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Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for June 3rd, 2024. If you missed the June 2nd, 2024 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here.
UPSC Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: General Science
Mains Examination: GS-III: Science and Technology
What’s the ongoing story- NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has spotted the earliest-known galaxy, one that is surprisingly bright and big considering it formed during the universe’s infancy — at only 2% its current age.
Prerequisites:
— What is JWST?
— What is JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES)?
— What is a galaxy and what are the different types of galaxies?
Key takeaways:
— JWST, which by peering across vast cosmic distances is looking way back in time, observed the galaxy as it existed about 290 million years after the Big Bang event that initiated the universe roughly 13.8 billion years ago, the researchers said. This period spanning the universe’s first few hundred million years is called cosmic dawn.
— The discovery was made by an international team of astronomers, who used JWST to observe galaxies as part of the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) program.
— This galaxy, called JADES-GS-z14-0, measures about 1,700-light years across. A light year is the distance light travels in a year, which is 9.5 trillion km. The galaxy has a mass equivalent to 500 million stars the size of our Sun and is rapidly forming new stars — about 20 every year.
— Until now, the earliest-known galaxy dated to about 320 million years after the Big Bang, as announced by the JADES team last year.
— The JADES team in the same study disclosed the discovery of the second oldest-known galaxy, from about 303 million years post-Big Bang. That one, JADES-GS-z14-1, is smaller — with a mass equal to about 100 million sun-sized stars, measuring roughly 1,000 light years across and forming about two new stars per year.
For Your Information:
— NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope: The telescope has been in the works for years. NASA led its development with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency. It was launched aboard a rocket on December 25, 2021.
Points to Ponder:
— What is the mission of JWST?
— What is the significance of the James Webb telescope?
— Read about the Milky Way Galaxy.
— What are the modern theories related to the origin of the universe?
(Thought Process: Read about the Big Bang theory and Steady State Theory)
Post Read Question:
Launched on 25th December 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope has been much in the news since then. What are its unique features which make it superior to its predecessor Space Telescopes? What are the key goals of this mission? What benefits does it hold for the human race? (UPSC Mains 2022)
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
Explained: NASA’s Webb Telescope
UPSC Syllabus:Preliminary Examination: Indian Economy
Mains Examination: GS-III: Indian Economy and Government Budgeting.
What’s the ongoing story- Economists at the public sector Bank of Baroda have published a report about the finances of Indian states for the financial year ended March (FY2024). The report analyses state-level finances based on three variables: how much money they raised on their own, how much they spent to boost productive capacities of the state, and how much they borrowed from the market.
Prerequisites:
— What is fiscal deficit?
— What are revenue receipts and capital receipts?
— What is the difference between revenue expenditure and capital expenditure?
Key takeaways:
— The report found that most states were able to limit their fiscal deficit (the amount of money they had to borrow to bridge the gap between expenses and income) within the budgeted levels. This is a significant achievement, since over-borrowing by states adds to the Centre’s over-borrowings, and ultimately leaves less money for private sector firms to borrow.
— The second important finding was regarding capital expenditures (capex) by state governments. This is the kind of spending that goes into making productive assets such as roads and bridges, which boost economic activity in the state. Typically, when governments try to meet fiscal deficit targets, they tend to cut on capex, which in turn, tends to undermine the ability of the state economy to grow faster. Taken together, states managed to spend only 84% of their capex budget.
— A state’s total tax revenues can be broadly divided into two heads: own tax revenues (OTR), and share in Union taxes.
— The researchers found that overall, OTR accounted for around 61% of tax revenues of states. Within the OTR, GST (Goods and Services Tax) collections made up the biggest chunk (almost 32%), followed by state excise and sales tax (22%) and stamp and registration (7%). A higher share of OTR helps a state to be more fiscally resilient.
— GST is a consumption-based tax — that is, it is paid at the point where a good or service is consumed. So, if a car is made in Tamil Nadu but bought in UP, then GST is levied and collected in UP.
— “The distribution of per capita GST across states is a reflection of consumption taking place in the country,” the paper says. “…Higher consuming states end up paying higher taxes like GST and sales tax/ excise duty. Those [states] where consumption capacity is constrained have to depend progressively on more transfers from the Union taxes as directed by the Finance Commission.”
For Your Information:
— Fiscal deficit essentially shows the amount of money that the government borrows from the market. It does so to bridge the gap between its expenses and income. Fiscal deficit is the most-watched variable, because if a government borrows more, it leaves a smaller pool of money for the private sector to borrow from. That, in turn, leads to higher interest rates, thus disincentivising borrowings by the private sector and further dragging down economic activity in the form of lower consumption and production.
Points to Ponder:
— What are the sources for government receipts?
— What is the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and what are its advantages and disadvantages?
— How does fiscal deficit impact the economy?
— What steps have been taken by the government to manage the fiscal deficit?
(Thought Process: Read about the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act)
Post Read Question:
Distinguish between Capital Budget and Revenue Budget. Explain the components of both these Budgets. (UPSC CSE 2021)
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
High RBI dividend may help lower FY25 Fiscal deficit below target
UPSC Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance, Science and Technology
Mains Examination: GS-III: Science and Technology
What’s the ongoing story- China landed an uncrewed spacecraft on the far side of the moon on Sunday, overcoming a key hurdle in its landmark mission to retrieve the world’s first rock and soil samples from the dark lunar hemisphere.
Prerequisites:
— What is Chang’e-6?
— What is Aitken Basin?
— Why landing on the far side of the Moon is challenging?
Key takeaways:
— The Chang’e-6 craft, equipped with an array of tools and its own launcher, touched down in a gigantic impact crater called the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the moon’s space-facing side at 6:23 a.m. Beijing time (2223 GMT), the China National Space Administration said.
— The mission “involves many engineering innovations, high risks and great difficulty”, the agency said in a statement, opens new tab on its website. “The payloads carried by the Chang’e-6 lander will work as planned and carry out scientific exploration missions.”
— The successful mission is China’s second on the far side of the moon, a region no other country has reached. The side of the moon perpetually facing away from the Earth is dotted with deep and dark craters, making communications and robotic landing operations more challenging.
Points to Ponder:
— What is the significance of the south pole of the Moon?
— What are the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) moon exploration missions?
— What are the other lunar missions of China?
— What is the Lunar Polar Exploration Mission?
— What is Artemis Accords?
Post Read Question:
Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched? (UPSC CSE 2014)
| Spacecraft | Purpose | |
| 1. | Cassini-Huygens | Orbiting the Venus and transmitting data to the Earth |
| 2. | Messenger | Mapping and investigating the Mercury |
| 3. | Voyager 1 and 2 | Exploring the outer solar system |
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
Economy
UPSC Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Mains Examination: GS-II, GS-III: International relations, economy.
What’s the ongoing story- OPEC+ agreed on Sunday to extend most of its deep oil output cuts well into 2025 as the group seeks to shore up the market amid tepid demand growth, high interest rates and rising rival U.S. production.
Prerequisites:
— What is the OPEC+?
— What is meant by Brent crude?
— What are the top 5 oil-producing countries in the world?
Key takeaways:
— Brent crude oil prices have been trading near $80 per barrel in recent days, below what many OPEC+ members need to balance their budgets. Worries over slow demand growth in top oil importer China have weighed on prices alongside rising oil stocks in developed economies.
— The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by Russia, together known as OPEC+, have made a series of deep output cuts since late 2022. OPEC+ members are currently cutting output by a total of 5.86 million barrels per day (bpd), or about 5.7% of global demand.
— OPEC+ will gradually phase out the cuts of 2.2 million bpd over the course of a year from October 2024 to September 2025.
For Your Information:
— Established in 1960 by founding members Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, OPEC has since expanded and now has 13 member states. With the addition of another 11 allied major oil-producing countries that include Russia, the grouping is known as OPEC+.
— India is the world’s third-largest consumer of crude oil and depends on imports to meet over 85 per cent of its requirement. Given the country’s extremely high import dependency, India’s economy is highly sensitive to oil price volatility. Apart from inflationary pressures, high oil prices have implications for India’s trade balance, foreign exchange reserves, the value of the rupee, and the overall health of the economy.
Points to Ponder:
— Why is OPEC+ extending deep oil output cuts and how can it affect India?
— What is the status of India’s oil imports?
— Which country is the biggest supplier of crude oil to India?
— What are the geopolitical factors that are influencing petroleum prices in the world today?
Post Read Question:
In the context of global oil prices, “Brent crude oil” is frequently referred to in the news. What does this term imply? (UPSC CSE 2011)
1. It is a major classification of crude oil.
2. It is sourced from North Sea.
3. It does not contain sulphur.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 2 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
What is OPEC+ and why have they slashed oil production?
UPSC Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Indian economy
Mains Examination: GS-III: Indian economy
What’s the ongoing story- The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which is scheduled to meet from June 5 to 7, is expected to keep the repo rate steady at 6.5 per cent as sticky food inflation continues to remain a threat to the inflation.
Prerequisites:
— What do you understand by monetary policy?
— What is the role of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)?
— What is inflation and its various types?
Key takeaways:
— In the policy scheduled to be announced on June 7, the six-member rate-setting panel of the RBI is likely to maintain status-quo for the eighth time in a row, market experts said. The repo rate — the rate at which the RBI lends money to banks to meet their short-term funding needs — is expected to remain unchanged at 6.5 per cent.
— Under the flexible inflation targeting regime, the RBI has to maintain consumer price-based inflation (CPI) in the 2-6 per cent range. The RBI has been targeting to bring inflation down to 4 per cent on a durable basis. In April, headline inflation moderated to 4.8 per cent from 4.9 per cent.
— Analysts said the monetary policy stance of ‘withdrawal of accommodation’ is also likely to remain unchanged in the June policy.
For Your Information:
— The MPC fixes the benchmark interest rate — or the base or reference rate that is used to set other interest rates — in India.
— Under Section 45ZB of the amended RBI Act, 1934, the central government is empowered to constitute a six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to determine the policy interest rate required to achieve the inflation target. The first such MPC was constituted on September 29, 2016.
Points to Ponder:
— How MPC controls inflation in the economy?
— What are the different policy stances of RBI?
— What are the various monetary policy tools?
(Thought Process: Read about the Bank rate, Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR), Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR), Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF)…)
Post Read Question:
Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)? (UPSC CSE 2017)
1. It decides the RBI’s benchmark interest rates.
2. It is a 12-member body including the Governor of RBI and is reconstituted every year.
3. It functions under the chairmanship of the Union Finance Minister.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 2 and 3 only
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
Everyday Economics: What is the RBI’s MPC, and what does it do?
UPSC Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development
Mains Examination: GS-III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation,of resources, growth, development, and employment.
What’s the ongoing story- Rajani Sinha writes-“India’s GDP data was keenly awaited.., with a growth of 8.2 per cent in 2023-24 as against 7 per cent in 2022-23. It is to be noted that the growth in 2023-24 is much higher than MOSPI’s second advance estimate of 7.6 per cent released in February. While overall GDP growth is impressive, it is important to understand some of the nuances of the data to infer the sustainability of the growth this year.”
Prerequisites:
— What is Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?
— What is Gross Value Added (GVA)?
— What is the difference between development and economic growth?
Key takeaways:
— While the fourth quarter growth has been strong at 7.8 per cent, there has been upward revision in the previous quarter numbers and that has strongly propped up the overall GDP growth for the year.”
— “Another important point is the sharp divergence of 1 percentage point between GDP and GVA growth in 2023-24 as against 0.3 percentage point in 2022-23.”
— “If we look at the sectoral break-up, as expected, overall agriculture value added growth has been muted, given the poor monsoon last year. Supported by lower input prices, manufacturing GVA has shown a healthy recovery..While services sector growth has been healthy at 7.6 per cent, there has been some moderation in the fourth quarter.”
— “If we look at the break-up of GDP from the expenditure side, we find that the overall GDP growth is not very broad-based. Private consumption, the main pillar of the economy, has grown by a feeble 3.8 per cent in 2023-24. This is the slowest consumption growth rate in the last two decades (excluding the pandemic year contraction)….”
— “Investment, the other pillar of the Indian economy, has grown by a healthy 9 per cent. Investment in the economy has been mainly led by the government sector.”
— “Exports, the third pillar of India’s economy, have been muted due to weak global growth. While India’s services exports have remained healthy, merchandise exports specifically felt the pinch of global slowdown.”
— “For the growth momentum to be sustained, the most critical aspect would be an improvement in private consumption…”
— “A pick-up in the private capex cycle is another important requirement for sustained growth momentum.
— “The other important factor to watch out for is developments in the global arena. With the global growth outlook improving, India’s exports are likely to improve. However, with geo-political tensions brewing, the risk of supply shocks continues to linger.”
— “In a nutshell, while the Indian economy has recorded impressive growth, there is a need to exercise caution and take some quick actions to ensure sustainability.”
Points to Ponder:
— How is GDP calculated?
— What is the difference between ‘Nominal’ GDP and ‘Real’ GDP?
— What are the driving factors of India’s GDP?
— What is India’s Export Policy?
Post Read Question:
Prelims
A decrease in tax to GDP ratio of a country indicates which of the following? (UPSC CSE 2015)
1. Slowing economic growth rate
2. Less equitable distribution of national income
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Mains
Explain the difference between the computing methodology of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) before the year 2015 and after the year 2015. (UPSC CSE 2021)
UPSC Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: History of India
Mains Examination: GS-I: Indian History
What’s the ongoing story- In the narrow lanes of Bulbuli Khana near Turkman Gate in Old Delhi, walled in by buildings on all sides, is a tomb made of stone and covered with dust. It hardly sees any visitors. This forgotten tomb is of the first and only woman ruler to ever sit on Delhi’s throne, Razia Sultan.
Prerequisites:
— Read about the Slave Dynasty (Sultanate of Delhi).
— Who was Razia Sultan?
— Organisation to look for: Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
Key takeaways:
— Daughter of Sultan Iltutmish, Razia ruled during the Delhi Sultanate era from 1236 to 1240. It is believed she had refused to be addressed as a Sultana (as per her gender) as that word meant “wife or mistress of a Sultan”, but claimed the title “Sultan”. It was a title never before bestowed on a woman.
— The tomb is a protected monument under the ASI. As per its website, within a protected monument, “no person shall do any act which causes or is likely to cause damage or injury to any part of the monument; or discharge any fire-arms; or cook or consume food except in areas, if any, permitted to be used for that purpose; or beg for alms; or· violate any practice, usage or custom applicable to or observed in the monument; or bring any animal for any purpose other than the maintenance of the monument, bring any vehicle except in areas reserved for the parking thereof”.
Points to Ponder:
— Who was Iltutmish and how did he expand the dynasty’s territory?
— How did Raziya Sultan succeed Iltutmish?
— What were the architectural contributions of the Slave Dynasty?
— What changes did Razia Sultan bring in the administration?
Post Read Question:
Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2019)
1. In the revenue administration of Delhi Sultanate, the in-charge of revenue collection was known as ‘Amil’.
2. The lqta system of Sultans of Delhi was an ancient indigenous institution.
3. The office of ‘Mir Bakshi’ came into existence during the reign of Khalji Sultans of Delhi.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
UPSC Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change- that do not require subject specialisation.
Mains Examination: GS-III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
What’s the ongoing story- Vikram S Mehta writes- “India’s energy sector is on a cusp. Fossil fuels will dominate it for decades more, but the overriding priority is to reduce its share. The next government’s challenge is to accelerate the latter against the backdrop of a polarised international geopolitical context and exponential technological innovation.”
Prerequisites:
— What is the state of India’s energy sector?
Key takeaways:
— “Our energy policy is dual pronged. One prong is focused on fossil fuels. The priority here is to manage and mitigate the increasing import dependency on petroleum. The specifics of this prong are diversification of the sources of imports, strategic reserves, domestic exploration, demand conservation and efficiency and environmental protection.”
— “The second prong is focused on accelerating the transition to clean renewable fuels. Here the specifics flow from the longer term commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070 to the shorter/medium term objectives of reducing carbon intensity of GDP and creating 500 GW of electricity generation capacity from non fossil fuels by 2030.”
— “There is no formal executive forum for an integrated discussion on energy policy….I believe the targets for decarbonisation and sustainability that India has publicly announced will be difficult to achieve unless decision makers view the energy value chain through one integrated lens.”
— “The next government should consider developing such a frame. The purpose should be to weave the different strands of policy related to fossil fuels and green energy into one seamless whole and converge the current two-track energy policy onto one track. The government should, as a first step, prepare a document captioned “Energy strategy: Towards convergence, security and sustainability”. Such a document should address the following issues.”
— “One, the relationship between the hydrocarbon PSEs and other energy companies. Two, IEA has forewarned that the market for copper, lithium, nickel and cobalt will be volatile and there will be supply shortages in the absence of additional investment in mining. India must, therefore, lay out a clear strategy for meeting its future requirements.”
Points to Ponder:
— What are the challenges associated with India’s energy sector?
— What is the meaning of a Low Carbon Climate Resilient Economy?
— What steps has the government taken to achieve energy self-reliance?
— What measures should be taken to ensure energy security?
Post Read Question:
Prelims
With reference to the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA), which of the following statements is/are correct? (UPSC CSE 2015)
1. It is a Public Limited Government Company.
2. It is a Non-Banking Financial Company.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Mains
Do you think India will meet 50 percent of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2030? Justify your answer. How will the shift of subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables help achieve the above objective? Explain (UPSC CSE 2022)
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