UPSC Key-September 21, 2022: Why you should read ‘Triple dip’ La Niña’ or ‘Indian Nutrition Rating’ or ‘VUCA’ for UPSC CSE

FRONT PAGE

Since 2014, 4-fold jump in ED cases against politicians; 95% are from Opposition

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies II: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

• General Studies III: Money-laundering and its prevention

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story– An investigation by The Indian Express of court records, agency statements and reports of politicians booked, arrested, raided or questioned by the ED over the past 18 years reveals that the new label is not off the mark — as many as 147 key politicians were probed by the agency during this period and over 85 per cent were from Opposition ranks.

• In recent years, many political cases are handled by the Enforcement Directorate (ED)-Discuss role and function of the Enforcement Directorate

• Enforcement Directorate is a statutory body-True or False?

• Directorate of Enforcement (ED) comes under which Ministry or Organisation?

• The Directorate of Enforcement is a multi-disciplinary organization mandated with investigation of offence of money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws. The statutory functions of the Directorate includes enforcement of certain acts-What are those acts?

• What makes Enforcement Directorate so powerful?

• The significant increase in ED cases is mainly attributed to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)-Discuss

• Why these days the Enforcement Directorate (ED), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), are in the limelight?

• For your Information-Formed in 1956, the ED became a prime agency following enactment of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in 2002, implemented from July 1, 2005.

• What was the recent verdict of the Supreme Court (SC), in the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) sweeping powers under the PMLA?

• Over the past few years, major amendments in key Acts have given teeth to central agencies-Discuss

• ‘With this investigation, It is quite clear that the central agencies are now the big brothers of investigations, while state and city police forces function in their shadows with limited powers and jurisdictions’-How far you agree with the same?

• Central investigation agencies and politics-connect the dots

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍More teeth and bigger muscles: ED’s lengthening arm

📍Big Brothers of investigation

THE CITY

Bio decomposer will be sprayed on more land in Delhi this year

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology

Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- The Pusa bio decomposer, a microbial solution which is expected to help with the decomposition of paddy stubble after the harvest, will be sprayed on around 5,000 acres of land in Delhi this year. The Delhi government has been pushing the decomposer as an alternative to stubble burning to clear the paddy fields after the kharif harvest and before the sowing of the rabi crop begins.

• What is bio decomposer?

• How these bio-decomposers were formed?

• Use of bio-decomposers in the field-know the mechanisms

• Why bio decomposer for the decomposition of paddy stubble and not the stubble burning?

• What is stubble and stubble burning?

• Stubble burning-Impact on Environment

• Ways to Check Stubble Burning (targeted and cluster-based approach)-Know in detail

• What is Central Scheme on Promotion of Agricultural Mechanisation for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue 2018-2019

• Ex-situ management of crop residue- why it is preferred more by the Farmers?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍How to get farmers to not burn crop residue

GOVT & POLITICS

In Dharamshala, India sets goal: world leader in tourism by 2047

Syllabus:

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

Main 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- Recovery to the pre-pandemic level by 2024, $250 billion contribution to the GDP by 2030, and world leader by 2047. The Centre on Tuesday unveiled an ambitious plan for the tourism sector, with a declaration that includes a long-term revenue goal of $1 trillion by 2047, when the country turns 100.

• How much does India spend on tourism?

• What percentage of India’s GDP is from tourism?

• What is the ‘Dharamshala Declaration 2022’?

• Tourism Policy in India-Origin

• What are the main types of tourism in India?

• Tourism policy 1982-Key Features

• Tourism sector is in the Union List, State List or Concurrent list of the Constitution of India?

• Various initiatives and Schemes by Government of India to boost tourism in India-List out the important ones

• What do you understand by Medical Tourism?

• Why is India famous for medical tourism?

• National Strategy and Roadmap for Medical and Wellness Tourism-Know key highlights

• What are the initiatives taken for the Promotion of Medical Tourism?

• Are there any Schemes of the Government of India to promote Medical Tourism ?

• Importance of Tourism Sector in in the Indian Economy

• “Tourism is one of the most neglected sectors in India”-discuss

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Green, digital tourism to be govt’s focus areas

EXPRESS NETWORK

Apex court upholds validity of Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras Act

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the validity of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management) Act, 2014, paving the way for the formation of Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC).

• Why Shiromani Gurdwara Management Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) based in Punjab’s Amritsar had challenged the constitutional validity of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management) Act, 2014?

• Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management) Act, 2014-Know the key highlights

• The Akali movement or the Gurdwara Reform Movement, in India during the early 1920s-What were the reasons behind reform movement?

• The Akali movement, the introduction of the Sikh Gurdwara Bill in 1925 and Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC)-Connect the Dots

• Sikhism in India-Know in detail

• Bhakti Movement and Sikhism-Connect the Dots

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Haryana Sikh Gurdwara (Management) Act | SC verdict is attack on panth, SAD will call meet: Sukhbir

Nutrition rating stars set to appear soon on food pack labels

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the country’s apex food regulator, has released draft notification for front-of-pack labelling to discourage consumers from buying packaged food high in sugar, salt, and fat, which will require pre-packaged food to carry a star graphic — ranging for 0 to 5 — next to the brand name.

• What is ‘Indian Nutrition Rating (INR)’?

• How ‘Indian Nutrition Rating will help in to discourage people from consuming food high in sugar, salt, and fat?

• For Your Information-“The INR system rates the overall nutritional profile for packaged food by assigning it a rating from ½ star (least healthy) to 5 stars (healthiest). More stars indicate the food product is better positioned to provide for daily human need of nutrients.

• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India-Know in detail

• What is the function of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)?

• Is Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) a regulatory authority?

• What is Food Safety as per FSSAI?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Food safety index: how it is worked out, how the states have performed

EXPLAINED

The ‘triple dip’ La Niña

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography

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.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- The ongoing La Niña phase of the equatorial Pacific Ocean has just been predicted to persist for at least another six months, making it one of the longest ever La Niña episodes in recorded history. It is also only the third episode since 1950 to stretch into a third year. This is likely to have wide-ranging implications for weather events across the world in the coming months, and can potentially aggravate both floods and droughts in different regions.

• What is La Niña in weather?

• What is ‘Triple dip’ La Niña?

• What are the El Niño and La Niña?

• El Niño and La Niña events are not mirror images of each other. They differ in length and strength-How

• What are the conditions which causes La Nina?

• EL Nino Southern Oscillation or ENSO impact on Monsoon?

• Indian Ocean Dipole-Know in Detail

• How La Nina Impacts-Know Sector and region wise

• But why have La Nina conditions continued for three years?

• What is the reason behind an early heat wave in North India?

• La Nina phenomenon, North-South low-pressure pattern over India in winters and Heat waves-Connect the dots

• What is Inter Tropical Convergence Zone?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What is La Nina – how it impacts India’s monsoon?

New US iPhones use eSIMs exclusively, what is the technology?

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.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-With the iPhone 14 series, Apple has made a big change to the devices being sold in the US. These come without a physical SIM slot and a user will have to rely on an eSIM in order to access mobile networks.

• What is an eSIM?

• What are the components of eSIM?

• Know Advantages and Disadvantages of eSIM

• eSIM-what are the future prospects of this micro device?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Apple iPhone 14 series and eSIMs: How do they work, and everything else answered

THE WORLD

Nepal’s President refuses to ratify Citizenship Bill

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighborhood- relations.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Nepal’s President Bidhya Devi Bhandari on Tuesday refused to ratify the Citizenship Bill, which was passed twice by both the Houses of Parliament, within the mandatory deadline that expired on Tuesday midnight.

• What is exactly the controversy around Nepal’s new citizenship law?

• But why Nepal’s President Bidhya Devi Bhandari refused to ratify the Citizenship Bill?

• For Your Information-The Bill, which defines the entitlement for Citizenship based on marital ground and ensures non-voting Citizenship to non-resident Nepalis living in non-SAARC countries.

• President approval to the Bill in India and in Nepal-Compare and contrast

• Why Nepal’s Citizenship bill is termed against gender justice?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Nepal proposes giving citizenship to foreign woman married to Nepali man after 7 years of union

ECONOMY

Need to be ready to prevent any ‘black swan’ event, says FM

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Main Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Stating that the future of finance is going to be driven more by digitisation, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said there is a big role for artificial intelligence in fintech areas such as detecting crime, fraud detection, and quantifying risk. Referring to the future of finance as VUCA — volatile, uncertain, complex and totally ambiguous, she also said that one has to think within the available parameters and “be ready to prevent any black swan event”.

• Why the future of finance is referred as VUCA?

• What Is a Black Swan event?

• Examples of Past Black Swan Events-Know them

• What is a Black Swan Event in the Stock Market?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Black Swan

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