UPSC Key-13 June, 2023: What you should read in the news today

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story– FACTORY output grew at a higher-than-expected clip of 4.2 per cent in April, primarily driven by a low base effect and a pick-up in manufacturing and mining sectors, data released by National Statistical Office (NSO) Monday showed. Separately, data released on consumer price index inflation showed retail inflation slipping to a 25-month low of 4.25 per cent in May on the back of easing food prices.

• What else data released by National Statistical Office (NSO) says?

• What is factory output?

• What made industrial output to grew at a higher-than-expected clip of 4.2 per cent in April?

• What is The Industrial output  measured by?

• What is Index of Industrial Production (IIP)?

• What Index of Industrial Production (IIP) signifies?

• By how much and where has industrial output increased?

• What does Industrial output mean?

• What are the Eight core sector industries in the Indian Economy?

• What is the weight/weightage of the different core sectors in the Index of Industrial Production?

• The Office of Economic Adviser (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) and Eight Core Industries (ICI)-Connect the dots

• Index For Industrial Production-Know its components

• Is service sector part of Index For Industrial Production (IIP)?

• Who releases Index of Industrial Production (IIP) data?

• Who uses Index For Industrial Production (IIP) data?

• Do you Know-The base year for ‘Index For Industrial Production (IIP) was changed to 2011-12 from 2004-05 in the year 2017. The earlier base years were 1937, 1946, 1951, 1956, 1960, 1970, 1980-81, 1993-94 and 2004-05.

• Where is Index For Industrial Production (IIP) data sourced from?

• Index For Industrial Production (IIP) vs the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI)-Compare and Contrast

• Does the latest print run counter the government and RBI projections?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍ON THE UPSWING

THE IDEAS PAGE

In old ties, a hopeful turn

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighbourhood- relations.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Shyam Saran writes: In the game of musical chairs, which is the defining hallmark of Nepali politics, Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”, the Maoist leader, is in his fourth innings as prime minister since 2008. His recent visit to India from May 31 to June 3 was also his fourth as PM and arguably his most successful. Part of the reason may lie in the evolution of Prachanda himself from a revolutionary leader to a seasoned politician, more nuanced and supple in his approach. What he said about the change in his outlook in 2016 was much more in evidence during his current visit to India.

• The revision of the India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 was not raised, perhaps for the first time in recent years-why?

• India-Nepal Bilateral relations-know the historical background

• India-Nepal Bilateral relations-What is the present situation?

• India-Nepal Border Dispute-Know in details

• India and Nepal have border disputes over what areas?

• Why has this border dispute become so politically charged in Nepal?

• Regular reciprocal visits by heads of state/government had been a bilateral tradition until 1997, after which India continued to host Nepali leaders, but not making reciprocal visits-Why?

• “India has been deeply concerned about China’s increasing presence and political intervention in Nepal’s domestic politics”-Discuss

• China, India and Nepal-Connect the dots

• Is China’s political influence in Nepal harming Indian interests?

• Why is Nepal so important?

• Nepal under Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”-Know in brief

• India-Nepal Bilateral Relations and Shared Heritage-Know in detail

• What is India’s Neighbourhood First Policy?

• India’s Neighbourhood First Policy and Nepal-Connect the dots

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍The personal & the political: reading Nepal PM Prachanda’s visit to India

EXPRESS NETWORK

Irregularities in micro irrigation scheme: Centre seeks report from Jharkhand govt

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story– Stating that the per drop more crop – micro irrigation is a “priority scheme” of the Agriculture Department, the Union government has sought a report from the Jharkhand government citing a report by The Indian Express on irregularities in its implementation. Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Government of India, wrote to the Jharkhand Chief Secretary on June 9 – the day the report was published – that the “reported irregularities in the implementation of this important scheme is a matter of serious concern and requires immediate and strict action”.

• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (Pmksy)-Know its key features

• When was Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana launched?

• What is the per drop more crop scheme?

• What is the status of Water Availability in India for irrigation?

• What do you understand by Micro-Irrigation?

• What are the issues and challenges faced by micro-Irrigation industry?

• What are the main types of irrigation in India?

• How important is irrigation in India?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Irregularities in micro-irrigation scheme: Jharkhand seeks FIRs against private firms, verifying agency

Biparjoy to be first June cyclone to cross Gujarat coast in 25 yrs

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 and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

• General Studies III: Disaster and disaster management.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-It is after 25 years that Gujarat coast is bracing for a cyclone in June. Biparjoy will be only the fifth cyclone of the ‘severe’ (wind speed of 48 – 63 kms/hr) or higher category to cross Gujarat, if realised, as per the forecast issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Biparjoy is the only third ‘extremely severe’ cyclone to develop in the Arabian Sea in June in 58 years, the data suggested.

• Cyclone Biparjoy-Know its features

• For Your Information-What makes cyclone Biparjoy unique is its intensity and pace of movement in the sea since last week. The North Indian Ocean basin reports the maximum cyclogenesis in the months of May and November. June, being the Southwest monsoon onset month, the conditions for the development of cyclones in this basin are generally not conducive. This is mainly due to the dominance of the monsoon wind flow.

• Cyclone Biparjoy is a temperate cyclones or tropical cyclones?

• Temperate cyclones and Tropical cyclones-Compare and Contrast

• Do You Know-Since 1891, only five cyclones of the ‘severe’ category (wind speed 89 – 117 kms/hr) or above have made a landfall over Gujarat in June, the IMD’s cyclone atlas stated. Notably, all of these were post 1900. These ‘severe’ or higher intensity cyclones were during 1920, 1961, 1964 , 1996 and 1998. Overall, 16 depressions and cyclones, formed in the Arabian Sea during the past 132 years, have reached Gujarat, the IMD’s data stated. While the naming of cyclones is a more recent initiative, a ‘severe’ cyclone with a maximum wind speed of 100kms/hr had made a landfall close to Diu on June 18, 1996. Another stom, had crossed as an ‘extremely severe’ cyclone with a maximum wind speed of 166kms/hr near Porbandar on June 9, 1998.

• What is the difference between Arabian Sea cyclone and Bay of Bengal cyclone?

• How Cyclone ‘Biporjoy’ will affect Monsoon?

• Why Bay of Bengal Receives more Cyclone than Arabian Sea?

• Why Arabian Sea is safer relatively?

• What are the institutional setup to address the cyclone’s damage?

• The cyclone ‘Biporjoy’, which is highly likely to develop into a low-pressure area, once again has scientists worried about the onset of the monsoon-why?

• For Your Information-Of all the cyclones that emerge in the north Indian Ocean, about 30 per cent are formed in the Arabian Sea and the rest in the Bay of Bengal. One of the reasons is the relatively warmer sea surface waters in the Bay of Bengal that helps the formation of cyclones. Only a fourth of all cyclones in the Arabian Sea move towards the Indian coastline. The rest move northwards towards Pakis-tan or northwestwards towards Iran or Oman.

• ‘While India’s eastern coast is highly prone to cyclones, some districts along the west coast especially in Kerala, Konkan-Goa, north Konkan and Gujarat too are equally prone to cyclones’-Elaborate

• For Your Information-In India, the IMD has identified 72 coastal districts along with 24 neighbouring districts within the range of 100kms from the coast to be the most vulnerable to cyclones based on the hazard and maximum possible wind, rainfall and other impacts caused by cyclones. These districts are further classified into ‘very highly’ prone (12) , ‘highly’ prone (41), ‘moderately’ prone(30) and ‘less’ prone (13).

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Fewer cyclones in Bay of Bengal but frequency increased in Arabian Sea: Report

📍What is Cyclone Biparjoy and how was it named?

Minority Affairs Ministry drops over 50,000 defunct proposals for infra ‘units’

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-The Union Minority Affairs Ministry has scrapped as many as 58,456 “units” or small infrastructure projects under a central socio-economic development scheme after finding out that these never took off after being proposed in 2008-09. “We have done this in consonance with the states. After having found that these units had not taken off in the past decade, we had asked the states to consider whether they want to drop the proposals altogether,” said a Ministry official. The ministry appraised more than 11 lakh projects under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) since 2008-09.

• Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK)-Know its key components

• When was Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram launched?

• The scheme is implemented by whom?

• What is Central Sponsored Scheme?

• What is Centrally Sponsored Scheme?

• What is the difference between central sector scheme and centrally sponsored scheme?

• For Your Information-The PMJVK is a centrally sponsored scheme implemented by the Minority Affairs Ministry. It develops infrastructure projects for socio-economic development.
Under PMJVK, project-wise funds are released to states and UTs after they send proposals to the Centre. Proposals received in the Ministry are considered and approved by the Empowered Committee of PMJVK after consultation with the concerned central ministries. Since 2014-15, the ministry has sanctioned projects worth Rs 17,65,904 lakh under PMJVK with Central share of Rs 12,33,688.93 lakh. The Centre covers 60% funding of a project to the states’ 40% while the projects are sanctioned jointly by the state and centre.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram(PMJVK)

EXPLAINED

CoWIN data ‘leak’: Why the govt response raises questions

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Following reports that CoWIN data had been accessed by a Telegram bot, the Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the nodal cyber security agency, had reviewed the alleged breach and has found that the CoWIN portal was not “directly breached”. The data – including citizens’ Aadhaar and passport numbers – that an automated account on Telegram was allegedly sharing was done using previously breached databases, he said.

• What happened exactly?

• What exactly is CoWIN data breach?

• What is CoWIN?

• What happened to the CoWIN data?

• How the Telegram bot was able to throw up citizens’ data linked to a phone number

• What is the application programming interface?

• What is Government’s stand

• For Your Information-The Ministry of Health press release first lays out the three ways in which data on CoWIN can be accessed: 1) a user can access their data on the portal through a one time password (OTP) sent to their mobile number, 2) a vaccinator can access data of a person, and the CoWIN system tracks and records each time an “authorised” user accesses the system, and 3) third party applications that have been provided authorised access of CoWIN APIs can access personal level data of vaccinated people after OTP authentication.

• But was there a breach?

• How serious is a data leak?

• What next?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Govt denies reports of CoWIN breach, cites data ‘stolen in past’

📍CoWIN data ‘breach’: Opposition demands investigation, questions minister on ‘previous breach’

The middle class: a reality check

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, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story– A favourite pastime of India’s business analysts and media over the years has been to estimate the size of India’s middle class — a critical indicator of the current and future health of India’s household consumption, and hence India’s economy.

• Who is considered middle class?

• What characteristics a genuine middle class must have?

• How does middle class affect the economy?

• ‘In reality, India’s genuine middle class is less than half of the 400 to 500 million number that floats around’-Elaborate

• Do You Know-The economic concept of “middle class”, on which abundant literature exists, is that a genuine middle class should provide a certain quantum of consumption that is stable and resilient because of how the income to consume is generated (the nature of occupation); and should have enough surpluses after routine expenditure to help them weather economic downturns and be able to bounce back without having to contract their consumption too much for too long. This is where many of the so-called middle class households in India do not qualify.

• “For a middle class to be a long-term, high-commitment investment thesis for businesses, in addition to the stability and resilience of its consumption, there needs to be a strong foundation that enables continuous improvement in income levels, leading to more and better quality consumption as well”-Explain further?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍The Indian middle class has never had it so good

THE WORLD

US decides to join UNESCO, pay back $600 mn in dues

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-UNESCO announced Monday that the United States plans to rejoin the U.N. cultural and scientific agency — and pay more than $600 million in back dues — after a decade-long dispute sparked by the organization’s move to include Palestine as a member.

• What made the United States to leave UNESCO in 2017?

• What is UNESCO?

• How UNESCO was established?

• What are the specific fields of expertise that UNESCO specialises in?

• UNESCO-What are the Objectives?

• What are some of the major projects and achievements of UNESCO?

• What are the significant reports issued by UNESCO?

• What is the power of UNESCO?

• Why is UNESCO so important?

• What is the impact of UNESCO in the world?

• Where does UNESCO get its funding?

• What is the role of UNESCO in India?

• Is India a member of UNESCO?

• What is the UNESCO World Heritage List?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Where does UNESCO get its funding?

ECONOMY

Govt releases `1.18 l-cr as third instalment of tax devolution in June

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, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-The central government on Monday released the third instalment of tax devolution to state governments amounting to Rs 1,18,280 crore, as against the normal monthly devolution of Rs 59,140 crore, it said in a statement. Centre said that the transfer is a part of the monthly shifting of federal taxes to states, however, the amount was higher than the monthly devolution of Rs 59,140 crore.

• Does income tax go to state government?

• What is devolution of taxes to states in India?

• What Article 280(3)(a) of the Constitution of India says?

• What is the 15th Finance Commission tax devolution?

• How does the Finance Commission determine the amount of tax devolution to each state from the Centre in India?

• What is the Finance Commission tax devolution formula?

• What is vertical and horizontal devolution in the Finance Commission?

• What were the key recommendations of 15th Finance Commission with respect to the tax devolution?

• What is the 15th Finance Commission?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Tax devolution: Govt releases Rs 1.40 lakh cr to states

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