UPSC Key-June 20, 2022: Know the relevance of ‘Capacity Utilisation’ to ‘Conscription’ to ‘Black Swan’ for UPSC CSE

No rollback, Agniveer aspirants must pledge they weren’t among protesters

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

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:

• The military “needs a youthful profile”-What have you understood by this statement?

• When was the idea of ‘Tour of Duty’ (ToD) first mooted in India?

• Kargil Review Committee’s on ageing of Army-What was there in the report?

• What is Conscription model of recruitment?

• How recently introduced “Tour of Duty” model” is different from Conscription model?

• Know the other countries recruitment model. How they are different from Agnipath/Agneepath Scheme?

• Agnipath Scheme-Know the key Highlights of the scheme

• Who are ‘Agniveer’ under the Agnipath Scheme?

• What are the features of the Agnipath scheme?

• Know in detail the Eligibility, recruitment, training and Permanent enrolment proposed in Agnipath Scheme

• What Pay and perks will Agniveers receive?

• Why ‘Agneepath’ is said to be a “major defence policy reform”?

• What exactly does the term “tour of duty” entail when used in the context of the military?

• Aim of New Tour of Duty system-Know in Detail

• How would the Indian Army benefit from the Tour of Duty?

• What will be advantages esp. for the Government with this new move?

• Tour Of Duty may have certain drawbacks. What are they?

• The Agnipath scheme is a major structural reform for the armed forces and society at large-What are the structural and fundamental changes proposed in this scheme?

• ‘OROP reform was a huge fiscal burden on the state, therefore idea of Agnipath came into the picture’-Do you agree?

• How much amount is Spent on Pensions of Army, Navy, and Air Force?

• The expenditure on defence constitutes what percentage of the central government’s budget?

• The expenditure on defence is what percentage of India’s estimated GDP for previous years?

• The Agneepath scheme will help cut the rising salary and pension bill of the armed forces. Why rising salary and pension has been a major worry for governments over the years?

• ‘The Indian Army’s success as an institution embedded in democracy has in part come from its ability to maintain some regional balance, and become the army of all of India’-How Indian defence forces reflect Indian Society at large?

• The Agneepath scheme will lead to ‘Militarisation of society’-Do you agree?

• ‘Agnipath scheme is classic example of Political logic overriding institutional sanity’-Critically analyse this statement

• What do you understand by the term ‘Casualisation of government employment’?

• What are the other major reforms with respect to defence forces in India?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Big shortfall in hiring of ex-servicemen across govt depts, posts: Data

📍Playing with Agni

📍What’s in Agnipath scheme

Textbook revision slashes portion in history on Islamic rulers of India

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

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:

• “History is always written by the winners”-How this statement is relevant in present Context?

• How ‘ideology’ influenced the course of Indian history?

• Indian history has faced massive distortions from the time of British rule-How far you agree with this statement?

• What are the most sweeping changes in social science school textbooks since 2014 in India?

• A textbook “rationalisation” exercise by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)-Know the Key details

• What are the reasons given by Union Government for the textbook “rationalisation” exercise?

• Textbooks in India give “disproportionate attention” to caste-How far you agree with this statement?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Express Investigation — Part 1: From Emergency to Gujarat riots, lessons of past deleted from textbooks of future

📍Express Investigation — Part 2: Key deletions on caste, minorities in revised school textbooks

Mixed signals in capacity utilisation: Cement, steel up, FMCG, auto lag

Syllabus:

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

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is ‘Capacity utilisation’?

• The Steady uptick in capacity utilisation in the manufacturing sector over three quarters till March-end 2022 are encouraging. Why?

• The Order Books, Inventories and Capacity Utilisation Survey or OBICUS by RBI is related to what?

• “When capacity utilisation remains around 75-80 per cent levels, the industry starts thinking about expansion”-What have you understood by this statement?

• Impact of Capacity Utilisation on Planning and Economy-Know in detail

• India’s investment story are driven by which factors and components?

• What is ‘Production-Linked Incentive (PLI)’ scheme?

• What is Annual Survey of Industries (ASI)?

• Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) is conducted by whom?

• Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) which is a principal source of industrial statistics in India is conducted annually-True or False?

• What is the status of Gross fixed capital formation in Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) 2019-2020?

• What is Gross fixed capital formation?

• Higher the Gross fixed capital formation, Higher is the investment-True or false?

• Know the key highlights of Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) 2019-2020

• What Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) 2019-2020 says about employment?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: Snapshot of industry in ‘normal’ year that preceded the Covid pandemic

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

The inflation tightrope

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

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

Key Points to Ponder:

• Some part of inflation is coming from abroad. What is that ‘Abroad factor’ which are adding more to Inflation Situation in India?

• “Supply shocks pose a problem for the authorities. If output is stabilised using macroeconomic policies, prices will rise even more”-Elaborate

• What is the Monetary Policy Committee?

• The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is a Statutory Body-True or False?

• What is the Primary Objective of monetary policy in India?

• Do You Know-The inflation target of the Reserve Bank of India is 4 per cent, with a band of 2 per cent on either side.

• There are several direct and indirect instruments that are used for implementing monetary policy-What are they?

• What is India’s GDP growth rate Projection by RBI and National Statistical Office (NSO) for 2022-23?

• How Fast tightening of loose monetary policy, prudent fiscal policy and rational trade policy can control inflation?

• Self-Reliant and Self Sufficient-Know the Difference

• The word ‘Inflation’ is now days very often in News. What do you understand by this term?

• Why Inflation holds so much importance for an Economy?

• The term ‘Price’ is almost familiar to all of us. What do you understand by the term ‘price’ and ‘Price Level’?

• How price level is Measured?

• What is Price Index? Which are the two most important Price indices?

• What do you understand by Wholesale Price Index (WPI) and Consumer Price Index? WPI and CPI is published by whom?

• What is CPI-based Inflation or Retail Inflation? Both are same?

• The base year of Wholesale Price Index (WPI)?

• Base Year for Consumer Price Index (CPI)?

• Know the Types of Inflation like Moderate Inflation, Galloping Inflation, Hyper-Inflation, Stagflation, Deflation, Core Inflation etc.

• Know the Causes of Inflation like Demand-Pull or Demand-Side inflation and Cost-Push or Supply-Side Inflation.

• There are two economic groups in every society including India i.e. the fixed income group and the variable income group. How Inflation effects these economic group?

• What is the Long term, Medium Term and Short-term impact of Inflation?

• How Inflation is Measured in India?

• Steps or Measures Taken by GOI to Control Inflation

• National Statistical Office (NSO)-About, Vision, Mandate and Role

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What is the significance of wholesale and retail inflation rates diverging

📍Rising inflation: cause, effect

📍What Is Inflation?

📍Taming inflation

A Sputtering Start

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.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Know the Rainfall profile of India

• The climate of India is described as the ‘monsoon’ type-Know the reason for this classification

• Monsoon and India-Connect the dots

• What do you understand by “Onset of monsoons”?

• What is Southwest Monsoon, Northeast Monsoon and Retreating Monsoon?

• South West Monsoon Season-Why Monsoon here is referred as “Southwest Monsoon”?

• Arabian Sea branch of South West Monsoons and Bay of Bengal branch of South West Monsoon-Compare and contrast

• The southwest monsoon season and the retreating monsoon-Know the difference

• The Sea Surface Temperature (SST), Mean Sea Level pressure in east Asia, The surface air temperature over northwest Europe and the warm water volume of the equatorial Pacific Ocean-Impact on Monsoon

• Coriolis Force and its role in Monsoon-Know in detail

• What are the Niño and La Niña?

• EL Nino Southern Oscillation or ENSO impact on Monsoon

• Indian Ocean Dipole-Know in Detail

• Factors Influencing South-West Monsoon Formation

• What is Inter Tropical Convergence Zone?

• What do you understand by the expression ‘Onset of the South-West Monsoon’?

• Impact of Monsoons on Life in India-Economical, Cultural and Social

• India Meteorological Department and Monsoon Prediction in India

• How much rainfall does India receive on average in a year?

• When is the Long Period Average (LPA) revised?

• Why has it been downgraded?

• Has the all-India quantitative rainfall reduced?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 What downgrade in average monsoon rainfall means

📍 UNIT IV: CLIMATE (PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY-11TH CLASS NCERT)

📍 UNIT III: Climate, Vegetation and Soil (11th NCERT-INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT)

THE IDEAS PAGE

An oil palm plan for home

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:

• The WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) took place recently-Know the key details

• The WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12)- Know the outcome of key trade initiatives

• What are trade related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS)?

• Supply disruptions during the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war have led many nations to think about “self-sufficiency” in critical food items or at least reduce their “excessive dependence” on imports of essential food products-Elaborate with recent examples

• What are the major import items in 2021-2022 for India?

• Do you Know-India’s edible oil import bill in 2021-22 (FY22) crossed $19 billion (for more than 14 MMT of imports). India imports 55 to 60 per cent of its edible oil requirements.

• How “self-sufficiency” is different from “self-reliance” ?

• Know about Palm Oil and its Uses

• Palm Oil Crisis in Indonesia-Why this Crisis?

• Palm oil Crisis and its impact on India

• India’s Import of Palm Oil-Know about it

• National Edible Oil Mission-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP)-Key Highlights

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍The dangers of India’s palm oil push

An act of accommodation

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act, Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

Key Points to Ponder:

• J&K delimitation commission-Why was the commission set up?

• J&K delimitation commission-key Proposal

• J&K Delimitation-Why has the exercise been controversial?

• J&K Delimitation-What changes have made now compared to Draft Paper of the Delimitation Commission?

• Delimitation Commission of India and Delimitation Commission Act-Know in Detail

• Delimitation Commission-Members, Power and Independence

• Delimitation commissions in the past (1952, 1962, 1972 and 2002)-Know in brief

• Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019-Key Highlights

• Key Proposal by the Delimitation Commission-Pros and Cons

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Delimitation in Jammu and Kashmir: how, why

📍What changes to J&K constituencies mean

EXPLAINED

What West Seti power project can mean for India-Nepal ties

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

Key Points to Ponder:

• India -Nepal power relations-Know the Background

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

• How have India’s relations with Nepal fared?

• Map Work-Mark Seti River (Know origination point and Drainage pattern)

• Other Hydel power treaties between India and Nepal-Know in detail

• India and Nepal economic blockade of 2015 and change in equation after that-Know in Detail

• What has been China’s impact on Indo-Nepal bilateral relations?

• What are the major Irritating Factors in India-Nepal Relations in the recent years?

• What are steps taken by India to enhance Indo-Nepal ties?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India-Nepal ties are as stable as the Himalayas, says PM Modi in Lumbini

Juneteenth

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is Juneteenth?

• What is its significance?

• What happened after Biden signed the federal law?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: In a sunken wreck off Alabama, a history of the transatlantic slave trade

ECONOMY

RBI report: ‘Black swan’ event may trigger around `7.8-lakh-cr out flow

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Main Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy

Key Points to Ponder:

• What Is a Black Swan?

• Examples of Past Black Swan Events-Know them

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

• Why Do They Call It a Black Swan Event?

• ‘Capital outflows to the tune of $100 billion (around Rs 7,80,000 crore) are likely to take place from India in a major global risk scenario’. Why RBI calling this a black swan event?

• Do you Know-According to National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) data, foreign portfolio investors have pulled out a record Rs 2,08,587 crore ($26.75 billion) from the Indian markets in calendar year 2022 so far.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Black Swan

Surety Bonds stuck: Irdai asked to come up File with model product

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Main Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy

Key Points to Ponder:

• Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India or the IRDAI-Role

• What is ‘Surety Bonds’?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Irdai committee to examine Surety Bonds for road contracts

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