Shepherd's son clears UPSC: Belagavi village bursts into celebration
Beyond the rank and the exam, this young man now represents something larger-social mobility, representation, and the breaking of generational cycles of marginalization. His dream of joining the civil services wasn't just about a secure career; it was about giving back, making governance more inclusive, and inspiring others like him to aim higher.His journey is a powerful testament to how talent can rise from anywhere even the quiet corners of a shepherd's village when given the right support and opportunities.Must Watch
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Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Mains answer practice — GS 1 : Questions on significance of the Ambubachi festival and jet streams (Week 109)
UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative for the practice of Mains answer writing. It covers essential topics of static and dynamic parts of the UPSC Civil Services syllabus covered under various GS papers. This answer-writing practice is designed to help you as a value addition to your UPSC CSE Mains. Attempt today's answer writing on questions related to topics of GS-1 to check your progress. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for June 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Discuss the role of Ambubachi festival in shaping religious tourism and local economies in North-East India. Discuss the formation, characteristics, and seasonal variability of jet streams. How does modern aviation strategically utilises these atmospheric currents, citing their benefits and potential hazards? Introduction — The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction. — It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts. Body — It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content. — The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points. — Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse. — Underlining keywords gives you an edge over other candidates and enhances presentation of the answer. — Using flowcharts/tree-diagram in the answers saves much time and boosts your score. However, it should be used logically and only where it is required. Way forward/ conclusion — The ending of the answer should be on a positive note and it should have a forward-looking approach. However, if you feel that an important problem must be highlighted, you may add it in your conclusion. Try not to repeat any point from body or introduction. — You may use the findings of reports or surveys conducted at national and international levels, quotes etc. in your answers. Self Evaluation — It is the most important part of our Mains answer writing practice. UPSC Essentials will provide some guiding points or ideas as a thought process that will help you to evaluate your answers. QUESTION 1: Discuss the role of Ambubachi festival in shaping religious tourism and local economies in North-East India. Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers. Introduction: — The event takes place during the monsoon season, usually in June, at the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, which is a shrine to the Goddess Kamakhya and one of the most prominent Tantrik Shakti centres. — The event is associated with fertility, the beginning of the monsoon season, and the common historical connotation of a fertile woman among nations on Earth. The name 'Ambubachi' literally means 'water flowing.' Body: You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer: — During Ambubachi, devotees at this spot are said to have access to the creative and nurturing power of mother Earth's'menses' during monsoon rain. During this time, all agricultural activities, including ploughing and sowing, are suspended. — The Kamakhya Temple has a long and complicated history, reaching back at least to the early years of the Common Era, but its beginnings are thought to be far older. It has been destroyed and rebuilt several times, most notably in the 16th century by Koch monarch Naranarayana, giving the current edifice a mix of ancient and mediaeval architecture. — 'Ambubachi' means 'spoken with water,' and it signifies that the rains expected this month would make the ground fruitful and suitable for conception. Daily worship is halted at this time. All agricultural activities, including digging, ploughing, sowing, and transplanting crops, are outlawed. — The concept of Ambubachi thus has formative effects, as well as components of agricultural, social, and religious beliefs that have led to the phenomenon's emergence. It is thus symbolic and religiously sanctioned. Conclusion: — The Ambubachi period is thought to correspond to the goddess's annual menstruation, and the shrine is shuttered during this time. At the end of the period, the shrine's doors are ceremonially opened, and devotees flock to see the deity. This year, the shrine remained closed from June 22 to 25, then reopened on June 26. (Source: Ambubachi Mela at Kamakhya temple: Significance of major Assam religious festival, Points to Ponder Read about other important festivals of North-East India Related Previous Year Questions How does Indian society maintain continuity in traditional social values? Enumerate the changes taking place in it. (2021) QUESTION 2: Discuss the formation, characteristics, and seasonal variability of jet streams. How does modern aviation strategically utilises these atmospheric currents, citing their benefits and potential hazards? Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers. Introduction: — Jet streams are narrow bands of high winds that travel thousands of miles from west to east. Major jet streams are found near the higher regions of the atmosphere, around 9 to 16 kilometres above the earth's surface, and can reach speeds of over 320 kph. — The jet streams move to the north or south depending on the season. During the winter, the wind current is strongest. They are also closer to the equator in the winter. — The three main jet streams are the Polar Front, Subtropical, and Tropical jet streams. In India, the tropical jet stream influences the origin and duration of the summer monsoon. Body: You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer: Formation of Jet Streams — They are generated because of two key ingredients: rotation and heating. — The earth is unevenly heated due to the disproportionate concentration of solar heating in the tropics and the absence of warmth at the poles. This causes the atmosphere to move, as some particles of air become warmer and more buoyant than others. But the globe also rotates, which limits the resulting fluid flow, notably in the north-south direction. These two elements cause the ensuing flow to spread west-eastward and produce jet streams. Characteristics of Jet Streams — These are narrow bands of strong winds blowing from west to east. — They follow the boundary between hot and cold air. — During the winter months in both the northern and southern hemispheres, jet streams are at their fiercest. Conclusion: How does modern aviation utilise atmospheric currents? — Most commercial flights fly at jet stream altitude, and a strong jet stream can offer a powerful tailwind to a trip heading from west to east, such as the British Airways journey from New York to London. This helps to minimise travel time for such planes by increasing their speeds. — Modern aviation takes advantage of air currents in several important ways: — Jet streams, or high-altitude winds, can considerably cut flight time and fuel consumption when flown with, whereas turbulence, another atmospheric phenomenon, necessitates careful management and mitigation measures. — Airlines intentionally plan routes to use jet streams for eastward trips, decreasing travel time and fuel consumption. They avoid regions of known turbulence to protect passenger comfort and safety. (Source: What is a jet stream, which helped a flight beat speed record?, Points to Ponder Read about polar vortices, and atmospheric rivers What are Rossby waves? Related Previous Year Questions What is the phenomenon of 'Cloudbursts'? Explain. (2024) What is the concept of a 'demographic winter'? Is the world moving towards such a situation? Elaborate. (2024) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 108) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 109) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 108) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 109) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 108) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 107) 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 – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
IAS officer Neha Byadwal's 3-year no-phone UPSC prep sparked viral backlash, with netizens calling it a ‘toxic cult'
Source: Instagram A viral online debate has erupted after IAS officer Neha Byadwal's UPSC prep strategy, 'going three years without using a mobile phone,' went viral on social media. Critics argue that such extreme isolation reflects a flawed UPSC prep model that values rote learning over real-world understanding. A viral post labelled this approach as part of a 'UPSC prep cult,' accusing it of producing bureaucrats disconnected from the people they serve. While many defended her discipline, others questioned the relevance of the current UPSC preparation system, reigniting calls for reform in how India trains and selects its future civil servants. Neha Byadwal's no-phone UPSC prep sparks backlash IAS officer Neha Byadwal's UPSC prep strategy to go without a mobile phone for three years has gone viral. The user's viral post, viewed over 9 lakh times on X (formerly Twitter), labeled the approach as part of a 'UPSC prep cult' that fosters isolation and rote learning. The post argued that such intense preparation methods produce IAS officers who are academically strong but disconnected from real-world India. This sparked a larger debate on whether the current UPSC preparation model is outdated and in need of reform to align with modern governance needs. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Secure Your Child's Future with Strong English Fluency Planet Spark Learn More Undo The debate gained traction after the viral post on X (formerly Twitter). The user called the UPSC's aggressive study culture a risky "cult" that churns out civil servants who are not connected to actual India. This UPSC prep cult must be broken and destroyed. Total sociopaths with no conception of how India functions beyond their 24x7 rote study space become in charge of the people," the post stated. The tweet has since been viewed more than 9 lakh times, setting off a heated debate regarding whether the UPSC prep model is still relevant and what bureaucrats of the future should expect. Three years without a mobile: Neha Byadwal's UPSC strategy draws mixed reactions The most provocative aspect of Neha Byadwal's routine was her choosing not to own a mobile phone at all for three years. To some, this might seem worthy, but others were curious about how one could afford to remain so disconnected in the present digitally oriented world. "Bureaucracy har cheez ke liye OTP maangti hai… Imagine the privilege of not requiring a mobile phone for 3 years in today's world," the critic further commented. The user also addressed accusations of being jealous, saying: 'People saying I'm targeting the girl coz I'm jealous: No bro. I'm just a girl standing in front of you, wanting ROI for my tax money.' UPSC preparation model faces backlash for lack of real-world exposure Various users carried the criticism further to the overall administrative hierarchy, stating that most IAS officers are chosen on the basis of their academic achievements but do not have actual world or field exposure. Critics also cited that these officers end up being taught by coaching material instead of learning how governance really functions. "What will an IAS know about electricity when he is appointed MD of a board? Likewise, what will a babu know when he is the chief of the directorate general of shipping or aviation?" questioned one user. One user noted that this problem is not specific to bureaucrats: "Why only UPSC? It infects our engineers (IIT/Kota factories), CAs and everyone else too. The subtext in these comments is a request for changes in the way professionals and administrators get chosen and trained in India. Source: Instagram Neha Byadwal's UPSC prep strategy also sparks praise for commitment and focus Apart from the above-mentioned, there were people who stood up for Neha Byadwal and the UPSC preparation process. Some asked critics to remember the huge pressure and competition behind cracking one of the world's most challenging exams. "Easy said than done, crack this exam and then listen to you," one replied. Someone else replied sarcastically to the proposal of breaking UPSC culture: "And, put whom in charge, influencers?" Others also maintained that not being on the phone did not imply not being informed. They pointed out that candidates such as Neha probably remained current with newspapers and magazines for current affairs. "She did not use her phone, but for news of the day, she must be reading the paper to know what is going on and how India functions," one supporter noted. Who is IAS officer Neha Byadwal Neha Byadwal is an inspiration and a fighter. She comes from a small village in Jaipur, Rajasthan, where societal pressures kept women behind veils and discouraged them from pursuing their education. In 2021, she shattered the glass ceiling by emerging as the first IAS officer from her village, a feat that brought her community pride. Her path didn't merely alter her own life—it shifted the beliefs of families in her community about the education of girls. Neha says she felt a sense of emotion as young girls approached her, saying they wanted schools and a better future. "I hope I become the reason a father encourages his daughter to study, telling her 'if she can, you can too'," she said in an Instagram post. Neha's success has become a symbol of possibility, showing how one person's determination can uplift an entire community. Also Read | Rare roll cloud stuns beachgoers in Portugal amid heatwave, video goes viral; here's what it means
NDTV
2 days ago
- NDTV
UPSC CAPF Exam 2025 Time Table Released, Exam On This Date
UPSC CAPF 2025 Exam Date: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced the final timetable for the 2025 CAPF Assistant Commandant written exam. The test will be held on August 3, 2025, after an earlier tentative date was published on March 5. This recruitment drive will fill 357 vacancies across the five Central Armed Police Forces. UPSC CAPF Assistant Commandant 2025 Exam: Vacancies Total Posts: 357 Border Security Force (BSF): 24 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF): 204 Central Industrial Security Force (CISF): 92 Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP): 4 Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB): 33 UPSC CAPF 2025: Exam Details The written exam has two papers on the same day. Paper 1 (10 am-12 pm, 250 marks) will test General Ability and Intelligence with multiple-choice questions in English and Hindi. Paper 2 (2 pm-5 pm, 200 marks) will cover General Studies, an Essay (in English or Hindi), and Comprehension/Language skills (in English only). After the written test, candidates must clear the Physical Standards Test (PST), Physical Efficiency Test (PET), an Interview/Personality Test, and a Medical Examination. UPSC CAPF Assistant Commandant 2025: Eligibility Criteria Candidates must be 20-25 years old as of August 1, 2025 (born between August 2, 2000, and August 1, 2005). Aspirants also need a Bachelor's degree (final-year students may apply provisionally but must graduate before the PST/PET stage). UPSC may, in special cases, accept equivalent professional or technical qualifications. Anyone already appointed as a CAPF Assistant Commandant from an earlier exam is not eligible to reapply. Candidates can visit the UPSC website to download the official notification.
