UPSC Key | Flood in Bihar, Classical language, West Asia crisis and more

🚨 It’s our first anniversary! The Indian Express UPSC Essentials brings to you the September issue of its monthly magazine, the special anniversary edition. Click Here to read. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨

Explained

Inescapable, inevitable: Why North Bihar sees floods every year

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic geography of India and the World.

Mains Examination: GS-I, III: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclones. Etc.; Disaster and disaster management.

What’s the ongoing story-  Bihar is flooded yet again, with 11.84 lakh people hit — driven out of their homes, surviving on air-dropped food packets, huddling in shelters, vulnerable to water-borne diseases. North Bihar sees floods every year. Lakhs of people see their crops and livestock destroyed. They pick up the pieces and start again, only for the story to be repeated the next year.

Prerequisites:

— Know the course and tributaries of the following rivers-  Kosi, Gandak, Burhi Gandak, Bagmati, Kamla Balan, Mahananda, Adhwara

— How is the geography of North Bihar different from South Bihar?

— What are Chaurs?

Key takeaways: 

— According to the state government’s Flood Management Improvement Support Centre (FMISC), “Bihar is India’s most flood-prone state, with 76 per cent of the population in north Bihar living under the recurring threat of flood devastation.”

— Bihar is crisscrossed by both snow-fed and rain-fed rivers, putting it at the risk of various kinds of floods.

— The state’s Disaster Management Authority has categoried floods into four classes. The first are flash floods, and then are river floods. The authority’s website further says, “Class III: Drainage congestion in river confluence- lead time more than 24 hours, lasting full monsoon season (i.e. receding of flood water takes 3 months); Class IV: Permanent water logged area.”

— A major reason for the first three kinds of flooding is that Bihar is located below Nepal, with its Himalayan rivers flowing down to the state. Because the Himalayas are a young mountain range with a lot of loose soil, these rivers — Kosi, Gandak, Burhi Gandak, Bagmati, Kamla Balan, Mahananda, Adhwara — are full of sediments. Thus, when the volume of water increases due to rains, the rivers quickly overflow their banks.

— This year, the flood has been caused by heavy rainfall and flooding in Nepal and release of water from its barrage on the Kosi River.

— Given that Bihar’s geography makes floods inescapable, solutions have been sought for decades. Among the more destructive rivers of the state is Kosi, known as the ‘sorrow of Bihar’.

— Soon after independence, in the 1950s, embankments were built along the Kosi to contain its flow. While they were seen as a lasting solution, not only have the embankments been breached several times, they have created a new problem.

— This time, flooding is worse than the past few years because the Birpur barrage, built on the Kosi in Nepal, released 6.6 lakh cusec of water, the highest in almost six decades.

— While Bihar floods may not result in loss of lives every year, their economic cost is steep… The state government spends about Rs 1,000 crore annually for flood management and relief.

— “There are two ways of dealing with floods — one is through structural solutions, which includes dams, embankments, etc., and the other is through non-structural solutions, which includes laws, policy, risk reduction, mitigation, etc.”

— “In Bihar, because its geography can’t be changed, there is a great need to work on aspects like adequate warnings, quick reaction times, awareness and training in dealing with floods, etc.”

(Thought Process: Understanding the geography of a region is very important to suggest mitigation strategies. Map all the rivers, river-linking projects, and important geographical features like Chaurs and Tals. These are important both for your prelims and Mains.)

For Your Information:

— Last year, the Patna High Court has directed the Centre and Bihar government to set up Kosi Development Authority and interlink Kosi and Mechi rivers to tackle annual floods often caused due to excess water discharged from Nepal.

Points to Ponder: 

— How river linking projects will help in mitigating flooding?

— Which are the other states impacted by flooding?

— Read about the flood-prone areas of India and disaster management

Post Read Question:

(1) Birpur barrage is constructed on which of the following rivers?

(a) Kosi

(b) Gandak

(c) Sone

(d) Karamnasa

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Bihar under water: Why the state sees floods every year

How is climate change impacting flooding around the world?

India and the West Asian Crisis

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora; Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate

What’s the ongoing story- For the second time since April, Iran and Israel are on the brink of all-out war. On Tuesday, Iran fired almost 200 missiles at Israel, which has vowed to respond. India has high stakes in the West Asian region, and the Ministry of External Affairs has said “It is important that the conflict doesn’t take a wider regional dimension and we urge that all issues be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy.”

Prerequisites:

— Identify the countries in the West Asia

— Understand the reason for the conflict in the region

— How is Iran involved in the Israel-Palestine conflict?

Key takeaways: 

— New Delhi has so far not offered to play a mediatory role. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the last 10 days.

— The strategic relationship with Israel, especially the defence and security partnership, has grown and deepened under the Narendra Modi government. The two sides have strong shared concerns over extremism and terrorism. Israel has emerged as a major defence supplier alongside the US, France, and Russia — and New Delhi remembers that the Israelis had stepped up at its time of crisis during the Kargil war in 1999.

— Iran, on the other hand, has been a major supplier of crude to India. Also, the two countries share concerns on terrorism emanating from Pakistan and Afghanistan… The Chabahar port is a project of great strategic and economic importance to India.

India’s own stake:

— Diaspora: There are about 18,000 Indians in Israel, about 5,000-10,000 in Iran, and some 90 lakh in the region as a whole.

— Oil supplies: The West Asian region provides India with 80% of its oil supplies. A wider war will almost inevitably raise energy prices…

— Infrastructure projects: India has invested in its relationships with major Arab countries…and has been working with all sides to push for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic corridor, which promises both strategic and economic benefits. It is keen to see that the consensus around peace is not unravelled by war.

Other players in the region

— Qatar: Qatar has been a consummate navigator of regional faultlines. It has engaged with all sides, given billions of dollars as aid to Palestine, hosted the leaders of Hamas, and pumped money into Gaza. Both the US and Israel have depended on Qatar for mediation efforts.

— Egypt: Egypt borders both Gaza and Israel… under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, it has focused strongly on countering terrorism and Islamist movements. Worried about a refugee influx from Gaza, Egypt has put forth ceasefire initiatives.

— Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia views itself as the leader of the Islamic world and, under Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been trying to advance connectivity initiatives in the region. However, Riyadh’s relationship with Shia Iran has a complicated history.

— UAE: It is keen to see stability and peace in the region in order to build on its own prosperity and to future-proof itself. Under its ruler Mohammad bin Zayed, it wants to drive the IMEEC initiative. The UAE signed a normalisation agreement with Israel in 2020.

— Turkey: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; yet, after Iran’s April 13 attack on Israel, Turkey was among the key back channels between Tehran and Israel’s western allies. Turkish officials are among the few who speak directly to the US, Israel, Hamas members, and Iran.

— US: The US has been the traditional international mediator in the region, and its envoy Amos Hochstein has been trying to prevent escalation… However, there is no trust between the US and Iran, and Washington is squarely on Israel’s side.

— China: As Washington’s influence and credibility wanes, Beijing has tried to cast itself as a possible mediator and peacemaker. China’s attempts to forge a Saudi-Iran deal and facilitate Hamas-Fatah talks are driven by its geo-economic and geo-political interests in Iran, Saudi, and UAE. They are also an indicator of its rising global profile.

Points to Ponder: 

— How Israel-Iran conflict can impact the geopolitics of the region?

— How India can play an active role in peace agreements?

— What is the significance of West Asia for India?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

(2) The area known as ‘Golan Heights’ sometimes appears in the news in the context of the events related to (UPSC CSE 2015)

(a) Central Asia

(b) Middle East

(c) South-East Asia

(d) Central Africa

Mains

“India’s relations with Israel have, of late, acquired a depth and diversity, which cannot be roiled back.” Discuss. (UPSC CSE 2018)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

With new phase of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, what are the concerns for India?

Mahatma Gandhi’s views on Israel, Palestine

Govt & Politics

‘Classical’ tag for Pali, Prakrit, Marathi, Bengali & Assamese

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation

What’s the ongoing story-  The Union Cabinet Thursday approved a decade-old proposal to accord classical language status to Marathi. The government also named Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali as classical languages.

Prerequisites:

— What is the classical language’s status?

— What is the Linguistic Experts Committee (LEC)?

Key takeaways: 

— In October 2004, the Centre decided to create a new category of languages as “classical languages”, with Tamil becoming the first language to be declared one. The criteria for inclusion included the high antiquity of its early texts/ recorded history over a thousand years; and the originality of the literary.

— In November 2004, a Linguistic Experts Committee (LEC) was constituted by the Ministry of Culture under the Sahitya Akademi to examine the eligibility of the languages proposed to be accorded classical language status. The following year, Sanskrit was declared a classical language. Gradually, Telugu and Kannada in 2008, and Malayalam and Odia in 2013 and 2014 joined the list.

— The Ministry of Education takes steps to promote classical languages. Three central universities were established in 2020 through an Act of Parliament to promote the Sanskrit language.

— The Central Institute of Classical Tamil was set up to facilitate the translation of ancient Tamil texts, and offer courses in Tamil.

— To enhance the study and preservation of classical languages, the Centres for Excellence for studies in Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia were also set up.

For Your Information:

— According to information provided by the Ministry of Culture in the Rajya Sabha in February 2014, the guidelines for declaring a language as ‘Classical’ are:

“(i) High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years;

(ii) A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers;

(iii) The literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech community;

(iv) The classical language and literature being distinct from modern, there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.”

Points to Ponder: 

— What is Schedule 8 of the Constitution?

— How are classical languages promoted?

Post Read Question:

(3) Which of the following languages were the earliest to be accorded classical language status?

(a) Kannada

(b) Odia

(c) Sanskrit

(d) Malayalam

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Explained: How is a language declared ‘classical’ in India, what benefits it enjoys

 

The Ideas Page

The American alternative

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: India and its neighbourhood- relations; and Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story- Ami Bera writes: China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), referred to as “Yi dai yi lu” in Chinese, has reshaped global infrastructure financing and investment. It promotes a “China-centred model” of development, which often does not set terms with regard to human rights, transparency or Western legal and market-based principles.

Prerequisites:

— What is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)?

— What are the components of BRI?

Key takeaways: 

— Projects associated with BRI have frequently led to substantial financial obligations for participating countries. These arrangements typically involve long-term repayment commitments to Beijing, creating financial dependence on the People’s Republic of China (PRC or China) and giving the PRC significant leverage over host nations.

— China frequently prefers to extend or renegotiate loans rather than offer debt forgiveness, thereby maintaining or even increasing its economic and political sway over host governments. In contrast, institutions like the World Bank and IMF have shown greater willingness to forgive debt, particularly for highly indebted poor countries.

— The Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka has become a focal point in discussions about China’s lending practices and the stress they place on recipient countries.

— The Hambantota Port, strategically located in the Indian Ocean, is part of China’s broader geopolitical strategy to secure essential trade and energy supply routes. It is one of many PRC port projects in the Indian Ocean Region including Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Burma.

— According to estimates by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), as of September 2023, China had active investments in 101 port projects globally. Among these, 10 are strategically located around the Indo-Pacific and can potentially be used for naval purposes.

— To counter China’s influence, the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has emerged as a vital player. Last year, it committed half a billion dollars toward the development of the West Container Terminal in the Port of Colombo, which is the largest and busiest transhipment port in the Indian Ocean.

— Unlike China-based lenders, the DFC supports projects led by the private sector that are strategically and economically sound. Shipping and logistics are expected to contribute significantly to Sri Lanka’s GDP, sustaining more than 40,000 jobs and bolstering the country’s status as a global logistics centre.

For Your Information:

— 2023 marked a decade since China’s ambitious infrastructure funding project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), was first outlined by President Xi Jinping.

— President Xi Jinping announced the Silk Road Economic ‘Belt’ during his visits to Kazakhstan in 2013. The ‘Belt’ plan was to revitalise a series of trading and infrastructure routes between Asia and Europe. Connectivity through Central Asia was a key element of the initiative.

— For some time, together these initiatives were referred to as the One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR). Since 2015, it has been mostly referred to as the BRI.

— India’s position on the BRI has remained relatively consistent since 2013. From the beginning, India had reservations about the BRI – mainly due to sovereignty-related issues, as the CPEC goes through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and geopolitical implications of projects in the Indian Ocean.

Points to Ponder: 

— Compare and contrast BRI and DFC.

— What are India’s concerns related to BRI?

— What are the initiatives taken by India to counter BRI?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

(4) Belt and Road Initiative is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of (UPSC CSE 2016)

(a) African Union

(b) Brazil

(c) European Union

(d) China

Mains

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is viewed as a cardinal subset of China’s larger ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative. Give a brief description of CPEC and enumerate the reasons why India has distanced itself from the same. (UPSC CSE 2018)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

10 years of China’s Belt and Road Initiative: The project, its aims and where it stands now

Editorial

Both for and against

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues

Mains Examination: GS-II: Constitution of India —historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

What’s the ongoing story- Pratap Bhanu Mehta writes: I must confess to a somewhat more agnostic view of One Nation, One Election (ONOE) than most of my colleagues in Political Science. I do not find the government’s rationale for it compelling… But the more I hear the grounds on which the proposal is criticised, the less I am convinced that those grounds constitute adequate criticisms of the proposal.

Prerequisites:

— What is the One Nation, One Election (ONOE)?

— What are the constitutional provisions related to elections in India?

— How elections are conducted in India?

Key takeaways: 

— First, it is not clear why ONOE is thought to be incompatible with India’s diversity. Why should synchronisation of elections necessarily have an impact on diversity? This argument seems to me to be the exact mirror of the government’s argument that it is necessary for national unity.

— Second, it is not clear why such a proposal necessarily entails an impatience with the clutter of democratic politics. It still takes elections seriously… But the proposal by itself has no such implication. It seems that many of the critics seem to want to reduce democracy just to staggered elections (not even the number, since the number will remain similar), and partisan competition. But democracy requires much more.

— Third, it is not clear why ONOE necessarily entails presidentialism, or that it will “nationalise” state elections. People worry that if national and state elections are held together, somehow national issues will dominate… But there is a fallacy of composition. It is not clear that if simultaneous elections were to happen nationally, the same result would follow. Moreover, there is an anti-democratic elitism in this argument, as if voters are not intelligent enough to distinguish local versus national issues or candidates.

— Fourth, there is a worry that this signifies the diminution of the power of the representative, and hence, the dignity of legislative assemblies like Parliament. This argument is perplexing. For one thing, the anti-defection Bill already effectively killed the power of the individual representative and made them creatures of their party. Second, no-confidence motions almost never succeed.

— Moving to ONOE will be constitutionally cumbersome. It is actually not clear that it will reduce expenditure, especially if we think of expenditure by candidates. It is not clear it will reduce the pressures for “fiscal populism” (this should be less of a worry for us than oligarchic power, but let us leave that aside for now).

— In a competitive political system, if there is no consensus on norms, all parties will continue to outbid each other in what they offer the electorate, no matter when the election.

— There is one kind of democratic clutter that it would be good to have more of — more empowered local governments. More than frequent elections, one of the things holding India back is the state of local governments, empowered panchayats or municipal bodies… They need major reform.

— But it is not clear whether ONOE is a panacea or apocalypse for democracy. It may be quite beside the point. Democracy needs an imagination beyond the timing of elections.

(Thought Process: You can use these sentences as conclusive remarks in your Mains Answer writing.)

For Your Information:

— The One Nation, One Election project hinges on two Constitution Amendment Bills being passed by Parliament, for which the government will need wide agreement across a range of parties.

— The first Constitution Amendment Bill to transition to a simultaneous election system will require a ‘special majority’ of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. For this, two conditions have to be satisfied under Article 368 of the Constitution.

— The second Constitution Amendment Bill will ensure that all local body elections (for municipalities and panchayats) are held within 100 days of the simultaneous elections. For this amendment to go through, an additional condition apart from the two mentioned above must be fulfilled.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the challenges of conducting simultaneous elections?

— What are the arguments for and against ONOE?

Post Read Question:

(5) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2020)

1. According to the Constitution of India, a person who is eligible to vote can be made a minister in a State for six months even if he/she is not a member of the Legislature of that State.

2. According to the Representation of People Act, 1951, a person convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to imprisonment for five years is permanently disqualified from contesting an election even after his release from prison.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

As Cabinet gives nods to simultaneous elections, what comes next?

One Nation, One Election: Highlights of the Kovind panel’s recommendations

Express Network

End caste bias in prisons, says SC, orders revision of rules in 3 months

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues

Mains Examination: GS-I, II: Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India; Constitution of India —historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

What’s the ongoing story- Stating that “there cannot be any stigma attached to the existence, touch or presence of any person”, and that “the right to live with dignity extends even to the incarcerated”, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Centre and states to do away with provisions in prison manuals which perpetuate caste discrimination.

Prerequisites:

— What are denotified tribes?

— What is the purpose of the model prison manual?

— What is the function of the District Legal Services Authorities?

— read about the following constitutional Articles: 14, 15, 17, 21, and 23

Key takeaways: 

— The ruling came on a plea that challenged various provisions in state prison manuals on the grounds of being violative of Articles 14, 15, 17, 21, and 23 of the Constitution of India.

— It was contended that caste-based discrimination continues to persist in the prisons in the country with respect to the division of manual labour, segregation of barracks; and provisions that discriminate against prisoners belonging to denotified tribes and “habitual offenders”.

— A three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said, “Not providing dignity to prisoners is a relic of the colonizers and pre-colonial mechanisms, where oppressive systems were designed to dehumanize and degrade those under the control of the state…”

— The bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said, “Article 23(1) provides an enforceable fundamental right against social and economic exploitation. It aims to prohibit human trafficking, “begar”, and “other similar forms of forced labour”. Like Articles 15(2) and 17, it is enforceable both against the state and non-state actors.”

— The ruling referred to the provisions of the Model Prisons and Correctional Services Act, 2023… “The Model Act does not contain a reference to the prohibition of caste-based discrimination. This is concerning because the Act empowers the officer-in-charge of the prison to “utilize the services of prisoners” for “administration and management of the prisons”,” the bench said.

— “While the Model Prison Manual 2016 refers to the prohibition of caste discrimination in prisons in several provisions, the Model Act of 2023 has completely avoided any such mention…”

— The judgment directed that “the “caste” column and any references to caste in undertrial and/or convicts’ prisoners’ registers inside the prisons shall be deleted”.

For Your Information:

— Aditi Narayani Paswan and Vanya Chhabra write: The prison is a significant unit of India’s corrective justice system. Unfortunately, for the marginalised, the baggage of their social identities is not deposited at the prison gate but rather, continues affecting their dignity and basic rights. For them, it is not just society and law, but the very circumstances of their birth that play a part in their fight for justice.

— Caste segregation is a stark violation of the fundamental constitutional rights of prisoners. Privileges within the prison system are often distributed based on caste. Upper caste inmates receive preferential treatment, further entrenching social hierarchies even within the confines of prison.

— As India strives to uphold the principles of the Constitution, the words of Ambedkar must be remembered, that we must realise a social democracy, not just a political one. The denial of equality and dignity in India’s prisons will lead to the weakening of social democracy and pose a threat to political democracy.

Points to Ponder: 

— How are prisons regulated in India?

— What are the issues related to prison in India?

— What are the various recommendations for prison reforms?

Post Read Question:

Has caste lost its relevance in understanding the multi-cultural Indian Society? Elaborate your answer with illustrations. (UPSC CSE 2020)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Supreme Court is right — caste discrimination in Indian prisons cannot be allowed to go on

NCRB data: Higher share of Dalits, tribals, Muslims in prison than numbers outside

Economy

Nepal, India, Bangladesh sign tripartite agreement to facilitate cross-border electricity trade

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II, III: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests; Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

What’s the ongoing story- Nepal, India and Bangladesh on Thursday signed a tripartite agreement to facilitate cross-border electricity trade, officials here said.

Prerequisites:

— What are the power markets of India?

— What is the significance of cross-border electricity trade?

Key takeaways: 

— As per the agreement, Nepal will export its surplus electricity to Bangladesh via India from June 15 to November 15 every year.

— India will make arrangements to supply electricity from Nepal to Bangladesh. In the first phase, Nepal will export 40 MW of hydroelectricity to Bangladesh via Indian territory.

For Your Information:

— In June, to meet peak power demand during the unusually hot summer, the government has allowed the trading of surplus electricity generated from “linkage coal” in the country’s power markets.

— Coal linkages are typically made by the government to thermal units against long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with distribution companies (discoms).

— To sell their electricity, generation units in India have traditionally used long-term PPAs that typically span 25 years. These agreements commit generators to supply power to buyers, usually public utilities, at fixed rates.

— Power exchanges were first introduced in Europe in 1990-91, and they now operate in about 50 countries around the world. The Electricity Act of 2003 established the framework for exchange operations in India, and exchanges commenced in 2008.

— The spot market was introduced in 2020, which further enhanced the flexibility and responsiveness of the power trading system.

Points to Ponder: 

— How did power trading happen in India?

— What are the various power exchange markets in India?

— What are the challenges faced by the power market in India?

Post Read Question:

(6) Which one of the following is a purpose of ‘UDAY’, a scheme of the Government? (UPSC CSE 2016)

(a) Providing technical and financial assistance to start-up entre­preneurs in the field of renewable sources of energy

(b) Providing electricity to every household in the country by 2018

(c) Replacing the coal-based power plants with natural gas, nuclear, solar, wind and tidal power plants over a period of time

(d) Providing for financial turnaround and revival of power distribution companies

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Power markets in India: their working, advantages, and the road ahead

 

ALSO IN NEWS
UK-Mauritius treaty on Chagos Archipelago, Diego Garcia: What it means, why it matters for India	The United Kingdom on Thursday (October 3) said it would cede sovereignty of the strategically important Chagos Islands to Mauritius, calling it a “historic political agreement”. The Chagos archipelago, comprising 58 islands, lies roughly 500 km to the south of the Maldives archipelago in the Indian Ocean.
As internship pilot gets underway, M&M, Alembic & Max Life kick-off scheme by listing positions for interns	The Prime Minister’s Internship scheme that aims to provide internship to one crore youth in top 500 companies over five years opened its portal for companies to register their internship opportunities for the pilot phase from Thursday (October 3).

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1. (a)  2. (b)  3. (c)  4.  (d)  5. (d)  6. (d)

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.

Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.