Reading Recommendations 🗞

• Read all about Cervical Cancer from UPSC pov here

IE

1. Art 142, why SC quashed Chandigarh Mayor election, why it matters
(GS3, Polity: Read to know the entire case & SC's involvement)

2. Defining forests, saving them
(GS3, Environment: Read to know recent SC direction on definition of forests & arguments involved)

3. Why are we falling ill so often?
(GS2, Health: Read to know types, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, steps takes & needed of seasonal influenza)

4. Loss of a guiding light
(PM Modi's article on contribution of Jain seer Acharya Vidhyasagar)


TH

1. Having panchayats as self-governing institutions
(GS2, PRIs: Read to know the status, causes & potential of own source of revenue of panchayats)

2. Why are farmers protesting again?
(GS3, Agri: Read to know primary demands & govt stance)

Friends, if you’re yet to fill the UPSC 2024 form, do watch this video before you sign up.

Entire notification discussed in detail to clear all doubts

https://youtu.be/M8Y1QioTVgI

🚨 22 February 2024 | Thursday 🚨

Pre-related 📄

1. Sandeshkhali

• Among 100s of islands in Sunderban delta
• Where Ganga- Meghna- Brahmaputra system falls into Bay of Bengal
• Surrounded by web of tidal waterways, rivers, canals, creeks, mangrove patches
• Nutrient rich water ecosystem, ideal for fish farming
• Was heartland of Tebhaga movement
• Context: Site of recent conflict b/w TMC & BJP

2. CE20 Cryogenic Engine

• Powers cryogenic stage of LVM3 launch vehicle for Gaganyaan Missions
• Context: It's now human-rated
• Read about Gaganyaan Mission here

3. Unbundling

• Dividing product/service into multiple components
• And selling each component at different price

4. Samakka Saralamma Jatra

• Annual tribal festival in Telangana
• Considered 1 of the biggest ones in India

5. Skywalker Hoolock Gibbon

• Discovered in 2017 in China
• Myanmar has the largest population in a single location

Note: Download notes on 35+ species asked in last 15 years in Prelims here


Stats 📈

• Women Labour Force Participation: 19.9% (PLFS Oct-Dec 2023)

• Contri of Digital Public Infrastructure (Aadhaar, UPI, FASTag etc) to GDP (2022) : 0.9% (Nasscom)


Quote 💭

• Governor is a "short-hand expression for state government" ~ SC (AG Perarivalan vs State 2022)


PS: Hit ❤️ to appreciate my efforts!

Reading Recommendations 🗞

IE

1. Fali in court: 9 notable cases
(GS2, Polity: Important Cases)


TH

1. Electoral season & restructuring the health system
(GS2, Health: Read to know status, challenges & suggestions for India's health system)

2. Beyond shelter, dweller needs within the four walls
(GS3, Environment: Read to understand why & how 'housing for all' must be aligned with envtal goals)

3. An undeclared war with nature
(GS3, Biodiversity: Read to know the causes of human-wildlife conflict in Kerala & suggestions for the same)

4. On financial devolution among states
(GS2, Polity: Detailed article on role of FC, basis of allocation, issues, way forward)

5. Astronomers find the small, hot helium stars they were looking for
(GS3, S&T: Read to understand why sun doesn't collpase & about binary systems of stars)

Revise all Bhakti Saints at once with mnemonics & mapping

Watch at 2x 👇🏼


https://youtu.be/opgCEKJwwVE

🚨 23 February 2024 | Friday 🚨

Pre related 📄

1. Kala Azar

• Cause: Leishmania genus; India- Leishmania donovani
• Diagnosis: Direct Agglutination Test (DAT), ELISA and rk39 dipstick, Aldehyde test
• No vaccine
• Revise more here
• Context: In 2023, India hit target towards eliminating Kala Azar, first time

2. Positronium

• Fundamental atomic system
• Comprise a bound electron ( e- ) and positron ( e+ )
• Mass: twice the electron's
• Half life: 142 nano sec
• Context: CERN scientists carry out laser cooling of Positronium for 1st time

3. Purple Frog

• A 'living fossil'
• Similar to Sooglossidae family of frogs in Seychelles
• Found in Western Ghats (Tamil Nadu)
• Believed to have coexisted with dinosaurs
• Context: A special fund for their conservation being set up

4. Places in News: Albania

• Northern neighbor of Greece; between EU & East
• Context: India to open diplomatic mission in Albanian capital, Tirana

5. Dracunculiasis (aka Guinea worm disease)

• A parasitic infection
• Onset: One year after exposure
• Painful blister that a long white string-like worm slowly crawls out of
• No medication, prevention through basic health principles (esp clean water)
• India eliminated in 1990s

6. Blue corner notice aka ‘enquiry notice’

• 1 of INTERPOL's 7 notices
• Allows police forces in member states to share critical crime related information


Stats 📈

• 12 MPs re-elected from 2004-2019 have criminal cases (Report by ADR & National Election Watch)


PS: Hit ❤️ if you’re reading newspaper daily!

Reading Recommendations 🗞

IE

1. How to make MSP work
(GS 3, Agri: Agri Pricing, Govt policies & interventions, suggestions)

2. The situation of farmers
(GS 3, Agri: Read to know the status & composition of farmers & agri in Indian economy)

TH

1.  In a tough world, the beacon of U.K.-India strategic ties
(GS2, IR: India-UK relations)

2. Should India have regional benches of the Supreme Court?
(GS2, Judiciary: Read for arguments for & a/g setting up regional benches)

3. The women of ASHA: overworked, underpaid and on the edge of breakdown
(GS 2, Health: Read to know the challenges faced by ASHA workers)

🚨 24 February 2024 | Friday 🚨

Pre related 📄

1. Donkey

• Equus africanus
• Ethiopia- largest donkey population
• Millions coveted for medicine, cosmetics and sweets in China
• Ejiao-key ingredient in traditional Chinese remedies; aka- Donkey hide glue


2. Odysseus - 1st US Moon landing in 50 years

• By Texas based Intuitive machines
• Landed on South Pole of Moon near Crater Malapet

3. PAPA

• Plasma Analyser Package
• ISRO's Aditya L1's payload
• energy and mass analyser for in situ measurements of solar wind electrons and ions in low energy range
• Read more about Aditya L1 here


PS: Revise 20+ Bhakti Saints in under 20 minutes for UPSC Prelims 2024!

Reading Recommendations 🗞

IE

1. Small Poll, Large Lesson (GS 2- Mayor Elections, Primacy of due process)

2. Design of subsidy (GS 3 - Subsidy, welfare schemes, energy transition)

3. Donor gametes are allowed: What a new rule on Surrogacy says
(GS 1 - Society - Surrogacy)

TH

1.  X factor (GS 2 - Article 19(1)(a) )

2. Changing the growth paradigm (GS 3 - Economy - Policy making)

3. The NB8 visit to India focuses on cooperation and trust (GS 2- IR- Nordic-Baltic cooperation)

🚨 25 February 2024 | Sunday 🚨

Pre related 📄

1. HCES

• The Household Consumption Expenditure Survey
• conducted by NSO every 5 years
• Monthly Per-capita Consumer Expenditure (MPCE)
• Highest MPCE in Sikkim
• Context : HCES Data released After 11 years gap

2. Edwards syndrome

• aka Trisomy 18 syndrome
• Genetic disorder caused by the presence of a third copy of all or part of chromosome 18
• Babies are born with small body parts and Intellectual disability
• Context: Prehistoric case of Edwards syndrome found for the first time

Note: Learn 10 articles of Indian Constitution for Pre2024 in 1 minute!


Stats📈

• 76% of TB patients paid for nutritional support - Nikshay Poshan Yojana

• HCES: Increase in Avg MPCE in Indian Households since 2011-12:
a) Urban: 33.5%
b) Rural: 40.42%

PS: Hit ❤️ if you’re reading newspaper daily!

Reading Recommendations 🗞

TH

1.  Kerala takes a pioneering step to curb antimicrobial resistance (GS 3 - S&T - AMR - Global public health threat )

2. The Global South’s stand on Israel’s war in Gaza (GS 2 - IR - Global South, Israel War)

3. What is the SC’s interim order on the Forest Act? (GS 2- Interim order, Forest Conservation Act, Important SC judgment )

OBC Central Rules

Highlighted all main pointers

• Grade A before/after 40 age
• Salary & agri income

Read it and present it to your local tehsil officers if the need be :)

🚨 26 February 2024 | Monday 🚨

Pre related 📄

1. Attukal Pongala

• 10-day religious festival celebrated at the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple
• in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
• aka Women's Sabrimala

2. Chalukyan Temple Architecture

• 6th-12th centuries
• Founder- Pulakeshin I
• Key features - Vesara Style, tall Vimana above inner Sanctum , Stellate plan.
• Context: Discovery of temples in Telangana shows spread of Chalukya reign

3. Language ATLAS

• by Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts
• autonomous body under the Union Culture Ministry.
• 22 Scheduled languages spoken by 97% Population
• 99 non-scheduled languages spoken by 37.8 Million people

4. Blanets

• It is member of a hypothetical class of exoplanets that directly orbit black holes.

Note : Revise temples in news for Pre 2024


Stats📈

Gross Enrolment Ratio by AISHE 2020-21 : (below National avg - 27.3%)
1. Women- 24.9%
2. SC- 23.1%
3. ST- 18.9%

PS: Hit ❤️ if you’re reading newspaper daily!

Reading Recommendations 🗞

TH

1.  Rediscovering Palestinian statehood (GS 2- IR - 2 state solution, Afghan Model)

2. A chilling effect on the freedom to love (GS 2 - UCC , FR)

3. Can the IMEC address the Red Sea crisis? (GS 2- IR- important trading route)

4. Ahead of Gaganyaan, ISRO’s CE-20 engine already has a notable legacy (GS3 - S&T - Important ISRO projects)

IE

1. Changes in Electricity Rules: Boost to rooftop solar power (GS3- Government schemes - Renewable Energy )

2. Consumption Survey: 5 Questions (GS 3- Economy- Important Reports)

3. In Poll year, a data Question (GS 2 - Elections, Data Protection, Right to Privacy)

🚨 27 February 2024 | Tuesday 🚨

Pre related 📄

1. ISRO projects

a) Trisonic Wind Tunnel at VSSC

b) Integration facilities for PSLV
• at Sriharikota
• produces controlled uniform airflow
• Mach number range of 0.2 to 4

c) Semicryogenic Integrated Engine and Stage Test Facility (SIET)
• at Mahendragiri
• capability to test the SCE-2000 semi-cryogenic engine
• which uses refined kerosene and liquid oxygen as propellants and the rocket stage

2. GARBH-Ini Programme

• The Garbhini-GA2 is the first late-trimester GA estimation model
• developed by IIT Madras & Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad
• Department of Biotechnology initiative

3. Baleen whales

• use a larynx, anatomically modified to enable underwater vocalisation
• Similar to Humans.

4. Theyyam

• Popular ritual form of dance worship
• annual temple festival, Kerala

5. Singlet Fission

• Photoconversion process that generates a doubly excited, maximally spin entangled pair state

6. Chromophore (aka colour molecules)

• Organic molecule/part of larger molecule that absorbs light of some specific colour
• Hence responsible for colouration of objects

7. Bitcoin halving

• 50% reduction in reward paid to Bitcoin miners
• as they process others' cryptocurrency transactions so that they can be added to blockchain

Note: Revise Species in news for Pre2024


Stats📈

• UNCTAD report: Suez Canal - 12-15% global trade (2023). 82% drop post Houthis Attacks


PS: Hit ❤️ if you’re reading newspaper daily!

Reading Recommendations 🗞

IE

1. EU - India FTA talks are sending a signal to world in support of rules based trade system (Pg 9)
(GS3 Economy, FTA, India- EU relations, Important sectors & roadmap)

2. It starts with a district (Pg 11)
(GS 3, Social issues, Reports and policy making, way forward)

3. Gyanvapi case: Why HC called govt order restraining puja in cellar "illegal" (Pg 13)
(GS 2, Important SC judgments, Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991)

4. Why Maharashtra is exempting some pvt schools from RTE Quota (Pg 13)
(GS 2, RTE Act)

TH

1.  An expansive land management policy is overdue
(GS 1, Geo, GS3, Env, Land Degradation, Indian Challenges and Way forward)

2. What is Bitcoin halving and what does it mean for the crypto community?
(GS 3, S&T, important terms and cryptocurrency)

3. Grant permanent commission to women: SC to Coast Guard. (GS1, Society, GS3, Defence, Important judgements, gender equality , ICG)

4. Will ‘colour molecules’ make quantum computers accessible? (GS 3, S&T, Quantum Technology and keywords)

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