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Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
UPSC Key: Roadmap on de-escalation, GLP-1 drugs, and Coastline paradox
Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for June 28, 2025. If you missed the June 27, 2025, UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here. Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-II: India and its neighbourhood- relations What's the ongoing story: Eight months after the disengagement of troops at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has told his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun that there is need for a 'structured roadmap of permanent engagement and de-escalation'. He called for a 'permanent solution of border demarcation'. Key Points to Ponder: • What is LAC? • Know the names of the international boundaries between India and neighbouring countries • What is SCO? • What are the significance and challenges for India in the SCO? • What do you understand by de-escalation and disengagement? • What are the issues and challenges in the India-China relationship? • What is the defence engagement between India and China? • What do you understand by 'roadmap for de-escalation'? Key Takeaways: • In his talks Thursday with Dong on the sidelines of the meeting of Defence Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Qingdao, Singh underlined the need for 'bridging the trust deficit created after the 2020 border standoff, by taking action on ground'. • Even after the disengagement along the LAC in eastern Ladakh, de-escalation has not happened. An estimated 50,000-60,000 troops are still stationed on either side of the LAC in the region. • The mention of a 'structured roadmap' for permanent engagement and de-escalation is a new formulation – both sides have been working towards normalising their relationship after the bitter military standoff. • The previous meetings between the two sides had focused on trust, understanding and confidence-building through engagements and maintaining peace and tranquility along the borders. But there was no talk of a 'structured roadmap', key to the remaining steps for 'de-escalation'. • It said Singh 'acknowledged the work being undertaken by both sides to bring back semblance of normalcy in the bilateral relations' – the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is a pointer to that. • This was Singh's second engagement with Dong since October 2024 when both sides agreed to disengage in eastern Ladakh after a military standoff for more than four years. • Before this, Singh held three bilateral meetings with his Chinese counterparts since 2020 – in September 2020 in Moscow, in April 2023 in New Delhi (both on the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting) and in November 2024 at Vientiane, Laos, on the sidelines of the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus. Do You Know: • The origins of SCO lie in the 'Shanghai Five' which was formed in 1996, consisting of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. With the dissolution of the USSR in 1991 into 15 independent countries, there were concerns in the region about extremist religious groups and ethnic tensions coming to the fore. To manage these issues, a grouping was created for cooperation on security matters. • Building on this, SCO was established on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai as an international organisation, and also included Uzbekistan as a sixth member. The Charter of the SCO was signed at the St. Petersburg Summit in June 2002 and became effective on September 19, 2003. Additionally, in 2006, the SCO announced plans to combat international drug trafficking as a means to finance global terrorism. • Today, it consists of 10 member countries- India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. India and Pakistan became full members in 2017. • The LAC is the demarcation that separates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory. India considers the LAC to be 3,488 km long, while the Chinese consider it to be only around 2,000 km. It is divided into three sectors: the eastern sector which spans Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, the middle sector in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, and the western sector in Ladakh. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Line of Actual Control (LAC): Where it is located, and where India and China differ 📍Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (1) 'Belt and Road Initiative' is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of : (UPSC CSE 2016) (a) African Union (b) Brazil (c) European Union (d) China Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 'China is using its economic relations and positive trade surplus as tools to develop potential military power status in Asia', In the light of this statement, discuss its impact on India as her neighbor. (UPSC CSE 2017) Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life. What's the ongoing storyDanish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk launched its blockbuster weight-loss injectable semaglutide earlier this week, months after its competitor Eli Lilly's tirzepatide hit Indian markets — and nearly four years after these GLP-1 therapies took the United States by storm.: Key Points to Ponder: • What do you know about weight loss drugs? What are the recent developments in this field? • What is the role of insulin in the body? • Know the reason and cause of diabetes in the human body? • What is obesity? How is it defined by the WHO? • What are the challenges of diabetes in India? Key Takeaways: • The bottom line is this: these drugs have been shown to be extremely effective for weight-loss, helping people lose 15% to 20% of their body weight, equivalent to what they would otherwise lose with bariatric surgeries. • Both semaglutide and tirzepatide belong to a new class of medicines called GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonists. They are prescribed for the management of type-2 diabetes and obesity. • These drugs mimic certain naturally-occurring gut hormones called incretins (GLP-1 is one such incretin) produced in the small intestine, and are hence also known as incretin mimicker. • They work by: (a) improving the secretion of insulin that allows more of the glucose in the bloodstream to enter cells where it can be used for energy; (b) inhibiting the secretion of the hormone glucagon that stimulates the liver to release stored glucose into the bloodstream; (c) slowing down the emptying of the stomach so that the glucose levels in the bloodstream doesn't spike; and (d) reducing appetite by signalling to the brain that one is satiated. • Semaglutide and tirzepatide both mimic the action of GLP-1. Tirzepatide additionally also mimics the action of another hormone called glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). • While incretins were known as early as 1906, research into these gut hormones was overshadowed by the discovery of insulin in 1921. The substance produced by the pancreas has been used to manage diabetes for the past century. • Tirzepatide, which uses an additional target gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), has been shown to lead to a weight-loss of up to 20% of the body weight. The medicine was also approved for the treatment of obesity-related obstructive sleep apnoea — a condition where a person's breathing stops and starts while they sleep. • Oral GLP-1 drugs such as orforglipron and danulipron may soon be available as well. Two other drugs, which use two targets GLP-1 RA and glucagon — Survodutide and Mazdutide are also in phase 3 clinical trials. Do You Know: • There are two kinds of diabetes. Both are related to the body's ability to synthesise and react to insulin, the hormone that breaks down sugar in the blood to produce energy. • Type 1 diabetes, which often starts in childhood, occurs when the pancreas do not produce insulin (or enough insulin). Type 2 diabetes sees the cells of the body develop resistance to insulin, meaning greater amounts are reequired that what is produced by the pancreas. • Both conditions are managed by the administration of synthetic insulin. But this poses a fundamental challenge as the blood glucose levels in the body are not constant. Blood glucose levels falling too much due to the overdosage insulin in the body can be life-threatening Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍How 'smart insulin' promises to revolutionise diabetes treatment Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (2) Which of the following statements regarding insulin harmone is correct? (UPSC CAPF 2018) (a) Insulin is a protein hormone which is not produced in human body. (b) Insulin is a steriod hormone which is produced in human body. (c) Insulin is a cholesterol-driven hormone given to human (d) Insulin is a protein hormone which is produced in human body. Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic geography of India and the World Mains Examination: General Studies-I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclones. etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes. What's the ongoing story: India's coastline is now far longer than it used to be, almost 50% more than the previous length. This increase has happened not because of any acquisition of territory, but due to more accurate measurements that have recently been carried out. Key Points to Ponder: • What is the significance of the coastline for a country? • What is the strategic significance of India's location? • What is the length of India's coastline? • How has the use of higher resolution technology helped the geospatial sector? • What is the significance of the GIS software? • What is the coastline paradox? • Why is it difficult to measure the coastline? Key Takeaways: • Additionally, the number of islands in India has increased slightly. This rise in the number has taken place due to India's reassessment and recount of its offshore islands. • The increase in the length of the coastline and the number of islands is interesting and significant from administrative and strategic perspectives. However, there has been no change in the ground situation. • The length of India's coastline used to be 7,516 km, something that was ascertained in the 1970s. But this coastline has now been measured to be 11,098 km, an increase of 3,582 km, or nearly 48%. The main reason for such a big difference is in the scale of data used for measurement. • The earlier measurement was based on data that were of the scale of 1:4,500,000 (one to forty-five lakh), or smaller. However, with time, much better resolution data has become available, making the measurements more accurate. The recent exercise calculated the length of the coastline using data that had a scale of 1:250,000 (one to 2.5 lakh). • Coastlines are highly irregular structures. Increasing the resolution of data is like reducing the ruler being used for measurement. A one-km ruler, for example, will ignore many small irregularities in the land structure that a one-metre ruler will be able to map. • Higher resolution data can capture the coastline, its bends and curves, in more intricate details. In low-resolution data, these details get smoothened out, and appear as straight lines. The loss of bends and curves would shorten the length. • Also, the previous estimation was a result of more conventional and manual calculations. These have now been replaced with modern GIS software, which is able to capture the irregularities of the landmass much more accurately. • Another reason for the increase has been the inclusion of coastlines of many off-shore islands that had been left out of previous calculations. Some of these islands were either not visible in smaller-scale data or were omitted due to the practical constraints of manual methods of measurement. • While the new length of India's coastline is a much more accurate estimate, it is still not the actual length. In fact, the actual length of India's coastline, or any other coastline for that matter, can not be measured. This is the famous coastline paradox. • Highly irregular features like a coastline do not have a finite length. Their length depends on the scale or resolution at which they are being measured. They can always be observed, and measured, in more detail, which will lead to a longer length. • The coastline paradox extends to many other similar natural features such as river networks and mountain ranges. The path that a river takes, for example, is very irregular. The banks of a river are not a straight line. Calculating the length of a river along its banks would lead to the same kind of problem as in measuring the coastline. However, river lengths are mostly calculated along the main stream, and not along the banks. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍UN: Growing threat to oceans a global emergency Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (3) Which of the following statements about the coasts of India is/are correct? (CDS 2022) 1. The West Coast of India is a high rocky, retreating coast. 2. The West Coast of India is dominated by erosional landforms. 3. The East Coast of India, however, is a low sedimentary coast exhibiting depositional forms. Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Indian diaspora. What's the ongoing story: Kanti Bajpai writes: The American strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan have brought to the fore three major issues: The success of the strikes, the future of Iran's highly enriched uranium (HEU), and the nature of US-Israel-Iran dealings going forward. Key Points to Ponder: • Know the location of Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan on the map • What is the current status of the conflict between Iran and Israel? • What is highly enriched uranium (HEU)? • What are the issues regarding Iran's Nuclear Programme? • What is the role of the IAEA? • What is the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreement? • Understand the nuclear technology Key Takeaways: • It is too early to know the extent of the damage inflicted on the Iranian facilities. Of greatest interest is Fordow. Twelve GBU-57 bombs were used against the main ventilation shafts in an attempt to destroy the centrifuges and control centre, which are 80 metres underground. • If Fordow has effectively been sealed and control over the centrifuges is lost, a direct hit on the centrifuge hall may not matter. The centrifuges will, over time, simply become inoperable. In this sense, the US President may be at least partly right: Fordow may have been obliterated functionally. • Once the HEU is located, what can the US and Israel do? They could choose to do nothing, on the calculation that Iran will have difficulty in enriching the HEU for the bomb. • The problem is that any direct strikes on the HEU would be tantamount to unleashing 'dirty bombs', in which radioactive materials are vented without a nuclear chain reaction. The global outcry would be significant were this to occur, and both the US and Israel may be wary of the blowback. Plus, Israel must worry that its own nuclear reactors could be targeted someday to produce a similar result. It may not, therefore, want to legitimate such an action. • For a new deal to be struck on Iran's nuclear activities, the United States will need to negotiate a successor to the JCPOA. In his comments on the strikes on Iran, US President Donald Trump drew a parallel to the Hiroshima and Nagasaki attacks during World War II, seeming to suggest that Iran is similarly prostrate. In fact, the parallel is far from accurate. Iran is not an occupied country. • The conditions are ripe, therefore, for a new nuclear deal. That said, the ceasefire must hold, and Iran must have an authority figure that can deliver a deal. Neither is certain. In addition, the US may have to sweeten the deal economically by lifting sanctions. Do You Know: • Nuclear technology is one of the few innovations that have changed the modern world profoundly and controversially. It involves harnessing nuclear reactions of atomic nuclei through the processes of nuclear fission and fusion. • Nuclear fission is a process in which a heavy atomic nucleus splits into two or more lighter nuclei. It is also associated with the process of radioactive decay as heavier nuclear elements decay into lighter ones. In contrast, nuclear fusion is considered a process of creation as it involves the formation of a new, heavier atomic nucleus from the merger of two lighter and smaller nuclei. • Both processes release a huge amount of energy. While the practical application of nuclear fusion is still under research, nuclear fission has been harnessed for destructive as well as constructive purposes since its discovery in 1938 by Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann. • The first practical application of nuclear fission was the creation of nuclear weapons using Uranium and Plutonium by the US under the Manhattan Project. These weapons were used in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, which led to the beginning of the 'nuclear or atomic age'. • The international regulation of nuclear technology started in 1957 with the establishment of the IAEA as an intergovernmental forum for the peaceful use of nuclear technology. In 1970, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) entered into force with the main objectives of non-proliferation, disarmament, and the promotion of peaceful use of nuclear technology. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Understanding nuclear technology in the wake of US attack on Iran 📍Knowledge Nugget | International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the nuclear watchdog: A must-know for UPSC exam Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (4) In India, why are some nuclear reactors kept under 'IAEA safeguards' while others are not? (UPSC CSE 2020) (a) Some use uranium and others use thorium (b) Some use imported uranium and others use domestic supplies (c) Some are operated by foreign enterprises and others are operated by domestic enterprises (d) Some are State-owned and others are privately owned UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: What are the risks associated with nuclear energy, and how can they be mitigated through policy and regulation? What role does the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) play in regulating the peaceful use of nuclear energy? Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development Main Examination: General Studies III: Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country What's the ongoing story: The Union Cabinet approved a proposal on Wednesday (June 25) to set up a regional wing of the Peru-based International Potato Center (CIP), a premier research-for-development organisation with a focus on the potato and sweet potato. Key Points to Ponder: • What is the International Potato Center (CIP)? • What is the function of CIP? • What is the position of India in potato production? • What is the significance of this move? • Know about potato cultivation in India – type of soil, temperature • Is potato a tuber or a bulb? Key Takeaways: • The proposed CIP-South Asia Regional Center (CSARC) will come up at Singna in Agra district, and cater not only to farmers in India's potato belt states, like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, but also to South Asian countries. • UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wrote to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on January 20, urging him to direct ministry officials to facilitate the early establishment of the center. • 'Establishment of this center will boost domestic potato seed production, thereby reducing India's dependence on seed imports from neighbouring countries', the source added. • The proposed Agra center comes eight years after China set up a similar CIP wing. Known as the China Center for Asia Pacific (CCCAP), it was established in Yanqing, Beijing, in 2017. The center serves China, East Asia and the Pacific regions. • The proposed CSARC will be the second major international agricultural research institution to set up operations in India. In 2017, the Agriculture Ministry supported the establishment of a regional centre of the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). The IRRI-SARC is established in Varanasi. Do You Know: • The potato is the third most available food crop in the world, after rice and wheat, while sweet potato is in the 6th position after maize and cassava. Though India is the second largest potato producer in the world, followed by China, its average yield is 25 tonnes per hectare — about half of its potential of over 50 tonnes per hectare. A major reason for these low numbers is a lack of availability of high-quality seeds. • India's sweet potato yield is just 11.5 tonnes per hectare, which is much less than the potential of 30 tonnes per hectare. With the establishment of the CSARC, India will have access to the largest global collection of germplasm (the cells or tissues from which a new organism can be generated) available with the CIP, a source said. • China is the top potato producer and consumer in the world, followed by India. In 2020, China's production was recorded at 78.24 million tonnes, while India produced 51.30 million tonnes. Both countries together accounted for over one-third of the global potato production (359.07 million tonnes). • In India, Uttar Pradesh (15 million tonnes), West Bengal (15 million tonnes) and Bihar (9 million tonnes) were the top three potato producers in 2020-21. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab also have significant production. • As of now, at least two different ICAR centres work on tuber crops. While the Shimla-based ICAR-CPRI (Central Potato Research Institute) is working on the potato, the Thiruvananthapuram-based ICAR-CTCRI (Central Tuber Crops Research Institute) is working on the sweet potato. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Nod for South Asia unit of International Potato Center in Agra Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, development and employment What's the ongoing story: The country's current account balance recorded a surplus of $13.5 billion, or 1.3 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in January-March 2025 quarter as against $4.6 billion, or 0.5 per cent of GDP, in the same quarter of the previous fiscal. Key Points to Ponder: • What is GDP? How is it calculated? • What is the difference between the current account and the capital account? • What is the current account deficit? • If the CAD of the country increases, what does it tell about the economy? • What is the FDI? Why is it important for the economy? • What is the FPI? How is it different from FDI? • What do you understand by the external commercial borrowings (ECBs)? Key Takeaways: • For the fiscal 2024-2025, the country's current account deficit was $23.3 billion, or 0.6 per cent of GDP, compared to $26 billion, 0.7 per cent of GDP during 2023-24, primarily due to higher net invisibles receipts. • The current account deficit is the difference between exports and imports of goods and services. It is a key indicator of the country's external sector. • In the financial account, foreign direct investment (FDI) recorded a net inflow of $0.4 billion in January-March 2024-25 as compared to an inflow of $2.3 billion in the corresponding period of FY2024. Net inflow under FDI at $1 billion during 2024-25 was lower than $10.2 billion during 2023-24. • Foreign portfolio investment (FPI) recorded a net outflow of $5.9 billion in Q4 FY2025 as against a net inflow of $11.4 billion in the same quarter of FY2024. During FY2025, FPI recorded a net inflow of $3.6 billion, lower than $44.1 billion a year ago. • Net inflows under external commercial borrowings (ECBs) to India amounted to $7.4 billion in Q4 FY2025, as compared to $2.6 billion in the corresponding period a year ago. • Non-resident deposits (NRI deposits) recorded a net inflow of $2.8 billion in fourth quarter of FY2025, lower than $5.4 billion a year ago. • There was an accretion of $8.8 billion to the foreign exchange reserves (on a Balance of Payment basis) in Q4 FY2025 as compared to an accretion of $30.8 billion in Q4 FY2024. Do You Know: • Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is an important macroeconomic indicator that measures the economic growth of a country. It is also an easy parameter for comparing the growth of a country with that of other countries in the world. • GDP is the sum of the market value of all the final goods and services produced within the geographical boundaries of a country each year. If a country produces 'n' commodities each year with quantities represented by q₁ to qₙ and their corresponding market prices denoted as p₁ to pₙ, then GDP is calculated by multiplying the price per unit with the total quantity produced and summing it across all goods and services. This is indicated in a mathematical format below: GDP = (q₁×p₁)+(q₂×p₂)+(q₃×p₃)+…+(qₙ×pₙ) • GDP accounts for the value of only newly produced goods – goods produced during the year for which GDP is being calculated, normally taken as the financial year. For example, the price obtained from the resale of a house is excluded from GDP, as the house was not constructed in the year of estimation Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Why is GDP considered a key measure of economic growth? 📍Three approaches to measuring GDP and why they matter Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (5) With reference to the gross domestic product (GDP), consider the following statements: 1. It is the market value of all the final goods and services produced within a country in a specific time period. 2. Real GDP refers to the value of goods and services evaluated at current market prices without factoring in inflation. 3. Nominal GDP refers to the value of goods and services evaluated after adjusting inflation or deflation. How many of the statements given above are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three (d) None Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for June 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Khushboo Kumari is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She has done her graduation and post-graduation in History from the University of Delhi. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. She holds experience in UPSC-related content development. You can contact her via email: ... Read More
Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Climate
- Indian Express
Knowledge Nugget: Why Cloudbursts and Flash Floods matter for your UPSC exam
Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up on your knowledge. Here's your knowledge nugget for today. (Relevance: In 2022, UPSC has asked a question: Explain the mechanism and occurrence of cloudbursts in the context of the Indian subcontinent. Discuss two recent examples. Questions related to climate events and climate-related reports have been UPSC favourites. In this regard, having a comprehensive understanding of this topic is important from the exam perspective.) Three bodies were recovered in Kangra on Thursday (26th June), taking the toll from flash floods triggered by cloudbursts to five, said officials. At least four cloudburst incidents were reported in Banjar, Gadsa, Manikaran, and Sainj of Kullu district, officials said. Given the heightened risk of floods, landslides, and cloudbursts following the active monsoon, the Himachal Pradesh Police Headquarters has issued an advisory. 1. A cloudburst is an extreme weather event. In simple words, it refers to intense rainfall occurring over a short duration within a small area. It is called an extreme weather event because the frequency of cloudbursts has increased due to global warming across the world. 2. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) defines it as unexpected precipitation exceeding 100mm (or 10 cm) per hour over a geographical region of approximately 20 to 30 square km. Significant amounts of rainfall such as this can result in floods. (Note: Basically, all instances of cloudbursts involve heavy rain in a short period, but all instances of heavy rain in a short period are not cloudbursts if they do not fit this criterion.) 3. The formation of clouds and even cloudbursts occur suddenly. Doppler radars (used to determine the velocity of an object) can predict heavy rainfall events up to two hours in advance but they cannot detect the velocity if a mountain obstructs the signal. Also, cloudbursts are not confined to one place. The conditions that trigger cloudbursts can develop quickly in one location and then move to another, making it difficult for early prediction. 4. Excessive or continuous rainfall over a period of days, or during particular seasons, can lead to stagnation of water and cause flooding. Flash floods refer to such a situation, but occurring in a much shorter span of time, and are highly localised. It commonly happens more where rivers are narrow and steep, so they flow more quickly 5. In India, flash floods are often associated with cloudbursts – sudden, intense rainfall in a short period of time. Himalayan states further face the challenge of overflowing glacial lakes, formed due to the melting of glaciers, and their numbers have been increasing in the last few years. To raise awareness about the significance of preserving glacier health in a warming world, the United Nations has declared 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation. 6. Frequently, flash floods are accompanied by landslides, which are sudden movements of rock, boulders, earth or debris down a slope. It is common in mountainous terrains, where there are conditions created for it in terms of the soil, rock, geology and slope. 📍In the hill states like Himachal Pradesh, three main factors contribute to cloudbursts: first, the wind pattern; second, the height of the mountains; and third, the level of moisture and humidity in the air. 📍In the mountains, low-pressure areas form at the top, attracting clouds with significant force. Warm air creates thunderstorms. When air coming from the opposite direction collides with the mountain, it can result in a heavy downpour. This is why the height of the mountain matters in this scenario. The air cannot penetrate the mountain. 📍In these areas, sometimes saturated clouds ready to condense into rain cannot produce rain, due to the upward movement of the very warm current of air. Instead of falling downwards, raindrops are carried upwards by the air current. New drops are formed and existing raindrops increase in size. After a point, the raindrops become too heavy for the cloud to hold on to, and they drop down together in a quick flash. 1. According to the recently released State of Climate in Asia 2024 report, prepared by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in collaboration with regional and international meteorological organisations. The report highlighted how changes in key climate indicators such as surface temperature, glacier mass and sea level will have major repercussions for societies, economies and ecosystems in the region 2. According to the report, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on record in 2024, with its average temperature 1.04 degree Celsius above the last 30-year average. Asia is warming up nearly twice as fast as the global average. 3. The impact of this high rate of warming in 2024 manifested through a range of extreme weather events such as 29 tropical cyclones, prolonged and intense heat waves and extreme rainfall events, including India. 4. In India, extreme heatwaves caused over 450 deaths across the country, the report said. During heatwaves in 2024, temperatures were in the range of 45-48 degree Celsius for sustained periods and touched a high of 50 degrees at some locations. The country also saw deadly lightning events, killing about 1,300 people, the report said. 5. Glaciers continued to lose mass, as per the report, with 23 out of 24 glaciers in the High Mountain Asia region of central-south Asia spanning Himalayas, Pamir mountains, Karakoram, Hindu Kush. The melting of glaciers affects sea level, regional water cycles and the occurrence of local hazards such as glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). 6. In terms of extent, marine heatwaves created a record in 2024, impacting an area of nearly 15 million square kilometres. The northern Indian Ocean, adjacent to Japan and the Yellow and East China seas faced particularly severe or extreme intensity of marine heatwaves. Which of the following statements with regard to cloudburst is/are correct? (UPSC CDS 2017) 1. It is defined as sudden localized very heavy downpour with cloud thunder and lightning. 2. It mostly occurs in the hilly areas. 3. It results into very high intensity of rainfall, i.e., 250 mm-300 mm in a couple of hours. 4. It occurs only during the daytime. Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1, 2, and 3 (b) 1, 3, and 4 (c) 2 and 3 (d) 2 only (Source: Asia warming nearly twice global average, hit hard in 2024: WMO, Explained: What are cloudbursts, and why they occur more in places like Amarnath, Explained: What are flash floods and why they may increase in the next few years, Find out how a radar can help prevent damage caused by cloudburst) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for June 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Khushboo Kumari is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She has done her graduation and post-graduation in History from the University of Delhi. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. She holds experience in UPSC-related content development. You can contact her via email: ... Read More
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
UPSC Key: Cloudburst, Special Intensive Revision and World Bank's poverty line
Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for June 27, 2025. If you missed the June 26, 2025 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here FRONT PAGE Pahalgam terror attack kept out, Rajnath doesn't sign SCO draft Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's Interests. What's the ongoing story: DEFENCE MINISTERS of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Qingdao in China, failed to issue a joint statement Thursday after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh declined to sign the draft statement which omitted a reference to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in J&K. Key Points to Ponder: • What is Shanghai Cooperation Organisation? • What kind of a grouping is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation? • Know the members and observer countries in Shanghai Cooperation Organisation • Map Work-Mark Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member countries with their capital • Why defence Minister Rajnath Singh refused to sign the SCO draft statement? • The absence of a joint SCO communique at Qingdao reflects what? • 'India's decision to withhold its signature on the SCO draft statement at Qingdao'-What does this indicate about India's stance on terrorism in regional fora? • What is the role of consensus in multilateral bodies like the SCO? • How did India's refusal to sign demonstrate both limitations and strengths of consensus protocol? Key Takeaways: • Government sources told The Indian Express that the document, while leaving out the reference to the Pahalgam attack, mentioned the hijacking of the Jaffar Express by the Balochistan Liberation Army in March — Pakistan has been struggling to contain the unrest in the Balochistan province. • According to the sources, no joint statement was issued because Singh refused to sign the draft statement, protesting the absence of a common standard for terrorism. • Stating that the Defence Minister participated in the two-day SCO meeting, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, confirmed the development and said, 'I understand that they could not adopt a joint statement.' • Besides India, the SCO includes Belarus, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. • At the meeting, Singh said the region's biggest challenges are related to peace, security and trust deficits, with increasing radicalisation, extremism and terrorism being the root cause of these problems. • The meeting of the SCO Defence Ministers took place weeks after Operation Sindoor which had India striking terror targets in Pakistan and PoK. The SCO leaders are scheduled to meet at the Summit in Tianjin in China this autumn Do You Know: • According to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's website, 'the SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organization established on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai (PRC) by the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan. Its predecessor was the mechanism of the Shanghai Five.' • In 2002, the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was signed at the meeting of the Council of Heads of States in St. Petersburg, which entered into force on September 19, 2003. It is a statute that stipulates the goals, principles, structure and major areas of activities of the organization. The goals of the SCO are: • To strengthen mutual trust, friendship and good-neighbourliness between the Member States; • To encourage the effective cooperation between the Member States in such spheres as politics, trade, economy, science and technology, culture, education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, etc; • To jointly ensure and maintain peace, security and stability in the region; and • To promote a new democratic, fair and rational international political and economic international order. • The SCO countries includes: 10 Member States — the Republic of India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Republic of Belarus 2 Observer states – the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Mongolia. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍What is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit? Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 📍Terrorist activities and mutual distrust have clouded India-Pakistan relations. To what extent the use of soft power like sports and cultural exchanges could help generate goodwill between the two countries? Discuss with suitable examples.(UPSC CSE GS2, 2015) GOVT & POLITICS India in touch with China on rare earth supply issue amid export curbs: MEA Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests. What's the ongoing story: India on Thursday said it has been in touch with China on the issue of rare earth magnet supply, as Beijing has imposed restrictions on their exports. Key Points to Ponder: • What are rare earths? • Why has China restricted rare earth exports? • What is the role of critical minerals in national security and technological advancement? • How does China's dominance in rare earth elements influence global geopolitics? • What are the challenges faced by countries heavily reliant on imports of critical minerals? • Rare-earth supply are crucial for which sectors? • Explain the strategic vulnerabilities exposed by India's dependence on Chinese rare-earth magnets amid Beijing's export curbs. Key Takeaways: • This is the first time that the Indian government has officially acknowledged raising the matter with China, at a time when Delhi and Beijing are working towards normalising the relationship after six years of border standoff. • Responding to questions, MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, 'On rare earths, yes, we have been in touch with the Chinese side both in Delhi as also in Beijing and we are talking to them as to how we can streamline the supply chain issue on rare earths.' • China, which controls over 90% of global processing capacity for the magnets used for automobiles, clean energy and home appliances, enacted restrictions in April requiring companies to obtain import permits from Beijing. • China's export curbs — meant as a response to US President Donald Trump's tariffs — is likely to impact car manufacturers worldwide. • The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), an industry group, has sought the Indian government's intervention. Do You Know: • While rare earth magnets are a crucial component in electric vehicle motors, they are also required for parts like power windows and audio speakers used in petrol or diesel-run cars. • India's auto sector imported 460 tons of rare earth magnets, mostly from China, in the fiscal year ending March 31 and expects to import 700 tons worth $30 million this year, according to industry estimates. • On April 2, Trump unveiled his policy of reciprocal tariffs, targeting most of America's trading partners. Two days later, China responded by announcing a 34% tariff on all US imports, while also placing export restrictions on rare earths. • Critical minerals and rare earth elements, which are used across several key sectors, ranging from electronics to renewables, automobiles and defence, are increasingly playing a vital role in the economy. For instance, lithium, nickel and cobalt are used in lithium-ion batteries. Dysprosium and neodymium, and tellurium, indium, and gallium are used in wind turbines and photovoltaic cells respectively. • As per the International Energy Agency, China accounts for a 35% share in the refining of nickel, 50-70% of lithium and cobalt and around 90% for rare earth elements. China not only dominates the production of rare earths, but also has the most reserves. As per data from the US Geological Survey, the country's reserves have been estimated at 44 million metric tons. Brazil's reserves have been pegged at 21 million metric tons, India's at 6.9 million, Australia's at 5.7, Russia's at 3.8 million and Vietnam's at 3.5 million. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Explained: What are rare earth elements, and why is India keen to join a global alliance to ensure their supply? EXPRESS NETWORK 5 dead in Himachal flash floods Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World. Mains Examination: General Studies I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes. What's the ongoing story: Three bodies were recovered in Kangra on Thursday, taking the toll from flash floods triggered by cloudbursts to five, said officials. Key Points to Ponder: • What is a cloudburst? • What is the reason of cloudburst? • How common are cloudbursts? • Why do cloudbursts occur in Himachal Pradesh? • Can we predict cloudbursts? • What is a 'Highly local cloud'? • What is flash flooding? • Why is Himachal Pradesh fragile? • What are the ecological problems faced by the Himachal Pradesh? • How disaster management is done in the landslide and subsidence-hit zone? • Run-of-the-river (RoR) hydropower projects in the Himachal Pradesh-what are the issues and challenges? • What Ravi Chopra committee which was constituted by the Supreme Court says about the developmental project in Himalayan States? Key Takeaways: • Search operations are on to find the missing persons — three each from Kullu and Kangra. Meanwhile, an unknown person died after drowning in a rivulet in Kullu on Thursday. The flash floods occurred in Kangra and Kullu districts on Wednesday. • 'Out of five, four were identified. As per the information provided to us by the contractor at the Hydroelectric power project, three people are still missing. Separately, a man, who had climbed up and entered a forest area to save himself yesterday from the increased water at the hydro power project site, was traced today,' said Deputy Commissioner (Kangra) Hemraj Bairwa. • The three deceased have been identified as Chain Singh, a resident of Jammu & Kashmir, Aditya Thakur from Chamba, and Pardeep Verma and Chandan from Uttar Pradesh, Kangra SP Shalini Agnihotri said. • Deputy Commissioner (Kullu)Torul S Raveesh, said a search was on for three persons who had gone missing on Wednesday in Sainj valley. 'We have called the teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to assist,' he said. Do You Know: • While episodes of heavy rain are often termed 'cloudburst', a cloudburst has a specific technical definition — rainfall of 10 cm or more in an hour, over a roughly 10 km x 10 km area. • Cloudbursts are more common in hilly areas because of a phenomenon called 'orographic lift', which basically means warm air rising up the side of a mountain. As warm air 'climbs' a mountain, it expands because of the low pressure above. The expanding air cools, releasing the moisture it was holding as rain. But if more and more warm air keeps rising, it prevents that rain, till a large amount of rain builds up and bursts out in a massive shower all at once. • Because cloudbursts happen in localised areas ( over a roughly 10 km x 10 km area), they are difficult to capture accurately. • As the name suggests, a flash flood happens quickly, when a lot of rain suddenly enters into the drainage systems (waterbodies, drains), and water overflows. Flash floods are again more common in hills, because rocky terrain does not absorb water very well. While river floods, the kind normally seen in plains, last longer and cause more damage to property, the sudden flash floods are more likely to lead to loss of life. • In India, flash floods are often associated with cloudbursts – sudden, intense rainfall in a short period of time. Himalayan states further face the challenge of overflowing glacial lakes, formed due to the melting of glaciers, and their numbers have been increasing in the last few years. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Cloudbursts & heavy localised rainfall — why hills are at risk Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 📍Describe the various causes and the effects of landslides. Mention the important components of the National Landslide Risk Management Strategy. (2021, GS3) 📍Discuss the recent measures initiated in disaster management by the Government of India departing from the earlier reactive approach. (2020, GS3) 📍Disaster preparedness is the first step in any disaster management process. Explain how hazard zonation mapping will help disaster mitigation in the case of landslides. (2019, GS3) Funding nod for 1-yr pilot to manage human-tiger conflict outside reserves Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization. Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. What's the ongoing story: With recurring human-tiger conflicts in certain forest divisions in the country, the Union Environment Ministry has given approval for funding for 'tigers outside of tiger reserve' pilot scheme to manage such conflict better through enhanced monitoring and protection. Key Points to Ponder: • What is 'tigers outside of tiger reserve' pilot scheme? • Why the pilot scheme in managing human–tiger conflict in areas outside notified reserves is important? • Discuss the strengths and limitations of funding wildlife mitigation efforts through the National CAMPA mechanism. • How technology—such as apps and surveillance tools—can enhance conflict management in peripheral forest zones? • What are the persisting threats facing the tiger across its habitats? • 'Project Tiger'-Why Significant? • What year does Project Tiger begin? • Where was Project Tiger launched? • Under which Prime Minister was Project Tiger launched? • 'Status of Tigers in India' report-Key Highlights • What is India's tiger population? Key Takeaways: • As per official documents, the executive committee of the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), under the Environment Ministry, approved in-principle funding on a pilot basis for one year for the scheme, under which 80 forest divisions across 10 states, identified initially on the basis of data of recurring human-tiger conflict, will get funds. • This will be for technical interventions for protection and monitoring of tigers and co-predators, strengthening forest managers to address conflict with technology, collaborations with civil society and expert veterinarians, and augmentation of prey base. • On ground, the scheme will be implemented by the Chief Wildlife Wardens of state forest departments, in close collaboration with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Asked about the initial rollout of the pilot, a government official said that NTCA was finalising the list of forest and wildlife divisions. • The CAMPA's executive committee also directed the NTCA, the scheme's proponent, to furnish revised year-wise estimates and then seek approval from the governing body of CAMPA. The scheme's proposed outlay till 2026-27 is `88 crore and it was initially announced and discussed on March 3 during the National Board for Wildlife meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Do You Know: • The National CAMPA authority manages the monies collected in the national compensatory afforestation fund, in lieu of diversion of forest land for non-forest activities. The fund has also partly financed other wildlife projects such as the Great Indian Bustard recovery project and Project Cheetah. • Outside tiger reserves, territorial and wildlife divisions are in-charge of wildlife protection. With nearly 30% of the country's over 3,600 tigers outside tiger reserves, these tigers often prey on cattle and herbivores near human settlements, increasing chances of human interface and conflict. Being territorial, they also push out co-predators like leopards to areas outside forests, thus adding to the conflict risk. Official data shows that 382 people were killed in conflict with tigers between 2020 and 2024, including 111 in 2022 alone. • According to officials, this trend is often seen outside territorial forests in Chandrapur near Tadoba Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, in the sugarcane fields near Dudhwa, Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, some divisions near Ranthambore, and Wayanad in Kerala. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Fifty years of 'Project Tiger': How the programme saved Indian tigers THE WORLD US pulls funding from global vaccines group, RFK Jr says it has 'ignored science' Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Main Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests What's the ongoing story: U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says the country is pulling its support from the vaccines alliance Gavi, saying the organization has 'ignored the science' and 'lost the public trust.' Key Points to Ponder: • What is Gavi? • Know the implications of the U.S. halting funding to Gavi for global immunisation efforts. • What is the role of public-private partnerships like Gavi in achieving global health security? • How could the U.S. withdrawal affect this model? • Evaluate the tension between vaccine safety concerns and the urgency of mass immunisation in low-income countries. • How Gavi's funding collapse could disrupt global disease prevention strategies, including for malaria and Ebola. • Examine the role of the WHO, UNICEF and the Gates Foundation in addressing potential funding gaps at Gavi. Key Takeaways: • Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, mentioned Gavi's partnership with the World Health Organization during COVID-19, accusing them of silencing 'dissenting views' and 'legitimate questions' about vaccine safety. His speech also cast doubt on the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine — which WHO and other health agencies have long deemed to be safe and effective. • Gavi said in a statement Thursday that its 'utmost concern is the health and safety of children,' adding that any decision it makes on vaccines to buy is done in accordance with recommendations issued by WHO's expert vaccine group. • Some doctors in the United States criticized the decision. Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said it was 'incredibly dangerous' and warned that defunding immunization would put millions of children at risk. Do You Know: • Gavi is a public-private partnership including WHO, UNICEF, the Gates Foundation and the World Bank, and it is estimated that the vaccination programs have saved 18 million lives. The United States has long been one of its biggest supporters; before President Donald Trump's re-election, the country had pledged $1 billion through 2030. • In just under four minutes, Kennedy called on Gavi 'to justify the $8 billion America has provided in funding since 2001,' saying officials must 'consider the best science available, even when that science contradicts established paradigms.' Kennedy said until that happens, the U.S. won't contribute further to Gavi. • Gavi said scientists had reviewed all available data, including any studies that raised concerns, and that the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine has 'played a key role in helping halve childhood mortality.' • Some observational studies have shown that vaccinated girls do have a higher death rate compared to unvaccinated children, but there is no evidence the deaths are caused by the vaccine. But Offit said the studies cited by Kennedy were not convincing and that research examining links between vaccinations and deaths did not prove a causal connection. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Under Trump, US withdraws from WHO: Impact, what this means for India EXPLAINED Revision of Bihar electoral rolls: Why, how Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Salient features of the Representation of People's Act What's the ongoing story: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked for the electoral rolls for Bihar to be prepared afresh. All electors must submit an enumeration form, and those registered after 2003 have to additionally provide documentation establishing their citizenship. Key Points to Ponder: • Under which provision does the Election Commission of India (ECI) conduct a 'Special Intensive Revision' (SIR) of electoral rolls? • What is the primary objective of the 'Special Intensive Revision' (SIR) of electoral rolls? • Explain the constitutional and legal mandates empowering the ECI to carry out Special Intensive Revision. • Evaluate the potential impact of SIR on electoral integrity, citing both benefits and risks. • What are the challenges and implications of requiring birth date/place proof for different age cohorts during roll revision? • How digital integration via ECINET can enhance transparency and accountability in electoral roll management. • Compare the SIR measures in Bihar with Assam NRC exercise. Key Takeaways: • This 'special intensive revision' of rolls will eventually cover all states and Union Territories, the ECI has said. The process in Bihar, where Assembly elections are due before November, began on Wednesday (June 25), and will end with the publication of the final electoral roll on September 30 • Article 324(1) of the Constitution gives the ECI the power of 'superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of the electoral rolls for, and the conduct of' elections to Parliament and state legislatures. • Under Section 21(3) of The Representation of the People Act, 1950, the ECI 'may at any time… direct a special revision of the electoral roll for any constituency or part of a constituency in such manner as it may think fit'. • The Registration of Electors' Rules, 1960, says the revision of rolls can be carried out 'either intensively or summarily or partly intensively and partly summarily, as the [ECI] may direct'. In an intensive revision, the electoral roll is prepared afresh; in a summary revision, the roll is amended. • Summary revisions take place every year, and a special summary revision is carried out before each Lok Sabha and state Assembly election. Intensive revisions have been carried out in 1952-56, 1957, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1983-84, 1987-89, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2002, 2003 and 2004, the ECI said in its order issued on Tuesday. • The ECI order says that 'during the last 20 years significant change in electoral roll has taken place due to additions and deletions on a large scale', and 'rapid urbanisation and frequent migration of population from one place to another… have become a regular trend'. • Electors who move often 'register themselves at another place without getting their names deleted from the electoral roll of the initial place of residence', which increases chances of 'repeated entries' in the rolls. 'Thus', the order said, 'the situation warrants an intensive verification drive to verify each person before enrolment as an elector.' • The ECI also underlined its constitutional obligation to ensure that only citizens are enrolled as electors. It said it had decided to conduct a special intensive revision for the whole country 'for the discharge of its constitutional mandate to protect the integrity of the electoral rolls'. Do You Know: • During previous special intensive revisions, Block Level Officers (BLOs) would go house to house with an 'enumeration pad' to be filled by the head of a household. This time around, each existing elector will have to submit an individual enumeration form. Those added to the roll after January 1, 2003 — the year of the last intensive revision — will additionally have to provide proof of citizenship. (Those already on the electoral roll before the cut-off date would be presumed to be citizens, unless Electoral Registration Officers receive any input to the contrary). • The ECI's Form 6, which registers new electors, requires applicants to simply sign a declaration that they are citizens, and not furnish documentation proving the fact (only age and address proofs are needed). The ECI has added a new declaration form requiring proof of citizenship for the exercise in Bihar. • According to the ECI, starting on Wednesday till July 26, BLOs will be required to visit every household with existing electors to get pre-filled forms signed and collect additional documentation if needed. BLOs will be making at least three attempts per household, the ECI said. Electors will also have the option of downloading their forms from the ECI's website or ECINET app, and submitting them online. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Starting with Bihar, fresh electoral rolls: Proof of birth date for those not in 2003 list World Bank says 5.75% Indians live in abject poverty: How to read this data Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc. Mains Examination: General Studies I: Poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies. What's the ongoing story: Over the past few months, there's been a flurry of news about India's poverty rate, or the ratio of people who are considered officially poor. First, on April 25, the Government of India came out with a press release titled 'India's Triumph in Combating Poverty', where it used the World Bank's 'Poverty and Equity Brief' of April 2025 to state that '171 million lifted from extreme poverty in 10 years'. Key Points to Ponder: • What has the latest World Bank data shown on poverty in India? • What is a poverty line? • What is the point of a poverty line? • Why is India using the World Bank's poverty line to estimate poverty? • What is the World Bank's poverty line? How is it calculated? • What were India's domestic poverty lines in the past? • Why are poverty estimates about India contested by many? • What is Poverty? • How poverty is defined by different international institutions?? • What has the Multidimensional Poverty Index stated about India's poverty levels? • Classifications of poverty-Know in Detail (Hint: Absolute and Relative) • Poverty estimation in India-How Poverty is defined in India? • Alagh Committee (1979) Lakdawala Committee (1993), Tendulkar Committee (2009), Rangarajan committee (2012) and their poverty estimation. Key Takeaways: • According to new WB estimates, India's poverty levels in the past were actually lower than previously estimated (see TABLE 1). For instance, in 1977-78, India's poverty level was not 64% but 47%. The dialling back of poverty rates continues through the decades. The second key change in the WB update was the adoption of a new poverty line — $3 a day — and according to this new income level, the proportion of Indians living in abject or extreme poverty has fallen from 27% in 2011-12 (around 344.4 million or 34.44 crore Indians) to just under 6% (around 75.22 million or 7.5 crore) in 2022-23. • Poverty line is the level of income used as a cut-off point for deciding who is poor in any economy. It is important to note here that the context (both time period and location) is critical to arriving at a meaningful poverty line. For instance, an Indian receiving a salary of Rs 1,000 a month may not have been considered poor in 1975, but today that income (Rs 33 a day) will barely buy anything. Similarly, a monthly salary of Rs 1,00,000 (or Rs 3,333 a day) in today's Patna will be comfortable for a person to live by, but the same salary in Paris or New York may not buy the same lifestyle. Do You Know: • Governments, especially in developing and poor countries, want to identify the extent of poverty in their countries. This has two uses. One, to help them gauge the extent of poverty and shape welfare policies for the poor. The second use is for governments, policymakers and analysts to understand whether a set of policies has actually worked over time to reduce poverty and improve wellbeing. • Historically, India had been a leader in poverty estimation and India's poverty line methodology and data collection influenced the rest of the world in how to study poverty. • However, India's last officially recognised poverty line was in 2011-12. It was built on a 2009 formula suggested by a committee led by noted Delhi School economist Suresh Tendulkar. Since then, there has been no update on the method. In 2014, a committee led by former RBI Governor C Rangarajan was commissioned to provide a new method, but this recommendation was never officially accepted. Since then, thanks to gaps and changes in relevant data collection, India has increasingly used either the Niti Aayog multidimensional poverty index (which is fundamentally different in how it measures poverty) or relied on the World Bank's poverty line. • poverty lines make sense only when they can capture the context, like the purchasing power at a particular time and place. That is why for WB's poverty line to make sense, it has to be based on the purchasing power parity calculations. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Declining poverty, and the data that shows it How Shubhanshu Shukla's Dragon spacecraft docked with the ISS Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Main Examination: General Studies III: Achievements of Indians in science & technology and Awareness in the fields of IT, Space. What's the ongoing story: Marking a major milestone for India's space ambitions, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force successfully arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on Thursday. Key Points to Ponder: • Who is Shubhanshu Shukla? • What is the Axion Mission 4? • What is India's human spaceflight program? • What is International Space Station (ISS)? • What is the significance of Shubhanshu Shukla's ISS mission in the context of India's long-term human spaceflight ambitions like Gaganyaan? • How does participation in private-led missions like Axiom-4 complement national agencies such as ISRO in enhancing India's space capabilities? • Know the scientific benefits of conducting plant biology and microalgae experiments in microgravity aboard the ISS for India's space research ecosystem. • What is the role of international collaboration (NASA, Axiom Space, SpaceX, ISRO, DBT) in shaping India's current space diplomacy and soft power? • Compare Shubhanshu Shukla's mission with that of Rakesh Sharma's in terms of mission design, objectives, and geopolitical context. Key Takeaways: • The spacecraft achieved a smooth docking—known as a soft capture—with the ISS on Thursday, the PTI reported. The journey onboard the SpaceX Dragon began a day earlier from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. • Shukla is part of a four-member crew on the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a private astronaut flight arranged by Axiom Space. This mission is particularly significant as it brings astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary to the ISS for the first time in over four decades. • The arrival of Shubhanshu Shukla on board the ISS is not just a personal triumph but a symbolic return for India to human spaceflight after 41 years. Do You Know: • The Axiom-4 mission, originally scheduled to launch in May, faced multiple delays because of weather and technical problems. A small uncertainty hung over the launch Wednesday as well, even after the astronauts had entered the capsule, as some updated data took time to get uploaded to the spacecraft's software. Shukla was seen shuffling and shaking his legs as he waited, and exulted mildly when the all-clear was announced. • ISRO chairman V Narayanan who, along with a ISRO team, had been in the US since the start of this month for the launch, said he was extremely happy that the mission had finally launched after all technical problems had been addressed. • The crew will remain at the orbiting laboratory for two weeks, during which they will carry out an extensive slate of scientific experiments and research activities. • The Ax-4 mission is commanded by Peggy Whitson, America's most experienced astronaut and now a senior official at Axiom Space. Alongside Shukla, the team includes Tibor Kapu, a mechanical engineer from Hungary, and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, a radiation specialist and European Space Agency project astronaut from Poland. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍What Shubhanshu Shukla's trip to ISS means for India's space program 📍Who is Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian set to travel to International Space Station? For any queries and feedback, contact Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. Priya Kumari Shukla is a Senior Copy Editor in the Indian Express (digital). She contributes to the UPSC Section of Indian Express (digital) and started niche initiatives such as UPSC Key, UPSC Ethics Simplified, and The 360° UPSC Debate. The UPSC Key aims to assist students and aspirants in their preparation for the Civil Services and other competitive examinations. It provides valuable guidance on effective strategies for reading and comprehending newspaper content. The 360° UPSC Debate tackles a topic from all perspectives after sorting through various publications. The chosen framework for the discussion is structured in a manner that encompasses both the arguments in favour and against the topic, ensuring comprehensive coverage of many perspectives. Prior to her involvement with the Indian Express, she had affiliations with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) as well as several coaching and edutech enterprises. In her prior professional experience, she was responsible for creating and refining material in various domains, including article composition and voiceover video production. She has written in-house books on many subjects, including modern India, ancient Indian history, internal security, international relations, and the Indian economy. She has more than eight years of expertise in the field of content writing. Priya holds a Master's degree in Electronic Science from the University of Pune as well as an Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from the esteemed Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, widely recognised as one of the most prestigious business schools in India. She is also an alumni of Jamia Milia Islamia University Residential Coaching Academy (RCA). Priya has made diligent efforts to engage in research endeavours, acquiring the necessary skills to effectively examine and synthesise facts and empirical evidence prior to presenting their perspective. Priya demonstrates a strong passion for reading, particularly in the genres of classical Hindi, English, Maithili, and Marathi novels and novellas. Additionally, she possessed the distinction of being a cricket player at the national level. Qualification, Degrees / other achievements: Master's degree in Electronic Science from University of Pune and Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta ... Read More
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Mains answer practice — GS 1 : Questions on evolution of yoga and Ken-Betwa River Link Project (Week 108)
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 The Ken-Betwa River Link Project represents a significant milestone in India's river interlinking initiatives, aimed at addressing water scarcity in drought-prone regions. Discuss its potential benefits and associated ecological and socio-economic challenges. Discuss the evolution of the term 'yoga' in Indian literature—from the Vedas and Upanishads to Patanjali's Yoga Sutra. 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: The Ken-Betwa River Link Project represents a significant milestone in India's river interlinking initiatives, aimed at addressing water scarcity in drought-prone regions. Discuss its potential benefits and associated ecological and socio-economic challenges. Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers. Introduction: — The Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) envisions moving water from the Ken to the Betwa rivers, both of which are tributaries of the Yamuna. — The Ken-Betwa Link Canal will be 221 km long, including a 2-kilometer tunnel. According to the Jal Shakti Ministry, the project will provide yearly irrigation to 10.62 lakh hectares (8.11 lakh ha in MP and 2.51 lakh ha in UP), supply drinking water to about 62 lakh people, and create 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar power. Body: You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer: — The Ken-Betwa Link Project comprises two phases. Phase I will comprise the construction of the Daudhan Dam complex and its component units, including the Low Level Tunnel, High Level Tunnel, Ken-Betwa Link Canal, and power plants. Phase II will include three components: Lower Orr Dam, Bina Complex Project, and Kotha Barrage. — The notion of joining the Ken and the Betwa received a significant boost in August 2005, when the Centre and the two states signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding for the creation of a detailed project report (DPR). In 2008, the Centre designated the KBLP as a National Project. Later, it was added to the Prime Minister's package for the development of the drought-prone Bundelkhand region. — The project is in Bundelkhand, which includes 13 districts in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. According to the Jal Shakti Ministry, the project will greatly assist the water-stressed region, particularly the districts of Panna, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Sagar, Damoh, Datia, Vidisha, Shivpuri, and Raisen in Madhya Pradesh, and Banda, Mahoba, Jhansi, and Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh. — 'It will pave the way for more river interlinking projects to ensure that scarcity of water does not become an inhibitor for development in the country,' according to a press release from the Ministry. Conclusion: — The river-linking project has come under considerable examination for its possible environmental and socioeconomic impact. The project will involve extensive deforestation in the heart of the Panna National Park and Tiger Reserve. — PM Modi recently laid the foundation stone for the Daudhan Dam. Daudhan Dam is 2,031 metres long, with 1,233 metres being earthen and the remaining 798 metres being concrete. The dam's height will be 77 meters. According to the Jal Shakti Ministry, the project will sink around 9,000 hectares of land, affecting ten communities. — It is the first project under the National Perspective Plan for River Interlinking, which was created in 1980. This plan includes 16 projects under its peninsular component, including the KBLP. Aside from this, 14 linkages are envisioned in the Himalayan Rivers Development Plan. (Source: PM Modi lays foundation stone: What is the Ken-Betwa river linking project, environmental concerns around it by Harikishan Sharma and Nikhil Ghanekar) Points to Ponder Other river linking projects in India What are the project's likely environmental and social impacts? Related Previous Year Questions The interlinking of rivers can provide viable solutions to the multi-dimensional inter-related problems of droughts, floods, and interrupted navigation. Critically examine. (2020) The groundwater potential of the Gangetic valley is on a serious decline. How may it affect the food security of India? (2024) QUESTION 2: Discuss the evolution of the term 'yoga' in Indian literature—from the Vedas and Upanishads to Patanjali's Yoga Sutra. Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers. Introduction: — Yoga originated in ancient India. However, it is impossible to determine exactly how ancient it is. While the term '5,000-year-old tradition' is frequently used, the existing evidence does not support such specificity. — The term 'yoga' appears in the Vedic corpus (1,500-500 BCE), the oldest (surviving) literature from the subcontinent. However, it appears in a setting that is very different from postural or even meditational exercise, as it is commonly understood today. Body: You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer: — Two key pieces of archaeological evidence are often cited as proof of yoga's antiquity. (i) The first is a tiny staetite seal unearthed from Mojenjodaro, an Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) site in Pakistan. According to historian Alistair Shearer's book The Story Of Yoga: From Ancient India To The Modern West (2020), the seal from around 2,500-2,400 BCE depicts a seated figure with legs crossed in the mulabandhasana posture, which was later popular among tantric yogis. (ii) The other, more recent, archaeological find is from Balathal, Rajasthan, one of the chalcolithic Banas culture's 90 or so sites. A nearly 2,700-year-old skeleton was excavated from the site 'sitting in the samadhi position,' a stance 'that many yogis adopt for meditation and is also assumed at the time of their burial,' according to Shearer. — The Mahabharata, written spanning six centuries from 300 BCE to 300 CE, is where yoga is employed in the way that we know it today. 'Some of these citations [in the Mahabharata] refer to yoga in a philosophical sense,' whilst others employ it 'when describing arduous physical penances and austerities performed by holy men,' according to Shearer. Contemporary and subsequent writings, such as the Upanishads, use the phrase similarly. — According to one school of thought, yoga has no Vedic beginnings and instead derives from heterodox traditions of the first millennium BCE (and earlier), particularly Buddhism and Jainism. 'The unifying feature of this freelance religious movement was the practice of yoga,' Vivian Worthington asserts in A History of Yoga (1982). Yoga is mentioned in a variety of Buddhist and Jain scriptures. — The Yoga Sutra of Maharishi Patanjali is the most well-known text on the subject, having been written around 350 CE and being the oldest text dedicated completely to it. Most experts agree that this literature affected their current knowledge of yoga. Conclusion: — None of the sources listed above provide definitive, empirical answers about the origins of yoga. This is largely due to the fact that India lacks a history-writing tradition like the West, where a clear distinction is made between history, which is founded on empirical data, and myth, whose credibility stems from its meaning rather than its accuracy. — There are no contemporary sources on yoga that can provide empirical information on its origins. While examining textual evidence can provide insights about the changing meaning of the term and the growth of the practice, it cannot definitively pinpoint when yoga originated. (Source: International Yoga Day: Why is it hard to pinpoint the origin of yoga?) Points to Ponder Read more about Yoga Read about Upanishads and Yoga Sutra of Maharishi Patanjali Related Previous Year Questions Underline the changes in the field of society and economy from the Rig Vedic to the Later Vedic period. (2024) Indian philosophy and tradition played a significant role in conceiving and shaping the monuments and their art in India. Discuss. (2020) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 108) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 107) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 108) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 107) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 106) 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
- General
- Time of India
Udupi Youth Shreyans Gomes Achieves UPSC Success, Celebrated by Church and Bishop
UDUPI: Bishop Gerald Isaac Lobo of the Udupi Diocese lauded Shreyans Gomes, a member of the Udupi Church, for his outstanding achievement in securing the 372nd rank in the Union Public Service Commission ( ) examination. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The felicitation ceremony took place at the Bishop House on Friday, where Bishop Lobo formally recognised Gomes' accomplishment on behalf of the Udupi Diocese. Bishop Lobo emphasised the significance of members of the Christian community attaining positions within the govt sector, noting that such successes reflect positively on both the community and the Udupi district as a whole. He stated that the Diocese previously set an ambitious goal of having at least 25 individuals from the community secure top govt positions. While acknowledging that the Diocese did not fully achieve this target, Bishop Lobo expressed satisfaction that several community members demonstrated remarkable achievements. He further emphasised that Shreyans Gomes, through his dedicated and understated preparation for the UPSC exam, set a commendable example for others to emulate. Bishop Lobo conveyed his conviction that Shreyans' future role as a govt officer would bring pride to his parents, the community, and the district. Rev. Denis D'Sa, Public Relations Officer for the Udupi Diocese, acknowledged the widespread aspiration to succeed in highly competitive examinations such as the UPSC and subsequently contribute to govt service. He underscored the arduous nature of these examinations, requiring sustained effort and rigorous preparation. Rev. D'Sa expressed his delight at Shreyans Gomes' accomplishment, achieved despite the inherent challenges. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He also highlighted that numerous individuals, inspired by the Bishop's vision, have successfully entered govt service and are achieving notable success, a development he deemed a source of pride for the Diocese. Shreyans Gomes' father, S. J. Gomes, originally hailing from Ternamakki, Bhatkal, currently holds the position of Station Master at the Udupi Indrali Railway Station. His mother, Mabel Shanti, is a homemaker. Shreyans obtained his engineering degree from RV College of Engineering, Bengaluru. The Gomes family resides within the parish boundaries of Mother of Sorrows Church Udupi.
