All posts tagged: UPSC Mains 2024

India’s informal sector, Agni missile with MIRV system, and Labour Codes rules notified

India’s informal sector, Agni missile with MIRV system, and Labour Codes rules notified

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.  What’s the ongoing story: India’s informal sector is becoming less indebted, with the interest they paid as well as the amount of loans they need to repay falling sharply, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s (MoSPI) full report on its Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) conducted in 2025.  Key Points to Ponder: — What is the informal sector?  — What is the difference between the formal and informal sectors?  — What are the structural constraints of India’s unincorporated sector and their implications for employment quality and productivity? — How declining indebtedness in the informal sector does not necessarily indicate economic strength.  Story continues below this ad — What are the vulnerabilities of small, informal enterprises to input cost shocks, and what measures should be taken to enhance their resilience? — What is the significance of unincorporated enterprises in India’s economy? — What are the government initiatives …

India-Seychelles relations, PMKVY, and NUDGE campaign

India-Seychelles relations, PMKVY, and NUDGE campaign

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.  What’s the ongoing story: While stressing that defence and maritime cooperation are important pillars in the relationship between India and Seychelles, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that in the coming days, the two countries would also cooperate in renewable energy and climate solutions. He was addressing a joint press meet in New Delhi along with visiting Seychelles President Patrick Herminie. Key Points to Ponder: — What is the history of India-Seychelles relations? — What are the emerging areas of cooperation between India and Seychelles? — What is the Colombo Security Conclave? — What is India’s MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) Vision? — What is the strategic significance of Seychelles for India? — Map work: Locate Seychelles on world map.  Key Takeaways: — “In the areas of marine research, capacity-building and data-sharing, India will share its expertise with Seychelles. Defence cooperation and …

COP30, Trump-Xi ceasefire, and Indoor Air Quality

COP30, Trump-Xi ceasefire, and Indoor Air Quality

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. Story continues below this ad What’s the ongoing story: The 30th edition of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30), the annual two-week climate talks beginning in Belem, Brazil, on Monday, is as much about restoring the credibility of this UN-mandated negotiating process as it is about saving global climate. Key Points to Ponder: — What is Conference of the Parties or COP? — Read about the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 2015 Paris Agreement. — What were the major outcomes of the COP29? — What do you understand about Net-zero emissions? — What is climate finance? — What are Nationally-Determined Contributions? — What is the principle of “common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities”? — How can India balance its development needs with its increasing global leadership on climate finance …

UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 Special: Have last minute exam day strategy doubts — we have got answers | UPSC Current Affairs News

UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 Special: Have last minute exam day strategy doubts — we have got answers | UPSC Current Affairs News

Are You Prelims Ready? UPSC Prelims 2025 is scheduled for May 25. As the exam approaches, aspirants are often flooded with last-minute doubts and dilemmas — ranging from anxiety and self-doubt to concerns about strategy and performance pressure. These feelings are natural, especially ahead of such a high-stakes and competitive examination. To help aspirants navigate this crucial phase, here is a comprehensive Prelims Day Strategy Guide, part of our Expert Talk series under UPSC Essentials by The Indian Express. In this edition, Rohit Pande, our expert, speaks to Manas Srivastava of The Indian Express, addressing the most common questions and mental roadblocks that aspirants face just before entering the exam hall. About our Expert: Rohit Pande brings over a decade of experience in strategy and consulting to the world of CSE examinations. His team has helped many students clear the exam using scientific framework-driven mentorship. He keeps a keen eye on the evolving patterns of the UPSC IAS exam and the changing study habits of GenZ UPSC aspirants, enabling them with deep, actionable, and unrivaled insights. Story …

UPSC Key | 18th May, 2025: ISRO’s EOS-09, Rare-earth magnets, and Left Wing Extremism

UPSC Key | 18th May, 2025: ISRO’s EOS-09, Rare-earth magnets, and Left Wing Extremism

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. What’s the ongoing story: In a rare failure, India’s main rocket PSLV developed problems a few minutes after take-off and failed to place earth observation satellite EOS-09 into the intended orbit in an early morning launch on Sunday. Key Points to Ponder: — What are the Earth observation satellites? Story continues below this ad — What are the different types of launch vehicles of ISRO? — What is the difference between PSLV and GSLV? — What are the various stages of rockets? — Learn about the important ISRO’s missions – Aditya L1, Chandrayaan 4, Chandrayaan 5, Shukrayaan-1 — What do you understand by space debris? Key Takeaways: — “Today’s 101st launch was attempted. PSLV-C61 performance was normal till second stage. Due to an observation in the third stage, the mission could not be accomplished,” ISRO said. — This was the 101st mission launched by ISRO, and the 63rd one using …

How is Time Use Survey important for UPSC?

How is Time Use Survey important for UPSC?

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

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

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 …

Knowledge nugget of the day: Ghost particles

Knowledge nugget of the day: Ghost particles

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

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 …