UPSC Key-June 3, 2022: Why and What to know about ‘Good Taliban Bad Taliban’ to ‘Operation Polo’ for UPSC CSE

First official visit since Taliban takeover: Indian diplomats meet minister in Kabul

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighbourhood- relations

Key Points to Ponder:

• Afghanistan’s location in South Asia is particularly relevant to India as a geographical neighbor,Why?

• Map Work-Afghanistan

• The first official Indian visit to Kabul since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021-Why Significant?

• What is the Current Situation in Afghanistan?

• Who are the Taliban?

• In what context have you heard or know about “Good Taliban, Bad Taliban”?

• The Doha Agreement, signed by the United States and the Taliban on 29 February 2020, was one of the critical events that caused the Fall of Kabul-How far you agree?

• What was there in Doha Agreement?

• India’s bilateral relations with Afghanistan before and after august 2021-Compare and Contrast

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Who are the Taliban?

📍Explained: As Afghanistan falls to Taliban, what does it mean for Middle East?

📍How the Taliban Used Pakistan

📍Taliban and U.S. Strike Deal to Withdraw American Troops From Afghanistan

THE CITY

Delhi lost hundreds of trees in storm due to callousness of officers: HC

Syllabus:

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

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

Key Points to Ponder:

• The Delhi High Court took note of the damage caused to trees in the city-Know the High Court’s Stand

• Why so many trees fall in Delhi in recent thunderstorm?

• According to one Senior ecologist, Poor root growth due to concretisation could be one factor that caused trees to keel over-What are the other reasons?

• What do you understand by “Concretisation”?

• “Concretisation” a by-product of urbanisation which has almost engulfed major cities in India-know it’s impact?

• “Concretisation” and urban heat island-Connect the dots

• National Green Tribunal’s orders on Concretisation-Know the timeline

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Forest areas being ‘finished’ due to concretisation, says SC

📍 How Assam’s Deepor Beel is perishing from concretisation, waste dumping

📍 Why did so many trees fall in Delhi? Experts have a theory

GOVT & POLITICS

Had Patel not acted, India’s map wouldn’t have been same: Shah

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: History of India

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Post-independence consolidation and reorganisation within the country.

Key Points to Ponder:

• The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, commonly known as the Telangana Act-Know the key Features

• Srikrishna Committee on Telangana/Committee for Consultations on the Situation in Andhra Pradesh (CCSAP) headed by former chief justice B. N. Srikrishna-Know their recommendations

• ‘The seeds of the Telangana struggle were sown in 1955, when the States Reorganisation Commission’s recommendation to keep Hyderabad as a separate state was ignored’. How far you agree with this statement?

• Integration of Princely States After Independence-What were the challenges?

• Integration of Princely States After Independence-What was the status of Hyderabad?

• Who were Razakars?

• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Instrument of Accession and Standstill Agreement-Connect the dots

• Operation Polo and Hyderabad-Connect the dots

• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and his contributions and commitment to national integration in the country-Know in detail

• Why Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is called as “Iron Man of India”?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Telangana Formation Day 2021: History, significance and facts you should know about India’s newest state

📍The horses that led Operation Polo

📍Behind the freedom of Hyderabad, a struggle against the Nizam

If states differ with NEP, they can use own methods: Pradhan

Syllabus:

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

Mains 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:

• What are the salient features of New Education Policy 2020?

• What are the basic differences in the challenges of Primary sector and tertiary education.

• How many policies India had so far and what was the fundamental objective of each which makes every policy unique.

• Education Under British Rule-Know in detail

• Know the Kothari Commission (1964–1966) recommendations to formulate a coherent education policy

• National Policy on Education (NPE) 1986 and New Education Policy (NEP) 2020-Compare and Contrast

• How National Policy on Education (NEP) and Sustainable development goals are linked?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Explained: India’s National Education Policy, 2020

EXPRESS NETWORK

Legal framework soon to stop levy of service charge by eateries: govt

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, development and employment

Key Points to Ponder:

• What Is a Service Charge?

• Know the types of Service Charges

• Service Charges Versus Tips-Know the Differences

• Department of Consumer Affairs guidelines on Service Charges, 2017-Key Highlights

• The Consumer Protection Act, 2019-Key Highlights

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What Is a Service Charge?

📍Explained: What is the service charge levied by restaurants on customers?

THE IDEAS PAGE

Tax by persuasion

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development and Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination:

• General Studies II: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein

• General Studies III: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What Supreme Court of India said on Federalism in India in Union of India and Anr versus M/s Mohit Minerals Through Director case?

• What observations did the Supreme Court made on the GST Council and on country’s federal structure? (Hint: Recommendations of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council cannot be binding on the Centre and states and many more)

• What is The Goods and Services Tax (GST)?

• The Kelkar Task Force on the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, 2003 and the Genesis of Goods and Services Tax (GST)

• Goods and Services Tax (GST) and 101st Amendment Act, 2016-Know in detail

• What are the different types of Goods and Services Tax (GST)?

• Know the differences between Central GST (CGST), State GST (SGST), Union territory GST (UTGST) and Integrated GST (IGST)

• How would a particular transaction of goods and services be taxed simultaneously under Central GST (CGST) and State GST (SGST)?

• What are the benefits of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India?

• Goods and Services Tax (GST)-Issues and Challenges

• GST Council and Article 279A of the Constitution-Key Provisions

• GST Council and Members-Know in detail

• What is the role of GST Council?

• What is the nature of Federalism in India?

• Important features of Indian federalism-Know in detail

• The Constitution of India provides for a federal system of government, But the term ‘federation’ has nowhere been used in the Constitution-True or False?

• Another definition of Federalism given by Supreme Court in today’s Verdict-Federalism In India is “a dialogue in which the states and the Centre constantly engage in conversations”, and though the Constitution confers “the Union with a higher share of power in certain situations to prevent chaos and provide security”, the states “can still resist the mandates of the Union by using different forms of political contestation”

• “The relationship between two constituent units that are not autonomous but rely on each other for their functioning is not in practice always collaborative or cooperative”-Decode the quote

• Remember this Statement-“The federal system”, the court said, “is a means to accommodate the needs of a pluralistic society to function in a democratic manner. It attempts to reconcile the desire of unity and commonality along with the desire for diversity and autonomy”.

• Decode the quote- “Democracy and federalism are interdependent on each other for their survival such that federalism would only be stable in well-functioning democracies”.

• Competitive Federalism Cooperative Federalism and Fiscal Federalism are very much in news. What do you understand by these terms in Indian Scenario?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: The SC ruling that GST Council decisions are not binding on Centre or states

📍12 Different Types of Federalism (with Examples and Pros & Cons)

📍The Paradox of ‘Centralised Federalism’: An Analysis of the Challenges to India’s Federal Design

Make new roads to the east

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

Key Points to Ponder:

• India and Myanmar-Bilateral Relations between the two Countries

• Significance of Myanmar for India

• India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy and “Act East” policy

• India and Myanmar-Issues and Challenges

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India cannot take a black-and-white approach to Myanmar

📍There is no happy end-state in India’s relations with its neighbours

ECONOMY

Europe’s Russian oil ban may overhaul global energy market

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Why does the European Union intend to reduce its reliance on Russian crude oil?

• What was the logic behind such a course of action?

• How much Russian oil does the European Union import?

• Which European Union countries imported the most oil from Russia?

• Which European Union countries were most dependent on Russian oil?

• How has India reacted to these events?

• Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries plus (OPEC+)-Difference

• What is the OPEC+?

• Map Work-Locate OPEC+ Member Countries

• OPEC+ more influential than OPEC?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: How much oil does the European Union import from Russia?

EXPLAINED

Puri Heritage Corridor case

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination:

• General Studies I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

• 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:

• What is the Puri Heritage Corridor case about?

• What is the construction in question?

• What is the ASI’s role in this?

• On what ground is the project being opposed in the Supreme Court?

• Jagannath Temple one of the important Hindu temple- Significance (Hint: Char Dham)

• Vaishnava Traditions-Features and its impact on Bhakti Movement

• Jagannath Temple-Know some facts like it was built by the Ganga dynasty king Anantavarman Chodaganga in the 12th century CE.

• Jagannath Temple also as ‘Yamanika Tirtha’-Why?

• Jagannath Temple-Architectural features and Style of the temple (Is it Dravidian, Nagara, Vesara style or Different from these three Architectural Style?)

• Know more about Architectural features of Odisha temples classification like Rekhapida, Pidhadeul And Khakra

• Know more about-Paintings theme associated with lord Jagannath like Patachitra or Pattachitra

• What is the Puri heritage corridor?

• Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-Powers, Functions, Role and Mandate

• “Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) failed to act as guardian of India’s heritage” once observed by Supreme Court in the context of Taj Mahal-Do you think that ASI has failed to preserve other monuments and Heritage of India?

• Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-Significance

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Explained: What is the Puri heritage corridor, whose foundation will be laid soon in Odisha?

Previous Year Mains Questions Covering the same theme:

📍Safeguarding the Indian art Heritage is the need of the moment. Discuss (GS-1, 2018)

📍Indian philosophy and tradition played a significant role in conceiving and shaping the monuments and art in India. Discuss (GS-1, 2020)

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