All posts tagged: upsc Key Indian express

Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, Periyar and Microlightning

Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, Periyar and Microlightning

Published by Parlour News

Nagpur tense as protest against Aurangzeb’s tomb triggers violence Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: History of India  and Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination:  • General Studies I: communalism Story continues below this ad • General Studies I: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues. What’s the ongoing story: Vehicles were torched and police fired tear gas shells at mobs in Nagpur Monday following violence over rumours that a holy book had been desecrated during a demonstration in the city by right wing outfits, including Bajrang Dal, seeking removal of the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Khuldabad. Key Points to Ponder: • Who was Aurangzeb? • Aurangzeb’s policies are often considered one of the major reasons for the decline of the Mughal Empire—know his religious, administrative, and military strategies and their impact on the empire. • The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb remains a controversial historical figure in India—Why? Story continues below this ad • Why are there socio-political tensions in Maharashtra over Aurangzeb’s …

CAG in the spotlight: What are the issues? | UPSC Current Affairs News

CAG in the spotlight: What are the issues? | UPSC Current Affairs News

Published by Parlour News

(The Indian Express has launched a new series of articles for UPSC aspirants written by seasoned writers and scholars on issues and concepts spanning History, Polity, International Relations, Art, Culture and Heritage, Environment, Geography, Science and Technology, and so on. Read and reflect with subject experts and boost your chance of cracking the much-coveted UPSC CSE. In the following article, Dileep P Chandran analyses the CAG in light of recent issues surrounding India’s apex audit body.) The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Centre’s response on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the current practice of appointing the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) – India’s apex audit body. The PIL argues that the existing executive-controlled process violates the Constitution and seeks an independent selection committee for appointing CAG.  Story continues below this ad This comes amid recent CAG reports, such as on the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy and on the Functioning of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), which have highlighted irregularities in public fund management and led to debates about …

How is Time Use Survey important for UPSC?

How is Time Use Survey important for UPSC?

Published by Parlour News

Here are the key highlights from the Time Use Survey. Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your knowledge nugget for today. (Relevance: UPSC has asked questions on the ‘care economy,’ the ‘monetized economy,’ and the role of women. In Prelims, questions have been asked about employment and key government surveys or reports. Since TUS is published by only a few countries in the world, it is important for UPSC aspirants to understand its objectives and major highlights.) Why in the news? The National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released the second All-India Time Use Survey for the period January-December 2024. It measures time dispositions by the population on different activities. The primary objective of the Survey is to measure the participation of men and women in paid and unpaid activities. The first All-India survey was conducted during January – December 2019. Only few countries around the world like Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, …

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week

Published by Parlour News

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers brings you essential current affairs of the past week, every Monday, to aid you in your Prelims and Mains preparation for UPSC, State PCS, and other competitive examinations. Events EAM S Jaishankar and his Oman counterpart Badr Albusaidi release a logo to mark 70 years of India-Oman diplomatic ties during the Indian Ocean conference, in Oman, Sunday. PTI — The 8th Indian Ocean Conference was organised by India Foundation in association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Oman on February 16-17, 2025 in Muscat, Oman. Story continues below this ad — It was started by the India Foundation in 2016 in Singapore, with participation from 30 countries. The theme for this year of the Conference is Voyages to New Horizons of Maritime Partnership. — The objective of the conference is to bring critical states and principal maritime partners of the region together on a common platform to deliberate upon the prospects of regional cooperation for Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR). — Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated …

Knowledge nugget of the day: Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan

Knowledge nugget of the day: Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan

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The Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan website has been launched by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on January 15th. Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your knowledge nugget for today. (Relevance: Government schemes and new initiatives form an important part of the UPSC syllabus. The government is highly invested in improving security in border areas. Promoting tourism in border areas and battlefields is part of this initiative. Therefore, it is important to understand the objectives of these schemes and initiatives.) On the occasion of the 77th Army Day (15th January), Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the “Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan” which is a dedicated website for visitors, including information on the 77 sites, their stories, and how to get there. Key Takeaways: 1. The Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan website will be a one-stop destination for the visitors to make all necessary arrangements for their travel planning, including how to apply for permits for some of these places, officials add. 2. The Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan website will feature …

Governor’s Office, -trillion Economy and Tiger Migration

Governor’s Office, $5-trillion Economy and Tiger Migration

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PM: Step out of comfort zone, time for India’s quantum jump Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc. Main Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment. What’s the ongoing story: Urging the youth to step outside their “comfort zone” while underlining that this is the time for a “quantum jump” to have a developed nation by 2047, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Sunday that India is rapidly moving towards a $5-trillion economy and will surpass the $10-trillion mark by the end of the next decade. Key Points to Ponder: • What is ‘Viksit Bharat by 2047’? • What is the meaning of becoming a $5-trillion economy? • What is the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat by 2047’ as envisioned by the Government of India? • In the context of India’s development goals, what does the term ‘demographic dividend’ refer to? • The role of youth in achieving the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat by 2047’-Comment • How can government policies empower …

Knowledge nugget of the day: Ghost particles

Knowledge nugget of the day: Ghost particles

Published by Parlour News

Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your knowledge nugget for today. (Relevance: In 2013, UPSC asked a question about the Higgs boson particle. A question on ‘IceCube,’ a particle detector located at the South Pole, was already asked in 2015. Therefore, it is important to understand neutrinos and why they are called ghost particles.) Scientists have deployed telescopes under the Mediterranean Sea to detect the high-energy neutrinos also known as ghost particles. The two telescopes are part of the Cubic Kilometre Neutrino Telescope or KM3NeT. While one of the telescopes will study high-energy neutrinos from space, the other will examine neutrinos from the atmosphere. These telescopes are much like the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, which can detect high-energy neutrinos from deep space but is under the frozen ice in the Antarctic rather than being in the water Key Takeaways: 1. Neutrinos are tiny particles, very similar to electrons, but without any electric charge. They are miniscule subatomic particles that hardly interact with anything. …

Deadliest Plane Crash, Houthis of Yemen, and Women’s Participation in Politics

Deadliest Plane Crash, Houthis of Yemen, and Women’s Participation in Politics

Published by Parlour News

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora. What’s the ongoing story: Amid the public row among his supporters over the H-1B visa programme, US President-elect Donald Trump has backed key ally Elon Musk, calling himself a “believer in H-1B” and saying he has “always been in favour of the visas”. Key Points to Ponder: • What is the difference between a visa and a passport? • What is the history of India-US relations? • What is the H-1B visa program? • What are the key developments in India-US relations in the various sectors? • How does the H-1B visa program impact skilled migration from India to the United States? • What significant policy changes have occurred in recent years regarding the H-1B visa? • How does the H-1B visa program affect relations between India and the United States? Key Takeaways: • Trump’s remarks followed a series of social media posts from Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, who vowed late Friday to go to “war” to defend the visa programme …

Knowledge nugget of the day: Jetson Orin Nano Super

Knowledge nugget of the day: Jetson Orin Nano Super

Published by Parlour News

Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your knowledge nugget for today. (Relevance: AI and supercomputers are becoming essential tools for addressing complex computing challenges and integrating new-age solutions. Governments around the world are exploring options to leverage AI and supercomputers. The Indian government has also launched the National Supercomputing Mission, making it crucial to know about new innovations and collaborations in the field of AI and supercomputers.) Why in the news? Nvidia unveiled the Jetson Orin Nano Super Generative AI supercomputer on December 17. It brings a lot more computing power in a tiny form factor. Owing to its enhanced performance, the supercomputer can help developers fuel innovation. Today, Nvidia is the biggest chipmaker in the world, with a market cap of over $3 trillion, second only to Apple. Key Takeaways: 1. Nvidia has defined its latest offering as a ‘“compact, yet powerful computer” that redefines generative AI for small edge devices. When it comes to performances, the Justin Orin Nano Super …

Knowledge Nugget of the day: Digital Arrest

Knowledge Nugget of the day: Digital Arrest

Published by Parlour News

What is Digital Arrest? What are the recent initiatives of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)? Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your knowledge nugget for today. (Relevance: UPSC has repeatedly asked questions on cyber security in General Studies Paper III. In the Prelims, terms related to cyber attacks were asked in 2018. Therefore, knowing about these terms is essential for your UPSC preparation.) Why in the news? Last week, Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police arrested 17 people accused of digital arrest. The gang had “digitally arrested” a senior citizen for 10 days, kept watch on him via video calls, and got him to deposit Rs 79.34 lakh as “refundable” processing fees to sort out an “RBI issue”. Key Takeaways: 1. While the digital age has brought unparalleled convenience and connectivity, it has also seen a parallel and alarming rise in cybercrime. This surge is attributed to the increasing penetration of the Internet and digital services across the globe, making more individuals …