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Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for August 25, 2024. If you missed the August 24th, 2024 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here.
UPSC Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance
Mains Examination: GS-II: Government policies and interventions
What’s the ongoing story- The Union Cabinet on Saturday approved a new Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) for Central government employees which assures 50 per cent of the average salary drawn over the last 12 months of their service as pension.
Prerequisites:
— Read about the National Pension Scheme (NPS) and Old Pension Scheme.
— What is Inflation indexation?
— Read about the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)
Key takeaways:
— To ensure this, the government has decided to raise its contribution towards the pension corpus to 18.5 per cent of the basic pay and dearness allowance of employees from 14 per cent now. This is estimated to entail an additional cost of Rs 6,250 crore in the first year. The employees’ contribution will, however, remain unchanged at 10 per cent of basic pay plus dearness allowance.
— To be effective April 1, 2025, the UPS will be available to all those who have completed 25 years of service in the government. Its other key features include a family pension to the spouse equal to 60 per cent of an employee’s pension income after death, a minimum pension of Rs 10,000 for those who have completed a minimum 10 years of service, inflation indexation to take care of price rise of goods and services, and a facility to withdraw a lump sum amount at retirement.
— The Cabinet announcement comes more than a year after the government had announced the formation of a four-member committee under the then Finance Secretary and now Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan in April 2023 to review the pension system for government employees.
For Your Information:
—- Under UPS, the pension corpus would be divided into two parts and separately invested. The first part equal to 10 per cent of the contribution of the employee and the government towards the corpus will be invested as per the choice of investment made by the individual employee. The second part equal to 8.5 per cent of the government’s contribution towards the pension will be pooled and invested separately.
— Other features of the UPS include minimum pension of Rs 10,000 to employees whose service tenure is less and sufficient amount would not be there for pension for central government employees or those associated with the existing National Pension System (NPS). An assured minimum pension of Rs 10,000 per month would be given on superannuation after minimum 10 years of service to employees, an official statement said.
Points to Ponder:
— How is UPS different from the Old Pension Scheme and NPS?
— What are the benefits of UPS?
— What can be the impact of UPS on the long-term fiscal sustainability of the Indian economy?
Post Read Question:
(1) Who among the following can join the National Pension System (NPS)? (UPSC CSE 2017)
(a) Resident Indian citizens only
(b) Persons of age from 21 to 55 only
(c) All State Government employees joining the services after the date of notification by the respective State Governments
(d) All Central Government employees including those of Armed Forces joining the services on or after 1st April, 2004
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
Explained: In Unified Pension Scheme, extra burden on govt but no pushing back on reforms
UPSC Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance
Mains Examination: GS-II, GS-III: Bilateral agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests; Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests
What’s the ongoing story- Moving to deepen their defence ties, India and the United States have agreed to advance priority co-production projects, including jet engines, unmanned platforms, munitions and ground mobility systems, under the US-India Roadmap for Defence Industrial Cooperation.
Prerequisites:
— What is the history of India-US bilateral ties?
— Read about the US-India Roadmap for Defence Industrial Cooperation.
— What are Sonobuoys?
— Read about the MH-60R Seahawk helicopters.
Key takeaways:
— The US government also approved Friday the proposed sale of $ 52.8 million anti-submarine warfare (ASW) sonobuoys and related equipment to India for the multi-role MH-60R Seahawk helicopters being inducted by the Indian Navy to hunt submarines.
— Sonobuoys help naval ASW forces to track hostile submarines and subsequently hunt them with air-launched weapons. The ASW helicopters usually drop sonobuoys, which transmit information back via radio link, to track the locations of hostile submarines.
— On Thursday, India and the US signed two key pacts: a non-binding Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA) and a Memorandum of Agreement regarding Assignment of Liaison Officers.
For Your Information:
— The progress made in defence co-production projects comes at a time when the US is headed to polls, reflecting the bipartisan consensus there on the ties with India, especially in Indo-Pacific. Incidentally, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was holding talks in the Pentagon the day PM Modi was in Kyiv, asking President Zelenskyy to sit at the table with President Putin and find a way out of the crisis over the war.
Points to Ponder:
— What are the areas of cooperation between India and the US?
— What are the key defence agreements signed between India and the US?
(Thought Process: Know about the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geospatial Intelligence (BECA), Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), Communication Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), and General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA).
— What are the challenges to India-US bilateral ties?
Post Read Question:
Prelims
(2) With reference to the Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA), consider the following statements:
1. It is signed between India and Ukraine.
2. It is a binding agreement.
3. The arrangement will enable both countries to acquire the industrial resources to meet national security needs.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Mains
‘What introduces friction into the ties between India and the United States is that Washington is still unable to find for India a position in its global strategy, which would satisfy India’s National self-esteem and ambitions’. Explain with suitable examples. ( UPSC CSE 2019)
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
India-US together can ensure global peace, prosperity, stability: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
UPSC Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance
Mains Examination: GS-III: Environment
What’s the ongoing story- After spending a year inside enclosures, the African cheetahs brought to India as part of the world’s first intercontinental translocation of the wild cats will soon be released into the wild again at Kuno National Park.
Prerequisites:
— What is the Cheetah Reintroduction Project?
— What is the IUCN status of Cheetah?
— Location on Map: Kuno National Park.
Key takeaways:
— The cheetahs were brought to the enclosures on August 13, 2023 after three adult cheetahs “died due to septicaemia after wounds beneath their dense winter coat on the back and neck regions became infested with maggots” in July. It was a major setback to the translocation project that began in September 2022.
— Currently, there are 25 cheetahs at Kuno — 13 adults and 12 cubs, born at the national park. Under the translocation project, 20 cheetahs were brought to India in two batches — eight from Namibia in September 2022 and 12 from South Africa last February — of which seven have died until this January. The adult cheetahs gave birth to 17 cubs, of which 12 survived.
For Your Information:
— Cheetahs are the fastest land animals and can, in short sprints on open ground, reach speeds in excess of 100 kph. Asiatic Cheetahs were once abundant in India but their numbers dwindled over the centuries due to loss of habitat and widespread hunting. The last cheetah in the country died in 1952.
Points to Ponder:
— What is the significance of the Project Cheetah?
— What are the challenges of the cheetah reintroduction project?
Post Read Question:
(3) Consider the following: (UPSC CSE 2012)
1. Black-necked crane
2. Cheetah
3. Flying squirrel
4. Snow leopard
Which of the above are naturally found in India?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
One year of Project Cheetah: Hits, misses and paradigm shift ahead
The 360° UPSC Debate: Project Cheetah — Is it problematic, or is it too early to judge?
UPSC Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance
Mains Examination: GS-II, GS-III: Government policies and interventions, Science and Technology
What’s the ongoing story- The Centre Saturday approved two key science initiatives to strengthen the research base and accelerate search for science and technology solutions to some of the country’s pressing needs in sectors like clean energy.
Prerequisites:
— What is biotechnology and its applications?
— What is Vigyan Dhara?
— Read about the INSPIRE program.
Key takeaways:
— The Union Cabinet decided to merge several existing science promotion programmes being run by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under a new initiative called Vigyan Dhara that, it hopes, would result in better fund utilisation, and improve efficiency. It also approved a biotechnology initiative that will push for research and development, industrialisation and manufacturing in the biotechnology sector.
— Vigyan Dhara merges several existing DST schemes including the INSPIRE programme that works to attract young talent to science research. It has three broad components — human and institutional capacity building, research and development, innovation and technology development, and also deployment.
— On the biotechnology side, the new initiative aims to support innovation-driven research and development across six thematic areas.
1. The first will focus on bio-chemicals, bio-enzymes, and bio-polymers, which will mainly have industrial, consumer, and scientific applications.
2. The second pillar will focus on smart proteins and functional foods.
3. The third will focus on bio-therapeutics. Targeted therapy is emerging as the cutting-edge treatment for several genetic conditions and cancers.
4. The fourth will focus on agriculture, supporting development of bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides.
5. The fifth will focus on developing bio-fuels and bio-chemicals, especially those that are developed from captured carbon emissions.
6. The last area was marine and space application to focus on developing products from marine ecosystems.
Points to Ponder:
— What are the benefits of Vigyan Dhara?
— What is the status of the biotechnology sector in India?
— What are the ethical and regulatory challenges associated with biotechnology in India?
— What measures have been taken by the government for promoting R&D in biotechnology?
Post Read Question:
Examine the Assess role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in propelling the development of the biotechnology sector in India.
UPSC Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance
Mains Examination: GS-II, GS-III: Government policies and interventions, Linkages between development and spread of extremism, role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.
What’s the ongoing story- Declaring that the last fight with Maoists is near and it will be “ruthless”, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the country will be free of the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) by March 2026.
Prerequisites:
— What is naxalism?
— What is Left-wing Extremism?
— Read about the Origin of Naxalism in India.
— Know about the Maoist-affected areas in Chhattisgarh.
Key takeaways:
— Shah said his two-day visit to Chhattisgarh is aimed at reviewing the implementation of all Central and state government-funded schemes and projects in LWE-affected areas and finding out ways to deal with the obstructions coming in the way.
— Shah said nearly 17,000 people, including Maoists, security forces and civilians, have died in LWE-related incidents in the country.
— Shah said a special drive will be carried out in LWE-affected areas to make all people literate, regardless of their age. He also said a new surrender policy will be brought in Chhattisgarh very soon and appealed to the youth to quit violence and take the path of development.
For Your Information:
— LWE in Chhattisgarh: Chhatisgarh is the only state in which Maoists continue to have a significant presence, and retain the capability to mount big attacks. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) website, there are 70 LWE-affected districts in the country. Of these, 15 are in Chhattisgarh alone. Of the 25 “Most LWE affected Districts”, seven are in Chhattisgarh, while eight are in Jharkhand
— Chhattisgarh, and to a lesser extent Jharkhand, is a part of the government’s “final push” against LWE. This has seen central forces such as CRPF setting up bases deeper inside Maoist strongholds such as the jungles of Abujhmad. In the past few years, more than two dozen bases have been set up in Abujhmad, with Kanker’s Rowghat jungles too seeing new camps.
Points to Ponder:
— What is the difference between terrorism and naxalism?
— What is a Red Corridor region?
— What are the determinants of left-wing extremism in the Eastern part of India?
— What initiatives have been taken by the government to counter Naxalism?
— What strategy should be adopted to counter the Naxalism in the affected areas?
Post Read Question:
Naxalism is a social, economic and developmental issue manifesting as a violent internal security threat. In this context, discuss the emerging issues gets a multilayered strategy to tackle the menace of Naxalism. (UPSC CSE 2022)
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
Anti-Maoist operations status report
UPSC Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Mains Examination: GS-II, GS-III: Government policies and interventions, Infrastructure and environment
What’s the ongoing story- The Great Nicobar infrastructure project was granted statutory environmental, forest and coastal clearances after observing “meticulous due diligence” and after adhering to all rules and regulations, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has said.
Prerequisites:
— What is the Great Nicobar Island Project?
— Know about the Island Coastal Zone Regulation (ICRZ), 2019
— Organisation to look for: National Green Tribunal.
— Know the Location, Extent and Major Islands in the Andaman and Nicobar groups.
Key takeaways:
— The project, which involves the construction of a transhipment port, an international airport, a power plant, a township and allied infrastructure in the Greater Nicobar island, was given a green signal by the environment ministry in 2022. The move invited criticism from the Opposition that said the mega project posed grave threat to indigenous tribal groups and flora and fauna.
— “It is only after due deliberations and after incorporating exemplary mitigation measures that the decision on the project was taken by the Central Government keeping the strategic, national and defence interests in mind and without compromising with the environmental and social aspects,” Yadav stated.
— The minister then went on to point out that the green clearances granted have withstood legal scrutiny before the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
— Yadav also reiterated the stand of an NGT-appointed high-powered committee and said that no part of the project fell in the Coastal Regulation Zone – IA (CRZ-IA) classification, where ports are prohibited.
For Your Information:
— The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a cluster of 836 islands, split into two groups — the Andaman Islands to the north and the Nicobar Islands to the south — by the 150-km wide Ten Degree Channel. Great Nicobar is the southernmost and largest of the Nicobar Islands, a sparsely inhabited 910-sq-km patch of mainly tropical rainforest in southeastern Bay of Bengal.
— Reasons for the Slow Pace of Infrastructural Development in the A&N Islands:
1. Distance from the mainland and difficulties in developing infrastructure.
2. Complex procedures for obtaining environmental clearances.
3. Significant coordination challenges among ministries, departments, and agencies.
— The Great Nicobar ‘Holistic Development’ Project was conceived by the NITI Aayog and the key plan includes construction of an international container transshipment terminal; township and area development, a 450 MVA gas and solar-based power plant, an airport for civilian and defence use.
Points to Ponder:
— What are the tribes found in Andaman and Nicobar?
— What are the issues and concerns related to the Great Nicobar Project?
— What is the significance of Andaman and Nicobar?
— What initiatives have been taken by the government for the development of Andaman and Nicobar Islands?
Post Read Question:
(4) Consider the following places:
1. Sabang (Indonesia)
2. Coco Island (Myanmar)
3. Hope Island (India)
Arrange these places in decreasing order of their distance from Andaman and Nicobar Islands
(a) 1—2—3
(b) 2—1—3
(c) 3—2—1
(d) 3—1—2
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
Explained: Legal challenges to the Great Nicobar infrastructure project
UPSC Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance
Mains Examination: GS-II, GS-III: Health, Science and Technology and important international institutions
What’s the ongoing story- There are no vaccines for mpox available in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicentre of a global health emergency declared last week, even though the country first asked for the shots two years ago and the manufacturers say they have supplies.
Prerequisites:
— What is Mpox and how is it transmitted?
— What is the history of Mpox outbreaks?
— Organisations to look for: World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF and Gavi,
Key takeaways:
— Three years after the last worldwide mpox outbreak, the W.H.O. still has neither officially approved the vaccines — although the United States and Europe have — nor has it issued an emergency use license that would speed access.
— One of these two approvals is necessary for UNICEF and Gavi, the organization that helps facilitate immunizations in developing nations, to buy and distribute mpox vaccines in low-income countries like Congo.
— While high-income nations rely on their own drug regulators, such as the Food and Drug Administration in the United States, many low- and middle-income countries depend on the W.H.O. to judge what vaccines and treatments are safe and effective, a process called prequalification.
— A new variant of the virus, spread by close intimate contact, has now crossed Congo’s eastern border into 13 countries, prompting the W.H.O. to declare a global health emergency on Aug. 14.
For Your Information:
— Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a self-limiting viral infection caused by mpox virus (MPXV). The most common symptoms of mpox include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes, along with pox-like rashes that last for two to three weeks. It is a self-limiting disease but can lead to death, especially among children and those with weak immune systems.
— This is the second time that mpox has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The global outbreak of mpox was first declared a PHEIC on July 23, 2022.
Points to Ponder:
— What are the powers and responsibilities of WHO?
— What does the WHO’s declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) mean?
— What are the different virus clades of Mpox and how do they differ in impact?
Post Read Question:
(5) With reference to the Mpox, consider the following statements:
1. It was first discovered in humans in Nigeria.
2. It is not transmitted from animals to humans.
3. The vaccines developed for smallpox are up to 80% effective against mpox.
4. The World Health Organization (WHO) classified mpox as a global public health emergency.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
| ALSO IN NEWS | |
| Adani, Birla keen to tap Mongolian copper, but face logistics challenge | Two large companies Adani Enterprises Ltd and Aditya Birla group-owned Hindalco Industries Ltd are keen to source raw material from copper-rich Mongolia, but are concerned about the logistics of transporting copper concentrate from the landlocked Central Asian country to India.
Copper concentrates is a key input for refined copper, and India relies on imports for nearly 90 per cent of its supply due to limited domestic mining of this critical mineral. India imports its requirements almost entirely from Indonesia, Chile and Australia. Mongolia exported copper ore worth $2.7 billion in 2022 and was the world’s 10th largest exporter of the commodity. Much of its exports go exclusively to China. |
| Prelims Answer Key | |
| 1. (c) 2. (c) 3. (b) 4. (d) 5. (b) |
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