Reading News for UPSC is utmost important and rising number of questions year on year in UPSC Prelims is a testimony of this

We are starting a daily series where we will analyze news covered in The Hindu, Indian Express and other newspapers which are important from exam perspective and which are not

Important news would have been covered in our daily news coverage in form of newscards.

Unimportant ones will be mentioned here and a short description regarding why it is not relevant for the exam

Click on news headlines to read the full news

High relevance news

Fish samples in Chennai test positive for formalin

https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/fish-samples-in-chennai-test-positive-for-formalin/

Bioaccumulation is a phenomenon that has seen a rise in recent years. Read about formalin and also about bioaccumulation from environment notes/books. Can be asked in Prelims

[op-ed snap] MSP Hike is a big blunder. Farmers are producers not objects of charity

https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/op-ed-snap-msp-hike-is-a-big-blunder-farmers-are-producers-not-objects-of-charity/

Very good editorial highlighting actual cause behind depressed prices of agricultural goods. Points can be quoted in related Mains answers.

Centre plans stronger defenses for key data

https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/centre-plans-stronger-defenses-for-key-data/

Centre has been focussing on data privacy in the recent past after the right to privacy verdict. Read about the new policy.

Trees offer multiple benefits — don’t kill them, breed them

https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/trees-offer-multiple-benefits-dont-kill-them-breed-them/

Read about value estimates of a tree and what is the impact of tree felling on the environment. Can be quoted in Mains.

Low Relevance News

Govt. to allow spouses of Indian nationals to convert visa category even if married abroad

Spouses of the Indian nationals getting married abroad will no longer have to face difficulties in converting their tourist visa to dependent visa as the government plans to change existing rules

The only important detail in news: As per the visa manual, a tourist visa can be converted to X2 visa only when the marriage takes place in India and gets registered within the validity of the present tourist visa

₹29.41 cr. spent on ferrying new notes post-demonetisation

Over ₹29.41 crore was spent on using the Indian Air Force’s ultra-modern transport aircraft — the C-17 and the C-130J Super Hercules — to ferry the new ₹2,000 and ₹500 currency notes post-demonetisation

No important detail from UPSC perspective