Class Notes 4 You

 UPSC CSE Mains GS Paper-III PYQs Analysis 

UPSC CSE Mains 2023 GS-3 Questions 

Naxalism is a violent movement that claims to fight for the social and economic rights of Underprivileged groups who want to overthrow the Indian Government and replace it with a different regime. Social, economic and developmental causes of Naxalism: Poverty amongst ST and Dalit e.g. The National Family health survey shows 45.9% of ST members are in the lowest wealth.  Lack of access to Basic forest Resources –poor implementation of FRA 2006 and PESA 1996.  Land Alienation and Displacement with little or no rehabilitation e.g. The Sardar Sarovar Project displaced 57% of tribal among total displaced people.  Skewed Mining Policy.  Labor, Unemployment and issue of Minimum Wages. Environmental Degradation. Above cause leads to Discontent, Distrust and Alienation Emerging issues: Organized Crime  Illegal opium cultivation  Coming together of different groups together  Foreign contact ex:- Phillipines Recent initiatives: SAMADHAN It is a strategy of MHA to...

Cyber Security is protecting cyber space including critical information infrastructure from attack, damage, misuse and economic espionage. Elemets of Cyber security Architecture: Network Elements : Network nodes like computers, NICs, repeaters, hubs, bridges, switches, routers, modems, gateways.  Security Elements : like firewalls, Intrusion Detection/Protection Systems [IDS/IPS], encryption/decryption devices.  Security Frameworks & Standards : Cybersecurity framework architecture standards like NIST Risk Management Framework. Vulnerabilities to the Architecture: Data Diddling : Attack floods systems, servers, or networks with traffic to exhaust resources and bandwidth.  Ransomware : Blocks access to key components of the network and demand money to unlock it.  Phishing : The goal is to steal sensitive data like credit card and login information or to install malware on the victim’s machine  Malware : Covertly obtains information by transmitting data from t...

It is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind driven water, or other impacts of storms.  Causes of Coastal Erosion: Natural Factors 1. Action of Breaking Waves  2. Effect of Severe Cyclonic Storms  3. Rise in Sea Level  4. Deflation  5. Tidal Current  Anthropogenic Factors  1.Construction of Unplanned Structures  2.Reduction of sediment supply due to damming of rivers  3.Removal of sand from beaches  4.Dredging of inlet channels  5.Unplanned reclamation   Effects of Coastal Erosion: Ecological Degradation: Mangroves, coral reefs, and the majority of wetlands along the coast have all been severely damaged. Eg: Coastal erosion is damaged coral reefs near Kovalam coast in Kerela.  Vulnerability of population: increasing loss of land, with many people migrating or having already migrated. E.g., Current trend of e...

As per IPCC 5th Assessment Report, Global Warming is defined as an increase in combined surface air and sea surface temperatures averaged over the globe and over a 30-year period. Effects of Global Warming on Global Climate: Rise in temperature leading to ice melt : Thinning ice of Northern Seas will make the atmospheric conditions vulnerable to control.  Threat to Marine Life : Leads to destruction to marine and coral life underwater.  Loss of Settlements : Rise to Sea level threatens infrastructure and human settlements.  Impact on Health : Crop failure due to global warming leads to food insecurity and malnutrition. Control measures, in light of Kyoto protocol (KP) (1997):- It commits industrialised countries to stabilise greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). It binds emission reduction targets only for developed countries. However, the Protocol also offers three market-based mechanisms: 1. Emissions trading (Carbon trading): A new commodity was created in the form of emiss...

According to WHO vaccination is a simple, safe, and effective method of protecting individuals against dangerous diseases before they are exposed to them.” Principle of vaccination: Vaccines stimulate the immune response (T-cells and B-cells together work) to recognise a pathogen (a disease-causing organism) or part of a pathogen.  It induces protection against a pathogen by mimicking its natural interaction with the human immune system. Vaccines Work: When the vaccine is introduced into the body, the white blood cells come in the response.  The WBCs recognise the vaccine as foreign substance by the surface molecule on the vaccine.  After recognition the B and T cells start dividing rapidly.  T-cytotoxic and B killer cells started responding to the vaccine. That's why fever is common after vaccination.  Some WBCs differentiate as B- memory cells which are stored within the body.  When the pathogen attack takes place or is given a booster dose, the B-memory ...

James Webb Telescope: The telescope is the result of an international collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency. It can see backwards in time to just after the Big Bang by looking for galaxies that are so far away that the light has taken many billions of years to get from those galaxies to our telescopes.  It's the successor to Hubble Telescope. Unique Features of James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): Wavelength : Hubble telescope use Ultraviolet rays of wavelength, whereas James Webb use Infrared rays.  Orbit : Hubble telescope orbits around the Earth, whereas James Webb orbits around the Lagrange point(L2).  The JWST is capable of detecting the heat of a bumblebee as far away as the moon.  The James Webb Space Telescope is expected to be about 100 times more sensitive than the Hubble telescope which has the capability to transform scientific understanding of the universe. Key Goals of the JWST: To search for the first g...

Integrated Farming System (IFS) is an innovative approach wherein solo agriculture systems are integrated with livestock, aquaculture, forestry, or other inter-related set of enterprises to multiply gains and reduce input cost. Waste from one enterprise becomes an input for other, thus cost is reduced, production is increased and the ultimate income gets multiplied. Integrated Farming System is best suited for small-sized farms with limited resources in the following ways: More output can be produced from small-sized farmers due to integration of different agricultural systems  Major focus in IFS is on high value crops resulting in more income per acre  Regular stable income through the products like egg, milk, mushroom, vegetables, honey and silkworm cocoons from the linked activities in integrated farming  IFS has more resource use efficiency resulting in less cost and more income for farmers  Sustainable soil fertility and productivity through organic waste recycl...

The agriculture sector in India is growing at around 3.5%. In the last few years the growth in the agriculture sector is constrained due to the challenges on the marketing side. The following are the challenges on the upstream and the downstream process of agricultural marketing: Upstream challenges: Lack of cold storage facilities for perishable agricultural commodities  Lack of processing facilities Lack of assaying facilities Downstream challenges: Lack of transportation facilities linking the rural areas  Most of the states not allowing private wholesale mandis  Direct sale by farmers to retails chains (contract farming) is also restricted by most states  Lack of formal/organized players in retail sector The reforms launched in the last few years like Model Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing Act 2017, ‘Model Contract Farming Act 2018, SAMPADA scheme etc. will definitely help in resolving the above-mentioned challenges and will play a critical role in do...

India has set a target of 50% electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030. India presently has non-fossil fuel based installed capacity of 155 GW (39%). India in most likelihood will be able to achieve this target as: The growth in the non-fossil fuel-based installation capacity is much higher as compared to the fossil fuel-based energy.  Govt. is running various schemes like establishment of 50 Solar Parks of 500 MW with the help of state governments.  Government has launched Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for manufacturing domestic solar modules  Govt. is providing various subsidies on renewable energy generation and moving away from the subsidies provided for fossil fuel: Government provides subsidies on solar rooftops and agriculture solar pumps under KUSUM scheme.  Government imposing ‘Clean Energy Cess’ of Rs. 400/tonne on coal used for power projects.  Ministry of Power in consultation with Ministry of N...

In the post liberalization period, our economic growth increased to 6% in 1990s and then it touched 7% to 8% in the 2000 decade. But this higher growth was mainly driven by service sector (IT, telecom, finance etc.) which touched 10% while agriculture and manufacturing sector remained around 3% and 5% respectively. Our economic growth is being termed as jobless growth with the declining employment elasticity which is the ratio of percentage change in employment to percentage change in GDP. So, India has been the fastest growing economy but without creation of much jobs. This means that we are able to produce more output with the same amount of labour which proves that our labour productivity has increased. Labour productivity = Output (GDP)/Labour As the output is increasing without the increase in labour/employment, this means that our economic growth is driven by an increase in productivity of labour. And our labour is becoming more productive because of use of more capital/machines....

The term maritime security is defined as comprising those issues which pertain to the sea and have a critical bearing on the country’s security. The threats are of Traditional and Non-traditional (Pirates, Climate Change, Smuggling) types. Issues in Maritime Security:- Multi-level structure: There are approximately 15 agencies involved in various facets of coastal security that lead to inadequate utilization of resources, overlapping jurisdiction.  Structural Gap: Sufficient attention has not been paid to provide police stations with essential requirements.  Technology: The latest audit showed only about 1,000 vessels were actually equipped with the tracking facility.  Domestic industrial base: There is a lack of industrial base to reduce the demand for security related equipment.  Absence of a comprehensive policy formulation mechanism:- There is no coordinating body which could formulate national strategies for countering existing and emergent threats.  Discon...

Terrorism can be differentiated from organized crime by the fact that aims of the former is political/ideological while that of organized crime is profit and money making. Types of organized crime:  - Drug dealing  - Trafficking  - Money Laundering  - Fake currency notes Symbiotic relation between Terrorism and Organized Crime: - Drug trafficking, gun running, extortion, kidnapping, contract killing are used to raise money for their organization. Network of people, resources and logistics symbiotically support each other. For example, members of Dawood Ibrahim gang conducted a series of bomb blasts in Mumbai in 1993.  Terrorist groups conduct drug trafficking’s to ensure channels of terror finance.  Terrorist groups also support drug trafficking networks through arms, ammunitions as well as support criminals in border crossings. For example: terror movement in Punjab coincided with rise of Golden Crescent as hub for drug smuggling. Problems in control effor...

Photochemical Smog is a type of smog produced when ultraviolet light from the sun reacts with nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere. It is visible as a brown haze, and is most prominent during the morning and afternoon, especially in densely populated, warm cities.  Effects of Photochemical Smog: Both ozone and PAN cause eye irritations. Ozone and nitric oxide (NO) can irritate the nose and throat and their high concentration causes a headache, chest pain, dryness of the throat, cough and difficulty in breathing. Photochemical smog leads to cracking of rubber and extensive damage to plant life. It also causes corrosion of metals, stones, building materials, rubber and painted surfaces. Mitigation of Photochemical Smog: Opting for Renewable Energy and use of energy efficient designs and materials when renovating or building.  Reducing and Managing Vehicular and Industrial Emissions.  Use of Environmentally Friendly Consumer Products Gothenburg Protocol. Photochemical Smog shou...

Cellulose is a molecule, consisting of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Cellulose is the main substance in the walls of plant cells, helping plants to remain stiff and upright. The degradation of cellulose is a biochemical process involving organic and inorganic phases to form carbon dioxide, water etc. Cellulose in Planet Earth: Organic: Detritus Food Chain This type of food chain starts from organic matter of dead and decaying animals and plant bodies from the grazing food chain.  Dead organic matter or detritus feeding organisms are detrivores or decomposers. The detrivores are eaten by predators.  In an aquatic ecosystem, the grazing food chain is the major conduit for energy flow.  As against this, in a terrestrial ecosystem, a much larger fraction of energy flows through the detritus food chain than the grazing food chain.  Cellulose in Planet Earth: Inorganic: Leaching, Mineralisation and Weathering. Hence, Cellulose degradation is a prime example where both...

Life Expectancy is an estimate of the average number of additional years that a person of a given age can expect to live. According to Registrar General of India, India’s life expectancy is 69. New Health Challenges: Rise in Elderly Population: The Quality of Life for Elderly Index mentions that the share of elders is expected to increase from around 7.5% in 2001 and will surpass 19.5% by 2050.  Feminisation of Ageing in rural India.  Increased requirement of Geriatric Care leading to issues in social security net and rising government budgets.  Challenges with Health Insurance: Less than 1% of older adults have health insurance, and ageing-related morbidities are a grey area in terms of coverage.  Changing Disease Burden: With the number of non-communicable diseases is already outgrowing infectious diseases contributing to 60% of deaths. Steps to be taken: Geriatric pharmacotherapy to be included in the Undergraduate, PG and Nursing course to understand the impact o...

India is one of the world's largest producers as well as consumer of food products. Food processing is a sunrise industry (annual growth rate of 10%) in India and is increasingly seen as a potential source for driving the rural economy as it brings about synergy between the consumer, industry and agriculture.With a large agricultural resource base, abundant livestock and cost competitiveness, India is fast emerging as a sourcing hub of processed foods. Following is the scope and significance of food processing industry: One-third of the population is living in urban areas and this urbanisation will shift the consumption towards packaged and ready-to-eat foods. With favourable economic & cultural transformation, shift in attitudes & lifestyles, consumers are experimenting with different cuisines, tastes and new brands. Demand for processed food rising with growing disposable income, urbanising young population, growing middle-class, and nuclear families. Changing lifestyle a...

The concept of Public Distribution System (PDS) in the country evolved during the 2nd World War (1942) due to the shortage of food grains. PDS has evolved as a system of management of scarcity and for distribution of food grains at affordable prices. PDS is incremental in nature and is not intended to make available the entire  requirement of any of the commodities distributed under it.  The PDS faces certain challenges mentioned below: Most of the states distribute only wheat and rice under PDS resulting in deficiency of nutrients among poor.  The food grains distributed under PDS lacks in quality.  Inadequate storage capacity with FCI leads to wastage of food grains.  Centralized procurement leads to transport of food grains from surplus states to deficit states leading to wastage of Govt.’s resources.  FCI’s procurement of only wheat and rice has distorted the cropping pattern  Taking a cue from the recommendations of the Shanta Kumar Committee, it ...

Inclusive growth is economic growth that creates opportunity for all segments of the population and distributes the dividends of increased prosperity to every section of the society. A market economy is one in which the allocation of resources and the prices of goods and services are determined by market forces, primarily supply and demand. Even in a market economy, Government has resources and tools to steer the economy towards inclusive growth. And this can be done in the following ways:  Government focussing on provision of public services like quality education and health which enhances the capability of the people. Measures to reduce corruption in day-to-day life of the people. Focus should be more in the sectors where the poor work ex. in agriculture and rural infrastructure. Focus should be more on productive employment generation rather than subsidies. In the last few years, Government has taken several steps in improving the financial inclusion which has impacted economic ...