrally Sponsored Scheme?

EXPRESS NETWORK

TN Governor returns Bill against NEET, terms it ‘anti-poor’

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Key Points to Ponder:

• The Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Bill, 2021-Key Features

• Tamil Nadu’s Apprehension over National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-What are they?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Explained: What is the Bill to scrap NEET in Tamil Nadu?

📍 Simply put: Finally, a NEET way to enter medical college

Put off marital rape hearing, govt tells HC

Syllabus:

Main Examination: General Studies I: Salient features of Indian Society, Social empowerment, Role of women and women’s organization

Key Points to Ponder:

• Delhi High Court and Constitutional validity of the ‘marital rape immunity’-Background of the Case

• What is Marital rape immunity?

• Criminalisation And Non-Criminalisation Of Marital Rape-For and Against

• IPC Section 375 of Indian Penal Code and Exception 2 to Section 375 of Indian Penal Code

• Status of Marital Rape in India-Latest Data by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)

• “Doctrine of Coverture”, Article 14 and Article 21 of the Indian Constitution and Exception 2 to Section 375 of
Indian Penal Code

• Justice Verma Committee Report and Pam Rajput committee’s report ‘Status of Women in India’ on Marital Rape

• United Nations Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on Violence against Women in India

• Government of India’s Stand on Marital Rape?

• Criminalization of Marital Rape-Does the law exists in other Countries?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 A history of the movement to criminalise marital rape across the world

📍 Explained: The debate over marital rape

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

The Digital Rupee

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Main Examination: General Studies III: Government Budgeting, Indian Economy, and Awareness in the fields of IT

Key Points to Ponder:

• Union budget 2022-23- The introduction of a digital currency to be issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

• What is a central bank digital currency (CBDC)?

• Who will launch the central bank digital currency (CBDC)?

• What does the Budget announcement mean?

• Definition of “virtual digital asset” and non-fungible token given in the Budget

• What Is the Difference Between CBDC And Cryptocurrency?

• What is crypto investment?

• Can crypto then be considered an asset?

• Cryptocurrency or Virtual Currency-what do you understand by this term?

• What is Bitcoin?

• What is Blockchain Technology and why it is associated with Bitcoin?

• The Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021-Highlights

• What are the issues involving Cryptocurrency in mainstream financial Markets or simply market?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Explained: What is the Digital Rupee announced by Sitharaman in Budget?

📍 Explained: Digital currencies and how they work

THE IDEAS PAGE

Getting the fiscal story right

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Main Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth and Government Budgeting.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Union budget 2022-23-Major Highlights

• Highlights of the budget-Focus on capital investment

• Capital Investments-Issues and Challenges ahead

• What do you understand by “Gross fixed capital formation”? is it similar to Investment?

• What is the difference between gross fixed capital formation and gross capital formation?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Investment (GFCF)

📍 Budget 2022 Highlights: Digital rupee to be issued by RBI; taxpayers get 2 years to update I-T returns

EXPLAINED

The Pak-China relationship

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Main Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighbourhood- relations.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Pakistan and China- The initial years (From 1947 onwards)

• The 1962 India-China war and Pakistan

• Pakistan and China- Nuclear cooperation

• India-China Border Dispute-Background

• Line of Actual Control

• China’s aggressive attitude towards Indo-China Border and What impact can it have on India-China relations?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 India announces diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics over Galwan row

ECONOMY

Surety bonds: Slow take-off likely as pricing, reinsurance concerns remain

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Main Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is ‘Surety Bonds’?

• Surety bonds to substitute for bank guarantees-Pros and Cons

• Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India or the IRDAI-Role

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Budget 2022 Explained: Why FM is pushing for enhanced capex allocation

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