Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Mehrauli
Mains level: History of Delhi
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) carried out an anti-encroachment drive in the nearby villages of Mehrauli and Ladha Sarai leaving hundreds of families in uncertainty about their future.
History of Delhi
- Purani Dilli, commonly referred to as Old Delhi, is a misnomer as the city’s history dates back to before the establishment of Shahjahanabad.
- The oldest evidence of habitation in Delhi, dating back to the Iron Age (around 1100-800 BC), is the painted grey ware fragments found in Purana Quila.
- Historians recognize seven cities of Delhi, from the 11th century onwards, namely Lalkot/Quila Rai Pithora/Mehrauli, Siri, Tughlaqabad, Firozabad, Shergarh (Old Fort), Shahjahanabad, and New Delhi.
- However, depending on what is considered a city, this number can be as high as 11.
In focus: City of Mehrauli
- Mehrauli is widely considered to be the oldest ‘city’ of Delhi and is the oldest area of the metropolis to be continuously inhabited.
- It was first built by a ruler called Anangpal II in the 11th century, and it was called Lalkot.
- Later, it was known as ‘Quila Rai Pithora’ and was fortified by the Chauhans.
- The Mamluk dynasty took control of the city in 1192, and Qutubudin Aibak, the first ruler of the dynasty, built the Qutub Minar and the Quwwat-al-Islam mosque (oldest mosque in North India).
- In the following century, more buildings like tombs, step wells, palaces, and fortifications were constructed during the reigns of Iltutmish, Razia Sultan, and Alauddin Khilji.
Continued relevance and inhabitation
- Even as the newer cities came up and the seat of power shifted northwards, Mehrauli witnessed building activity as late as the Mughal and British periods.
- Due to its location on the lap of the Aravallis hills, the area was preferred as a summer retreat.
- Two Mughal summer palaces (Zafar Mahal and Jahaz Mahal) and a summer abode of Sir Thomas Metcalfe (Dilkhusha) are situated here.
- Mehrauli lay on a historic trade route, as the number of sarais (Ladho Sarai, Ber Sarai, Neb Sarai) around the area would suggest. A sarai was a resthouse for weary travellers.
Cultural significance of Mehrauli
- Mehrauli is also a spiritual centre. Sufi saint Hazrat Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki (1173 -1235 AD) was buried in the city and his dargah remains popular till date, across religious lines.
- Some historians cite the dargah as a reason for the city surviving the test of time – despite power shifting elsewhere, the dargah remained a revered destination for pilgrims far and wide.
- Another spiritual centre for the community is the Yogmaya mandir, believed to be one of the oldest in the city.
- Yoginis (semi-divine deities) have been an integral part of Indian folklore and this temple dedicated to them is believed to have been constructed by the Pandavas.
How it ended up in encroachments?
- Like much of the rest of Delhi, the Partition brought many changes to Mehrauli too.
- Many refugees from the West found sanctuary here. The city has also seen sectarian tensions.
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Thwaites Glacier
Mains level: Sea Level rise
The new research suggests that even low amounts of melting can potentially push Thwaites glacier further along the path toward eventual disappearance.
Thwaites Glacier
- Called the Thwaites Glacier, it is 120 km wide at its broadest, fast-moving, and melting fast over the years.
- Because of its size (1.9 lakh square km), it contains enough water to raise the world sea level by more than half a meter.
- Studies have found the amount of ice flowing out of it has nearly doubled over the past 30 years.
- Thwaites’s melting already contributes 4% to global sea-level rise each year. It is estimated that it would collapse into the sea in 200-900 years.
- Thwaites is important for Antarctica as it slows the ice behind it from freely flowing into the ocean. Because of the risk it faces — and poses — Thwaites is often called the Doomsday Glacier.
How is Thwaites glacier melting?
- Thwaites Glacier is melting due to a combination of warming ocean currents and a weakening of the ice shelf that acts as a barrier between the glacier and the ocean.
- The cause of the melting is thought to be the influx of relatively warm bottom water drawn in from the wider ocean.
- In the 1990s it was losing just over 10 billion tonnes of ice a year. Today, it’s more like 80 billion tonnes.
Why is this glacier so important?
- Huge size: Flowing off the west of the Antarctic continent, Thwaites is almost as big as Great Britain. It is one of the largest and most important glaciers in Antarctica, as it acts as a gateway to a vast area of the continent.
- Melting faster: It’s a majestic sight, with its buoyant front, or “ice shelf”, pushing far out to sea and kicking off huge icebergs. But satellite monitoring indicates this glacier is melting at an accelerating rate.
- Seal level rise: Thwaites’ ice loss contributes approximately 4% to the annual rise in global sea-levels, with the potential to add 65cm in total should the whole glacier collapse. Its melting could also destabilize the entire West Antarctic Ice Sheet, leading to a further rise in sea levels.
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Roche Limit, Quaoar, Dwarf Planets
Mains level: Not Much
Central idea: A new study shows that a dwarf planet, named Quaoar, has a ring system that exists within its Roche limit.
What is the news?
- Astronomers have found a ring around a dwarf planet, located in the Kuiper Belt at the solar system’s edge, called Quaoar, according to a new study.
- The ring, however, is positioned much further away from the planet than is usual and defies theoretical explanations.
About Quaoar
- With an estimated radius of 555 km, Quaoar is roughly half the size of Pluto and orbits beyond Neptune.
- It also has a moon of its own, which is known as Weywot.
- As the dwarf planet is too small and too distant to be observed directly, the researchers detected the ring with the help of a phenomenon called stellar occultation.
How was the ring discovered?
- A stellar occultation occurs when, as seen from Earth, a bright star passes behind a planet.
- This allows astronomers or anybody on Earth to observe the sharp silhouette of the planet for a brief period of time.
- The phenomenon, which rarely occurs, is used by researchers to analyze a planet’s atmosphere and determine if it has a ring around it — in 1977, scientists discovered the Uranian ring system with the help of stellar occultation.
What is the Roche limit?
- The most intriguing part of the findings is the distance between Quaoar and its ring.
- Located 2,500 miles away from the dwarf planet, the ring is around 1,400 miles further away from the Roche limit, as per the calculations of the scientists.
- It suggests that at such a distance, the particles of the ring should have come together to form a moon.
- For a further understanding of the Roche limit, let’s look at the Earth and the moon. The Earth’s gravity pulls on the moon.
- However, one side of the moon is closer to the planet and hence, the pull is stronger on the side facing the Earth.
- The result is the so-called tidal force, which either stretches or compresses the moon from all sides.
What is the reason behind Quaoar’s far-out ring?
- As of now, nobody exactly knows how Quaoar’s ring has managed to remain stable at such a distance from the Roche limit.
- The researchers said that there can be a variety of possible explanations but they aren’t sure about any one of them.
- It might be possible that Quaoar’s moon, Weywot, or some other unseen moon contributes gravity that somehow holds the ring stable.
- Another potential explanation can be that the particles of the ring are colliding with each other in such a way that they are avoiding to coalesce into a moon.
Try this MCQ:
Q.What is the Roche limit?
A) The distance from a planet where its gravity is balanced by the gravitational force of another celestial body
B) The minimum distance from a planet that a moon can orbit without being pulled apart by tidal forces
C) The distance from the sun at which a planet can have a stable orbit
D) The distance from the earth where meteoroids burn up upon entering the atmosphere
Post your answers here.
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Lavani
Mains level: NA
Central idea: The article is based on the controversy surrounding the Maharashtra folk dance form, Lavani, which has come under criticism for being ‘vulgar’ and ‘obscene’.
What is the Lavani folk art form?
- The word Lavani comes from ‘lavanya’ or beauty.
- Lavani is a traditional folk art form in which women dancers wearing nine-yard-long sarees in bright colours, make-up, and ghunghroos perform on dholak beats on a stage before a live audience.
- As an indigenous art form, Lavani has a history going back several centuries, and it attained particular popularity in the Peshwa era in the 18th century.
- Traditionally, performances were held in front of kings or lords, and for the entertainment of tired soldiers resting during breaks in fighting.
Genres of Lavani
- There are several types of Lavani, of which the most popular is the Shringarik (erotic) kind, in which the lyrics are often teasing, with sensuous dance steps and delicate gestures employed to convey erotic meaning.
- Over the years, Lavani has gained more acceptability among the people, even though certain taboos around it continue.
- The audience has historically been all-male, but in recent years, some women too have begun to attend performances.
Why is it under fire these days?
- Lost its original form: Some also argue that the commercialization of Lavani has led to a loss of authenticity and cultural significance.
- Objectifying women: The criticism of Lavani dance centres on the traditional dance form’s alleged objectification and commodification of women’s bodies.
- Public obscenity: It has been accused of promoting obscenity and vulgarity and reinforcing patriarchal attitudes towards women.
- Communalizing/Stereotyping: Critics have also argued that the dance form perpetuates negative stereotypes of women from marginalized communities, such as the notion that Dalit women are “loose” or sexually promiscuous.
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: InfoCrop v2.1
Mains level: Use of AI in agriculture
Central idea: Scientists at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute conducted an experiment using InfoCrop version 2.1 to quantify the impact of hot weather on crop yield in Punjab and Haryana.
What is InfoCrop v2.1?
- InfoCrop version 2.1 is India’s only dynamic crop simulation model developed and released by the IARI in 2015 to study the long-term impact of climate change and crop management practices on yield.
- InfoCrop is more suited for India as it has the life cycle data for almost all the local varieties of 11 crops: paddy, wheat, maize, sorghum, pearl millet, pigeon pea, chickpea, soybean, groundnut, potato and cotton.
How does it work?
- In InfoCrop, the parameters are already calibrated to Indian crop varieties and they are updated at regular intervals by the institute.
- The parameters deal with aspects of-
- Weather (precipitation, temperature, radiation and others)
- Crop growth (phenology, grain characteristics, leaf growth, temperature and flooding sensitivity and others)
- Soil (texture and organic carbon, water holding characteristics and pH levels) and
- Pests and crop management (organic matter, fertiliser and irrigation).
Efficiency of InfoCrop model
- The model has an 85 per cent accuracy rate.
- This is on par with widely used dynamic models such as the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer model, developed by the US, and Agriculture Production Systems sIMulator, developed by Australia.
Utility of this tool
- Prevent on-field corruption: India currently relies on field trials, which are expensive and resource-intensive as well as highly corrupt practise.
- Crop insurance prediction: Government and insurance companies can use this for climate impact projections and for pre- or in-season crop yield forecasts to improve accuracy.
- Assess crop loss: Besides forecasting, simulation models can be used to assess crop loss in the aftermath of an extreme weather event, which can then be used to provide relief packages.
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Marburg Virus
Mains level: Rise in zoonotic diseases
Central idea: Equatorial Guinea has confirmed its first-ever outbreak of Marburg virus disease.
Where is Equatorial Guinea located?
- Equatorial Guinea is a country located in Central Africa.
- It is situated on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Cameroon to the north and Gabon to the south and east. It also includes two small islands, Bioko and Annobon, which are located in the Atlantic Ocean.
|
Marburg Virus
- The Marburg virus is a highly dangerous pathogen that targets several organs and reduces the body’s ability to function on its own.
- Depending on the strain and case management, the fatality rates for the virus range from 24% to 88%.
Transmission and Prevention
- The natural carrier of the Marburg virus is the African fruit bat, which carries the virus but does not fall sick from it.
- Human-to-human transmission occurs through contact with blood or other bodily fluids.
- Rehydration treatment to alleviate symptoms can improve the chances of survival.
Its outbreaks
- The virus has caused simultaneous outbreaks of disease in laboratories in Marburg, Germany and Belgrade, Serbia in 1967, resulting in seven deaths.
- During an outbreak in Angola in 2004, the virus killed 90% of the 252 people who were infected, and in Ghana last year, two people died of Marburg.
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-health/equatorial-guinea-confirms-marburg-virus-outbreak-explained-8443753/
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Office of Profit
Mains level: Read the attached story
Central idea: Jharkhand CM’s chair remains uncertain as the Election Commission (EC) is understood to have conveyed its decision in an office-of-profit complaint against him to the Governor.
Why in news?
- Under Section 9A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the CM could face disqualification for entering into a government contract.
- The Constitution of India does not define the Office of Profit. It has only mentioned it under Article 102 (1) and Article 191 (1).
What is ‘Office of Profit’?
- In India, the concept of an “Office of Profit” refers to a situation where a person holds a government position that brings them financial gain or other advantages, while at the same time they hold an elected or other public office.
- The idea behind this concept is to prevent any conflict of interest and ensure that elected representatives do not hold positions that may compromise their independence and impartiality.
Indian context to this
- MPs and MLAs, as members of the legislature, hold the government accountable for its work.
- The essence of disqualification is if legislators hold an ‘office of profit’ under the government, they might be susceptible to government influence, and may not discharge their constitutional mandate fairly.
- The intent is that there should be no conflict between the duties and interests of an elected member.
- Hence, the office of profit law simply seeks to enforce a basic feature of the Constitution- the principle of separation of power between the legislature and the executive.
What governs the term?
- At present, the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959, bars an MP, MLA or an MLC from holding any office of profit under the central or state government unless it is exempted.
- However, it does not clearly define what constitutes an office of profit.
- Legislators can face disqualification for holding such positions, which bring them financial or other benefits.
- Under the provisions of Article 102 (1) and Article 191 (1) of the Constitution, an MP or an MLA (or an MLC) is barred from holding any office of profit under the Central or State government.
An undefined term
- The officials of the law ministry are of the view that defining an office of profit could lead to the filing of a number of cases with the Election Commission and the courts.
- Also, once the definition is changed, one will also have to amend various provisions in the Constitution including Article 102 (1) (a) and Article 109 (1) (a) that deal with the office of profit.
- It will have an overarching effect on all the other sections of the Constitution.
Factors constituting an ‘office of profit’
- The 1959 law does not clearly define what constitutes an office of profit but the definition has evolved over the years with interpretations made in various court judgments.
- An office of profit has been interpreted to be a position that brings to the office-holder some financial gain, or advantage, or benefit. The amount of such profit is immaterial.
- In 1964, the Supreme Court ruled that the test for determining whether a person holds an office of profit is the test of appointment.
What is the ‘test of appointment’?
Several factors are considered in this determination including factors such as:
- whether the government is the appointing authority,
- whether the government has the power to terminate the appointment,
- whether the government determines the remuneration,
- what is the source of remuneration, and
- power that comes with the position
Try this MCQ:
Q. What is an “Office of Profit” in India?
a) A position that is controlled by the government and comes with no financial gain or other benefits.
b) A position that is controlled by the government and comes with some financial gain or other benefits.
c) A position that is controlled by the private sector and comes with no financial gain or other benefits.
d) A position that is controlled by the private sector and comes with some financial gain or other benefits.
Post your answers here.
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Read the attached story
Mains level: Social reforms stipulated by Dr. Ambedkar
Dr. BR Ambedkar was India’s first Law Minister after independence. The letter of his resignation is now missing from official records.
Dr Ambedkar as Law Minister
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar served as Independent India’s first law minister.
- He was an Indian jurist, economist, politician, and social reforme, who was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1990.
- It is believed that Sardar Patel and Mahatma Gandhi proposed Dr. Ambedkar’s name for the post of Law Minister in the Nehru Cabinet.
Why was he selected for the post?
- Being father of our Constitution: Sardar Patel, then deputy PM, had a high regard for Dr. Ambedkar’s intellectual abilities and his contributions to the drafting of India’s Constitution.
- Political urge for inclusivity: Additionally, Dr. Ambedkar’s role in the Dalit movement and his fight against caste discrimination also made him a significant political figure.
- Representation of the marginalized: His appointment as the Law Minister was seen as a symbol of inclusivity and representation of marginalized communities in the government.
Why did Dr. Ambedkar resign?
- Political differences with Nehru: He resigned as Law Minister, due to differences with the then PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, over the Hindu Code Bill. He specifically wanted to reform Hindu Personal Laws and not every personal laws in India.
- Row over reforming Personal Laws: The bill aimed to reform Hindu personal laws related to marriage, divorce, and inheritance, but Dr. Ambedkar believed that it did not go far enough in granting women’s rights and wanted more radical changes.
- Injustice to women: Ambedkar had proposed a more comprehensive set of reforms that would have given women greater rights in matters such as property ownership and inheritance, but his proposals were met with resistance from Nehru and other members of the government.
Efforts to locate his resignation letter
- The letter was not found in the National Archives of India and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- The Maharashtra government has also been unable to locate the letter in its archives.
- RTI (Right to Information) requests were also unsuccessful.
Significance of his letter
- The missing letter is a matter of concern as it is an important historical document.
- Ambedkar’s resignation was a significant event in India’s political history and the reasons behind it are still relevant today.
- The letter could shed light on the differences between the visionary Dr. Ambedkar and then mainstream politicians.
India’s first Provisional Government (Constitutionally)
- Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of India after the country gained independence in 1947.
- The members of his first cabinet, which was sworn in on August 15, 1947, were as follows:
- Jawaharlal Nehru – Prime Minister and Minister of External Affairs
- Vallabhbhai Patel – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar – Minister of Law and Member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council
- C. Rajagopalachari – Minister of Industry and Supply
- John Mathai – Minister of Railways
- Liaquat Ali Khan – Minister of Finance
- Baldev Singh – Minister of Defence
- Sardar Baldev Singh – Minister of Communications
- Sardar Swaran Singh – Minister of Works, Mines and Power
- Jagjivan Ram – Minister of Labour and Rehabilitation
- Dr. Rajendra Prasad – Minister of Food and Agriculture
- Maulana Abul Kalam Azad – Minister of Education
- Sardar K.M. Panikkar – Minister of States
- Rafi Ahmed Kidwai – Minister of Communications (Independent Charge)
- Asaf Ali – Minister of Railways (Independent Charge)
- It is worth noting that this was a provisional government, and the first general election to form a permanent government was held in 1952.
|
Note: Azad Hind was not India’s first provisional government. The credit for establishing that – formally known as the ”Hukumat-i-Moktar-i-Hind” – in Kabul on 1st Dec, 1915, goes to Raja Mahendra Pratap and Maulana Barkatullah.
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Axiom Mission 2
Mains level: NA
Central idea: Saudi Arabia will send its first-ever woman astronaut on the US-led Axiom 2 space mission later this year, in the latest move to revamp the kingdom’s ultra-conservative image.
Axiom Mission 2
- Axiom Mission 2 is a private spaceflight mission organized by Axiom Space, a Houston-based aerospace company.
- The mission is scheduled to launch in 2023 and aims to send four private individuals on a 10-day trip to the International Space Station (ISS).
- Rayyana Barnawi will join fellow Saudi male astronaut Ali Al-Qarni on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) during the second quarter of 2023.
- The mission is the second private crewed flight to the ISS, following the Inspiration4 mission by SpaceX.
- The crew is expected to undergo months of training, including simulations, physical conditioning, and emergency procedures.
- The mission is part of Axiom Space’s plan to establish a private space station attached to the ISS, which is expected to be launched in 2024.
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati
Mains level: Not Much
PM inaugurated celebrations commemorating Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati’s 200th birth anniversary.
Dayanand Saraswati (1824-1883)
- Dayanand Saraswati (born Mool Shankar Tiwari) was a religious leader and founder of the Arya Samaj, a reform movement in the nineteenth century.
- He was a profound scholar of the Vedic lore and Sanskrit language.
- Dayanand was a great scholar, and was well-versed in the Vedas and the Upanishads.
- He was also proficient in Sanskrit grammar, philosophy, religion, politics and other sciences.
Notable works
(1) Literary works
- He wrote several books, including the Satyarth Prakash, which became the moral and spiritual foundation of the Arya Samaj.
- This book was translated into many languages, including Hindi, English and Urdu.
(2) Freedom movement
- He was the first to give the call for Swaraj as “Indian for India” – in 1876, a call later taken up by Lokmanya Tilak.
- Subsequently, the philosopher and President of India, S. Radhakrishnan, called him one of the “makers of Modern India”, as did Sri Aurobindo.
(3) Religious reform
- Denouncing the idolatry and ritualistic worship prevalent in Hinduism at the time, he worked towards reviving Vedic ideologies.
- He believed that the Vedas should be interpreted in the light of reason and not of blind faith.
- He also campaigned against animal sacrifice and the worship of idols.
(4) Social reform
- Dayanand was a staunch advocate of women’s rights.
- He believed in the equality of all human beings and advocated the abolition of the caste system.
(5) Education
- Dayanand was an ardent believer in the power of knowledge and education.
- He established the Gurukul system of education, which provided free education to all, irrespective of caste or gender.
- Based on his teachings, in 1885 the first DAV School was established at Lahore which was subsequently upgraded to become the first DAV College.
- In 1886 the DAV College Trust and Management Society was established and registered.
Try this PYQ:
Which among the following event happened earliest?
(a) Swami Dayanand established Arya Samaj
(b) Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neeldarpan
(c) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Anandmath
(d) Satyendranath Tagore became the first India to succeed in the Indian Civil Services Examination.
Post your answers here.
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Quasicrystals
Mains level: NA
Scientists have discovered a new type of quasicrystal, one with 12-fold symmetry, in the Sand Hills of north central Nebraska, USA.
What is a Quasicrystal?
- Quasicrystal is essentially a crystal-like substance.
- However, unlike a crystal, in which atoms are arranged in a repeating pattern, a quasicrystal consists of atoms that are arranged in a pattern that doesn’t repeat itself regularly.
- For the longest time, physicists believed every crystalline arrangement of atoms must have a pattern that repeats itself perfectly over and over again.
- However, this changed in 1982, when material scientist Dan Shechtman discovered crystal structures that are mathematically regular, but that do not repeat themselves.
How are they formed?
- Electrical discharge triggered quasicrystal formation in the recent finding.
- It’s also the first time that researchers have found a quasicrystal somewhere other than meteorites or the debris from nuclear blasts.
Applications of quasicrystals
- There is no major commercial applications yet exploit properties of the quasicrystalline state directly.
- Quasicrystals form in compounds noted for their high strength and light weight, suggesting potential applications in aerospace and other industries.
- They can be used in surgical instruments, LED lights and non-stick frying pans.
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Agasthyarkoodam Observatory
Mains level: NA
Agasthyarkoodam was once home to a forgotten and long-lost 19th-century observatory established by Scottish meteorologist John Allan Broun.
Agasthyarkoodam Observatory
- The Agasthyarkoodam Observatory is an astronomical research observatory located in the state of Kerala.
- The observatory is situated at an altitude of 1600 meters above sea level and is owned and operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA).
- The observatory is equipped with a 1-meter optical telescope and various other instruments for studying the night sky.
- The observatory is used for research and educational purposes and is open to the public for viewing night-sky objects.
Why in news?
- Agasthyarkoodam in the Western Ghats once housed a magnetic observatory that was established by Scottish meteorologist John Allan Broun.
- Broun used it to record magnetic and meteorological observations in tandem with the Thiruvananthapuram astronomical observatory.
- Broun’s astronomical research in India began after he was invited by the ruler of the erstwhile Travancore Uthram Tirunal Marthanda Varma to helm the Thiruvananthapuram observatory following the death of its first director John Caldecott in 1849.
- The observatory started recording observations in July 1855.
- However, it was closed in 1881 by the then Madras Governor Sir William Denison.
What are magnetic observatories?
- Magnetic observatories continuously measure and record Earth’s magnetic field at a number of locations.
- In an observatory of this sort, magnetized needles with reflecting mirrors are suspended by quartz fibres.
- Light beams reflected from the mirrors are imaged on a photographic negative mounted on a rotating drum.
- Variations in the field cause corresponding deflections on the negative.
- Their magnetograms are photographed on microfilm and submitted to world data centres, where they are available for scientific or practical use.
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Solar Prominence
Mains level: Not Much
Recently, the sun puzzled many scientists with a large prominence near its north pole.
What is Solar Prominence?
- A solar prominence (also known as a filament when viewed against the solar disk) is a large, bright feature extending outward from the Sun’s surface.
- Prominences are anchored to the Sun’s surface in the photosphere, and extend outwards into the Sun’s hot outer atmosphere, called the corona.
- A prominence forms over timescales of about a day, and stable prominences may persist in the corona for several months, looping hundreds of thousands of miles into space.
How are they formed?
- Scientists are still researching how and why prominences are formed.
- The red-glowing looped material is plasma, a hot gas comprised of electrically charged hydrogen and helium.
- The prominence plasma flows along a tangled and twisted structure of magnetic fields generated by the sun’s internal dynamo.
- An erupting prominence occurs when such a structure becomes unstable and bursts outward, releasing the plasma.
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Delhi-Mumbai Expressway
Mains level: Road infrastructure
Photos of the soon-to-be-inaugurated Delhi-Mumbai Expressway have gone viral, receiving widespread appreciation online.
Delhi-Mumbai Expressway
- The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is a proposed 1380 km expressway that will link the capital city of Delhi to Mumbai, India.
- The expressway is being planned as a six-lane expressway and will pass through the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
- Started in 2018, the project is set to be completed by the end of 2023.
- The expressway is expected to reduce the travel time between Delhi and Mumbai by up to 12 hours.
- The expressway will also have several rest stops and will be equipped with advanced technology such as electronic toll collection, smart traffic management and surveillance systems.
- The expressway will be built in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Some basic details
- The expressway is being constructed with an initial budget of INR 98,000 crore.
- According to claims by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, it will reduce the distance between Delhi and Mumbai by 180 km (from 1424 km to 1242 km).
- Depending on the volume of traffic the expressway sees, there are plans in place to expand it to a 12-lane expressway in the future.
- The reduction in distance and travel time is set to result in annual fuel savings of more than 320 million litres and reduce CO2 emissions by 850 million kg.
Some unique features
- Importantly, the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is set to introduce certain features seldom seen in road construction in India.
- According to claims from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the expressway will boast of a state-of-art traffic management system.
- There will also be a dedicated three metre wide corridor for laying utility lines including fibre optic cables, pipelines as well as solar power generation.
- The expressway will also have provisions for rain water harvesting at intervals of 500 m, with over 2000+ water recharge points.
Provisions for wildlife conservation
- A crucial feature of the project will be its provisions for “wildlife conservation”.
- The expressway is the first in Asia and only the second in the world to feature animal overpasses and underpasses to facilitate unrestricted movement of wildlife.
- Furthermore, the expressway has been aligned in a way to minimize the destruction of protected forests.
- Two iconic 8-lane tunnels will also be built, one through Mukundra sanctuary without disturbing the endangered fauna in the region and the second through the Matheran eco-sensitive zone.
- A 3 ft tall boundary wall and sound barriers will also be constructed in sections prone to wildlife.
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Treaty of Alinagar
Mains level: Not Much
Signed on February 9, 1757, the Treaty of Alinagar between the Nawab of Bengal and the East India Company raised the curtains for British colonial expansion in India.
Treaty of Alinagar, 1757
- Signed on February 9, 1757, the Treaty of Alinagar was signed between Robert Clive of the East India Company and Mirza Muhammad Siraj Ud Daula, then Nawab of Bengal.
- It is said to be one of the key events leading up to the Battle of Plassey later that year.
- Plassey was where the English laid a significant blow, defeating the nawab. It paved the way for the East India Company’s takeover of Bengal.
- The name Alinagar was a short-lived reference to modern-day Kolkata, and the treaty came about after the nawab was faced with both the British and Afghan forces.
- He compromised with the former; however, the peace was short-lived.
British advent in India: A quick backgrounder
- After the Anglo-Mughal War which took place between 1686 and 1690, the British began consolidating their presence in the subcontinent.
- It had established the Fort St. George in what was Madras, Fort William in then Calcutta and Bombay Castle by the beginning of the 18th century.
- The British initially helped local princes and nawabs quell uprisings or revolts and they, in turn, gave them concessions.
Course of the treaty
- In January 1757, the British attacked the town of Hooghly, close to then Calcutta, with over 700 men.
- The Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-daulah, who had just come to power a year earlier in his early 20s, mobilised forces.
- His troops would overpower the British and reach Calcutta on January 10, 1757, having lost over 600 men.
- However, the losses sustained in the war had resulted in the nawab losing confidence.
- He signed what came to be known as the Treaty of Alinagar with Robert Clive – who became the first British Governor of the Bengal Presidency – on February 9, 1757.
- Siraj-ud-daulah agreed to the restoration of the company’s factories and allowed for the fortification of Calcutta.
Aftermath of the battle
- The British then moved on to wrest the remaining territories in Bengal from the French, laying siege to Chandannagar.
- However, the move did not go down well with the nawab.
- But, Daulah was also wary of Afghan forces under Ahmad Shah Durrani and the Marathas.
- Traders in his kingdom were already wary of him and there was a conspiracy led by the likes of his military general, Mir Jafar.
- Events would later culminate in the Battle of Plassey on June 23, 1757.
- It resulted in the East India Company gaining hold of Bengal and was a significant event in its rise to power in the subcontinent.
Try this question.
Q.For most Indians, the history of British colonial rule in India begins in Plassey. However, the roots of it were sown long back. Discuss. (250W)
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Nord Stream Pipelines
Mains level: Not Much
An American investigative journalist has claimed that the September 2022 bombing of the undersea Nord Stream gas pipelines was carried out by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
What is Nord Stream Pipeline?
(1) Nord Stream 1:
- Nord Stream 1 is the biggest pipeline transporting natural gas between Russia and Europe via Germany.
- It is a system of offshore natural gas pipelines running under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany.
- Nord Stream 1 is a 1,224 km underwater gas pipeline that runs from Vyborg in northwest Russia to Lubmin in northeastern Germany via the Baltic Sea.
(2) Nord Stream 2:
- Russian threats to choke this gas supply to Europe present an economic threat to Germany.
- To expand options and double the supply from Russia, Germany decided to build Nord Stream 2.
- The construction of the $11 billion-worth Nord Stream 2 was completed in 2021 but never began commercial operations.
Why the Nord Stream pipeline is so much in news?
- For Germany: Energy prices in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, are among the lowest in the continent because of the cheap gas supplies via Nord Stream 1. This also makes German manufactured goods more competitive in the international market.
- For European Union: In 2021, Russia supplied nearly 40 per cent of the EU’s natural gas needs through this pipeline. The flows through Nord Stream play a vital role in filling up the national storage tanks of EU. It is crucial to provide the required heating in the upcoming winter.
- For Russia: Russia is using the supplies via the crucial pipeline as a bargain to navigate its economy through sanctions from the western countries.
- Nord stream pipeline is the largest single supply route for Russian gas to Europe. The Russian state owned gas company Gazprom has a majority ownership in the pipeline.
- While it was running at just 20% of its capacity since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began, the company, in early September fully cut gas flows from the pipeline on the pretext of maintenance.
- According to Bloomberg, while 40% of Europe’s pipeline gas came from Russia before Russia Ukraine the war, the number now stands at just 9%.
- Even though both pipelines were not running commercially, they had millions of cubic metres of gas stored in them.
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PSLV, SSLV, GSLV
Mains level: Not Much
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will undertake the second development flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV –D2).
Payload details
The SSLV-D2 is intended to inject ISRO’s EOS-07, U.S.-based firm Antaris’ Janus-1 and Chennai-based space start-up Space Kidz’s AzaadiSAT-2 satellites into a 450-km circular orbit in its 15 minutes flight.
- EOS-07: is a 156.3 kg satellite designed, developed and realized by the ISRO. Its mission objective is to design and develop payload instruments compatible with microsatellite buses and new technologies that are required for future operational satellites.
- Janus-1: Weighing around 10.2 kg, Janus-1 is a technology demonstrator, smart satellite mission based on Antaris software platform.
- AzaadiSAT-2: A 8.7-kg satellite, AzaadiSAT-2 is a combined effort of about 750 girl students across India guided by Space Kidz India, Chennai.
What is SSLV?
- The SSLV is a small-lift launch vehicle being developed by the ISRO with payload capacity to deliver:
- 600 kg to Low Earth Orbit (500 km) or
- 300 kg to Sun-synchronous Orbit (500 km)
- It would help launching small satellites, with the capability to support multiple orbital drop-offs.
- In future a dedicated launch pad in Sriharikota called Small Satellite Launch Complex (SSLC) will be set up.
- A new spaceport, under development, near Kulasekharapatnam in Tamil Nadu will handle SSLV launches when complete.
- After entering the operational phase, the vehicle’s production and launch operations will be done by a consortium of Indian firms along with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).
Vehicle details
(A) Dimensions
- Height: 34 meters
- Diameter: 2 meters
- Mass: 120 tonnes
(B) Propulsion
- It will be a four stage launching vehicle.
- The first three stages will use Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) based solid propellant, with a fourth terminal stage being a Velocity-Trimming Module (VTM).
SSLV vs. PSLV: A comparison
- The SSLV was developed with the aim of launching small satellites commercially at drastically reduced price and higher launch rate as compared to Polar SLV (PSLV).
- The projected high launch rate relies on largely autonomous launch operation and on overall simple logistics.
- To compare, a PSLV launch involves 600 officials while SSLV launch operations would be managed by a small team of about six people.
- The launch readiness period of the SSLV is expected to be less than a week instead of months.
- The SSLV can carry satellites weighing up to 500 kg to a low earth orbit while the tried and tested PSLV can launch satellites weighing in the range of 1000 kg.
- The entire job will be done in a very short time and the cost will be only around Rs 30 crore for SSLV.
Significance of SSLV
- SSLV is perfectly suited for launching multiple microsatellites at a time and supports multiple orbital drop-offs.
- The development and manufacture of the SSLV are expected to create greater synergy between the space sector and private Indian industries – a key aim of the space ministry.
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Quorum
Mains level: Features of parliamentary democracy
The Lok Sabha began a discussion on the general Budget but the House had to be adjourned before the scheduled time due to lack of quorum.
What is Quorum?
- Quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly necessary to conduct the business of that assembly.
- Article 100 of the Indian Constitution states that the quorum to constitute a meeting of either House of Parliament shall be one-tenth of the total number of members of that House.
- This means that the quorum of Lok Sabha (Lower House) is 55 and that of Rajya Sabha (Upper House) is 25.
Who decides the Quorum?
- The quorum is usually decided at the beginning of the session and if it is not present when a vote is taken, the vote is invalid.
- In the event of inadequate quorum, the Speaker or the Chairman can adjourn the House or suspend the sitting till the quorum is present.
Challenging a Quorum
- Furthermore, the quorum can be challenged by any member of the House.
- In the event that the quorum is challenged, the Speaker or the Chairman can direct that a count of the members present be taken.
- If the quorum is not present, the House is adjourned. However, if the quorum is present, the business of the House is resumed.
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: QR coin vending
Mains level: Not Much
To improve the distribution of coins among members of the public, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is preparing a pilot project on QR code-based Coin Vending Machine (QCVM) in collaboration with a few leading banks.
QR code-based Coin Vending Machine (QCVM)
- The QCVM is a cashless coin dispensation machine which would dispense coins against a debit to the customer’s bank account using Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
- Unlike cash-based traditional Coin Vending Machine, the QCVM would eliminate the need for physical tendering of banknotes and their authentication.
- Customers will also have the option to withdraw coins in the required quantity and denominations in QCVMs.
When will it be launched?
- The pilot project is planned to be initially rolled out at 19 locations in 12 cities across the country.
- Machines will be installed at public places such as railway stations, shopping malls, marketplaces to enhance ease and accessibility.
- Based on the learnings from the pilot tests, guidelines would be issued to banks to promote better distribution of coins using QCVMs.
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Sarna Religion
Mains level: Tribal assertiveness
West Bengal Assembly has tabled a motion to recognize Sarna Religion of the tribals and have a Sarna Code.
Sarna Religion
- The followers of Sarna faith believe pray to nature.
- The holy grail of the faith is “Jal (water), Jungle (forest), Zameen (land)” and its followers pray to the trees and hills while believing in protecting the forest areas.
- Jharkhand has 32 tribal groups of which eight are from Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.
- While many follow Hindu religion, some have converted to Christianity — this has become one of the planks of demanding a separate code “to save religious identity”— as various tribal organisations put it.
Demand for Sarna Code
- Tribal groups in the region have long demanded the Sarna code, a separate religious classification in the census, recognising their status as independent religious communities.
- It is believed that 50 lakhs tribal in the entire country put their religion as ‘Sarna’ in the 2011 census, although it was not a code.
- The resolution will seek a special column for followers of the Sarna religion in the Census, 2021.
- At present, they are not classified as a separate entity.
Politics around the tribe
- Many of the tribals who follow this faith have later converted to Christianity—the state has more than 4% Christians most of whom are tribals.
- Some who still follow the Sarna faith believe the converted tribals are taking the benefits of reservation as a minority, as well as the benefits, are given to Schedule Tribes.
- They also believe that benefits should be given specifically to them and not to those who have converted.
What sense does a separate code make?
- The protection of their language and history is an important aspect of tribals.
- Between 1871 and 1951, the tribals had a different code. However, it was changed around 1961-62.
- Experts argue that when today the entire world is focusing on reducing pollution and protecting the environment, it is prudent that Sarna becomes a religious code as the soul of this religion is to protect nature and the environment.
Crack Prelims 2023! Talk to our Rankers
(Click) FREE 1-to-1 on-call Mentorship by IAS-IPS officers | Discuss doubts, strategy, sources, and more
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now