15 Year Pyqs - Csewhy

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PYQ 2009-2023 | Notes

(UPSC CSE Why compilation)
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PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS
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INDEX
Year Page Number
2009 GS1 Prelims PYQs by @CSEWhy 1
Pre Independence Acts & Flowcharts 588
Additional Notes based on 2022 Pre 598
2023 GS1 Prelims PYQs by @CSEWhy 604 (coming soon)

Prelims PYQ 2009 | @CSEWhy
1, 2 and 3 Satygrahis of Individual

Satyagraha:
Vinoba Bhave>JLN>Brahmo
Dutta
Cripps Proposal
- Sent by Winston Churchill in
1942
- JLN and Maulana Azad were
Indian negotiators
- Promised Dominion status and
offered to create constitution
making body
- Constituent Assembly would
have members nominated by
Princely states and elected from
Provinces
- Any province not prepare to
accept constitution would have
the right to sign a separate
agreement with Britain regarding
its future status
Aruna Asaf Ali also participated in

the salt satyagraha organised by
Mahatma Gandhi.
Follow @CSEWhy on YouTube, Twitter and Telegram

First English factory in Surat in

1613 u/ Jahangir by Thomas
Aldroth (In 1612, Capt
Thomas Best sank
Portuguese Ships to make
way)
Ammonium Chloride and Zinc

Chloride: used as electrolytes in
a dry cell
Sweet orange plant is propagated via

grafting and Jasmine via Layering

Mnemonic to remember
Electromagnetic Spectrum:
'Gaadi XUV In My Range
Gamma > X-Ray > Uv > Visible > Infrared > Microwave > Radio
High energy/frequency —--------------------------------> Less energy/Frequency
Camphor - Camphor tree

found in east asia and southeast asia
Used as fragrance
Chicory - herb named chicory

Native to Europe and Asia
Used as caffeine free coffee substitute
Vanilla - spice- derived from vanilla

pods.
80% of the world's vanilla supply is
grown in Madagascar.

Flying fox is a bat
Five year plans are no more relevant
AWBI is a statutory body estd. under

Prevention Of cruelty to Animals Act,
1962

National School of Drama was set up by

Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1959
Highest honor conferred by Sahitya Akademi

on a writer is by electing him as fellow
Ministry in India is created by President

on advice of the PM.
Shourya missile
Speed- Mach 7.5
Range - 700 to 1,900 km

Current Affairs of that time, Facts or Self

explanatory
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award given in

Science, He was CSIR chair (founded
1942)

Fact.
Ogaden: Region between

Ethiopia and Somalia
(Google and see this
region in conflict)
Similarly, other
region in news is Dadaab
(Also seen in Pre22) in
Kenya refugee
settlements
Fact .

Fact.
Criteria to be declared
Biodiversity hotspot
- 1500 vascular plants
must be endemic
- 70% of vegetation must
have been lost
- Giani Jail Singh was NAM Sec

Gen for some time (2019
Azerbaijan Chair).
- Based on Asia-Africa Bandung
Conference of 1955 (Indonesia)
- 1st session: Belgrade in 1961.

- WEF gives ‘Crystal

Award’ to integrate the
cultural leaders into its
meetings.
- Click here to revise the
reports by WEF (and
other int’l organizations)
Fact.
Refer key points of India
State of Forest report
here
- MMTC Ltd.
- Metals and Minerals
Trading Corporation of
India
- India’s largest Int’l
Trading Organization
which gets most forex

Key of 2009 says (a), but

at present,India’s largest pvt.
sector sea port: Mudra, GJ
- INS Sindhughosh is a submarine

while INS Viraat is an aircraft
carrier (in original exam, the two
were reversed)

Commission for Agricultural

Costs and Prices (CACP)
- Recommends MSP for 22
crops and Fair and
Remunerative Price
(FRP) for Sugarcane
- CACP is attached to
Ministry of Agriculture and
came into being in 1965
- Advisory body and
recommendations are not
binding on the
government
- Also, revise NFSM
Fact
■ Umakant and Ramakant

Gundecha brothers are
Dhrupad Vocalists
■ Origin of dhrupad is in
natyashastra and mention
is seen in sama veda

Stree Shakti Puraskar reference

for Ahilya Bai Holkar Award given
for displaying ‘courage & valour

Facts or Self explanatory
Fact/Facts or Self
explanatory
Fact/Facts or Self
explanatory
Project was executed by JnK

Power Development Corporation

A mammal is an animal that

breathes air, has a backbone, and grows
hair at some point during its life. In
addition, all female mammals have
glands that can produce milk.
- Fact

Elephant Pass is the northern

province of sri lanka.
It is the gateway of Jaffna peninsula.
Members of ASEAN Mnemonic: MBBS

me TV PLIC (MBBS me TV please)
M: Malaysia
B: Brunei
B: Burma
S: Singapore
T: Thailand
V: Vietnam
P: Philippines
L: Laos
I: Indonesia
C: Cambodia

Members of EU
Tropics: Form a visual

memory using these
images. Notice the
countries from respective
continents to revise and
remember.


The core of earth is made of iron,

Mantle of mostly silicates &crust
of solid rocks & minerals.
East Himalayas receive more

rainfall from South West
monsoon winds.


Cape Canaveral is in Florida, NASA

launches rockets from here.

Stars with mass less than 1.44 times

the mass of sun ends up as white dwarf
when they die: Chandrasekhar Limit
Fact
Mahamastakabhisheka
- Related to Jainism (Bahubali, s/o
First Tirthankar Rishabnath)
- Another term seen in 2009
related to Jaininsm:
Anekantavada


Revise World Heritage Sites

here
-Fact
OPEC Member countries

- Russia, China and USA are not the
members despite being Oil producers
- HQ: Vienna, Austria (Note: HQ is in a
non OPEC country)

Institutions that PM Chairs

1. Niti Aayog
2. Inter State Council
3. Cabinet Secretariat
4. Kendriya Hindi Samiti
5. National Board for Wildlife
6. Nuclear Command Authority
7. National Integration Council
8. Department of Atomic Energy
9. PM’s council on Climate Change
10. National Water Resources Council
11. Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs
12. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
13. Appointments Committee to the Cabinet
14. National Disaster Management Authority
15. National Commission for Population Control
16. National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)
17. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
Uranium:
Largest reserve:
OZ>Kazakhstan>Can
Largest Production:
Kazakhstan> Canada > OZ

Atomic Minerals
Uranium, Thorium, Beryllium, Zirconium
Lithium, Tantalum, Nobilium
Kerala’s monazite sands have Thorium

and Cerium
Fact / Self explanatory

Some east flowing rivers of Kerala:

Kabini, Bhawani,Pamba

- Constitutional Development pre-independence timeline trick via Mnemonic

'In August, Cripps went to Shimla with Cabinet till June 3'
- August Offer '40

- Cripps Mission '42 March
- Shimla Conference/Wavell Plan 1'45
- Cabinet Mission '46
- 3rd June Plan '47
Rowlatt Act was based on

the recommendation of the
‘Sedition Committee’

Facts or Self
explanatory
Facts or Self
explanatory
Mahatma Gandhi gave this

slogan

Facts or Self
explanatory
Infant Mortality Rate

- Takes into account
the death of
infants within a
year after birth
- Number of infant
deaths in a
particular year per
1000 live births
during that year
Fact

● The governor of Punjab

has been appointed as the
ex-officio administrator for
the union territory of
Chandigarh since the year
1985
● Lakshadweep has
administrator, not
lieutenant governor.
● Administrator can be any
bureaucrat or politician.

- EcoSoc (Economic and Social

Council)
- 54 member states
- Elected by ⅔ majority of
UNGA for a 3 year term
● Facts or Self explanatory
● State Advocate General is

appointed by GOVERNOR
● Code of Civil Procedure gives
Original and Appellate
Jurisdiction to HCs

Lok Adalat
- u/ NALSA Act 1987 as
per provisions u/A 39A
(Free legal services and
aid)
- Award made by Lok
Adalat is deemed to be a
decree of civil court and
no appeal lies against
thereto before any court
(means, if you are to appeal, a fresh
case is filed in lower court, Lok adalat
verdict is not challenged)
- Matrimonial/Family
disputes are covered
under Lok Adalat
Union Cabinet Secretariat

works under PM.

Fact
Central Administrative Tribunal

- Established u/A 323A of
Constitution
- Set up under PM Rajiv
Gandhi (1985)
- 19 benches all over India
are there currently
- A retired HC judge
heads the CAT as the
chairman
- Members of CAT are
drawn from both judicial
and administrative
streams
- First telegraph line b/w Kol

and Diamond Harbor
- First export processing zone
was set up in Kandla

All Facts or Self

explanatory
All Facts or Self

explanatory

● Ogaden is in modern
Somalia region
● Blue light has shorter

wavelength, so produces
more energy
● Short wavelength =high
frequency

Facts or Self
explanatory

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● Glass, paper and plastic

have almost no impact of
microwaves and hence
are used as utensils in
Microwave.
This fulfils the aim of

Article 41&42 (DPSP) of
Indian constitution.

● A two-cell Walker Cirulation is

observed in El Nino Modoki
Take a note
becomes important due to
recent events genetically
modified crops ie mustard and
rice varieties

Oceansat2 Satellite
● Predicts the onset of the
monsoon
● Monitors the pollution of coastal
waters
● Estimates water vapor content in
atmosphere
Golden rice contains pro-Vitamin A and

on ingestion, it converts to Vit-A

SC gives (non-binding) advice

to President of India u/A 143
Hypochlorous acid
formed on chlorination of
water; breaks cell
membrane of impurities
Lok Adalat
- Civil and Criminal cases
- Has members from
judiciary as well as social
life
- Matters: pre-litigative or
those pending before any
court(s)

Mnemonic to remember
Electromagnetic Spectrum:
'Gaadi XUV In My Range'
High energy/frequency —------------------> Less energy/Frequency
Tea is propagated from

seeds.

Fact

- India enacted GI of Goods

(Registration and Protection) Act
1999 to comply with TRIPS
- Darjeeling Tea was the
first ever GI tag in India
- GI has to be registered w.
Controller General of
Patents w. 10 year validity
Fact

- General Price Level: if it

increases, inflation.
- If it decreases, deflation

Biosphere Reserve is to conserve in

situ all forms of life, along with its
support system

Biomagnification:
higher the level, more the
concentration of
non-essentials

NBFCs
- Mentioned u/ RBI act 1934
- Registered u/ Companies Act
- Invest in share, bond and
government securities
- Can accept term deposits only
- No insurance coverage, no
cheque issued,
- No demand deposits accepted
like savings account
FRBM 2003
- To eliminate revenue deficit by
2007-08
- Fixing the government.
Guarantees in any financial year
as % of GDP
- No borrowing by GoI from RBI
except u/ certain circumstances
- No mention of Primary Deficit
(PD= Fiscal Deficit - Interest
payments)

- Pepper grows in hot & humid climate w/

200cm rain and on hills of 1100m w/
15-30 degree
Instrument of Instructions of GoI 1935

later became DPSP in Constitution

NEUTRINO
- Negligible but nonzero mass
- Created in the nuclear reactions
of the beta decay
- Trillions of neutrinos pass
through human body every
second
- Chargeless elementary particles
that travel close to the speed of
light
Hydrogen Fuel Cell by product:

ONLY H20 no smoke, gas et al

LASIK
- Corrects refractive errors of the
eye
- Permanently changes the shape
of cornea
- 18+ age must
Acid rain:
oxides of Sulphur and Nitrogen
UNCTAD
(Estd in 1964 w/ HQ in Geneva)
and has 3 imp reports
- World Investment Report
- Trade and Development Report
- Least Developed Countries
Report

A recession is a general
decline in economic
activity.
Slow down is when an

economy experiences
little growth or no growth.

BRICS
- Jim O’ Neil coined this
BRIC term in 2001
- Formalised in 2006 at
MEAs meeting of the
BRIC countries
- South Africa joined the
grouping making it BRICS
in the year 2010
- Fortaleza declaration
2014 led to making of
New Development Bank
(HQ: Shanghai)
Fact

It is done by RBI
Simon Commission: replace

dyarchy with responsible govt in
the provinces


Fact
Blue green algae as biofertilizers

because it has tendency to convert
atmospheric nitrogen to a form that crop
plants can readily absorb


Pongamia Pinnata has half the

oleic acid.
It is a biofuel option like jatropha

and grows naturally in most of
the arid regions of India.
Pls note correction. Key says (a)

But answer is (c. )
Nitrous oxide is also a green

house gas, emitted during rice
cultivation.
So both 1 and 2 are correct

Carrying capacity is the

maximum population size that an
ecosystem can support without
degrading itself.
Brundtland Commission Report
Talked about carrying capacity and
sustainable development
relationship
Jatropha for biodiesel.
Maize has good amount of

starch, so good for ethanol’s
production .

Fact. Current affairs.
Tropical Moist Deciduous Forest

is most widespread in India
Five year plans not relevant

anymore. Can avoid.

Red soil is found predominantly

in TN
This is albedo.

Facts or Self explanatory fact
Fiscal Stimulus:
Cutting tax rates and Increasing
Govt.Spending

- RK Shukla persuaded Gandhi to come

to Champaran while Kripalani join him


Fact
Cyberknife
- A robotic image guided
system
- Delivers extremely
precise dose of radiation
- Has ability to achieve
sub-millimetre accuracy

Red Soil
● Color red because of
Ferric Oxides
● As found in TN, and
Bundelkhand
region majorly
River Luni
● Origin in Aravalli hills
● Pushkar on banks of Luni
● The river disappears in Kutch
● An ephemeral river i.e. no flow of
water 26-75% of time

Wet winter means

Mediterranean
That year’s current affairs. Not

relevant now.

Consumer Disputes Redressal

- One of the members shall be woman
- Entertains complaints with value of
goods & services not exceeding 1cr
- State govt. can file complaint as
representative of general consumer
interest
- State govt. can establish more than one
district forum in a district if it deems fit

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

- Legally Binding convention since 1989
- USA has not ratified, India ratified in
1992
- 3 main rights: Right to
Development/Expression/Recreation
Taxus Tree
- Mainly found in Himalayas
- Listed in the Red Data Book
- Drug Taxol from this tree is
effective against cancer
This deflection is called

Coriolis effect.

Mercury in the lamp emits

UV rays
Important Current affairs of that year

Bombay Manifesto: Opposed the

preaching of the socialistic ideas, signed
in 1936
Fact

once infected, Hepatitis B virus

cannot be eliminated from body
HIV transfer
- Chances of transmission are
equal among male-female from
each other
- Chances of transmission more if
person suffers from other
sexually transmitted infections
- An infected mother can transmit
infection to her baby during
pregnancy, at childbirth or during
breastfeeding
- Risk of contracting infection from
transfusion of infected blood is
higher than exposure to
contaminated needle

Banking Ombudsman
- Appointed by RBI
- Offers service at no fee
- Can consider complaints from
NRIs w/ account in India
- The appellate jurisdiction of
his/her decision lies with Dy. Gov
of RBI

Bit about Pondicherry

- Order of occupation:
Portuguese>Dutch>French
- English won Pondy and
transferred back in exchange of
territories in North America
- Made part of India with 14th
Amendment Act of 1962
- The territories include: Karaikal,
Mahe and Yanam
@CSEWhy


Take home Bal Buddhi Vidya positivity in your daily life from BalBuddhiVidya.com


Bio based Asphalt

- Eco friendly to use it for surfacing
the roads
- Not based on fossil fuels (unlike
traditional asphalt)
- It can be made from renewable
resources & organic waste
materials
Emissions from coal combustion

at thermal plants give out all 3:
CO2, Oxides of Nitrogen/Sulphur.

Telecommunication satellites
- (Kept in geostationary orbit)
This means that the orbit is
geosynchronous & circular
- Orbit lies in the plane of the
equator of Earth
- The orbit is at an altitude of
35786 km (~36k km)
At present, scientists can determine the

arrangement or relative positions of
genes or DNA sequences on a
chromosome. This will helps us know
the:
● Pedigree of the livestock
● Understand causes of some
human diseases
● Potential to develop disease
resistant animal breeds in future

Microbial fuel cells

- Sustainable energy source.
- Use variety of organic materials
as substrates.
- Use living organisms as catalysts
to generate electricity from
certain substrates.
- Can be installed in wastewater
treatment plants to cleanse water
& produce electricity.
Fiscal Stimulus: Intense

affirmative action of GoI to boost
economic activity in the country.

Ozone hole formation because

of presence of
- Inflow of CFCs
- Stratospheric clouds
- Prominent Polar Front
Current Account Deficit

- When imports>exports
- Together with Fiscal deficit, it
forms twin deficit
- Following actions can help in
reducing CAD
- Increased export subsidy
- Devaluing domestic currency
- Adopting suitable FDI & FII
attracting policies

73rd Amendment Act

- Provided for Panchayati raj (rural
level NOT urban)
- Estd. State Election Commission
(u/A 243k) & State Finance
Commission (u/A 243i)
Bhitarkanika
- NOT a Tiger Reserve
- 2nd largest Mangroves
- Saltwater Crocodile
- Olive Ridley (on Gahirmatha too)

Base Effect: Impact of price

levels of previous year on
calculation of inflation rate
Demographic Dividend: High

population in age of 15-64 years.

Carbon Credits System

- Ratified in conjunction with Kyoto
Protocol
- Goal: Limit the increase of
Carbon Dioxide emission
- Traded based on supply and
demand and not fixed price
- Awarded to countries or groups
that have reduced GHGs below
emission quota.
Fact or Self Explanatory

Closed Economy: Neither

import or export takes place (Eg.
North Korea)
If bark of tree is removed in

circular fashion near base, the
roots are starved of energy and
the plant gradually dries up and
dies.
Important due to the Ukraine war.

Biodiversity Hotspot criteria:

- Species richness
- Endemism
- Threat perception
- 1500 vascular plant species must
- 70% biodiversity must have died.
(It means it is not a good tag)
Upwelling zones are important

for they bring nutrients to the
surface

In tropical rainforests, the soil

is deficient in nutrients and
hence take longer to
regenerate.
Himalayas are rich in species

diversity since they are situated
at a confluence of 3
geographical zones.
These are: Tundra, Tropical and
Temperate.
India has 10 geographical zones
as seen in the map below.

Karl Marx explained process of

class struggle w/ help of
Dialectical Materialism theory.
Radio Waves
- Communication via ionosphere
- Range up to 100 km and thus are
not of VERY long wavelength.


Brent Crude Oil

- Sourced from North Sea
- Major classification of Crude Oil
- It contains Sulphur (hard to have
oil without S)
Heavy Water
- Deuterium Oxide (D2O)
- Slows down speed of neutrons
- Used as moderator in PWHR
Nuclear reactors (Pressurised
Heavy Water Reactor)

Minorities can establish/admin

institutes (u/A 30) and take
benefits u/ PM 15 point program
Benefits to Divyangs under law

- Ramps in public buildings
- Free schooling till age of
18 in govt. Schools
- Preferential allotment of
land for setting up of
businesses

Fact

Microfinance comprises of :
- Insurance
- Fund Transfer
- Credit & Savings
- Pensions & Remittances

No Trans fats means:

- Food products not made out of
hydrogenated oils
- Not made out of animal fats/oils
- Oil is not likely to damage the
cardiovascular system
MGNREGA
- Central Sector Scheme
- Gives work to unskilled labor
- It gives statutory guarantee to the
wages
- All adult members of any
household eligible
- Gives either 100 man days of
work or unemployment allowance

Revise Finance Commission

Photosynthesis uses CO2

The surface of lake is frozen

while bottom is liquid ‘cz the
density of water is max at 4
degree C

Revise ENSO with Amit Sengupta Sir
- During Cornwallis’s rein, the

litigations increased cz there
was no fee for court of appeal

Common element in the tribal

insurrection of 19th century:
complete disruption of old
agrarian order of the tribal
communities.

Interesting fact.

Think practically, how can it be

the ONLY means of irrigation ?

Home Charges
- Funds to support Indian office in
London
- Funds used to pay
salary/pension of British
personnel engaged in India.

Aspartame
- Artificial Sweetener
- Consists of Amino acids
- Low calorie sweetening agent in
food items
- Since it is several times sweeter
than table sugar, the food items
with even low quantity yield fewer
calories on oxidation.
Sir William Wedderburn and W.S.

Caine set up Indian
Parliamentary Committee in 1893
to agitate for Indian political
reforms in the House of
Commons (Sir William
Wedderburn wrote biography of
AO Hume)

Oilzapper: Eco friendly tech for

remediation of oily sludge and oil
spill

Unto the Last of John Ruskin

inspired Gandhi’s Sarvodaya.

Usha Mehta ran radio secretly in

wake of QIM
Nehru Report 1928

(LKO session)
- Sought Dominion Status
- Joint electorates for reservation
of seats for minorities
- Fundamental Right provisions for
people of India in the Constitution
- (Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru
opposed this report)

Arunachal Pradesh is called the

orchid state of India
Botanical garden is ex-situ
-
Interim Budget: Present by govt
just before the general elections.


Jain philosophy based on Universal Law
Salinization makes soil impermeable
Red Data book contains only

threatened plants and animal
species.

Teaser Loan
- In such loans, the interest rate is
low initially and increases
gradually
- High risk of exposure to the
defaulters in the near future as
mismatched TnC
Earth’s attraction gives desired

acceleration of motion to the
artificial satellite

Commercial banks have given

the most loans and credit to
agri and allied activities
(pre 2020 saw repetition of this
statement)

Revise Asteroid, Meteoroid,

Meteor, Meteorite, and Comets
on CSE Why blog


Kra Isthmus
(Strait of Malacca shared in 2010)

Antioxidants
- Sources: Vegetables and
Fruits
- Neutralize free radicals
produced in body during
metabolism

Lower Gangetic Plains

- Humid climate
- High temperature
throughout year
- Paddy and Jute are most
grown crops here
- (To solve this Q, just think
of the Bengal region.
Answer within 10
seconds!)
Reasons of formation of
African and Eurasian
desert belt is sub
tropical high pressure
cells and cold ocean
currents



Dharma and Rita

- Dharma: Conception of
obligations and of discharge of
duties to oneself and others
- Rita: Fundamental moral law
governing functioning of universe
and all it contained.

@CSEWhy

Join @CSEWhy Community offline and online here

PESA Act 1996

- Ownership of MFP with Gram
Sabha
- Passed on recommendation of
Dilip Singh Bhuria Committee
- Gram sabha (GS) has power to
prevent alienation of land in SAs
- State government
recommendation needed to grant
prospecting license or mining
lease to minor mineral in the
scheduled areas
- Objectives:
- To provide self
governance
- To recognise traditional
rights
- To free tribal people from
exploitation
Adjournment motion: To allow

discussion on definite matter of
public importance

National Biodiversity Authority

- 2002 act, u/ MOEFCC
- Checks biopiracy and checks
indigenous and traditional
genetic resources
- Application for IPR related to
biological resources can not be
made w/o approval of NBA
National Green Tribunal

- u/ NGT Act of 2010
- Aus and NZ are other two
countries to have such
arrangement
- Cases at NGT to be disposed off
within 6 months compulsorily
- Principal seat at New Delhi while
sitting in Bhopal, Pune, Chennai,
Kolkata
- Revise more here

Note that election disputes go to

HC first (not original to SC)
Indian Parliament comprises of

LS, RS and President of India
Consumer Rights
- Consumers empowered to take
samples for food testing
- A minor fee is to be paid while
filing complaint in any consumer
forum
- If consumer dies, their legal heir
can file complaint to forum on
their behalf

Only a member of house can

become speaker
LS Speaker resigns to deputy
Speaker (not President)
Original Jurisdiction of the SC

(u/A 131)
- Dispute between two or more
states
- Dispute b/w GoI and one or more
states
- Dispute b/w GoI and UT go to
respective HC first
- Note that election disputes go to
HC first (not original to SC)

Biopesticides: Bacteria, fungi,

flowering plants (marigold,
neem), & some viruses
Biomass Gasification
- Sustainable solution to counter
power crisis in India
- Uses coconut shells, groundnut
shells and rice husk
- Combustible gasses thus
generated can be used for direct
heat or internal engines
- The combustible gas generated
from biomass gasification
contains H2, CO2 and many
others

Graphene
- Carbon allotrope
- 2D material with electrical
conductivity
- One of the Thinnest and
strongest materials tested so far
- Used as conductor of electrodes
required for LCDs, LEDs

All organisms have stem cells
Antimatter
- Anti-helium is the heaviest
antimatter
- Will help understand the
evolution of universe
- Will help probe possibility of
existence of stars & galaxies
made of antimatter
- Brookhaven National Lab is a US
govt. Sponsored lab and has
Indians as scientists

Evidence for continued

expansion of space: Microwaves
in space + Redshift phenomenon
Electrically charged particles

from space traveling at speeds of
several hundred km/s diverted to
poles by Earth’s Magnetic Field

Ancient Indian concepts

- Aryabhatta: sine of an angle
concept in Surya Siddhanta
(known in 5th century AD)
- Brahmagupta: cyclic quadrilateral
(known in 7th century AD)
- Sushrata: gave plastic surgery
and surgical instruments event(s)
- Internal organ transplant for the
first time was successful in 1954
Indifference to Vedic Authority

and Denial of efficacy of rituals is
common to both Buddhism and
Jainism

INC ministries resigned in 7

provinces in 1939 to protest
against Indian inclusion in WW2

MG Ranade and Raghunath Rao

made National Social
Conference
1947: Tulsidas Jadhav (a

communist) established The
Peasants and Workers Party of
India (not BR Ambedkar)

Special Powers to RS
- A249: Authorize parliament to
make law on State subjects
- A312: Authorize parliament to
create new All India Service
- A67: Removal of VP resolution
can only be submitted in RS
- A352/356/260: Any of
emergencies proclaimed by
President when LS dissolved can
stay in effect if solely approved
by RS


Parliamentary Control over

Public Finance
- A112: Presenting Annual Finance
Statement in Parliament
- A114: Appropriation Bill to
withdraw money from
Consolidated Fund of India
- A117: Producing Finance Bill in
the Parliament



Sea Buckthorn
- Produced most in HP
- Controls erosion and prevents
desertification
- Nutritional value with well
adaptation skills to live in cold
areas of high altitudes

Cowpea and Green gram can

be used as Pulse, fodder and
Green manure

Wetlands in India
- GJ= Land of wetlands with most
wetlands in the country 24%
- Inland wetlands in India (27k) >
Coastal wetlands in India (3k)
Groundnut, Seasmum, and

Pearl Millets are all
predominantly rainfed crop/crops

Evidence of Himalayas as
Young Fold Mountains
- Parallel Mountain ranges
- Steep gradients causing
land-sliding
- Deep gorges and U-turn river
courses
- The phenomenon is known as

Lapse rate
- Atmosphere can be heated
upwards only from the earth’s
surface
- Lower density of air in upper
atmosphere (Low density = air
expands = lower temperature)

Acidification of ocean:
- Due to addition of CO2 (forms
Carbonic Acid H2CO3)
- Impacts survival and growth of
Calcareous Phytoplankton &
Corals adversely
point 3. Is covered under section

9 of Maternity Benefit Act

CAG (u/A 148)

- Only controls audit, not
exchequer control
- Friend, philosopher and guide to
PAC (22LS + 7RS members)
- Information from CAG can be
used to press charges by
investigation agencies
- 3 reports: Appropriation account,
financial account and Public
Undertakings account report

Delimitation Commission (DC)

- Article 82, President appoints
one after every census
- Every detail or rule is determined
by parliament by law u/
Delimitation commission act
- 4 times till now: 1952, 1962,
1972, 2002
- Orders of DC can not be
challenged in the court of law
- LS or SLA can not effect any
modification in the order

No joint legislation for money bill or

CAA,
only for ordinary bill and finance bill

Revise all Fundamental Duties here

Thorium
- 3x more abundant than Uranium
- Produces less harmful waste
compared to Uranium
- Generates more energy than
natural Uranium on basis of per
unit mass
CO2 absorbs infrared radiations

thus making environment hot

Elements that are basis of

evolution of origin of life on
earth
- Sulphur
- Oxygen
- Carbon
- Hydrogen
- Nitrogen


Dadabhai Naroji’s most imp

contribution: Exposing economic
exploitation of India by British
Dhrupad
- Devotional and spiritual music
- Dhrupad alap uses sanskrit
syllabus from Mantras
-
- Umakant and Ramakant
Gundecha are Dhrupad vocalists
(2009 PYQ)

Sufis practised
- Meditation and breath control
- Severe ascetic exercises in
lonely places
- Recitation of holy songs to
arouse state of ecstasy (sama)

Bhumisparsha Mudra:
Buddha’s calling of Earth
to witness purity &
chastity despite Mara’s
temptations

RBI as Bankers’ Bank

- Other banks retain their deposits
with RBI
- RBI advises commercial banks
on monetary matters
- RBI lends funds to commercial
banks in times of needs

Capital Gains
- A concept where the ‘gain’ is in
terms of price rise
- Eg: Natural increase in value of
the property owned
- Eg: Growth in value of painting
owing to increase in popularity
Foreign Direct Investment

Prohibited in :
- Atomic energy, agriculture
plantation, lotteries, Nidhi
companies
What’ include sources of FDI +
features
- Companies exclusively financed
by foreign companies
- Majority foreign equity holding in
Indian companies
- Subsidiary of foreign companies
in India
- Brings in better management,
skills and technology
- Flows into the primary market
- Considered stabler than FII
- Non debt creating instrument
- In 2010 pre, UPSC said FDI does not
reduce Fiscal Deficit

SHRENI/GUILDS
- Had judicial powers over its
members
- Wages, rules of work, standard
prices fixed by guild
- Every guild had its own chief




Cheetahs were once widespread

in India, but became
extinct in 1952.
Need to focus due to recent
import of these cats.

Density of ocean water is

not at all related to
phytoplankton.
Diclofenac:
Used by cattle owners to
treat cattles -> proving
fatal for Vultures

@CSEWhy


All rights reserved © | Any form of unauthorised distribution w/o written permission of author invites legal action.
Money Bill
- Comes under article 110
- Presented in LS only and
not RS
- RS can discuss the bill
but RS amendments
have no relevance
Fact
Judges of HC/SC are

appointed by President


Recombinant DNA technology

(Genetic Engineering) allows
gene transfer
- Across different species of plants
- From microorganisms to higher
organisms
- From animals to plants (note this,
might sound absurd in real time
exam)
Huen Tsang
- Mahayana Buddhism follower
- 650 AD during Harshavardhan
times
- Visited Nalanda, Vallabhi,
Prayag, Kannauj
- Si-yu-ki book (record of a
western country) his book


Self explanatory fact
Sea horse is a fish, not a

mammal. Sea cow and sea lion
are mammals
Mammals criteria:
- Warm blood
- Mammary gland
- Cervical vertebra
- Sweat glands

Amendment to Constitution can

be brought by either of LS/RS
u/A 368
On amending federal structure,

½ states will have to ratify the bill
after parliament passed.
Attorney General (Covered in

detail in 2022)
- Can not vote and take part in
LS/RS proceedings
- Can be a member of committee
of LS/RS whichever committee
he’s nominated to

Variations in length of day & night

time from season to season is
due to revolution and occurring
of day and night is due to
rotation of earth
Narmada River
- Origin: Maikal Range,
Amarkantak Plateau
- Forms Dhuandhar falls near
Jabalpur
- Aliabet is the largest river island
in estuary of Narmada
- Tributaries: Hirang, Orsan,
Barna, Kolar
- Occupies linear rift valley
(therefore flows to east and 1
only is answer)
- It flows b/w Vindhyas and
Satpura

Fact

Tebhaga was a
movement around
independence to have
reduction of share of
landlords from one-half of
crop to one-third
Parliament can make any

law for whole or any part
of India for implementing
int’l treaties without state
consent u/A 253
In grasslands, trees do
not replace grasses
because of fire and
water limits

In the ecosystem, More

area, less productivity.
Therefore, answer:
Mangrove>grasslands>lake>ocean
Contour bunding is
related to hills to prevent
soil erosion.

PESA Act 1996

(Question in 2012 too)
- Ownership of MFP with Gram
Sabha
- Passed on recommendation of
Dilip Singh Bhuria Committee
- Gram sabha (GS) has power to
prevent alienation of land in SAs
- State government
recommendation needed to grant
prospecting license or mining
lease to minor mineral in the
scheduled areas
- Objectives:
- To provide self
governance
- To recognise traditional
rights
- To free tribal people from
exploitation
Self explanatory

Aflatoxins
- Poisonous carcinogenic
- Produced by Moulds (not
protozoa)
- Produces by improper
handling and storage of
cereal grains & oilseeds
Economic Justice finds

mention in DPSP and
Preamble
Acid rain: only two

things, oxides of sulfur
and oxides of nitrogen

Self explanatory

Burning coal adds NOx to

atmosphere, not Nitrogen
to soil
Self explanatory

Chaitya: Place to worship

Vihara : Place to dwell for monks
Self explanatory
As per constitution, Fundamental

for governance: DPSP (Not FRs)

Indians agitated against

Simon commission
because it had no Indian.
Fact
BoP: Record of all EXIM

transactions of country
during a given time period
(usually year)

RBI regulates
commercial banks in
matters
- Liquidity of assets
- Branch expansion
- Merger of the banks
- Winding-up of the banks
Self explanatory
Self explanatory

IVC
- No great temples seen in
civilisation
- Worshiped both male and female
deities
- Employed 4 animals: Elephant,
Camel, Buffalo, Goat
- Discover announced in 1924 by
John Marshall after excavation
Hep B and HIV AIDS can be

transmitted from one to another
by tattoo.

Revise Basics of Jainism

In flow charts at the end of this doc

Smog
- Photochemical Smog: In
summer, NO2, O3 and
peroxyacetyl nitrate in sunlight
- Classical Smog: In winter, SO2

Self explanatory

Virus is not a decomposer
Self explanatory

Equatorial forests
- Coexistence of large number of
species
- Have tall, closely set trees with
crowns forming continuous
canopy
- Presence of numerous varieties
of epiphytes (2021 pre had a Q
from this term)
Private remittances are current

account

Murals seen at Lepakshi, Ajanta,

Aramamalai, Bagh, Ellora, etc.
caves
Ministers hold the office during

the pleasure of President
Head of state is president.

Revise schools of philosophy here in

CSEWhy flowcharts at the end of this document

Indian Coal
- High ash content
- Low sulfur content
- High ash fusion temperature
Laterite Soil
- Generally red in color due to
sand & ferric oxide
- Well developed in Vindhyas,
Rajmahal, and Satpura
- Tapioca and Cashew nuts grow
well along with tea, coffee,
rubber, coconut etc.

Inflation benefits debtors and is

heavy on the bondholder/creditor

Self explanatory
PM to communicate the
legislation proposals to President
Council collectively responsible

to LS (not RS)

Economic and Social Planning is

in kept in Concurrent List in
Constitution u/A 254
Constitution prescribes
Panchayats to assign task of
plan preparation for eco and
social justice

Nominated members of 2 houses

can not vote in Presidential
election but enjoy right to vote in
VP election
Self explanatory

NALSA
- Formed under Legal Services
Authority act of 1987
- Objective: to provide free legal
services to weaker sections
based on equal oppo.
- Issues guidelines for SLSA to
implement legal programmes and
schemes throughout country
Thunderstorms Reasons
- Meeting of Cumulonimbus clouds
in sky
- Lightning that separates nimbus
clouds
- Violent upward movement of air
and water particles
- However, the sound is caused
by rapid expansion of air
surrounding path of lightning bolt

Self explanatory
Self explanatory
Thermal power industry is

maximum consumer of water in
India at 88%

Self explanatory

Annie Besant
- Responsible for Home Rule
Movement
- President of INC in 1917 Kolkata
(other women: Sarojini Naidu
1925 Kanpur and Nalini
Sengupta 1933 in Kolkata)
- Theosophical society was not
founded by her but Helena
Blavatsky
Ilbert Bill 1833 u/ Lord Rippon

allowed Indian magistrates to try
Europeans

Self explanatory
FOREX: Foreign currency

assets, Gold holdings,
SDRs.

Fact
Self explanatory
Fact

Ball bearings used to

reduce effective area of
contact b/w wheel and
axle
Fact
Self explanatory

Self explanatory
Self explanatory
Virus
- Need a living host to
culture the viruses
- Lack enzymes necessary
for energy generation
- Transmitted from one
organism to another by
mechanical and biological
vector

Leaf modifications in desert

- Hard and waxy leaves
- Tiny leaves or no leaves
- Thorns instead of leaves
Force
- Four classes of known forces of
nature: Gravity,
electromagnetism, strong nuclear
and weak nuclear
- Gravity is the weakest force
- EM work only on charged
particles
- Weak nuclear forces causes
radioactivity
- Strong nuclear forces hold
protons and neutrons inside the
nucleus of the atom

Higgs Bosson:
will help fusion and enable us to
understand why elementary
particles have mass. HB is
fundamental particle created due
to formation of stars, planets.
Mycorrhizal biotech
- Acts as biofertilizers
- Alliance of fungi and plants
- Resist drought and increase
absorptive area
- Resist disease infestation and
tolerate extreme pH
- Enables plants to deal with
drought, pH and infestation
better.

National income of a country for

a given period of time = money
value of final goods & services
produced in the country

@CSEWhy


Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative

- Drip irrigation can be practiced
effectively
- Chemical/Inorganic fertilizers can
be used as per need
- Seed cost is low compared to
conventional method of
cultivation
- The scope for intercropping is
more in this compared to
conventional method

Montreux Record
- Changed have either occurred,
are occurring or will occur as
result of human interference
- Loktak and Keoladeo Ghana
from India are on this list (Chilika
was too, removed)

Bombay Natural History Society

- Largest NGO in India in conservation
and biodiversity research
- Organizes and conducts natural trails
and camps for general public
- Strives to conserve nature through
action-based research, education &
public awareness
Global Environment Facility:

- Estd. at 1992 earth summit w/ HQ at DC
- Under management of WB, UNDP,
UNEP
- Offers Financial mechanism for
- UNCCD
- UNCBD
- UNFCCC
- Stockholm Protocol
- Minamata convention

Photovoltaics
- Generates electricity by direct
conversion of light into electricity
- Generates DC current
Gumti is in Tripura.

It is a non-profit organisation

Revise BRICS here
India is believed to have

eradicated Smallpox

Evolution of organisms has been

influenced by both the
Continental drift & glacial cycles.
Dolphins
- Aquatic Animal of India
- Found only in the freshwater
- Dolphin sanctuary at Vikramshila,
Bihar
- IUCN: Endangered
- WPA: Schedule 1
- Note: Turtle Sanctuary is at
Varanasi in UP
- Threats to Dolphins:
- Dam and barrage
construction
- Trapped in fishing nets of
the fishermen
- Synthetic fertilizer and
agrochemicals use in
fields near river(s)

Brominated Flame Retardants

- Used in products like mattresses
and upholstery
- Highly resistant to degradation in
the environment
- Able to accumulate in humans
and animals (unusual but true)


Mahattara and Pattakila were

village headmen in medieval
India


Places mentioned here that are

associated with life of Buddha
are Kosala and Magadha.

Business Correspondents
(Bank Saathi)
- Helps with withdrawal of deposits
etc.
- It enables withdrawal of
subsidies and social security
benefits in villages
Facts or Self explanatory fact.

Statutory Reserve Requirements:

- to enable central bank to control
amount of advances banks can
create

Gum made from seeds of cluster

bean (Guar) is used in extraction
of shale gas

Changpa Community
- Live mainly in UT of Ladakh
- They are kept in the category of
STs
- Rear the Pashmina goats that
yield a fine wool

Note that Sunderbans delta does not

have corals. Why do you think that is
so? Mail me with your reply and to
discuss at whycse@gmail.com
Example of panchyatan temple structure
Barak is a river of Manipur; study rivers of Arunachal



Note that 3&4 are extreme

statements. Eliminate.

Article 51
Department of Expenditure
allocated financial resources to
ministries

Constitutional government: the

one which places restrictions of
authority of state in interest of
individual liberty
Ministers are appointed by

governor on the advice of CM
4th option is also not

discretionary power

President shall make rules for

more convenient transaction of
business of GoI and for allocation
among ministers of the said
business
All executive actions GoI are take

in name of the President of India
No Confidence Motion does not

find mention in constitution but in
the rules book

Neem cannot be used to make

biodiesel
Photosynthesis converts free

energy to potential energy and
stores it!

Biometric id can be taken from

Iris, Retina, and also voice apart
from thumb
Vegetative Propagation
- Produced clonal population (read
Hindi translation if you don’t
understand in paper)
- It can be practiced most of the
year
- It does not help in eliminating
virus

Transgenic crops using-

- Cytoplasmic male sterility
- Gene silencing
- In this Q, budding/grafting option
is vegetative propagation (not
transgenic) and given to confuse
Maize
- Can be used for starch
production
- Extracted oil can be feedstock for
biodiesel
- Can be used to produce alcoholic
beverages

Crustacean: A large group of

arthropods w/ crabs, lobsters,
shrimps etc.
Power to increase SC judges

with Parliament and HC judges
with President
Earth Hour
- An initiative by WWF (NGO)
- Movement to raise awareness
about climate change and need
to save planet
- Movement to have participants
switch off lights for one hour on
last Saturday of March

Food chain in ocean

- Phytoplanktons: primary
producers
- Diatoms (Unicellular algae) and
Cyanobacteria (blue green algae)
are phytoplanktons
- Herrings: A type of fish that eat
Crustacean
Partition of Bengal (1905)

lasted till 1911 when King
George V abrogated Curzon’s
act at Royal Darbar in Delhi

Sattriya Dance
- Started in 15th century by
Shankardev
- Combination of music, dance and
drama
- Centuries old living tradition of
Vaishnavites of Assam
Use this as a cue to memorize

chaitra calendar months
Chaitra 1 of national calendar of

Saka era coincides with March
21/22 of Gregorian calendar

Bijak was written by Kabir while

Dadu Dayal wrote Abhinav Vani
Philosophy of Pushti Marg was

propounded by Vallabhacharya
Philosophy of Dvaita Vedanta

was propounded by
Madhavaacharya


Queen Victoria’s Proclamation

of 1858 aimed at
- To disclaim any intention to
annex Indian states
- To place Indian administration
under the British Crown
Ibadat Khana: Hall where Akbar

held discussions with scholars of
various religions
Vitamin A deficiency causes

night blindness.

Revise reports by Int’l Organisation here


Additional information based on 2014 questions with respect to 2023

current affairs :
- Gulf Of Aqaba borders 4 countries: Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Saudi
- Revise the countries around major water bodies via mnemonics

@CSEWhy


PMJDY:
- Launched in 2014
- Aim: promoting financial
inclusion in India
- Part of holy trinity of JAM:
Jandhan, Adhar, Mobile

In south Atlantic and

South Eastern Pacific
regions in tropical
latitudes, cyclone does
not originate due to
seldom occurring of ITCZ.
Index of Eight Core Industries

- 40% of total industries
- Released by Office of Economic
Advisor, DPIIT
- Order Mnemonic to remember in
decreasing order:: RESCCNCF
- Refinery, Electricity, Steel, Coal,
Crude, Natural Gas, Cement,
Fertilisers

National Innovation Foundation- (NIF)

- Autonomous body u/ Dept of Science
and Tech (2000 set up)
- To help India become a creative and
knowledge based society
- To strengthen grassroot tech innovation
& outstanding traditional knowledge

CITES
- Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild fauna & flora
- Founded in 1973 HQ: Geneva
and CITES is administered by
UNEP
- Aim: regulate int’l trade in animal
and plant species
- It is an int’l agreement between
the governments
- Maintains CITES I/II/II
Appendices
IUCN
- International Union for
Conservation of Nature & Natural
Resources
- Promotes nature conservation
and sustainable use of natural
resources
- Funding: Governments,
agencies, foundations, members
etc.
- Founded in 1948 at France, HQ:
Gland, Switzerland
- Maintains list of threatened
species since 1964
- Observer status at UNGA

Revise ocean currents

from the diagram below.

Fly Ash
- Combustion of Pulverised coal
gives finely divided residue called
Fly Ash
- Have multiple benefits in making
things like bricks, road,
construction etc.
- Produced by both: electric and
steam generating plants
- Can also be used as a
replacement of portland cements
- Has oxides of Silicon, Aluminium,
Iron and Calcium

Critics of economic colonialism

- GS Iyer of The Hindu
- RC Dutt (wrote Eco history of
India)
- Dadabhai Naroj (wrote Drain of
wealth theory)


Congress Socialist Party (1934)

- Founders: Acharya Narayan Dev,
JP Naryana, RML, Minoo Masani
- Left wing of INC, allegiance to
INC
- Pro peasants and workers
- Rajya Sabha has no power

rejecting/amending Money bill
- It can not vote on demand for
grants
- It can discuss Annual Financial
Statement, money and finance
bill

Consumer Price Index

(RBI uses this measure for policy rate(s))
- Base year is 2012
- Retail buyer perspective on price
change by NSO
- Calculates the diff in price of
commodities & services
- Four types:
- CPI for Industrial Workers (IW)
- CPI for Agricultural Laborers (AL)
- CPI for Rural Laborers (RL)
- CPI (Rural/Urban/Combined)
- IW, AL, RL released by Labor
Bureau of MoLE
- Combined released by NSO u/
MoSPI
-
Wholesale Price Index
- Base year: 2011-12 (most widely
used indicator)
- Tracks changes in prices of
goods traded in bulk (wholesale)
Diff from CPI:

- CPI tracks inflation at consumer
level, WPI at producer level
- CPI calculates change in service
prices, WPI does not!
- CPI weighs more on food items,
WPI on manufactured goods

IceCube
- Buried deep in ice
- Particle detector located at South
Pole
- World’s largest neutrino detector
encompassing cubic km of ice
- Powerful telescope to search for
dark matter
- Neutrinos also seen in PYQ 2010
Range is lesser than 20cms

to communicate.

Champaka (Chamba), Kuluta

(Kullu) are in HP while Durgara is
in Jammu
Pennar River
- Origin: ChennaKesava Hill of
Nandidurga Range in
Chikkaballapura (KA)
- Flows directly in Bay of Bengal
- Flows between Krishna and
Kaveri
- Basin: AP and KA
Vamsadhara River
- Origin: Odisha
- Flows between Rushikulya and
Godavari in OD & AP
- East flowing river goes directly
into Bay of Bengal
- AP and Odisha water dispute on
this river
In joint sitting, both houses have

to pass bill with a simple majority
of members present and voting
3 times joint sitting till now:
Dowry, Bank regulation, and
POTA

Buddha did not visit Avanti &

Gandhara, went to Kosala &
Magadha (repeat Q 2014)

Gunpowder and arch-dome

were prevalent even before
Babur’s arrival in India

This salt march is called as

Vedaranyam March
Green Climate fund

- Established u/ UNFCCC
- World Bank is the trustee
- It intends to assist developing
countries in adaptation &
mitigation practices to counter
climate change

Climate tropical to subtropical,

temperate to arctic: Namdapha
NP

Feudal system
- Central authority with vassal
authorities
- Creation of lord-vassal
relationship b/w feudal lord and
overlord
- Emergence of admin structure
based on land control &
possession

EAS Countries
ASEAN Countries APEC Countries

India imports coking coal for steel production

Department of Economic Affairs

prepares Union Budget
No amount can be withdrawn

from Consolidated Fund of India
without Parliamentary authority
(can take from Public fund w/o

Parliament)

Genetic engineering appraisal

committee u/ EPA Act 1986 (Q
also seen in ‘12)
Mekong Ganga Countries


Cause of tides
- Gravitational Force of the Sun
- Gravitational Force of the Moon
- Centrifugal Force of the Moon
Remote sensing satellites can

- Assessment of crop productivity
- Locating groundwater resources
- Mineral exploration


Birdlife International (an NGO)

- It is Global Partnership of
Conservation Organizations
- Identifies sites known/referred to
as ‘Important Bird and
Biodiversity Areas’

Legislative Council to have min

40 members and max ⅓ of
assembly

Fundamental objects of
Panchayati raj system
- People’s participation and

democratic decentralisation
Monetary policy tools

- CRR, SLR
- Repo, reverse repo
- Bank rate
- Open Market Operations

Nuclear Proliferation Treaty

- On nuclear weapons
- P5 are recognized
- India, Israel, Pakistan have not
signed/recognised

DPSPs are for state welfare
Steel substitution for wooden

plough is capital-augmenting
tech progress
Parliamentary system always

linked with collective
responsibility

Int’l liquidity problem: non

availability of dollars and other
hard currencies
Fuel cells
- H-rich fuel and Oxygen used to
generate electricity
- Only water is byproduct if pure
Hydrogen is used
- Can be used to power buildings
or small devices
- Produces current in DC (not AC)
Kalamkari is cotton textile (not

silk ) from Andhra

To reduce deficit, subsidy

rationalization and reducing
revenue expenditure are effective
methods (2016 repeated this Q)

Daal Bati Churma doesn’t have

GI tag.

Additional notes based on 2015 PYQ with respect to 2023 current affairs :
Fair and Remunerative Price ( FRP for Sugarcane)

- Recommended by Commission for Agri costs and Prices
- Approved by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
- (Note: Directorate of marketing & Inspection of MoAgri approves AGMARK)
World Bank
Global partnership of 5 institutions to provide sustainable solutions for
reduced poverty and shared prosperity in developing countries. 5
Institutions are listed below
- Int’l Bank for Reconstruction & Development (IBRD)
- Gives Loans, credits and grants
- Int’l Development Assistance (IDA)
- Low/no interest loans to low-income countries
- Int’l Finance Corporation (IFC)
- Investment, advice, and asset management to govt & companies
- Multilateral Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
- Insures lenders and investors against political risks
- Int’l Centre for Settlements of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
- India is not a member of ONLY this organization of WB
Some Polity notes

- Executive power of Union of India is vested in President of India
- Cabinet Secretary: Ex-officio chair of Civil Services Board (CS has 2 yr
tenure)
- FRs give the political democracy while DPSPs give Socio-economic
democracy

@CSEWhy

Join @CSEWhy Community offline and online here

A bill pending in LS
lapses on its dissolution
(not prorogation)
Bill pending in RS (after
LS passes) will not lapse
on dissolution of LS
IFPRI uses
Undernourishment, Child
stunting and Child
mortality to compute
Global Hunger Index
Report

Payments Bank
- Can accept DDs
- Can’t undertake lending activities
- Can issue debit cards (not credit
cards)
- Mobile telephone companies,
NBFCs, Public sector entities,
and supermarket chains (resident
owned/controlled) etc. can be
promoters of Payment Banks
- Revise more about Payments
Bank here
LiFi
- Light Fidelity
- Uses light as medium for high
speed data transmission
- Wireless technology and is
several times faster than WiFi
It is Chinese currency

Intended Nationally Determined

Contributions are in context of
plan of action outlined by
countries to combat climate
change.

Masala Bonds
- Issued to offshore investors
- Issued by International Finance
Corp (arm of World Bank | see
2015 notes)
- First Masala Bonds issued in
2014 by IFC for infra projects in
India
- Issues in rupee and are source of
debt financing for public and
private sector
Capital Account
- Account of assets and liabilities
- Includes capital receipts and
capital expenditures
- Capital Receipts
- Loan, borrowings, etc.
- Capital Expenditure
- Asset building like roads,
hospitals, advances to
state/center govt.,
repayment of govt
borrowings etc.

UN Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD)
- Estd. 1994
- Aim: to promote effective action
through innovative national
programmes and supportive
international partnerships
- Committed to bottom up
approach encouraging
participation of locals in
combating desertification
- Implementation around 5
regions: Africa, Asia, Latin
America & Caribbean, North
Mediterranean, Central &
Eastern Europe
- Sole legally binding agreement
linking sustainable land
management with development
and environment.
Rashtriya Garima Abhiyaan:

Related to manual scavenging
eradication.

Cultural history
(tribes of Medieval India)
- Siddhas (Sittars) of Tamil region
- Monotheists who
condemned idolatry
- Lingayats of Karnataka
- Question rebirth theory &
rejected caste hierarchy
Import Cover: Number of

months of imports that could be
paid for by country’s international
reserves.

Organization for Prohibition of

Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
- Estd. 1997 via Chemical Weapons
Convention in Hague
- Works within the framework of the
United Nations Organization
- 4 Key provisions
- Destroying existing chemical
weapons under its verification
- Monitors chemical industry to
prevent emergence of new
weapons
- Provides assistance & protection
against chemical weapon threats
- Int’l cooperation for convention
and promote peaceful chemistry
use
Great Indian Hornbill

- IUCN: Vulnerable
- Found in North East and Western
Ghats
- State Bird of Arunachal Pradesh
and Kerala
Neem coating slows down rate

of dissolution of urea in the soil

Standup India
- Nodal ministry: Finance Ministry
(Dept. of Financial Services)
- Enterprise can be in
manufacturing, services or
trading
- To promote entrepreneurship
among SC/ST & women
entrepreneurs
- Provides ‘refinancing’ from 10 lac
to 1 cr through SIDBI
- HQ: Lucknow (Statutory
body via 1990 act)
- To promote, finance and,
developm MSMEs in
India
Revise Ganga and Brahmaputra river system(s) here
Mission Indradhanush:
Immunisation of children and
pregnant women

Kyoto Protocol related to

- Annex-I countries
- Certified Emissions Reductions
- Clean Development Mechanism

Green India Mission

- 2014 launched, one of 8 National
Action Plan on Climate Change
- Aim: To restore and enhance
forest cover in India
- Objective: Respond to climate
change via adaptation and
mitigation measures
Food safety standards

mandate following listings on
food packets
- Nutrition information
- Vegetarian/Non Vegetarian
- List of ingredients including
additives
Food Safety and Standards

Authority of India
- u/ Health ministry, HQ: Delhi
- Estd under Food Safety and
Standards 2006

Transcriptome: full range of

mRNA molecules expressed by
an organism.
Project Loon
- A google backed project related
to wireless communication
technology
- Network of stratospheric balloons
to connect remote areas with
internet
Net Metering: related to

production & use of solar energy
by households

Fact
Gram Nyayalaya Act 2008

- Gram Nyayalaya can hear civil
and criminal cases
- Act allows local social activists as
mediators/conciliators
- Presided over by Nyaya Adhikari
enjoying same perks as Judicial
Magistrate

Trans Pacific Partnership

- Trade agreement
- 12 Pacific Rim countries:
Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam,
Australia, New Zealand, Brunei,
Japan, Canada, USA, Mexico,
Peru, Chile
India Africa Summit

- To reboot and reinitiate relation
b/w India and African countries
- First held in 2008 in New Delhi u/
PM Manmohan Singh
- 2nd in 2011 and 3rd in 2015
- ‘Scheduled’ to happen every 3
years

Kharai Camel
- Unique breed found only in
Kutch, Gujarat
- They feed on Mangroves and
can swim up to 3 kilometers
- Milk and transportation utilities
allow their domestication
Doctors w/o borders or Medecins Sans

Frontieres = International NGO

Bodhisattva
- Belong to Mahayana sect of
Buddhism
- ‘Compassionate one’ on his way
to enlightenment
- Delays achieving own salvation
to help all sentient beings on
their path to it
Red Sanders
- Related to Pushpa movie, found
in South India
- One of most important trees in
tropical deciduous forests

REDD+
(Reducing emissions from
deforestation and forest
degradation)
- Negotiated under UNFCCC in
2005
- Main objective: Mitigate climate
change via reducing GHGs via
enhanced forest management in
developing countries
- Success can help in tackling
- Poverty reduction
- Protection of biodiversity
- Resilience of forest
ecosystems
Greenhouse Gas Protocol

- Int’l accounting tool for govt & biz
leaders to understand, quantify
and manage GHGs
- Partnership between World
Resources Institute & World
Business Council for Sustainable
Development
- Provides webinar, e-learning, and
in person training and capacity
building
Financial Stability and Development Council

- Set up in 2010 by GoI
- Chair: Finance Minister of India
- Monitors macroprudential
supervision of the economy
- To work as coordination agency
between RBI, SEBI, IRDA,
PFRDA

Agenda 21: Global action plan

for sustainable development
Viruses can infect bacteria,

fungi, and plants. It needs living
host!

BEPS: Related to curbing of tax

evasion by MNCs
District Mineral Foundation

- Funding source: Miners pay for it
- A non-profit body set up in
districts impacted by mining u/
State Govt.
- Mandated through Mines and
Minerals (Development and
Regulation) Amendment Act of
2015 in mining impacted districts
- Works for interests of persons
affected by mining in the district
- No involvement in promotion or
licensing of mining in any district

SWAYAM: GoI initiative to

provide affordable and quality
education to citizens for free.
Montagu-Chelmsford offered
constitutional reforms on
recommendation of Andrew
Fraser commission
Bitcoins
- Not tracked by any bank
- Online payments can be sent w/o
either side knowing ID of other
- Anyone with bitcoin address can
send and receive from anyone
else with Bitcoin address
- Excellent video explaining
blockchain. Watch once, you’d
never forget

Kasturirangan Committee Report

related to Protection of the
Western Ghats
KC Sen: Related to Tabernacle

of New dispensation and Indian
reforms association


I have documented reports by all

major agencies in the world for
you to revise along with tips and
tricks.
Click here to revise on my blog
Atal Pension Yojana

(PFRDA regulated)
- Launched in 2015-16 as min
guaranteed pension scheme
targeting unorganized sector
- Open to all bank account holders
who are not members of any
statutory social sector scheme
- Age: 18-40 years
- If one dies before reaching 60,
spouse gets pension
- In case of death post 60, equal
pension amount given to spouse
- Contributors can choose their
own contribution

Notes on BEE
● The Government of
India set up the Bureau
of Energy Efficiency
(BEE), in 2002 under the
provisions of the Energy
Conservation Act,
2001.
● The mission of the BEE is
to assist in developing
policies and strategies
with a thrust on
self-regulation and
market principles, within
the overall framework of
the Energy Conservation
Act, 2001 with the
primary objective of
reducing energy
intensity of the Indian
economy.


IMPORTANT NOTE
Recently, the necessity of a
country lying between two
tropics to be a member of ISA is
done away with.
International Solar Alliance

- Launched jointly by India and
France in 2015 at UN Climate
Change Conf
- INITIALLY,Included countries
lying within tropics and have
300+ days sunshine per year.
- Now any UN member country
can become a member.

Air Quality Index

8 pollutants measured to find AQI
- PM2.5
- PM10
- CO (Carbon Monoxide)
- SO2 (Sulphur Dioxide)
- NO2 (Nitrogen Dioxide)
- PB (Lead)
- NH3 (Ammonia)
- O3 (Ozone)
How to remember?
- Both major PM
- LAO Oxides of C,S,N

Maharashtra State Butterfly:

Blue Mormon (1st state in India
to declare such)

Mangalyaan
- Launched in 2013 by ISRO
- Also known as Mars Orbital
Mission
- Made India 4th country to have
spacecraft orbit Mars (after
Soviet, US, ESA)
- Made India only country to be
successful in making spacecraft
orbit Mars in the very first attempt

Revise Sustainable Development

Goals and ways to remember
them here
Parliament acquires power to

legislate on any item in state list
in national interest if resolution to
that effect is passed by the RS
by a majority of not less than ⅔
of its members present and
voting

Min age to be Panchayat

member is 21
Panchayat reconstituted after

premature dissolution continues
only for remainder period

@CSEWhy


Private Member Bill

- Presented by a non-minister
member (irrespective of party)
- Needs one month long notice
before presenting this
- Presented and discussed ONLY
on Friday(s)
- Only 14 private member bills
have become law
Rigvedic and IVC people:

- RA used coat of mail and
helmets in warfare, IVC left no
evidence of them
- RA had domesticated horse
- RA had gold silver copper etc.
whereas IVC people also knew of
gold

National Skills Qualification

Framework (NSQF)
- Competency based framework to
organize qualifications as per
skills, aptitude and series of
knowledge levels
- Informal, formal and non-formal
learning recognised
- Recognizes prior
learning,consistent training given,
and aim to provide global
mobilization of skilled workforce
(From India to world)
One of implications of equality in

society is absence of privileges

TRAFFIC
- Trade Related Analysis of Flora
and Fauna in Commerce
- An NGO by WWF + IUCN
- MISSION: trade in wild animals
and plants is not a threat to
nature
Rights are claims of citizens

against state

World Economic Forum

Reports
- Global Risk Report
- Energy Transition Index
- Global Info Tech Report
- Global Gender Gap Report
- Inclusive Development Index
- Global Competitiveness Report
- Global Travel & Tourism Report
Smart India Hackathon:identify

new digital tech innovations to
solve Indian problems
Monetary Policy Committee

- Decides the RBI’s benchmark
interest rates
- MSF, Repo/Reverse
Repo, LAF
- 6 members (3 each from RBI &
Govt. nominated)
- Appointed for 4 years
- Chaired by RBI Governor
- Not eligible for
reappointment
- Each member has one
vote

Manipuri Sankirtana
- for Lord Krishna
(Vaishnava cult),
- a song and dance
performance
Zamindari, Ryotwari and

Permanent Settlements
already covered in 2012
PYQs

Bioremediation technique
- Uses natural organisms to break
down hazardous substances to
easier forms
- Mainly uses bacteria and fungi in
the process
- Limited to biodegradable
substances
- Helps in cleaning pollution
- Genetic engineering can be used
to create microorganisms
specifically designed for
bioremediation
Trade Disputes Act 1929

- Aim: lay down procedure to
establish Court of inquiry and
Board of conciliation
- Prohibited strikes/lock-outs in
public utility services without
notice
- Therefore, it gave a system of
tribunals and a bank on strikes
DPSP have a facilitating role and

FR have limiting role

Fact
Prohibition of Benami Property

Transactions Act 1988
- Indian framework: Ignorance of
the law can never be an excuse
to violate law
- Properties held benami are liable
for confiscation by the
Government
- The act provides for proper
appellate mechanism
- Those found guilty can face up to
7 years of imprisonment & fine

Facts or Self explanatory Learn

elimination here

Revise National Nutrition Mission
Factories Act 1888

- Aim: Working condition
improvement and no child
involvement under 7
- Came under Lord Rippon in 1881
- One hour daily rest provision
given

Nuclear Security Summit is

held under aegis of the USA

ZIKA:
- Transmitted by same mosquito
as that of dengue, chikungunya,
yellow fever (aedes aegypti)
- Sexual transmission, mother to
fetus possible
- Uganda identified first in
monkeys in 1947 and in 52 in
humans in Tanzania and Uganda
- No vaccine/medicine available
Note : Remember preamble

byheart.

AGMARK
- Mark employed on Agricultural
Products
- Quality certification mark issued
by Directorate of Marketing and
Inspection
Bureau of Indian Standards
- National standard body for
standardization, marking and
quality certification
- Mandatory for :
- Some electronics and IT
- Cement, food products,
steel
- Automotive tubes and
tyres
Revise National Agriculture

Market scheme here

National Intellectual Property

Rights Policy
- AIM: To establish an ecosystem
in India conducive to innovation
and creativity in terms of IP
awareness, creation,
commercialization and
enforcement
- Reiterates India’s commitment to
Doha Development Agenda &
TRIPS
- Policy aims to have single
platform for all IPR details in
India
- DPIIT is nodal agency to regular
IPR in India
Very Imp: Revise the Wildlife

Protection act 1972 along with
schedules here

- Rights are correlative with

Duties
- No legislative process for
enforcement of duties
compulsorily.
Quality Council of India

- Set up jointly by GoI and Indian
Industry to promote quality
through National Quality
Campaign
- Set up as non profit society and
governed by 38 member council
- PM appoints chair on
recommendation of the industry
- Equal rep from govt, industry and
other stakeholders
- Industry represented by:
ASSOCHAM, FICCI, CII

Small Finance Bank

- Niche bank in India
- Registered under Companies Act
2013
- Foreign shareholding is allowed
(imp point u/ FDI)
- Purpose: supply credit to small
business units and farmers
Asia Pacific Ministerial

Conference on Housing &
Urban Dev (APMCHUD)
- Intergovernmental mechanism
for collaboration and cooperation
in housing and development in
APEC countries
- A biennial event estd under
UNHABITAT


Genome Sequencing
- Technique to find the sequence
of the genes (ACGT order of
DNA)
- Can be used to decipher
host-pathogen relationship in the
crops
- Technique helps in reducing time
required to develop new varieties
of crop plants
- Can be used to identify genetic
markers for disease resistance &
drought tolerance in various crop
plants
Parliamentary government
related to collective
responsibility

Fact

Global Climate Change Alliance

- An initiative of European Union
- Offers technical and financial
support to targeted developing
countries to integrate climate
change into their development
policies and budgets
- Established in 2007
Sautrantika
- Follower of Sutras
- Believed to be a school of
Buddhism u/ Sravastivada sect
- Sect believes all things
exist in present, past and
future in continuity
- Saukrantika and Sammitiya are
related to Buddhism (not
Jainism)

Mediterranean countries map covered already

in PYQ 2015. Revise countries
National Investment and

Infrastructure Fund
- 40k cr corpus fund
- Chaired by the Finance Minister
- Collaborative investment platform
for the int’l and Indian investors
looking to invest in high growth
sectors like infra (in India)
Global Infrastructure Facility

- World Bank collab to facilitate
preparation and structure
complex Infra PPP
- Aims to mobilize private and
institutional investor capital

- Western Ghats spread across 6

states (Home work: Name them)
- Himalayas spread across 13
states and UTs (Name them)
- Pulicat lake is spread over two
states: TN and AP
Biological Oxygen Demand

- Dissolved O2 needed to break
down organic material in given
water sample
- Serves as an index of degree of
(organic) water pollution
- Used in wastewater treatment
plants

UN-Habitat
- Mandated by UNGA to promote
socially & environmentally
sustainable towns and cities to
provide adequate shelter for all
- Partners with governments, local
urban authorities, civil societies,
NGOs etc.
- Contributes to overall objective of
UN system to reduce poverty,
promote safe drinking water
access and basic sanitation
Dyarchy: division of subjects

delegated to provinces in 2
categories

National Career Service

- Launched in 2015 for 5 years by
PM Modi
- Ministry of Labor and
Employment implemented the
project
- Offered one stop destination for
career related and employment
services
Scheme for Sustainable

Structuring of Assets (S4A):
RBI scheme to rework financial
structure of big corporate entities
facing genuine difficulties
Climate and Clean Air

Coalition (CCAC)
- A group of countries u/ UNEP to
reduce short lived climate
pollutants on urgent basis
- Focuses on methane,
tropospheric ozone, black
carbon, HFCs,

Revise Indian Ocean Dipole in

detail in one place here in this
video

Indian Ocean Naval Symposium

- A voluntary initiative to raise
maritime cooperation in IOR
- Inaugural session u/ Indian Navy
as chair in 2008
- A grouping of 24 nations and 8
observers

Applying gypsum (alkaline)

before irrigating the field does not
help in water conservation
Soil Health Card Scheme

- u/ Ministry of Agriculture and
Farmers’ welfare
- It gives
- Status of soil nutrients +
advice on dosage of
nutrition
- 12 parameters: N,P,K, S,
Cu, Mn, Bo, Zn, Fe, pH,
EC, OC

Sun temples in India

- Sun temple, Modhera
- Martand Sun temple, Kashmir
- Surya Prahaar temple, Assam
- Sun Temple at Konark, Odisha
- Dakshinarkaa temple Gaya,
Bihar
- Katarmal Sun Temple,
Uttarakhand
- Bhramanya temple, Unao,
Madhya Pradesh
- Suryanar Kovil Temple,
Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu
- Suryanarayana temple,
Arasavalli, Andhra Pradesh

National Payments
Corporation of India
- A RBI initiative with Indian Banks’
Association
- u/ provisions of Payments and
Settlements Act 2007
- Umbrella org to operate retail
payments and settlements
system for promoting the much
needed financial inclusion in
India
- UPI, AePS, RuPay are some of
NPCI’s initiatives.
vote and right to be elected in

India is a constitutional right
(Article 326)

evolved Laser Interferometer

Space Antenna (eLISA)
- European Space Agency led
mission
- To detect and accurately
measure gravitational waves
- First dedicated space based
gravitational wave detector
Vidyanjali Yojana
- A school volunteer program to
invite pvt sector and community
- To increase quality of education
in government schools

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan

- Connecting institutions of higher
education with local communities
to address development
challenges through appropriate
technologies
Very Imp: Revise the Wildlife

Protection act 1972 along with
schedules here

Fact

Mnemonics based trick(s) to

remember all Fundamental
Rights without any fail
Fact

Additional notes based on 2017 PYQ with respect to 2023 current affairs :
- 180k households in India are engaged in manual scavenging in 2011 census

- International Atomic Energy Agency
- Estd. 1957, HQ Vienna, Austria
- Int’l center for cooperation in nuclear field (u/ UN)
- Promotes safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear tech
- Got Nobel Peace Prize of 2005 for its contributions to global safety
- Independent International Organization reports annually to UNGA
- Reports to UNSC whenever needed
- International Panel on Fissile Materials
- An independent group of arms control (Jan 2006 founded)
- Has experts from both nuclear & non nuclear weapon states
- 18 members, India is a member
- Carbon Sequestration
- Long term storage of carbon in plants, soils, geologic formations & ocean
- Occurs both naturally and due to anthropogenic activities
- Genome Seuqencing:
- Can be used to identify genetic markers for disease resistance & drought
tolerance in various crop plants
- Helps in reducing time needed for to develop new varieties of crop plants
- Can be used to decipher host-pathogen relationships in crops.

Checkout all 12 jyotirlingas on map of India, Q seen in 2022 too!

@CSEWhy


Swatantra Party
- Made in 1959 by C.
Rajagopalachari
- He wanted to oppose Socialist
policy of JLN
- Pro Liberal capitalist policy
- In first LS, INC had most seats,

then independents and then
came CPI
- In 1969 LS, first every LoP was
recognised: Ram Subhag Singh
(4th LS)
Leaf modifications in desert

(exact Q repeat from 2013 PYQ)
- Hard and waxy leaves
- Tiny leaves or no leaves
- Thorns instead of leaves

National Green Tribunal

- Statutory body (2010 NGT Act);
guided by principles of natural
justice
- Made to handle and speed up
cases related to environmental
issues
- New Delhi Principal Bench +
Other benches: Chennai, Pune,
Kolkata, Bhopal
Central Pollution Control Board

- Statutory body (Water
(Prevention and control of
pollution) Act 1974)
- Power and functions given under
Air (Prevention & Control of
Pollution Act 1981)
- Functions:
- To promote cleanliness of
streams and wells
- To improve quality of air
in the country
- Parliament can place a law in 9th

schedule
- Validity of law u/ 9th schedule
can be examined by court (IR
Coelho case)

Merchant Discount Rate:

Charge on merchant to accept
payments by bank to collect
payments from customers as
they use that bank’s debit card
Lala Lajpat Rai

- Wrote biographies of Mazzini,
Garibaldi, Shivaji & Srikrishna
- Other works: Unhappy India,
“Young India: An interpretation”,
“History of Arya Samaj”,
“England’s Debt to India”,
Political Future of India
- Lawyer and Writer who was
elected to Central Assembly
- Founder of Punjab National Bank
- Joined Swaraj Party at one point
- Founded and Edited Arya
Gazette

Non Proliferation Treaty

- Signed in July 1968 to control
spread of nuclear weapons and
related tech
- It is ONLY binding towards goal
of disarmament by nuclear
weapon state
- Who is a nuclear weapon state u/
NPT?
- That who manufactured
and saw nuclear
explosion before 01/01/67
- India did in 1974 May
(India not a member)
- India, Pak, Israel, S.
Sudan and N. Korea are
not signatories
Nuclear Suppliers Group
- Created in 1974 after India’s
Laughing Buddha (nuclear test)
- A group of nuclear powers
promising to contribute to
non-proliferation
- 48 members and decisions are
taken by consensus (India not
member)
Rule of law
- limitation of power
- equality before law
- liberty and civil rights
- government’s responsibility to
people

Revise Aadhar here

Capital Adequacy Ratio

- Amount that banks have to
maintain in form of their own
funds to offset any loss that
banks incur if the account
holders fail to repay the dues
- Regulatary uniformity seen in
common CAR
Aadhar API
- Fingerprint or Iris based
authentication
- It gives API which can be
integrated into any electronic
device
- Application Programming
Interface (API)
- An interface used to
program S/W to interact
with existing app

Wood’s Dispatch
- Magna Carta of English
Education in India
- GoI to take responsibility of
education the masses
(downward filtration)
- Grant in aids to encourage
private participation
- Establishment of universities at
Presidency towns (Bombay,
Madras, Calcutta)
- Vernacular as medium of
instruction in primary schools and
Anglo-vernacular at high schools

RTE Act details

- National Council for Teacher
Education (NCTE) sets minimum
qualification to be a teacher in a
state (not the state govt)
- To teach primary classes,
Teacher Eligibility Test has to be
passed conducted as per NCTE
guidelines
- 90% institutes in India are in
private hands (not state)

It has independent authority after

being detached from direct
control of the ministry

Revise National Food Security Act here
Revise everything about Minerals here

● Chip-pin debit card

doesn’t have four factor
authorisation
● BHIM app has 3 factor
authorisation

fact
Delhi, Bhopal and

Bengaluru are on similar
longitude.

● 138 and 182

Conventions of ILO
related to Child labor (min
age & no child labor)
Money bill MB
- A bill is a MB if it contains
only provisions relating to
imposition, abolition,
remission, alteration or
regulation of any tax
- MB has provisions for
custody of Consolidated
and Contingency Fund of
India
- MB concerned with
appropriation of money
out of Consolidated Fund
- MB deals with regulation
of borrowing money or
giving of any guarantee
by GoI
- Speaker certificate on
which bill is Money bill is
final
- RS has no power to reject
or amend the MB
- RS has to return MB in 14
days of receiving it from
LS. If not done so, it will
be considered pass from
RS.


● FTA Partners of ASEAN:

Australia, China, India,
Japan (Revise ASEAN
from PYQ 09)
Global Alliance for

Climate-Smart Agriculture
- Inclusive and voluntary platform
on CSA
- FAO developed and presented at
Hague Conference (not Paris)
- Membership does not create
binding obligations on the
signatories
- India is a signatory but not
instrumental in the creation of the
platform

Revise Digital India Program in detail

here

- Speaker of Legislative Assembly

to vacate their office if they cease
to be a member of assembly
- The speaker stay in office even
after dissolution of house till the
next assembly/LS is constituted
Bani Thani
- Miniature painting by Nihal
Chand of Kishangarh School
- Presents an elegant and graceful
woman inspired by Radha
- 5/5/1973: Painting shown on a
postal stamp

Governor
- No criminal proceedings against
a Governor of a State in any
court during his term in office.
- For civil proceedings, can run
trial after 2 months notice
- Emoluments and Allowances of
Governor shall not be diminished
during his term of office.
Annamacharya
- 15th century Hindu Saint
- Lord Venkateshwara devotee
(form of Vishnu)
Tyagaraja
- One of 3 gems of Carnatic Music
w/ M. Dikshitar & Shyam Shastri
- Wrote Nadopasana Book
- Born in 1767 in TN, Lord Rama
devotee
- Created new Rahas to write
songs for Lord Rama

● Legal Tender Money:

Money which creditor is
under compulsion to
accept in settlement of his
claims
● On giving a commodity free to

the public by govt, the
opportunity cost is transferred
from consumers of product to tax
paying public
● Opportunity Cost: Loss of other
alternatives when one alternative
is chosen
● Human capital formation is

related to knowledge, skills,
capacities and intangible wealth
of people of the country

Santhal Rebellion
- 1855: Led by Sidhu and Kanhu
Murmu (President Dropadi
Murmu is a Santhal)
- Called the outsiders as Dikus
and saw them as threat
- Post Santhal uprising, to pacify,
British took two steps
- Created Santhal
Parganas
- Made it illegal to transfer
Santhal land to
non-santhal

fact
● u/A 356, the Legislature

power of that state shall
be exercisable by
Parliament

● GPS has 24 satellites and

20-30m range, NaVIC
offers even <20m
accuracy
Government Securities
- Center or state issued tradable
instruments acknowledging the
debt obligations of the state
- RBI manages G-Sec issuance
- RBI trades state G-Secs on
respective terms
Treasury Bills
- Short term debt instruments
issued by center (state doesn’t
issue)
- Issued for 91, 182, 364 days etc.

● Earth’s magnetic field has

reversed every few
hundred thousand years
(not geographic field but
magnetic)


- Light is affected by gravity

- Universe is constantly expanding
- Matter warps its surrounding
space-time
GM Mustard
- Genetically Modified mustard
- Developed by 3 genes of
Bacteria with weed resistance
ability
- Bar, Barnase, and Barstar
are 3 genes Latter 2 are
dominant
- Self pollination is seen in general
in mustard for male and female
are present in the same flower
- Developed at Delhi University

● Carbon Fertilization:
Increased plant growth
due to increased
concentration of CO2 in
atmosphere
● Cotton, Silk, Saltpetre &

Opium were staple export
commodities from Bengal
in mid 18th century




Fact

Revise all forms of Pradhan Mantri

Kaushal Vikas Yojana Scheme here


Salinity of a river doesn’t
depend on existence of
sand on the riverbed.
1. Notice the words, ‘drastically’

is extreme
2. Does not play ‘any’ role,
extreme
Go to options and see how only

3rd is left! (Not always do we
have to by notes or rule book
*wink*)


Barren Island
- In Andaman sea, 140 km from
Port Blair (not great nicobar)
- Only active volcano in Indian
territory
- It is believed to be along the
volcanic arc that connects
Sumatra and Burma
- Last eruption news was in 2017
(some natural blast occurred)

Facts or Self explanatory; learn Q

framing methods by UPSC


Revise Minimum Support Price and take

a rough read on name of crops

- GSLV 3 stage, PSLV 4 stage;

gslv launch looks in the same
place from earth
GSLV
- Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle
- Used to launch communication
satellites mainly
- 3 stage heavy lift launch vehicle
- Due to Geosynchronous nature,
satellite appear to remain
permanently fixed in the same
position in the sky as viewed
from a particular location on
earth
PSLV
- Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
- Used to launch Earth Resources
Monitoring satellites mainly
- Four stage launch vehicle of
ISRO
- 2nd and 4th stage using
liquid rocket engine
- 1st and 3rd stage use
solid rocket motors

Revise PVTGs

National Programme for

Organic Production
- Sikkim is first fully organic state
in India, Lakshadweep is first UT
- Operated under the guidelines &
directions of the Commerce
Ministry
- Agricultural and Processed Food
Export Development Authority
(APEDA) is secretariat for
implementation of NPOP

Additional notes based on 2018 PYQ:
- India third in silicon wafers manufacturing (china>russia>india)

- Article 293 allows states to borrow only from domestic sources
- Order of quantity of Seed oil import: Palm oil>soybean>sunflower
- Veeresalingam Pantulu, Anand Charlu, Subramnyam Iyer: Madras Mahajan Sabha
1884
- G. Laxminarasu Chetty made Madras Native Association 1852
- CP Ramaswami Iyer: then PM of state of Travancore. Punnapara-Valayar revolt held
by CPI in 1946
- Swaraj Party
- Estd 1923 by CR Das as President and ML Nehru as one of its secretaries
- Had good success in legislature
- Exposed weakness of GoI Act 1919
- CR Das expired in 1925, party declined by 1927
- IRNSS
- 7 navigation satellites: 3 in geostationary orbit and 4 in geosynchronous orbit
- Offer position, navigation and timing services over India and its neighborhood
- 1500km radius range over Indian subcontinent
- FRBM Review Committee 2017

- Headed by NK Singh (current Finance Commission chair)
- Recommended debt to GDP ratio of 60% for (combined govt) by 2023
- Same ratio for GoI to be 40% and States to be 20%
Name of Personality Some details
Aurobindo Ghosh ● Propounded philosophy of divine life on earth

● Jailed in 1908 (Alipore Bomb Case)
● Wrote English Newspaper: Bande Matram
Bipin Chandra Pal ● Father of revolutionary thoughts in India

● Wrote ‘Soul of India’ book
● Founder of Journal ‘Bande matram’
Motilal Nehru ● INC President in 1919 (Amritsar) and 1928 (Kol)

● Served as secretary to Swaraj Party
● Authored Nehru Report pro dominion status for India

Bodhisattva Details
Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva of compassion, depicted as female
Lokesvara Considered as Lord of the World Lok+ishwar
Maitreya Future Buddha, Laughing buddha is an incarnation
Padmapani Form of Avalokiteshvara holding lotus
Lake Features
Kodaikanal ● Dindigul district, TN

● Man made lake since 1863 by Madurai Collector
Kolleru ● Andhra Pradesh, b/w Krishna-Godavari delta

● One of largest shallow freshwater lake in Asia
Nainital ● Tectonic origin lake in Uttarakhand

● Natural Freshwater lake
Renuka ● Largest natural lake Himachal Pradesh

● Named after goddess Renuka
School of Painting Features
Bundi School ● Shows local vegetation

● Krishna inspired (patrons Krishna devotees)
● Red ribbon is often visible in the sky
Jaipur School ● Not much prominent, considered u/ RJ school
Kangra School ● Represents one of several pahari schools

● Inspired by Vaishnavite trends
● Done in watercolor on cloth or paper
Kishangarh School ● Inspired by Bundi school

● Shows amorous relationship b/w Radha-Krishna

Countries around Black Sea

@CSEWhy


Jagirdar
- Jagirdari was admin system
where land revenue of jagir was
given as salary
- Land assignments were not
hereditary and offered the
military services
- Delhi Sultanate system first then
Zamindar
- During Mughal rule, Zamindars
were nobles of ruling class
- Zamindari was hereditary in the
Mughal rule
- But it did not make them owners
of the land
Land ceiling reforms

- Major aim: providing agricultural
land to all the landless
- Ceiling laws were aimed at family
and individual holdings

Self explanatory
Charter Act 1813

- Attempted to codify the laws
- It was pro a uniform court system
- Trade monopoly of EIC was
ended except chai and china
- Asserted the sovereignty of
British Crown over Indian
territories held by company

Swadeshi Movement
- Key people: Lal, Bal, Pal
- Launched against
partition of Bengal in
1905
- Indigenous artisan crafts
and industries revived
- National Council of
Education estd. to
promote tech education

Mahayana
- Image worship and rituals
- Deification of Buddha
- Treading the path of bodhisattvas
(aka paramitas)

● Vishti: Source of income

for state as tax from the
people


British Rule and Gandhi

- Gandhi instrumental in abolition
of indentured labor (contract
labor)
- INC was declared illegal by
Britishers post CD movement
and salt law break
- In Lord Chelmsford’s ‘War
Conference’, Gandhi supported
resolution on recruiting Indians
for World War

Tansen:
- Composed songs on his patrons
- Invested many ragas: eg sangeet
sar
- Composed dhrupad on gods and
goddesses
- Raja Vikramjit of Gwalior called
him Tansen and akbar called him
‘Mian’

Self explanatory

● New World Order and Old

World Order related to
Europe and India
respectively

● Official Poverty Lines are higher

in some states than other
because price levels (inflation)
varies from state to state
● For artificial rains: dry ice, silver

iodide, potassium iodide
self explanatory

Self explanatory

● Microbeads: Considered
harmful to marine ecosystem
(completely banned in India)
Self explanatory
Satellite images used for

- Chlorophyll content in vegetation
of specific location
- GHGs emission from rice
paddies of a specific location
- Land surface temperature of a
specific location

● MACOM: Mnemonic for most

states with forest cover:
MP>Arunachal>CG>OD>MH
Methane Hydrate (MH)

- Also known as fire ice, gas
hydrate
- Made in low temperature and
high pressure conditions
- Global warming might trigger
release of methane gas from
these deposits
- Large MH deposits found in
Arctic Tundra and under
seafloor
- Methane in atmosphere oxidized
to CO2 after a decade or two due
to methanotroph bacteria

Self explanatory


Self explanatory
Revise the Ramsar convention here

- Agricultural soils release NOx

into environment
- Cattle releases ammonia (NH4)
into environment
- Poultry industry releases reactive
N2 compounds into environment
Hydrogen enriched CNG

- CNG comprises Methane,
Propane, CO2 etc.
- Cleaner, powerful and has more
mileage than CNG
- HCNG can reduce Carbon
Monoxide emissions (but not
eliminate it)
- H-CNG is 18% H2 in CNG, up to
1/5th H2 by volume can be
blended as fuel making it
relatively expensive than CNG

● Clouds reflect back earth’s

radiation on cloudy night leading
to no dewdrops
- 39th AA kept PM, President, VP,

Speaker election out of Judicial
Review
- SC struck down 99th
Amendment Act (NJAC Act) as
violative of independence of
judiciary
- HC have jurisdiction to declare a
central law constitutionally invalid
- SC can question amendments to
Constitution of India by
legislature

On Impeachment
- Motion to impeach judge can be
rejected by Speaker of LS
- Incapacity and Misbehaviour is
not defined in Indian constitution
- Judges (Inquiry) Act 1968 gives
detailed process of impeachment
- Impeachment motion needs to be
passed by both houses with
majority special majority
Self explanatory fact

Coal Sector
- Nationalized under Indira Gandhi
Government
- Coal blocks are given on basis of
auction today
- Revise more about Indian coal
sector here
● Parliament (prevention of
disqualification) Act 1959 deals
with issues which are related to
disqualification and office of profit
Self explanatory


Self explanatory
Self explanatory

● UN Convention Against Corruption

(UNCAC)
● Inclusion of a specific chapter aimed at
returning assets to their rightful owner
from whom they have been taken illicitly
○ Only legally binding global
anti-corruption instrument
● UN Convention against Transnational

Organized Crime (UNTOC)
○ Protocol against the Smuggling of
Migrants by Land, Sea and Air
● UN Office on Drugs and Crime

○ Mandated by member states to assist in
implementation of UNCAC & UNTOC

Revise Environment Protection Act 1986 here
Solid Waste Management Rules 2016

- The rules provide for exact and
elaborate criteria for identification of
sites for landfills and waste processing
facilities
- Waste processing units to be set by all
local bodies with 1m+ population
- With towns <1m, provisions for joint or
other related sites
- Waste of one district can be moved to
other for circular economy
- Waste generator has to segregate waste
into three categories
- Dry
- Biodegradable
- Hazardous domestic waste

● Service Area Approach was

implemented u/ purview of Lead
Bank Scheme

External Debt
- Most of India’s external debt is
Private owned
- India’s external debt is in
different currencies (not just
USD)
● Deposits: Seen as liability on the

balance sheet of the commercial
bank
Following reduce risk of

currency crisis
- Foreign currency earnings of
India’s IT sector
- Remittances from Indians abroad
- Basically, everything that brings
in more foreign currency in India


Compensatory Afforestation
Fund (CAMPA)
- u/ CAF Act 2016

- Authority set at national and state
level for management and
planning
- Authority set under Public fund of
India and state respectively
- The fund donations are given by
user agencies whose project
causes transfer of forest land
towards non-forest use
- 90% of CAF money goes to
states and 10% stays with the
center
Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank (also asked
in 2016)
- Since 2016 w/ HQ in Beijing

(estd 2015 via AIIB Articles of
Agreement by 57 members)
- A multilateral bank with members
beyond Asia (103 total till 2020,
more to join)
- Mission: Improve social and
economic outcomes in Asia
(invests across the world since it
has impacts on Asia)
- India is second largest
shareholder and largest borrower
from AIIB
- Shareholding:
China>India>Russia>Germany
(China has more shares than
other 3 combined)
- Can revise in detail here

● Inter creditor agreement signed

by Indian banks and financial
institutions aim at faster
resolution of 50 cr or more which
are under consortium lending
Banks Board Bureau

- Formed on recommendations of
PJ Nayak Committee 2014
- Formed in 2016; GoI appoints
the chairman from pool of
experts
- Purpose: To make
recommendations for
appointment of full time directors
and non executive chairpersons
of PSBs
- Also recommends
personnel for director
appointment in govt
owned insurance
companies
- Also works towards
improving corporate
governance at PSBs
- It is autonomous but
recommendatory body
- Final call is taken by Finance
Ministry in consultation with PMO
- Now replaced by Financial
Services Institution Bureau

Petroleum and Natural Gas

Regulatory Board
- Statutory body under a 2006 act

(not first, TRAI is first regulatory
body)
- Aim: to protect interests of
consumer and entities involved in
this field
- One of its tasks is to ensure
competitive markets for gas
- Appeals against the PNGRB
goes to Appellate Tribunal for
electricity
- Formed under Electricity
act 2003
Long Term Evolution

- Data only technology
- 4G network standards agreed
upon in 2008 (not 3G)
Voice over Long Term

Evolution
- Both data and voice technology
- Converts voice into data stream
and then transmitted using data
connection

Maternity Benefit Amendment

Act 2017
- The maternity leaves increased

from 12 to 26 weeks
- Availed 2 months before delivery
+ WFH allowed
- 50+ employees companies to
have creche facility
- If expecting after 2nd child, the
maternity leaves are still 12
week(s)
- Enterprises with creches must
allow mother min 4 creche visits
daily
- On employer to educate women
about maternity leaves and
related benefits
- Act applicable to all organizations
above 10+ employees
Self explanatory

Read more about waste management

related acts to develop logical clarity
- E-waste
- Biomedical Waste
- Solid waste management
- Plastic waste management
Self explanatory
Self explanatory

● PPP exchange rates are

calculated by comparing
prices of same basket of
goods and services in
different countries, India
is 3rd largest economy
based on PPP
Self explanatory
Self explanatory

● As per RBI’s data diktat,

payment system
providers to ensure that
data related to payment
systems is stored in India
only
Money Multiplier
- Amount of money made by
banks on fixed base amount and
reserve ratio
- Money multiplier increases with
banking habit of population
- Inverse relation with cash
reserve ratio

Self explanatory

RNA Interference (RNAi)

- A gene silencing technology
which uses double stranded RNA
to inhibit protein synthesis in
target cells
- Using gene synthesis
cells shut down large
sections of chromosomal
DNA
- It does not modify and yet
can ‘shut off’ a gene
- Uses gene silencing therapies
linked to diseases such as
cancer (but can’t cure it yet, as
per UPSC answer key)
- Can be used to produce crop
plants that are resistant to viral
pathogens
Digital Signature
- E-sign to authenticate the
document and ensures that
original content is unchanged
- What serves as proof of identity
of individual to access
information or server on internet
is digital certificate and
identifies the authority issuing it

Wearable Technology
- Anything that can be worn by
individuals to track certain
parameters
- It can be a band, wrist watch,
ring, etc.
- Eg: Ultrahuman’s ring keeps a
track of health parameters
- Use cases
- Locating person’s ID
- Sleep monitoring of user
- Assisting hearing
impaired person

Multi Drug Resistance
Self explanatory

- Hepatitis B virus is transmitted much like

HIV
- Hepatitis B has vaccine, Hep C does not
- Globally, Hep B&C virus infected more
people than HIV
- Some of those infected with Hep B&C
don’t show symptoms for long

Additional notes based on 2019 PYQ :
- Global Competitiveness Report by WEF (Revise all reports here)

- GDPR: Related to European Union, data protection & privacy bill
- Cirrus Cloud thinning technique and sulfate aerosol used in stratosphere to reduce
the global warming
- Cirrus Cloud thinning related to climate engineering
- Sulfate Aerosol related to atmosphere cooling
- Artificial rain: needs Potassium and Silver Iodide (dry ice)
- PVTGs
- 18 states and 1 UT (Andaman), 75 total
- Most in OD (Revise all about PVTGs here)
- Irular (KL) and Konda Reddi (AP) are in PVTGs
- A bit on bamboo and MFP
- Indian Forest Act 2018 permits falling of bamboo on non-forest areas
- SC & Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (RFA) Act 2006 calls bamboo MFP
- Same act allows ownership of MFP to forest dwellers
- Food Corporation of India
- A PSU u/ Dept of Food & Public distribution w/ Ministry of Consumer Affairs
- Set up in 1965 u/ FCI Act 1964 to deal with wheat shortage primarily
- HQ: New Delhi, 5 zonal offices and 20 regional offices
- Objectives
- To provide remuneration to farmers
- Distribute grains through PDS system
- Maintain operational buffer stocks for India
- Ensure food security for India
- Some pointers on Kharif crops
- Area u/ rice cultivation in India is highest
- Area u/ cotton cultivation is more than that of sugarcane
- Area u/ oilseed cultivation is more than jowar cultivation
- (Note that aloof these are kharif crops)
- Hormonal Replacement Therapy (Menopause, transgender, HRT)
Mahayana Hinayana
Have faith in idol worship No faith in idol worship
Scriptures in Sanskrit Scriptures in Pali
Faith in universal liberation Faith in individual salvation
Found in China, Japan etc. Found in Myanmar, Lanka, SE Asia

Term Description
DNA Printing Pieces of artificial functional DNA can be created in lab
Test Tube/Cloning DNA piece taken out from animal cell made to replicate outside living
cell in a lab
Tissue Culture Cells of plants & animals made to undergo cell division in lab petri
dishes
Sites Famous for
Chanhudaro (Harappan) ● Now in Pakistan, bead makers shop found here

● Other findings: footprints of dog chasing cat, cart with
seated driver
Kot Diji (Harappan) ● Now in Pak

● Found tar, bull statue and mother goddess here
Sohgaura (not Harappan) ● Ashokan era copper plate found here

● Text written in Prakrit in Brahmi script
Desalpur (Harappan) ● Gujarat, India

● Pottery ware, terracotta seals found here

@CSEWhy


Aadhar
- 12 digit ID issued by UIDAI
- Any Indian ‘resident’ can apply
for Aadhar
- It is not mandatory for Insurance
products
- Aadhar data can not be stored
for more than 6 months
- Mandatory to get benefits out of
Consolidated Fund of India
- State can’t enter in a contract
with a private corporation for
sharing its data
Special Rajya Sabha Powers

- Authorize Parliament to make
law on subject enumerated in
state list (Article 249)
- Resolution for VP removal
(Article 67)
- In matters of creating All India
Services (Article 312)
- In case LS is dissolved, RS’s
approval for emergency will
remain effective (Article 352,
356, 360)
- Revise Unequal and equal
powers of RS

MPLADS fund:
- Fully funded by the GoI
- Scheme since 1993 u/ MoSPI
- Must be used to create durable
assets
- 5 cr every year, 25 cr in 5 years
and it does not lapse.
- A specific portion must definitely

benefit SC/ST population (15%
SC, 7.5% ST)
- Please note that the above point
where mandatorily specific
percentages are to be used for
development of SC/ST
communities have been watered
down recently in March,2023.
Hence, according to the key of
2020, the statement holds true.
- But right now, it is NOT
MANDATORY , BUT IT READS :
“ it is advisable….to spend for the
welfare of sc/st…”, the word
‘advisable’ makes the clause
non-mandatory.
- 2023 update also excludes
government aided educational
institutions from the ambit of
MPLADS
- District authority must inspect at

least 10% of all works under
implementation per annum

Self explanatory
Revise all Fundamental Rights

and tricks to learn them
Article 50, DPSP
Fiscal Responsibility and

Budget Management Act 2003
- Aim: Make Central Govt
responsible towards fiscal
management
- Limits Fiscal Deficit to 3% of
GDP
- with 12th FC recommendations,
state have also enacted similar
acts limiting FD to 3% of GSDP)
- FRBM 2003 mandates following
documents presentation
- MacroEconomic
Framework Statement
- Fiscal Policy Strategy
Statement
- Medium Term Fiscal
Policy Statement

Self explanatory
Universal Declaration of
Human Rights 1948 is reflected
in following
- Preamble
- Fundamental Rights
- Fundamental Duties
- Directive Principles of State
Policy
called collective responsibility

NALSA (Also seen in 2013)

- Founded in 1995 u/ LSA Act
1987
- Objectives:
- Free legal aid/advice +
Spread awareness
- Organize Lok Adalats
(seen in PYQ 2009)
- ADR + compensation to
victims
- Aim:
- To monitor and review
effectiveness of legal aid
programs
- To develop rules and
principles for providing
legal services
- Institutions
- NALSA: CJI = Patron in
Chief
- SLSA: CJHC = Patron in
Chief
- District LSA: District judge
= ex officio chairman
- Taluka: Headed by senior
Civil judge
- SC: SC Legal Services
Committee
- HC: HC Legal Services
Committee
- Distributes funds to State LSA &
NGOs to help them further the
aim
- Supported by Article 39A:
Promote justice on equal
opportunity
- Persons with <1 lac & Trans w/
<2 lac annual income are eligible

DPSPs establish an idea of

welfare state

Revise Basic Structure Doctrine

on CSE Why Blog
Self explanatory
Bureaucracy: An agency for

implementation of public policy

Gold Tranche (Reserve

Tranche) refers to credit system
by IMF to its members

DPSP
- Not enforceable in any court
- Principles laid down in this part
are to influence the making of
laws by the state

Buddhism
- Sthaviravadins belong to
Theravada Buddhism (Not
Mahayan)
- Lokottaravadin sect an offshoot
of Mahasanghika sect of
Buddhism
- Deification of Buddha by
Mahasanghikas fostered
Mahayana


Self explanatory
Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar

- Associate of Aurobindo and
wrote Desher Katha
- The book speaks of
British exploitation in
detail
- It warned against colonial
state’s hypnotic conquest
of mind
- It inspired performance of
swadeshi street plays and
folk songs

Self explanatory

Self explanatory
Self explanatory
Self explanatory

■ https://forumias.com/bl
og/rakhmabai-case-of-1
884/
■ Read about the case
here
Self explanatory

Revolt Description
1857 Revise here
Indigo Revolt 1859-60 ● Aka Neel Bidroh

● Prominent Leaders: Digambar and Bishnu Biswas
● Indigo planters publicly tried to show rebel
● Deenbandhu Mitra wrote Neel Darpan based on this revolt
(seen in 2018 Prelims PYQ)
Ulgulan 1899-900 ● Birsa Munda’s revolt

● Claimed a rebellion to set up ‘Munda raj’
● Aka The great tumult
● Birsa died in British jail in 1900
Mappila Rebellion 1921 A violent revolt led by Muslims against Britishers & Hindu landlords
Excellent video explaining blockchain.

Watch once, you’d never forget

Name Details
Panini ● Man behind scientific theory of phonetics, morphology

● Founder of language and literature of Sanskrit
● He wrote Ashtadhyayi
Pushyamitra Shunga ● Post mauryan King of Shunga dynasty
Amarasimha ● One of the navratnas of Vikramaditya

● Sanskrit poet
Harshavardhana ● Post Mauryan King who followed Buddhism

●
Kalidasa ● Greatest Playwright and dramatist of Ancient India

● Dramas: Malvika, Agnimitra, Urvashi, Shakuntla
● Poetry based on Vedas, Ramayana, Mahabharat, Puranas
Chandragupta II ● Aka Vikramaditya

● Ruled 375-415 CE (period called golden age of India)
● Mehrauli Iron Pillar built by him
● He had Navratnas in his court
○ Amarasimha (mentioned above)
○ Dhanvati (A great Physician)
○ Harisena (Composed Allahabad pillar inscription)
○ Kalidasa (mentioned above)
○ Kahapanka (astrologer in the court)
○ Sanku (Architect)
○ Vetalbhatta (magician)
○ Vararuchi (Sanskrit scholar)
○ Varahamihira (writer of Panchasiddhantika, Brihat
Samhita, Brihat Jataka)

Visible Light Communication

(VLC) technology
- Wireless technology in
Electromagnetic (EM)
375-780nm (visible light
spectrum)
- Faster the bluetooth and Wi-Fi
- High speed connectivity offered
in indoors (short range)
- Operates in optical frequency
and thus, no EM interference
emitted
Carbon Nanotubes
- Available in single tube and multi
walled tube styles
- Cylindrical single layer sheets
made of Graphene (carbon)
- Can be used in biochemical
sensors and are biodegradable
- Can penetrate cells and thus
used as carriers of drugs and
antigens in the human body
- Use as artificial blood capillary
can cause clotting and hence
can’t make for an injured part of
the human body

Self explanatory

- A person’s genome can be

edited before birth at the early
embryonic stage
- Human induced pluripotent stem
cells can be injected into the
embryo of pig
- Genetic changes can be
introduced in cells that produce
eggs or sperms of a prospective
parent
Pneumococcal Conjugate
● Diseases caused by bacteria
leading to infections in diff body
parts
● Aka Pneumonia, Meningitis,
Blood and Ear infections
● Greatest risk to those below 2 or
more than 65 years of age
Vaccine
● Effective against pneumonia and
meningitis and sepsis
● Dependence on antibiotics that
are not effective against drug
resistant bacteria can be
introduced
● Have slight side reactions (think
of it in a way that even mild
vaccines give slight fever)

Public Key Infra related to

Digital Security Infrastructure
Plant cell v/s Animal Cell

- Automobile Exhaust, Tobacco

and Wood burning are direct
sources of Benzene
- pollution while some industries
like furniture and polyurethane
are not direct sources of
Benzene pollution.
- In case of global financial crisis,

not depending on short term
foreign borrowings will give
immunity to India
- Opening to foreign banks leaves
us vulnerable
- Maintaining full capital account
convertibility was seen in SE
Asian crisis and we all are aware
of the impact of the same
● Withdrawing x amount of cash

from bank account will leave
aggregate money supply
unchanged

● FDI regularly seen in

PYQs, revise!
West Texas Intermediate

● is related to crude oil
● One of the two crude oil
benchmark in the int’l arena
○ Benchmark for American
Oil, used by US Oil Prices
○ Traded on NY Mercantile
Exchange
○ Lower share
● Other benchmark Brent Crude
Oil
○ Benchmark for crude
extracted from North Sea
(Norway, Sweden and
UK)
○ Used for OPEC Prices
○ Traded on International
Exchange, London
○ ⅔ of world's crude
contracts signed on this
benchmark
● Other benchmarks are:
○ NYMEX Futures & OPEC
Basket Price

Debt Financing
IAEA:
- International Atomic Energy
Agency estd 1957
- HQ: Vienna, Austria; 2005: Nobel
Peace Prize
- Obj: safe, secure, peaceful use
of nuclear tech
- Independent org reporting to
UNGA
- Also to UNSC if needed
- Signing Additional Protocol
means civilian nuclear reactors
come u/ IAEA safeguards (2018
PYQ on this)

TRIMS
- Applies only to goods, not
services
- They are not concerned with
regulation of foreign investment
- Quantitative restrictions on
imports by foreign investors are
prohibited
- Restrict preference of domestic
firms and thereby enable int’l
firms to operate more easily
within foreign markets
Features
- Equal rights to foreign investors
at par with domestic players
- Permission grant to import raw
materials without restrictions
- Abolition of restrictions imposed
on foreign goods & any area of
investment
Expansionist Monetary Policy entails:
- Cut and optimize SLR

- Cut Bank and Repo Rate
- Decrease Marginal Standing
Facility Rate

District Central Cooperative Banks
- Provides fund directly to PACS

for diff tasks
- Board has Chair of PACS, State
govt representatives, and SCBs
along with CEO of DCCB
Read Cyber Insurance Policy in India

Public Investment in Agri (anything

that makes assets)
- Computerization of PACS
- Social Capital Development
- Setting up cold storage facilities
by the government
Interest Coverage Ratio

- Ability of firm to take a loan and
repay in the given tenure of the
loan
- Helps in evaluating the present
risk of a firm to give a loan to
- Helps in evaluating the emerging
risk of a firm
- Higher a borrowing firm’s level of
ICR, better its ability to service
the debt

Trade in South Asia (practical

question)
- Textile and textile articles are
important item of trade b/w
Ind-Bang
- Bangladesh has been largest
trading partner of India in S. Asia
G20 countries and how to

remember them

● CPI v/s WPI covered in

2010 PYQs


● Buddhism terms: (Hint seen in

2016 PYQ in options, go check
table)
● Parivrajaka: renunciation and
wanderer
● Shramana: ascetic
● Upasaka: lay follower of
buddhism
Elephants
● Adulthood starts at an age of 18,
avg life expectancy 70 years
● Project Elephant in 16/29 states
of the country
● World Elephant Day: 12 August
every year
● Top 3 states:
Karnataka>Assam>Kerala
● Leader of the group is a female
● Maximum gestation period can
be 22 months
● ~28k elephants in India with 25%
in Karnataka
● Status for Asian Elephants
○ IUCN: Endangered
○ WPA 1972: Schedule 1
○ CITES: Appendix I
Notes for Q73 in next page

Conservation Area Description
Nagarhole NP ● Aka Rajiv Gandhi National Park, Also a TR

● A part of Nilgiri BR
● Nagarhole river (Kabini’s tributary) flows through the NP
● Home to elephants, mouse deer, wild dog, leopard etc.
Papikonda NP ● Spread over East/West Godavari districts of AP

● Godavari river and Papikonda hills can be seen here
Sathyamangalam TR ● Located in TN, part of Nilgiri BR

Also seen in UPSC ● Offers link b/w Western and Eastern Ghats
2017 PYQ ● Genetic link b/w: Biligiriranga Swamy Temple WS, Sigar
plateau, Mudumalai NP and Bandipur NP
Wayanad WS ● Part of Nilgiri BR

Also seen in 2017 PYQ ● Kabini (Cauvery’s tributary) flows through WS
in options ● Contiguous to TR of Nagarhole, Bandipur and Mudumalai
Manas NP ● Located in Assam

● It is UNESCO WHS, TR, NP, BR and Elephant Reserve
Mudumalai WS ● Mudumalai is at tri-junction of Karnataka, Kerala, TN

● Flagship: Tiger and Asian Elephant
Tal Chhapar WS ● Talchhapar blackbuck sanctuary, Rajasthan

Revise more here ● Home to blackbuck and used to be hunting ground of
Bikaner royal family
● Black Buck is state animal of Punjab, Haryana and AP
Askot WS ● Located in Askot, Pithoragarh, UK

● Created for Musk deer (Askot Musk Deer WS official name)
● Dhauli and Ikli river originate here and Gori Ganga passes
through it
Gangotri NP ● NP in Uttarkashi district of UK

● Home to Gaumukh, origin of river Ganga
Corbett NP ● Aka Ramganga, Hailey NP

● On banks of Ramganga Reservoir and river flows through it
Ranthambore NP ● Near Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan

● Padam Tao Lake known for abundant water lilies
● Banas and Chambal Rivers
Nagarjuna Srisailam TR ● Largest TR in India, home to Nallamala hills

● Krishna basin, Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar reservoirs

Barahsingha
- Found in Dudhwa NP (UP),
Pilibhit TR (UP), and Kanha NP
(MP)
- Deer species of India and Nepal
and extinct in Pakistan and
Bangladesh
- IUCN: Endangered, WPA Sch I,
CITES Appendix I
Musk Deer
- Mostly seen in Himalayan states
(JnK, HP, UK, Sikkim, Arunachal)
- Lives in mountainous regions
from Himalayas to Siberia
- IUCN: Endangered

Such content is hard to find in

regular books. Observe carefully
how the options are designed
and how to eliminate
Biochar
- Lightweight black Carbon & ash
residue after pyrolysis of biomass
- Made in an oxygen limited
environment
- Can be used as a growing
medium in the vertical farming
- When part of the growing
medium
- Promotes the growth of
nitrogen fixing
microorganisms
- Enables growing medium
to retain water for longer
time

Schedules of WPA1972 Description
I ● Endangered species in need of protection

● Harshest penalties on violation
● No hunting allowed except in some exceptional cases
II ● High protection with trade prohibition

● No hunting except in exceptional cases
III & IV ● Species not endangered are in III/IV

● Hunting prohibited but penalty is less on violation
V ● Contains Vermins: species that carry disease and

destroy plants and food, can be hunted
VI ● Regulates cultivation of a specific plant along with

restrictions on its sale, trade and transportation
● A license is needed to cultivate that plant
Self explanatory

Zero Tillage (ZT)

- Way of growing crops without
tillage (no soil disturbed in the
field)
- Tillage: Mechanical method of
preparing field with methods like
digging, stirring and overturning
- In ZT, seeds are sown via drillers
without prior land preparation
- Reduces cost of cultivation, soil
erosion, crop duration, irrigation
requirement and weed effect
- Sowing of wheat is possible
without burning the residue of the
previous crop
- Planting of paddy seeds possible
in wet soil w/o nursery of rice
- Carbon sequestration in the soil
is possible
Self explanatory

Fertigation
- Fertilizer + Irrigation i.e. fertilizer
injected through the irrigation
system. Eg: Drop irrigation
- It controls alkalinity of irrigation
water
- Increased availability of nutrients
in plants is possible
- Reduction in leaching of
chemical nutrients is possible
- Urea application is possible but
Phosphates is not since latter is
not soluble
- Think of applications based on
this information, which will
help in solving the next
prelims paper you will write.
- Main sources of Biofertilizers:
cyanobacteria, fungi & bacteria
Google and checkout minor and

major minerals list as Home
Work

Ocean Mean Temperature

- Measures Ocean thermal energy
- OMT and Ocean Heat Content
are two imp parameters to study
the phenomena like cyclone,
monsoon etc.
- OMT has higher success rate in
monsoon prediction than Sea
Surface Temperature (60% v/s
80%)
- Measured up to a depth of 26
degree C isotherm which is
50-100m deep IN South Western
Indian Ocean during Jan-March
- OMT during Jan-March can be
used to find if amount of rainfall
in monsoon will be less or more
than a certain long term mean

Great Indian Bustard

- State bird of RJ, most CE bird of
India
- Flagship grassland species
- RJ, GJ: Most. Small population in
MH, KA, AP
- IUCN: CE, Baaki sab me First
schedule/appendix

Place Features
Bhilsa ● Modern day vidisha

● Main center of Sunga dynasty in MP
Dwarasamudra ● KA, Capital of Hoysalas
Sthanesvara ● Here Pandavas prayed to Shiva

● Haryana
● Capital of Harsha (Thaneswar)
Girnagar ● Girnar in Gujarat (Junagarh)
Fact.

Central Ground Water Authority

- u/ EPA 1986, regulates
groundwater extraction via
regular guidelines
- India has largest area u/
Groundwater Irrigation in the
world
- Order:
India>China>USA>Pak>Bangladesh
- Jet streams occur both in north

and south hemispheres
- Extra tropical cyclones may not
always have an eye and
therefore, not every cyclone
develop an eye
- Warmer temperature drives the
storm of cyclone and hence it is
warmer inside the eye (not
colder)

Additional notes based on 2020 PYQ :
- Revise Fly Ash

- Gandhi Irwin Pact (Q canceled but revise)
- Portland cement is not sustainable environmentally
- Indian coal has high ash, high fusion, low sulfur
- Some Polity Notes

- LS Session at least 2x a year ie without a gap more than 6 months between
two sessions. No minimum times mentioned
- Revise disqualification of MPs and MLAs on CSE Why Blog
- No min days of parliament meeting recommended/mentioned in constitution
- Preamble is a part of constitution but has no legal effect independently of the
other parts
Name Description
Birds Warm blooded, egg laying, vertebrate with wings and feathers
Primates Most intelligent and developed group of mammals including

humans, monkeys, apes
Reptiles Cold blooded animal with scaled part body and lays eggs
Amphibians Any organism able to live on both land and water


Courtesy: Drishti ias

@CSEWhy



Revise RBI here
● Not all casual workers are

entitled for EPF

● During recession, increase in

public expenditure is a logical
step to take. Why? Think of 4
contributors of GDP!
● Demand increases if substitute’s

price increases or its own price
falls (keeping other things
unchanged)

Cooperative Banks
- Registered u/ Co-op societies act
1912
- Regulated by RBI u/ Banking
Regulation Act 1949 via ‘66
amendment
Urban Cooperative Banks
- Can issue equity shares,
debentures and
preferences shares
- Registered and governed
by state governments u/
respective co-op societies
act of the respective state
- 2nd of three tier Co-op
banks structure:
- First: Primary
credit societies
- Third: State Co-op
Banks
Government Bond Yields influenced

by
- Note: Bond Yield inverse relation
with price of bond
- Actions of US Federal reserve
(think of fed actions to contain
inflation in US)
- Actions of RBI (think of work of
MPC)
- Inflation and short term interest
rates (no brainer)

FDI components
- Global depository receipts
- Foreign institutional investment
with certain conditions
- Foreign currency convertible
bond
● Devaluation of currency improves

exports but decreases foreign
value of the currency

● Loss of revenue to state

exchequer due to tax evasion is
main cause of worry related to
black money to GoI
● Most Inflationary: Creation of

new money to finance budget
deficit (2013 PYQ)

● Money Multiplier in economy

increases with increase in
banking habit of people
● Money Multiplier = 1/CRR
Demand pull inflation

● An inflation governed by high
demand
● Expansionary policies, fiscal
stimulus and higher purchasing
power can lead to demand pull
inflation
● Inflation Indexing wages: it does
not offer desired liquidity
● Rising interest rates will suck the
money in the market and thus
lowering purchasing power

Market tools
- Retail investors can now directly
invest in T-Bills and GoI debt
bonds in primary market
(Through demat account)
- Negotiated Dealing
System-Order Matching is govt
securities trading platform of RBI
(for secondary market);
anonymous e-order marching
system
- Central Depository Services

limited
- First listed Indian Central
Securities Depository based in
Mumbai
- Promoted by Bombay Stock
Exchange with banks like SBI,
HDFC, Bank of Baroda, and
Standard Chartered Bank
WaterCredit
- A global non profit to bring water
and sanitation to the world
- Objective: Make water safe,
accessible and cost effective
- It puts microfinance tools to work
in the water and sanitation sector
- Aim: to enable poor people meet
their water needs without
depending on subsidies

● Central Bank’s function

as ‘lender of the last
resort’ refers to providing
liquidity to the banks
having a temporary crisis
● R2 Code for Practices:

A tool available for
promoting adoption of
environmentally
responsible practices in
electronics recycling
industry

Copper Smelting Plants

- Smelting: Process where metal
is extracted by applying heat to
ore
- Copper slag can cause leaching
of some heavy metals into
environment
- The may release sulfur dioxide
as pollutant (+ CO2 and not CO)
- It can cause leaching of some
heavy metals into environment
(As, Cd, Hg)
Furnace Oil
- Petroleum refinery byproduct
which is cheapest fuel for
industrial use
- Aka Bunker Oil or Fuel Oil in the
international markets
- Can be used to generate power
in some industries
- Its use causes sulfur emissions
into environment
- Can also result in formation of
Particulate Matter

■ Blue Carbon: Carbon

captured by oceans and
coastal ecosystem
■ Gree Carbon: Carbon

sequestered in forest
biomass and agricultural
soils


● Oysters: Filter feeders which

remove excess nitrogen from
waters as it combines them in its
body

New York Declaration on Forests

- It was first endorsed at UN
Climate Summit 2014
- It endorses a global timeline to
end loss of forests
- It is endorsed by governments,
big companies and indigenous
communities
- India was not a signatory and it is
not legally binding either
- The aim is to also lower the
carbon emissions and preserve
environment
Magnetite Particles
- Cause air pollution, they are high
magnetic mineral form of iron
- Causes neurodegenerative
problems
- Not generated by Microwave
stoves within homes and
Telephone lines

● Note:
● Revise Carbon, Phosphorus,
Nitrogen and Sulfur cycle from
either Shankar IAS or here
Detritivores
- Organisms feeding on detritus
(waste of any kind)
- Often the invertebrate insects like
woodlice, earthworms, millipedes
etc.
- Jellyfish and Seahorses are
- Not detritivores
- Both secondary
consumers
- Both that feed on
plankton, small fish like
copepods & are
carnivores

Common Carbon Metric

- Developed for assessing the
carbon footprint of building
operations around the world
- Supported by UNEP
- 1972 estd with HQ in
Nairobi, Kenya
Chausath Yogini Mandir

- Circular Shiva temple built during
reign of Kanchachhapaghata
Dynasty
- Design believed to have inspire
(now) Old Parliament Building of
India

Place River
Borra caves in Araku valley near Vizag Gosthani river
Ajanta & Ellora Waghora
Sanchi Stupa Betwa
Pandu Lena caves Gomai river of MH
Amaravati Stupa Krishna
Dholavira Luni
Kalibangan Ghaggar, black bangle and plough field
Rakhigarhi Ghaggar, Couple buried found here
Ropar Satluj

EIC Factories
- Eastern India: Haripura, Balasore, Hugli
- Western India: Ahmedabad, Baroda,
Broach (Bharuch), Agra
- South East: Masulipatnam and Pulicat
- Some note on other options
- Chicacole
- u/ Nizam
- Lies in Northern Circars
- Trichinopoly
- u/ Kingdom of Arcot

● Nuniz found women in

Vijayanagara expert in Wrestling,
Astrology, Accounting,
Soothsaying, Judge and
accountants too

Famous Figure Details
Sarojini Naidu ● The Golden Threshold & The bazaars of Hyderabad
Annie Besant ● Made central hindu school which later became BHU
u/ Madan Mohan Malviya
Debendranath Tagore ● Brahmo samaj associated

● Wrote Tatvabhodini Patrika
Ishwar C. Vidyasagar ● Secretary with Hindu Female School (1849)

● Later: Bethune Female School (1856)
● Founder: JED Bethune
Pingali Venkayya ● Designed National Flag of India (tricolor)

● He wrote book: National Flag of India 1916
Pattabhi Sitaramaiah ● ‘Historian of INC’; wrote History of INC

● Led Quit India Movement in Andhra Region
Rabindranath Tagore ● Translated National Anthem from Bengali to English

● It was done at Madanapalle of Andhra Pradesh
● Sang for first time at Kol Session u/ BN Dhar
Margaret Cousins ● Wife of Principal of Theosophical College

● Gurudev stayed with them in Madanapalle
● She gave tune to Jana Gana Mana
Madame Blavatsky ● Related to Theosophical Society

● Along with Colonel Olcott

● Chengiz Khan reached Indus in

fursuit of fugitive prince during
Illtutmish’s rein
● Taimur occupied Multan and
cross Indus during Firuz
Tughlaq’s reign (not Muhammad
Tughlaq)
● Vasco Da Gama came to India
when Narsimha was in
Vijayanagar chair
St. Francis Xavier

■ Founding Member of
Jesuit Order
■ Died in China
■ Feast of St. Xavier is
celebrated in Goa every
year

Playwrights Details
Bhavabhuti ● u/ King Yashovarman of Kannauj

● Works: malatimadhava, uttam charitra, mahavir charitra
Hastimalla ● Kannada poet

● Hoysala time
Kshemeshvara ● Kashmiri poet

● Wrote Dashavtaracharita
● On Aug 8 1942: Quit

India Resolution was
adopted by the AICC

● Songs from prison was translated

by Gandhi. Here, he translated
works of Mirabai, Kabir,
GuruNanak along with Sanskrit
hymns of Upanishads
● Fact
Officers of Indian National Army tried at Red Fort Trials

● Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon
● Shah Nawaz Khan
● Prem Kumar Sehgal
British wanted to pick a Hindu, Muslim and Sikh each to give a strong message

- Nizamat of Arcot was protected

area of Hyd state but did not
come out of it
- Mysore Kingdom (ruled by
Wodeyars) came out of
Vijayanagara Empire
- Rohilhand Kingdom emerged in
1721 while Ahmad Shah started
his conquests in 1748. The two
are not related!
International Mother Language Day

- February 21 every year since
1999
- It is acknowledge the fight of
Bangla language struggle (1971
Bangladesh Liberation War had
language as a major friction
point)
- Demand for making Bangla a
national language was first raised
in the Constituent Assembly of
Pakistan

Permaculture
- Developing agricultural
ecosystems that are to be
self-sufficient
- Mulching is very important in this
but not so in conventional
farming
- It does not cause increase in soil
salinity (seen in conventional
farming)
- It discourages monocultural
practices (dominant in
conventional farming)
- It is personalized and can be
done in most of the regions (even
semi arid)
Palm Oil
- Derived from Oil Palm Tree, a
native of West Africa
- Needs more water and equatorial
climate to grow and flourish
- Can be used to produce
biodiesel or as raw material in
lipstick industry
- Can also be used in laundry soap
formation

● Didwana, Sargol, Khatu and

Kuchaman are saline lakes
Global Ocean Commission

- HQ: UK
- 2013-2016 initiative for ocean
conservation
- Experts to spread awareness in
the world about ocean
conservation
Trade Winds
- In tropical zones, western
sections of oceans are warmer
due to currents like Kuroshio,
Gulf stream etc.
- Blowing over tropical warm
waters, trade winds pick moisture
and bring rain on windward side
of the mountains
- In temperate zones, the eastern
sections of the oceans are
warmer (and hence, westerlies
make eastern sections of ocean
warmer)

Rock Rock Type
Shale & limestone Metamorphic rocks
Fissure volcanic rock Basalt rock erosion
granite Intrusive igneous
schist Metamorphic form of shale
Crop Details
Sugarcane ● Water intensive crop

● 21-27°C and 75-100 cm rain
● India 2nd largest producer (after Brazil)
● States in terms of Production: UP>MH>KA>TN
Sunflower ● Imp oilseed crop in India

● Ukraine largest producers followed by Russia
● India: KA>MH>AP; we import 90% of demand
Red Gram Not much info except Tandur Red Gram of Telangana got GI
tag in December 2022
Pearl Millet Revise Millets on UPSC CSE WHY blog

Climate Smart Agriculture

- Climate Change, Agriculture,
and Food Security (CCAFS)
- Leads climate smart
village approach in India
- An int’l research program
with HQ in France
- Consultative Group on
International Agricultural
Research
- Plays major role to scale
practice, tech and
institutions enabling agri
to meet triple goals of
food security, adaptation
and mitigation
- International Crops Research
Institute for Semi Arid Tropics
- Works in Asian and Sub
Saharan countries
- Estd. 1972

● Fire, rain and Herbivores restrict

forest growth in the Savannah
region (2012 PYQ)
● Mnemonic to remember Water

on Earth’s surface (2010 PYQ
Q repeat)

Tree/Fruit Features
Moringa ● aka Miracle Tree, Ben Oil Tree, Horseradish tree, Drumstick tree
● Medicinal and health benefits are quite high for humans
● India is largest producer of Moringa
● Seeds used in biofuel production
● Evergreen and Deciduous both
● Belong to Mustard family
● It does not fix Nitrogen
Tamarind ● Indigenous to tropical Africa

● Collected as Minor Forest Produce
● Seeds be used in biofuel production
● KA largest, KL second in production
● Palakkad district of KL famous for tamarind production
● Grown in Africa, Indian subcontinent, South East Asia

Recombinant Vector Vaccines
● Genetically modified to mimic

actual virus to produce vaccines
● They use Bacteria and Virus as
the vectors
● Revise DNA and RVV vaccines
here
Mitochondrial diseases
● Mitochondria has DNA in circular
form
● Only organelle other than
nucleus to contain DNA
● The therapy can be done (both)
before and after IVF
● Sperm carries very few
mitochondria therefore
mitochondrial genes are inherited
from mother
● Eg: Diabetes genes are inherited
from mother
Bollgard I and II
● Bollgard I: A type of cotton, it is
India’s first biotech crop tech
● Bollgard II: Double Gene
technology (Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab)
● Both are environment friendly
way of keeping check on
bollworms

● Pressure cooker: Temp of

cooking food depends on area of
hole in the lid and weight of the
lid
● Bacteria & Fungi can be cultured

in artificial medium; Virus needs
a living host
Triclosan
● Antimicrobial chemical
● Harmful when exposed to high
levels for a long time
● Increases shelf life of soap,
consumer products and toiletries

Virus Features
Adenovirus ● Contains double stranded DNA genomes

● Causes common cold, gastro issues etc. (mild to severe)
● Infections occur throughout the year, peak in winters
● Most common in <5 years of age group
● They are VERY contagious
Retrovirus ● Contains single stranded RNA genomes; causes HIV

● Used as vectors in various gene therapies
● Undergoes reverse transcription for RNA -> DNA (Think
of RT-PCR)
Water and Dipolar nature

● It is Dipolar in nature (H+ and O2-)
● Universal Solvent because it can
dissolve more substances than any
liquid
● This helps water form electrostatic
interactions with polar molecules and
ions

Sodium Lamps LED Lamps
- Omnidirectional, 360 degree light emitted - Emits light in 180 degree plane
- Shorter lifespan than LED lights - Longer lifespan than Sodium lights
- Contain metals which are evaporated into - The LED Lamps are based on the
inert gasses inside the bulb solid-state technology
- Less efficient than LED lamps - More efficient in present day and time
- Visible spectrum is monochromatic - Can produce all the colors in the spectrum
without filters
● Liberty in a liberal democracy is

best safeguarded by Separation
of Powers

Term Related to
CryIAC Genes introduced in genetically modified plants (Bollgard II)
NaVIC India’s own satellite navigation system
MStripes Radio collars for wildlife tracking (term seen in a 2017 pre)
ACE2 Spread of Viral diseases
Bisphenol A
(table of all plastics mentioned

in this Q given below)
● Used to make polycarbonate, the
toughest plastic and epoxy resins
● It is used to coat the top/interior
etc. of the cans and bottles

Plastic Type Details
Low Density Polyethylene ● Less dense, less crystalline, more flexible

● Used in bags, wrappers, etc.
● Tough to recycle, unhealthy hormonal effects
in human
High Density Polyethylene ● Dense, stronger, thicker, less flexible

● Use: juice/shampoo/medicine containers
● Can leach estrogen mimicking chemicals when
exposed to UV light
Polystyrene ● Aka Styrofoam, light and easy to mold

● Use: food tiffins, disposable cups, helmets etc.
● Releases STYRENE toxicant which is harmful
for brain and nervous system
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) ● Aka Wrinkle Free fiber

● These are ‘PET’ bottles which pack soft drinks
● Has potential of causing cancer in the living
tissue
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) ● Aka Saran, hard to recycle

● Used in PVC pipes, most hazardous plastic
● Leeches Bisphenol-A, Mercury, Cadmium etc.
Polypropylene ● Stiffer and most heat resistant

● Use: diapers, car parts, sanitary pad liners
● Can cause asthma and hormone disruption in
Polycarbonate ● Aka Lexar, Makrolon, and Makroclear

● Less in use due to relation with BPA
● Use in: baby bottles, ketchup container etc.
● One of the most toxic and harmful

Right to City
● It means that state can not deny
any public service or facility to
the unauthorized colonies in the
city
● It gives right to reclaim public
spaces and public participation in
the city to every occupant of the
city
● It is monitored by UN Habitat
however, it is not an ‘agreed
human right’ since diff countries
have diff perceptions and policies
on refugees, minorities etc.
● Istanbul declaration of 1996 is
related to enforcing this right

Judicial Custody
- Accused in custody of
concerned magistrate and is
locked up in the city jail (not
police station)
- Police officer not allowed to
interrogate suspect without
approval of the court
Police Custody
- Accused in custody of the police
and locked up in the police
station
- No permission needed to
interrogate the suspect
- Mostly given to ‘interrogate’ the
suspect before offering judicial
custody
Parole
- System to release the prisoner
with suspension of sentence
- It is a conditional system
depending on the behavior
- Given for specific reasons like
death in family
- It is a privilege and not a matter
of right
- It is form of reformative justice
- Prisons: State subject
- Hence, the state
governments have their
own parole rules

Right to Equality
- A legislation which confers on the
executive or administrative
authority and unguided and
uncontrolled, discretionary power
in the manner of application of
law violates Article 14,
RTEquality
Indian Federalism | Features

- Two or more levels of
governments
- Independence of judiciary is
safeguarded
- Diff governments govern same
citizens but varying jurisdiction
- Existence and authority of each
tier is constitutionally granted
- Fundamental provisions are not
changed unilaterally by any one
tier
- Financial autonomy is
safeguarded by describing
sources of revenue

● State definition: people +

government + sovereignty +
territory
● HC powers to review own

judgment are not same as that
of SC

● Revise 44th amendment and

Keshavananda Bharati case.
● 26 Jan 1950 Constitutional

Status: Sovereign, Democratic
Republic
● Constitutional Government is the

limited government (Repeat Q
from PYQ 2020)

Language Details
Ho ● Ho tribe of Jharkhand & Odisha mainly, also in WB and Bangladesh

● Written in Devanagari in Bihar and Odia in Odisha
● Important dialects: Lohara and Chaibasa
Halbi ● Spoken in tribe of MP, MH, OD, AP
Kui ● S-E Dravidian language of tribe in OD, written in Odia script
Awards
- Bharat Ratna, Padma Awards etc. are
not titles u/ Indian Constitution
- Padma Awards were suspended 1978,
1979, 1993-1997, 2020, 2021
- Bharat Ratna limited to 3 (awarded to 4
once in 1999)
- First ever Bharat Ratna: Dr CV Raman
- Bharat Ratna started by Dr.
Radhakrishnan
- Non Indian Bharat Ratnas: Nelson
Mandela, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan
- Padma Awards are given in 3 categories
- Padma Vibhushan: 2nd highest
civilian award (1st: Bharat Ratna)
- Padma Bhushan: 3rd highest
civilian award
- Padma Shri: 4th highest civilian
award

UN Capital Development Fund

● estd in 1966 by UNGA
Headquartered at NY, USA
● To give microfinance access to
LDCs to unlock their finance
potential
Arbor Day Foundation

● NGO founded by John Rosenow
in the US
● Largest non profit dedicated to
tree planting
Tree Cities of the World

● Global effort to recognize ‘green’
efforts of the cities across the
world
● Hyderabad declared Tree City of
the World in 2020 by FAO and
Arbor Day Foundation
FAO
● UN agency leading global effort
against hunger
● 16th October: World Food Day
(marks FAO estd anniversary in
1945)
● Based in Rome, Italy and has
World Food Program and
International Fund for Agricultural
Development as its sister bodies

Laureus World Sports Award

● Constituted in 2000 to honor
greatest & most inspirational
sporting triumphs of that year
● Given in 6 categories: Man,
Woman, Breakthrough, Team,
Comeback & Action
● American Golfer Tiger Woods
was the first winner
● The award mostly received by
Tennis Players
● Roger Federer received this
award maximum number of times
(5)
ICC World Test Championship

● Finalists decided by number of
matches they won
● New Zealand ranked ahead of
England because it won more
points
● 2 year tournament with 9 teams
contesting

- Revise Indus River system here

- International Seabed authority
- HQ: Jamaica
- 1994 Intergovernmental body u/ UNCLOS
- To regulate, control and organize all mineral related activities in international
seabed area beyond national jurisdiction limits
- Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)

- Pneumococcal disease: caused by bacteria damaging lunch, brain and blood
- Vulnerable: 2<x>65 (age)
- Also includes: Ear, blood, meningitis
- PCV protects against 13 types of pneumococcal bacteria
- UN Habitat
- UN Human Settlements Program estd. in 1978 at Vancouver Conference
- HQ: Nairobi, Kenya and is member of UN Development group
- Habitat Agenda of Istanbul 1996 gives mandate to UN-Habitat w/ twin goals
- Adequate shelter for all
- Develop sustainable human settlements in urbanizing world
- Rare Earth Minerals
- Called so ‘cz it is tough to extract them from their oxidized form & present in
low concentrations to be refined easily
- Magnetic, Luminescent and Electrochemical properties
- High use in the futuristic technologies related to tech, healthcare,
communication, mobility etc.
- China has global domination in REMs
- 17 minerals in total (15 Lanthanides+Scandium+Yttrium)
- Cerium (Ce)
- Dysprosium (Dy)
- Erbium (Er)
- Europium (Eb)
- Gadolinium (Gd)
- Holmium (Ho)
- Lanthanum (La)
- Lutetium (Lu)
- Neodymium (Nd)
- Praseodymium (Pr)
- Promethium (Pm)
- Samarium (Sm)
- Scandium (Sc)
- Terbium (Tb)
- Thulium (Tm)
- Ytterbium (Yb)
- Yttrium (Y)

Members of Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly

● Dr. BR Ambedkar (chairman)
● KM Munshi
● GS Ayyangar
● Md Saadullah
● N. Madhav Rao
● TT Krishnamachari
● Allahadi Krishnaswamy Ayyar
Indian Members of the Interim Government of 1946 (All INC Members)

● Jawahar Lal Nehru
● Sardar Patel
● Rajendra Prasad
● C Rajagopalachari
● CH Bhabha
● Baldev Singh
● John Matthai
● Jagjivan Ram
● Asaf Ali
● Syed Ali Zaheer
● Sarat Bose
River Details
Brahmani ● Made by confluence of Sankh and South Koel rivers in Odisha

● Origin of the tributaries is in Chhota Nagpur Plateau
● Major seasonal river of Odisha; forms large delta w/ Baitarani
● Flow into Bay of Bengal
Subarnarekha ● Origin: Ranchi Plateau in Jharkhand

● Acts as boundary b/w WB and Odisha for a while
● Flows into Bay of Bengal
Nagavali ● Origin: Kalahandi District, OD

● Shared by North AP and South OD
● Aka Langulya; between Rushikulya and Godavari Basins
Vamsadhara ● Origin: Kalahandi District, OD

● Dispute b/w OD and AP on water sharing of this river
● BR Rao Project on this river by AP

Credit: Drishti

@CSEWhy



● Rapid Financing Instrument

and Rapid Credit Facility
related to lending provisions of
IMF (ADB, WB from options
covered in PYQs, UNEPFI
below)
● Checkout REER & NEER here

● If Inflation is high, RBI will sell

G-Secs
● If interest rates in the USA/EU
fall, RBI is likely to buy dollars
● If rupee is rapidly depreciating,
RBI will sell dollars in the market
Paris Club (PC)

● Informal group of creditor nations
since 1956
● A forum for creditors to solve the
payment difficulties of debtor
countries
● G20 Common Framework is an
initiative with help of PC

Inflation Indexed Bonds

● A type of bonds offering regular
returns to investors irrespective
of inflation in economy;
announced in 2013 budget
● Real coupon interest rate is fixed
but Nominal principal value
keeps adjusting for inflation. This
means, Govt. can reduce coupon
rates on its borrowing by ways of
IIBs
● IIBs protect the investors from
the uncertain inflation (as seen in
first statement)
○ Other features:
● Maturity period: 10 years
● Considered to be G-Secs
● Enhances domestic savings
● Can be kept as SLR part by
banks
● Investment Amount: Min 10k and
max 25 lac
● Can be traded in the secondary
market (BSE/NSE etc.)
● If profits made in secondary
market, capital gains tax is paid

E-commerce rules 2021

● The rules regulate commercial
transactions via diff means by
retailers in India or abroad to
consumers in India
● There are currently two models in
place: marketplace and inventory
model
● The rules bar marketplaces to
have their own inventory (to
check monopoly)
● Marketplaces can’t have related
companies signed up as seller on
the website
● Big sellers ownership is limited to
20% for sale on e-com platforms
● To make it easy, think of Amazon
w.r.t. GoI and try to deduce logic
Real Sector in Economy

● The ‘real’ sector which
persuades economic o/p and
significant to GDP
● Better the financial sector, faster
real sector grows
● Agri and Industrial sector, both
are parts of it
● Real sector deals with
Production while nominal sector
deals with Financial Side
● Therefore, farmer harvesting
crops and textile mills are real
sector
● Commercial bank lending and
rupee bonds are nominal sector

● Indirect Transfers: A foreign

company transfers shares and
such shares derive their
substantial value from assets
located in India
● Capital expenditure: Made to

develop capital building assets
like tech or equity

● Share of household financial

savings make-up for govt
borrowings
● Dated securities issued at market
related rates in auctions form a
large component of internal debt
Constitution Amendment Bill

● Mentioned in Article 368
● Can be presented in either house
of the parliament
● Does not need permission of the
President before presenting
● Must be passed by both LS/RS
by special majority and no
provision for joint sitting (A108)
● It is obligatory for President to
assent to CAB (provision added
in 24AA)

Contempt of Court
- Power of court aiming to
preserve the respect and majesty
of court
- Article 129 & 215 of Indian
Constitution speaks of contempt
of SC/HC
- Indian constitution
empowers SC/HC to
punish for its contempt.
HC can punish for
contempt of lower courts
in its jurisdiction as well
(Think of 2021 Q of HC
powers not same as SC
in review)
- The power is regulated in
Contempt of Courts Act 1971
(not restricted to it)
- Bill passed on HN Sanyal
Committee
- Parliament is vested with powers
to make laws on contempt
- It is of two types as defined in
act: Civil and Criminal
- Civil: Willful disobedience
to court’s judgment
- Criminal: Any act that
tends to scandalize
court’s authority, interfere
in judicial proceedings
and obstruct justice
admin

Bar Council of India

● Statutory body under Advocates
Act 1961
● Provides representative functions
for the legal fraternity
● Sets standards and rules relating
to legal education and
recognition of law colleges
● Regulatory function of
prescribing professional conduct
standards and have power to
initiate disciplinary jurisdiction
● Patent Attorney is an advocate

and can appear in the court
● Lawyers who want to work in
corporate law set up give up on
their sanad and thus, are
ineligible to appear in the court
● Non Confidence Motion against

Council is exclusive power of LS

Council of Ministers
(Mention in Article 74)
- Headed by PM (as per Article 74)
to assist and advice the
President
- We find mention of word Cabinet
only once in 352(3) wrt
emergency
- 91st Amendment Act
(Amended Article 75 and 164)
- total ministers including
PM shan’t exceed 15% of
LS numbers
- In state, min ministers
shall be 12
- Not defined in the constitution
are types of ministers viz.
Cabinet, MoS, Mos (Independent
charge) or Deputy Minister
- It is Rules of Procedure and
Conduct of Business in LS that
defines minister
- A member of Council of
Ministers, MoS, Deputy
Minister
- Cabinet Minister
- Core of Council w/
senior most
members holding
key positions
- Minister of State
- Junior minister to
either assist the
cabinet minister or
have independent
charge of
respective
department

● A nominated MP can’t join any

political party after 6 months of
them taking their seat in the
house. If they do, they are
disqualified. Revise MP
disqualification here
Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

● Launched 2021 by PM
● Aim: provide digital health IDs for
all to help them and health and
insurance institutions access
e-records whenever needed
● Implemented by National Health
Agency u/ MoHFW
● Participation by all is voluntary
(not mandatory)
● Provides seamless portability

Attorney General (Article 76)

● Part of Union Executive
● Highest law officer in the country
● Appointed by the President on
the Govt. advice
● In office on President’s Pleasure
and no term of office is fixed
● Can take part in LS/RS
proceedings or Joint sittings w/o
R2Vote
● Not Govt servant, can practice
but shan’t give a brief against the
govt
● Can be a member of committee
of LS/RS whichever committee
he’s nominated to
● Needs to be eligible to be SC
judge
● Indian citizen and
● HC judge for 5 years -OR-
● HC advocate for 10 years -OR-
● Eminent Jurist in President’s
opinion
Duties & Functions
● Advice govt on legal matters
● Represent govt in SC/HC wherever it is
a party
● Represent GoI in cases where President
sought SC opinion (A143)
● Other functions as conferred by
constitution or law
Solicitor General of India

○ Not a constitutional position
○ Second highest law officer of
India
○ Assist AG in discharge of their
duties
○ Appointed by Appointments
Committee of the Cabinet

Writ Description
Mandamus ● Means ‘we command’

● Directive given to public authority to perform their duty when
refused or failed to do so
● Can be issued against public figure, corporation, tribunal or
lower court
● Will not lie against a pvt org unless entrusted w/ public duty
Prohibition ● Means ‘To forbid’

● Issued by Higher court to ‘prohibit’ a lower court from exceeding
its jurisdiction
● Issued against judicial or quasi judicial authorities only
Certiorari ● Means ‘to be certified/informed’

● Issued due to excess or lack of jurisdiction or legal error
● Issued against judicial or quasi judicial authorities only and
administrative (1991 SC judgment)
Habeas Corpus ● Means ‘to have the body of’

● Person detained by another is asked to bring the body of that
detained in front of court
● Issued against public and private authorities, both
Quo Warranto ● Means ‘by what warrant/authority’

● Issued by court to investigate legality of one’s claim to public
office
● Issued only in case of substantive public office of permanent
character
● Any public minded person can move to court as petitioner

Deputy Speaker (DS)

● Article 93: Speaker and Deputy
Speaker
● DS elected after Speaker’s
election is done
● He presides over the Joint Sitting
if Speaker’s office is empty
● Since 11th LS, A consensus is
reached where speaker is from
ruling party and DS is from
opposition
● DS has same power as Speaker
when presiding over the sitting of
house and no appeal lies
against his rulings
● As per Rules of Procedure and
Conduct of Business of LS, the
election of DS shall be fixed on
such date as Speaker may fix
System of Rice Intensification

● Developed in Madagascar to
save water and improve rice
productivity
● It uses ‘alternate wetting and
drying’ methods with aerobic soil
conditions
● Its productivity is similar or more
than conventional system with
lesser inputs
● As a result, it saves seed,
electricity and emits less
methane

Lake Features
Victoria ● Freshwater lake at tri-junction of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania

● White Nile, major tributary of Nile, originates here
● Largest tropical lake in the world, 2nd largest freshwater
Fagubine ● A lake in Mali which is now dry and turned into a desert
● Lies in north of Niger river and used to be flooded by it
Oguta ● A ‘finger lake’ in Nigeria

● Formed by damming of Njaba river
Volta ● A lake of Ghana, related to Akosombo dam

● Largest artificial reservoir in world based on surface area

River Description
Cauvery ● Origin: Brahmagiri Hills of Western Ghats in Karnataka

● Flows through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
● 3rd largest river of south India
● Tributaries:
○ Left Bank: Arkavathi, Hemavati,
○ Right Bank: Bhavani, Suvarnavati, Kabini, Noyyal
Manjira ● Origin: Bhir district, Maharashtra

● Right Bank tributary of Godavari
Pennar ● Origin: ChennaKesava Hill of Nandidurga Range in KA

● Forms Gandikota canyon in Erramala hills
● Flows between Krishna and Kaveri directly into BoB
● Basin: AP and KA
Tungabhadra ● Origin: formed by Tunga & Bhadra (both KA origin)

● Ancient name Pampa, Tributary of Krishna
● Hampi on banks of this river

Mountain Peak/Range Details
Namcha Barwa ● A peak in North East

● It is here Tsangpo takes a U-Turn and enter India as
Siang to further become Brahmaputra
Nanda Devi ● In Kumaon Himalayas (Satluj to Kali river)

● Nanda Devi is the highest peak
Nokrek ● Located on Tura Range

● Meghalaya state of North East India
Garhwal Himalayas ● Situated in Uttarakhand
Sikkim Himalayas ● Home to Kanchenjunga, Lepcha tribe and sees Teesta

● Duar formation seen here
Also, revise more on Himalayas here and here

Monazite
● It is reddish brown in color and
also carries phosphate
● Beach sand mineral containing
Thorium and Rare earth minerals
(see 2021)
● Occurs in sands of 3 districts:
Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, and
Thoothukudi
● Indian Rare Earths Limited
(IREL) a PSU u/ Department of
Atomic Energy only can process
or export monazite
● If interested, you can find and
read more on Monazite here

● Longest day of Northern

hemisphere is June 21
(similar Q in 2019)
Wetland Features
Hokera ● Location: Jammu and Kashmir

● Natural wetland contiguous to Jhelum basin
Renuka ● Location: Himachal Pradesh

● Largest natural lake of the state
● Inland subterranean karst formations seen here
● Fed by a small stream which joins Giri river
● Named after mother of Hindu sage Parshuram
Rudrasagar ● Location: Tripura, aka Rudijala

● Vijay dashmi celebrated with great pomp and show here
● Fed by 3 perennial streams discharging into Gomti river of NE
Sasthamkotta ● Location: Kerala

● Largest freshwater lake in Kerala
● Larva called ‘cavaborus’ eliminates bacteria making lake pure

This is an image from my Visual Notes. You can get these notes from point no. 1 here

Open Source Digital Platforms

● A platform offering code access
for users and developers to take
a look
● Recently, Elon Musk promised to
take Twitter code Open Source
● All of Aarogya Setu, CoWIN,
Digilocker, DIKSHA are open
sourced
● OS allows used to modify source
code suiting to personal
requirements
Aarogya Setu
○ Contact tracing app developed
by NIC u/ MeitY
○
COWIN
○ Covid Vaccine Intelligence
Network
○ Owned by MoHFW
DigiLocker
○ A free platform for Indians to
store, access, and share imp
docs
○ A flagship initiative of MeitY u/
Digital India Program
DIKSHA
○ National Platform for School
education built on this
○ Uses Sunbird, an MIT licensed
open source tech
○ It is digital infra for learning which
supports multiple languages
○ Came quite handy as a learning
platform in lockdown(s)

Web3.0
● World Wide Web: a system
where web server collects the
web sites/pages connecting local
computers with the internet
● Web3 is decentralized form of
internet where users control
and operate the system and not
the corporation (as seen now in
Web2)
● It enables blockchain based
social networks
● Applications eg: NFT (Non
Fungible Token)
Software as a Service
● ‘On demand software’ where
cloud service provider gives
applications
● Users can access data through
mobile devices or customize
interface
● It permits different internet users
to use cloud based apps and
services.
○ Eg: Outlook, Hotmail,
Yahoo! Mail
● See it like renting/purchasing a
real estate and then customizing
it to suit your requirements.
Latter can be done either in
house or outsourced to an
interior designer. Same analogy
works in SaaS

● Fractional Orbital Bombardment

System details here
Qubit
● Related to Quantum Computing
● Smallest unit of quantum
information
● Work on two key quantum
principles: Superposition and
Entanglement
○ Superposition: each
qubit can be both 1 and O
○ Entanglement: qubits in
Superposition stage can
be correlated w/ each
other
● Do read quantum computing for
upcoming prelims and GoI efforts
● Other options of this Q had Cloud
services (covered in SaaS), VLC
(covered in 2021) and Wireless
Communication Tech (widely
renowned tech)

Short Range Device Technologies

● Radio waves based technology
● Allows wireless tech and
equipments like CCTV, RFID,
WLAN
○ CCTV: Closed Circuit TV,
used for monitoring and
surveillance
○ RFID: Radio Frequency
ID, used in Fast Tag
technology
○ Wireless LAN: aka Local
Area Wireless Network
(wifi at home)
Biofilms
● Association of micro-organisms
which develop a layer on living or
non living surface
● The layer formation is a multi
step process and are easy to
spot on surfaces of aqueous
environment
● It can form on medical implants
within human tissues & food and
food surface
● It can exhibit antibiotic resistance
and cause infections eventually

Probiotics
● Live microorganisms offering
health benefits when ingested or
applied
● Found in dahi, yogurt, raw
cheese and other fermented
products
● The are made of good live
bacteria and/or yeast
● They can naturally occur in the
human gut, mouth, lungs, skin,
urinary tract etc.
● Perks
○ Strengthen immune and
better skin
○ Better digestion and
weight loss
○ Help in digestion of milk
sugars
Climate Action Tracker:

● Database created by coalition of
research organizations
● By Climate Analytics and
NewClimate Institute
● Tracks government climate
action
● Aim: To provide updated
assessment of countries’
individual reduction targets to
policymakers, civil society, and
media

Vaccine Platform
Covieshield Viral Vector based Vaccine
Sputnik Vector based platform
Covaxin Inactivated pathogen based vaccine
Biorock technology
● Invented in 1976 to produce
natural building materials in the
sea
● These are only marine
construction materials that grow
to get stronger as they age and
have self-repairing ability
● Sustainable method to protect
coral reefs from extinction
● (Makes use of rotary forces)

Solar Flares
● Intense localized eruption of EM
radiation across all spectrums in
atmosphere of Sun
● Affects all layers of solar atmosphere
comprising of photosphere,
chromosphere and corona
● Most flares do not occur to naked eye
since they are out of visible range
● Often, more powerful flares are more
frequent than weaker ones
● Not all of these reach earth but those

that do have some impacts listed below
○ Impacts only the upper
atmosphere and not cause
tsunamis
○ They strike satellites impacting
all satellite functions & their orbits
(GPS, TV, Internet, and network
(shortwave radio communication
and powergrid included))
○ Auroras are anyway seen in
northern hemisphere and solar
flares will only intensify them
Read and revise more of Solar

flares here
Image in the next page enables

better understanding of solar
flares

Credits to respective owners

Organization Details
The Climate Group ● Non-profit working with businesses and governments to

address climate change (Since 2003-04)
● Goal: Net-zero carbon emissions by 2050
● Offices in US, UK and India
● Secretariat for Under2 Coalition and EP100, EV100 etc.
● Drives climate action by building large networks and run
them
Int’l Energy Agency ● Estd. 1974 in France, Paris

● Key focus on 3E: Energy, Economy and Environment
● Estimates 40%+ energy related emissions by 2040
● Major reports: World Energy Outlook Report, India Energy
Outlook Report, World Energy Stats etc.
EP100 ● Global initiative of The Climate Group bringing 100+ energy

smart businesses on same platform
● Aim: To measure & report on energy efficient improvements
● Offer forum to share and demonstrate best practices
adopted
● Secretariat: The Climate Group
● Mahindra, Dalmia etc. type groups are members
Under2 Coalition ● Largest global network of governments committed to

reducing emissions in line with Paris Agreement
● Secretariat: The Climate Group

● Wetlands: Aquatic plants absorb

heavy metals and excessive
nutrients acting as Kidney of
Earth
● WHO Air Quality Standards

revise here

Gucchi
● It is fungus, a type of Mushroom
found in Himalayan region
● It has honeycomb texture and
unique taste, one of the most
expensive
● These are not cultivated
commercially (yet) and mostly
grow in wild
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

● A polymer of ethylene and
terephthalic acid
● It is non biodegradable but can
be recycled easily for other uses
● You can commonly find these
around you as PET bottles for
beverages
● Burning of PET gives out oxides
of carbon & contributes to GHG
emissions
● Its fibers can be blended with
wool & cotton fibers to reinforce
their properties
● Its containers shall not be used
to store alcohol as ethanol
dissolves polymers

Miyawaki
● Creation of mini forests in the
urban areas
● Given by Japanese national,
Akira Miyawaki
● Akira regrew the backyards of
the house as urban forests
● Creates a self sustaining
vegetation within 2-3 years with
specific aim
● Aim: Ensure plant growth 10x
faster and canopy 30x denser

Find all information related to

Pre Independence Acts
at the end of this document.
● Fanam referred to coins

Personality Details
Barindra Kr. Ghosh ● Younger brother of Aurobindo Ghosh

● Actively involved with Jatindra Nath Banerjee
● Published Bengali weekly Jugantar
● Was sentenced to death in Alipore Bomb Case (later life
imprisonment)
● Also chief of Anushilak Samiti
Jogesh Chandra ● Born 1895, joined Anushilan Samiti

Chatterjee ● Later joined HRA
Rash Behari Bose ● Knew skill of making crude bombs

● Key player behind formation of Ghadar, Indian
Independence League and reorganization of INA
● He was involved in Hardinge’s murder attempt by throwing
bomb at his parade in 1912
● In 1915, he escaped India and lived in Japan
● Japanese Govt honored him with Order of the Rising Sun

● Find flowcharts related to

Constitutional development in
Pre-Independence period at the
end of this document.

Indian Text Features
Nettipakarana ● Related to Buddhism’s Pali Canon

● A mythological scripture further related to Theravada
● Main theme: Buddhas’ teachings
Parishishtaparvan ● Written by Hemachandra

● Describes Chandragupta’s connection with Jainism
● Hemachandra was a young monk, poet, scholar and
mathematician who was titled kalikalasarvajana (knower of
knowledge of all time)
Avadanasataka ● Means: Century of noble deeds

● Written in Sanskrit, related to Buddhism
Trishashtilakshana ● Important Jaina text by Acharaya Jinasena

Mahapurana ● Written during the rule of Rashtrakutas

Company/Figure Details
Dutch EIC ● Estd. 1602 by Dutch parliament charter

● Purpose: Establish domination in India/SE Asia merchandise
power
● Factories in Masulipatnam (1605), Pulicat (1610), Surat
(1616), Bimbipatnam (1641), Karaikal (1645)
● Lost battle of Colachel in 1741 from Travancore
● Corruption charges led to dissolution of DEIC in 1800
English EIC in ● Vijayanagara rulers had chieftains- Nayaks

South ● Nayakas ruled almost independently in diff parts
● English EIC estd factory in 1639 in Madras on land leased
from a Nayaka chieftain
A de Albuquerque ● Real founder of Portuguese power in India

● Persecuted Muslims in his area of control
● Captured Goa from Bijapur Sultanate w/ help of Krishna Deva
Raya
● Banned Sati in his area of influence
Gajapati Rulers ● Rulers of Kalinga, parts of AP, WB etc.

● Ruled from 1435-1541 (not in sync with Dutch years)


Credit Rating Agencies

● Tasked to rate creditor’s ability to
repay debt & its risk
● SEBI regulated all CRAs in India
u/ SEBI Regulation 1999
● 6 CRAs u/ SEBI as of March
2022:SMERA, ICRA, CRISIL,
CARE, Brickwork and Fitch India
● ICRA: A rating agency that is
public rated company
Brickwork Ratings
● Indian credit rating agency
promoted by Canara Bank
● Recognised as external credit
rating agency by RBI
Banks Board Bureau

● Formed in 2016 on
recommendations of PJ Nayak
Committee 2014
● Autonomous body Finance
Ministry takes final decisions in
consultation w/ PMO
● GoI appoints the chairman of the
BBB (and not RBI Gov)
● Its secretariat has a secretary
and 4 officers
● It recommends for selection of
PSBs heads, Personnel for Govt.
Insurance companies
● Public authority u/ RTI Act 2005
● Ex-officio members:
○ Secretary, Department of
Financial Services
○ Secretary, Department of
Public Enterprises
○ RBI Deputy Governor
● Now replaced by Financial
Services Institution Bureau

Convertible Bonds
● A hybrid security in form of a
bond that pays fixed income
payment and can also be
converted to stock shares
● Offers lower interest rate as
there’s option to exchange for
equity
● To be able to convert to equity
allows bondholder a degree of
indexation to rising consumer
prices (inflation)
● Companies use CBs as a tool to
win over negative sentiment
● Fact
● Fact

International Org Details
AIIB ● Since 2016 w/ HQ in Beijing (estd 2015 via AIIB Articles of

Agreement by 57 members)
● A multilateral bank with members beyond Asia (103 total till
2020, more to join)
● Mission: Improve social and economic outcomes in Asia
(invests across the world since it has impacts on Asia)
● India is second largest shareholder and largest borrower
from AIIB
● Shareholding: China>India>Russia>Germany (China has
more shares than other 3 combined)
● Can revise in detail here
MTCR ● Informal and voluntary group

● India is a member since 2016
● Set up in 1987 by G7 countries
● 35 nations controlling missile tech export
● It also controls the export of drones and UAVs
● Decision making is via consensus of all members
SCO ● Permanent Intergovernmental Organization

● Political, Economic, Military Organization since 2001
● Official Languages: Russian and Chinese
● India Member since 2016
● 8 members: China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan)

Vietnam
● One party rule
● Export focused economy
● One of the fastest growing
economies in the world
● Economic growth linked to
integration w/ global supply
chains
● Low labor costs and stable
exchange rates have attracted
global manufacturers

Non Fungible Tokens (NFT)

● Anything that can be represented
in form of digital art is NFT
● Every NFT has own unique
cryptographic code on blockchain
establishing its unique ID and
thus, every NFT can have only
one owner
● Unlike Blockchain, they can not
be traded.exchanged at
equivalency
● (Note: Cryptocurrencies are
fungible & hence, used for
commercial transaction)

Coal Controller Organization

● Estd. 1916 to ensure fair
production and commercial
transaction
● Major source of Coal Statistics in
GoI, u/ Ministry of Coal
● It monitors progress of
development of Captive
Coal/Lignite blocks
● Hears any objection to Govt’s
notification relating to acquisition
of coal bearing areas
● Find details on all schedules of

Indian Constitution in the next
page

Schedule Related to
1 Union Territories and states
2 Emoluments of President, Governor, (Deputy)-Speaker of LS (and State

Legislative Assembly), (Deputy)-Chair of RS (and State Legislative Council),
SC/HC judge, CAG,
3 Affirmations and Oaths for Union/State Ministers, Parliament/Assembly

Election Candidates, MPs/MLAs, SC/HC judges, CAG (NOT for Prez or Gov)
4 RS Seat allocation to States and Union Territories
5 Schedule Tribes and Schedules Areas control and administration
6 Other tribal areas administration (in states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura

and Mizoram)
7 Federal, State and Concurrent Lists
8 Official Languages
9 Land Reforms (1st Amendment Act)
10 Defection based disqualification (52nd Amendment Act 1985)
11 Panchayats (Power, Authority and Responsibility) (73 AA, 1992)
12 Municipalities (Power, Authority and Responsibility) (74 AA, 1992)

Indian Sanitation Coalition

● Launched 2015 at New Delhi
● Multi-stakeholder platform to
bring together the pvt, govt,
finance institutions, civil society,
media, donors, experts etc. to
drive sustainable sanitation in
partnership model
National Institute of Urban
Affairs
● Estd. 1976 as autonomous body
● Apex body u/ Ministry of Urban
Affairs
● Provides innovative solutions to
address the challenges of Urban
India
UN Credentials Committee
● Appointed and works under
UNGA (not UNSC)
● Usually meets in November
● Assesses the credentials of all
UN members before submitting
report to UNGA for approval

UN General Assembly
● Can grant observer status to the
non-member states
● Inter-govt org can seek observer
status (like OECD, EU, etc)
● Permanent Observers in UNGA
can maintain missions at UN HQ
● Read and revise more of UNGA
in detail here

Tea Board of India

● Set up under Tea Act 1953
therefore, a statutory body
● Functions u/ Ministry of
Commerce (not Ministry of Agri)
● HQ: Kolkata w/ overseas offices
in Dubai,London and Moscow
● Board has members from diverse
stakeholders & reconstituted
every 3 years
● Greenwashing: Conveying false

impression that company’s
products are eco-friendly and
environmentally sound

● Revise clouds in detail here
● Bidibidi is refugee settlement of

Uganda while Dadaab is Kenyan
(seen in PYQ 2009)

Place Speciality
Kochi Airport Fully solar powered International Airport
Bhadla Solar Park Largest solar park in Bhadla, Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Ramagundam Solar Largest floating solar photovoltaic project in India. Photovoltaics

Photovoltaic Project also seen in PYQ 2014

UN Convention on the Law of Sea

● In detail revision here
UNCLOS defined marine borders

● Cultivators of Fungi: Ants,

termite, beetles, marsh
periwinkles

Country Details (google to find location of these countries & neighbors)
Chad ● Location: North Central Africa

● Landlocked, semi desert, rich in Gold & Uranium
● Recently became oil exporting state
● No permanent Chinese Military base here
Guinea ● Location: Western Africa, Atlantic Coast

● A recent military coup brought this country in news
Lebanon ● Location: eastern shore of Mediterranean (Levant? *wink*)

● A small long strip, blast in Beirut brought this to news
● Defaulted on Eurobond payment
Tunisia ● Location: North Africa

● Touches Mediterranean sea
● Arab Spring sprang here, still in political crisis
Eq. Guinea ● Location: West Africa, on Atlantic Coast

● In news for permanent military base by China

Region Details (google to find location of these regions)
Anatolia ● Location: Turkey
Amhara ● Location: Ethiopia
Cabo Delgado ● Location: Mozambique
Catalonia ● Location: Spain

Wildlife Protection Act 1972

○ Aim: to safeguard and develop
the environment
○ To give GoI complete authority to
enact severe environmental
protection measures
○ Allows declaration of certain
areas as protected areas, ban
certain activities and related
punishment
○ As per court ruling related to act,
the wild animals are sole
property of govt
○ Offers equal protection to
‘protected’ animals be it inside or
outside the protected area
○ Mere apprehension of protected
animal being danger to human
life is not sufficient ground for its
capture or killing
○ Revise the related 6 schedules
from 2020 PYQs table
● Find map of Ashoka’s edicts in

the following page

Ashoka’s major Features

rock edicts
Dhauli ● Location: Dhaulagiri, Odisha

● On left banks of river Daya, Mahandi’s tributary
● Known for Dhauli Shanti Stupa (related to Kalinga war)
● Famous inscription of Ashoka found here
Erragudi ● Location: Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh

● Both major and minor edicts excavated here
Jaugada ● Location: Ganjam, Odisha

● A major rock edict like Dhauli found here
Kalsi ● Location: Kalsi town, Uttarakhand

● Only Ashokan rock edict in North India
● Language used here is Pali

● Revise Sangam age in detail

here
● Nizamuddin Panipati translated

Yoga Vasistha into Persian in
Akbar’s reign
Ramanuja (statue of equality)

● Recently, PM inaugurated world’s
second tallest sitting statue of
Ramanuja in Hyderabad (Buddha
statue in Thailand is first)
● Ramanuja was born in TN in 11th
century and found himself
influenced by Alvars
● As per him, the best means of
salvation was devotion
● He propounded Vishishtadvaita
aka qualified oneness (with god)

Somnath Temple
● First among the 12 jyotirlingas
(revise them on map in 2017)
● Situated in Gujarat on coast of
Saurashtra
● The modern day temple was built
on the resolve of Sardar Patel
and Pran Prathishta was done by
the then President of India, Dr.
Rajendra Prasad
● Al Biruni wrote about grandeur of
this temple in his travelog
○ It was based on this
reading that Mahmud
Ghaznavi attacked in
1024
● B and T cells protect the body

from the diseases caused by
pathogens

Nanoparticles
● 1-100 nm sized particles
● Formation: Artificial or natural
● Physical properties:
○ Highly mobile when in
free state
○ Enormous specific
surface states
○ May exhibit the quantum
effects
● Find wide usage in different
industries due to these properties
● May enter food chains,
environment or even seen in
human blood thus proving
dangerous
DNA Barcoding
● Sequencing a short segment of
standard genes to compare
individual sequence to reference
database.
● It is done to identify different
species that look alike
● It can identify undesirable
animal/plant materials even in
processed food, detect alien
species, identify plant leaves etc.
● For assessing the age, the
method used is carbon dating

● Causes of Acid Rain: Oxides of

Nitrogen and Sulphur (PYQ 2010
and 2013)

Pre-Independence Acts
- Regulating Act 1773
- EIC director asked to present all documents and correspondence pertaining to
administration of the company
- Parliamentary supervision over EIC
- Gov gen of Bengal + 4 member council
- Gov gen had casting vote
- Charter Act 1813
- Attempted to codify the laws
- It was pro a uniform court system
- Trade monopoly of EIC was ended except chai and china
- Asserted the sovereignty of British Crown over Indian territories held by company
- Charter Act 1833
- Trading activities of EIC abolished
- All law making powers on Gov Gen in the council
- Supreme authority to be changed as Gov Gen in the council
- Indian law commission in 1833 and Lord Macaulay made the law member
- Councils Act 1861
- Portfolio system u/ Lord Canning
- Indian Councils Act 1909 // Morley Minto
- Rep to Indians first time in the legislature (limited tho)
- Ended official majority in the SLA
- Separate electorate for muslims
- Non officials were elected to local bodies despite 1909 act
- GoI Act 1919 // Montford
- No Universal Vote but some women given right to vote
- Brought in reservation for Anglo Indians and Christians
- Dyarchy (few subjects to provincial ministers and rest with executive council
- Objective: extension of provincial assemblies ie decentralization
- In reserved lists were Justice admin, land revenue and police
- GOI 1947
- 2 independent dominions
- Constitution by legislative will of Indian constituent assembly
- Unlimited powers to CA of both dominions to enact any constitution
- GOI 1935:
- Reservation to women ie separate electorate to women
- Provincial Autonomy
- Proposal for federation of India
- Abolish post of Secretary of State
- All India federation
- Bicameral legislature & dyarchy at centre
- Powers to Governor to veto legislative action and legislate on their own
- Communal rep increased
- Federal court & FPSC
- Separate electorate for SC
- Distribution of power
- 15/08/1947 - 25/01/1950 Govt ran on this act.

#CSEWhyFlowcharts
- Constitutional Development pre-independence timeline trick via Mnemonic

'In August, Cripps went to Shimla with Cabinet till June 3'
- August Offer '40

- Cripps Mission '42 March
- Shimla Conference/Wavell Plan 1'45
- Cabinet Mission '46
- 3rd June Plan '47
Flowcharts to remember all given below in order






Next, Flowcharts on Government of India Acts (Imp)



- UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative

- Voluntary global partnership b/w banks, insurers and investors
- Purpose: to catalyze action across finance system to deliver sustainable
global economies
- UNEP initiative with global financers and founded in 1992
- Secretariat: Geneva, Switzerland (UNEP HQ: Nairobi Kenya
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
- UN body to asses the climate change related science
- Estd. 1988 by WMO and UNEP to offer scientific basis of climate change,
impacts and risks etc. for policy makers on the regular basis
- TL based image towards end in this document
- UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
- UN entity tasked to support global response to climate change threat
- Signed in 1992 at the Rio Conference, Parent treaty of Paris Agreement ‘15
- Revise in detail here
- Ghadar Party
- San Francisco based revolutionary group publishing weekly newspaper with
same name. Estd in 1913
- Purpose: Revolution leading to establishment of national government
- Members were mostly the ex soldiers from Punjab (migrated to N. America)
- Some names associated with Pre-Ghadar era
- Lala Hardayal, SS Bakna, Ramdas Puri, Taraknath Das, GD Kumar
- Swadesh Sewak Home (Vancouver) and United India House (Seattle)
established before Ghadar
- Key Participants
- Bhai Parmanand, RB Bose, SS Bakna, TN Das, Lala Hardayal, Kartar
Singh Sarabha, AHM Baraktullahm, Gulab Kaur
- Organization of Turkic States
- Estd. 1992 as Turkic Council
- It is an int’l organization comprising prominent Turkic speaking countries
- TURAN: Central Asian regions to north of Iran (Persian word)
- Members: Shown in an image towards the end
- Some Economy notes
- On capital flight
- Tight monetary policy of US Fed could lead to capital flight
- May increase interest cost of firms with existing ECBs
- Currency devaluation increases risk associated with ECBs
- Household Savings: currency, bank deposits, PF, MF, investments in SSF
- Debt Govt Securities:
- Long term Govt security/Bond w/ 5-30 years of tenure
- Can be issued by both state and union governments for funds
- A mode of financing the fiscal deficit and these are diff from T-bills
- Government Securities (G-Secs)
- Tradable instrument offered by Central or State govt (not just GoI)
- Issuance managed by RBI for GoI which auctions them every Friday

Company/Figure Details
Dutch EIC ● Estd. 1602 by Dutch parliament charter

● Purpose: Establish domination in India/SE Asia merchandise
power
● Factories in Masulipatnam (1605), Pulicat (1610), Surat
(1616), Bimbipatnam (1641), Karaikal (1645)
● Lost battle of Colachel in 1741 from Travancore
● Corruption charges led to dissolution of DEIC in 1800
English EIC in ● Vijayanagara rulers had chieftains- Nayaks

South ● Nayakas ruled almost independently in diff parts
● English EIC estd factory in 1639 in Madras on land leased
from a Nayaka chieftain
A de Albuquerque ● Real founder of Portuguese power in India

● Persecuted Muslims in his area of control
● Captured Goa from Bijapur Sultanate w/ help of Krishna Deva
Raya
● Banned Sati in his area of influence
Gajapati Rulers ● Rulers of Kalinga, parts of AP, WB etc.

● Ruled from 1435-1541 (not in sync with Dutch years)
Dynasty Features
Chandela ● Nannuka & Jayashakti were Chandelas

● Known for their art and architecture
● Prominent Nagara style temples at Khajuraho
Pratihara ● Nagabhata II and Mihir Bhoja were Gurjara-Pratihara rulers
Rashtrakuta ● Dantivarman/Dantidurga was the founder of this dynasty

● Krishna I built famous Kailasa Temple at Ellora

Department/Org Details
Dept of Consumer Affairs ● u/ Ministry of Consumer Affairs
Expenditure Mgmt ● Constituted in 2014 via resolution

Commission ● To look into expenditure reforms for GoI
● Mandate includes evaluating 3 major subsidies (food
oil, fertilizers)
Financial Stability and ● Set up in 2010 by GoI

Development Council ● Chair: Finance Minister of India
● Monitors macroprudential supervision of the economy
● To work as coordination agency between RBI, SEBI,
IRDA, PFRDA
● Seen in 2016 PYQ
Central Statistics Office ● Revise in detail here
DPIIT ● u/ Ministry of Commerce and Industry

● Work: General industrial policy, admin of industries,
industrial management, e-com related matters,
promote internal trade, welfare of traders, EoDB,
startups facilitation
Labour Bureau ● u/ Ministry of Labour and Employment

● Tasked to collect, compile etc. data on diff labor
aspects
● Compiles info on industrial disputes, closures,
retrenchments and layoffs in factories employing
workers
● Survey: Quick Employment Survey
National Technical ● 1983 scheme u/ then MoHRD

Manpower Info System ● To provide up-to-date and meaningful manpower
information to concerned authorities

Reservoirs in India (mapped with states) Credits: The Hindu

IPCC over the years (credits to respective owner)

@CSEWhy


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@
Follow me Twitter, YouTube & Instagram | 2023 UPSC Answer key is due, subject to correction
Find maps explaining the given options

below:
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KOLLERU LAKE -NEIGHBORING RIVERS KANWAR LAKE
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C
@
Statements 1 and 3 are correct.

Kolleru lake -directly fed by Budameru and Tammileru.
Kamarajar port-
- The first port in India to be a public
company.
- Incorporated as Ennore Port Limited
under the
Companies Act, 1956 in October 1999
Mundra Port-
- India’s first private port and largest
privately owned port
Jawaharlal Nehru Port-
- (Nhava Seva), Maharashtra, is the
largest container port in India
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Jackfruit
- aka Artocarpus heterophyllus is an
W evergreen tree
Mahua
- dry deciduous.
- Found in Jharkhand chattisgarh
Teak
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- moist deciduous, north east india
C
Found vague data wrt this question

@
Waiting for Official UPSC key for

confirmation.
Rann of Kutch
- Arabian Sea underwent a geological
shift ,closed off the connection of the
present day’s Rann region with the
sea.
- This region eventually became a
seasonal marshy salt desert .
- During monsoons, the region forms a
wetland.
- In the summer ,the water evaporates
to reveal a bed of white salty land.
- Salt farming can be seen in this area.
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Photo credits to respective owners.
C
Titanium:
- Ilmenite and rutile are sources of

Titanium
@
- Ilmenite, brown ilmenite,

rutile,zircon,garnet,monazite,sillimani-
te are found in heavy mineral sands.
Cobalt :
- Democratic Republic of Congo is
presently the world's largest producer
of cobalt. Approx 3/4th share comes
from the copper belt of DRC, followed
by Australia.
Uses of cobalt:
- Lithium ion batteries

- Aircrafts
- High speed steels
- Cemented carbides
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- Magnets and magnetic recording
media
- Catalyst in petroleum and chemical
industries
- Dyeing
- Cobalt 60, a radioactive isotope is used
W for medical treatment and for food
irradiation
- Vitamin B12, is cyanocobalamin
(coenzyme) contains cobalt.
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Congo Basin:
- Countries wholly/partially in the Congo

C
region:
- Angola
- Gabon
- Burundi
@
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Republic of the Congo
- Rwanda
- Tanzania
- Zambia
Additional map for Q8:
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Note all important rivers in this region.
- Sahyadri range is western ghats

- Vindhya and Sahyadri don't meet.
- Amarkantak hills are in Maikal Range
- Biligirirangan hills are part of western
ghats
- Seshachalam hills are part of eastern
ghats.
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SE
C
@
- Maps of regions mentioned in

options:
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Trilateral Highway
C
@
Uranium:
- Less grade enriched uranium,

which has a 3-5% concentration of
U-235, can be used to produce fuel for
commercial nuclear power plants.
- Uranium has a purity of 20% or more-
used in research reactors.
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- Weapons-grade uranium is enriched
90% or more.
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Marsupials:
C
- Examples: Kangaroos, Flying Squirrels,

etc
- Females bear their young in almost
@
foetal state.
- carry them within a pouch formed by a
flap of dermal tissue on the abdomen.
- Marsupials are native to Australia.
- Mostly found in arid and semi-arid
regions and not ONLY in montane
grasslands with no predators.
Got to solve such Qs in real time
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Desert animals are mostly nocturnal to
escape heat
- Lion tailed macaque:

- Lives mostly on the upper canopy of
tropical evergreen rainforests and
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monsoon forests
They are diurnal
-
- Malabar Civet:
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- Endemic to Western Ghats of India
- Nocturnal
-
- Sambar deer:
- Native to the Indian subcontinent and
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Southeast Asia
- Nocturnal, more active at twilight.
@
Waggle dance:
- Honey bees “waggle dance” to

communicate the direction, distance,
and about resources,
- They use retinal optic flow, and
relative food value into motion and
sound inside the nest for
communication
All options are not extreme,

‘some’ can be anything in nature!!
- Psychedelic mushrooms
contain psilocybin, a naturally
occurring psychoactive and
hallucinogenic compound.
- Many mushroom extracts
found in dietary supplements,
as they are antibacterial
Roridomyces phyllostachydis,
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-
a bioluminescent mushroom
found in Meghalaya is now
among the 97 known species of
W bioluminescent fungi.
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Indian squirrels:
- Solitary beings meet only

C
during breeding.
- Active during the day,store
food in borrows to prepare for
food-scarce winters
@
- They live on trees and

borrows in the ground
- They are omnivorous- eat even
eggs and chicks!
Thermophiles:
- Thrive between 60-108 degrees celsius
Acidophiles:
- They grow optimally at pH < 5.55 are

called acidophiles.
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W Orangutans (man of the forest) :
- Largest arboreal mammal from

tropical forests
- Found in wild in Borneo & Sumatra
- 96.4% genes same as humans
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Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs):
- Entirely man made
C
- HFCs were developed to replace

stratospheric ozone-depleting
substances that are currently being
phased out under the Montreal
@
Protocol on Substances that Deplete

the Ozone Layer.
- Uses:
- in refrigeration and AC
- insulating foams
- aerosol propellants,
- minor uses include solvents and fire
protection.
- NOT USED in lubricants
InvITs :
- Tax on Dividend and Interest Income:

Any dividend / interest income from
InvIT investment is taxed at :
individual Income Tax Slab rate.
- Annually, investors must report this
income on their Income Tax Return.
- Capital Gains Tax: To be paid only on
sale o InvITs
- Short-Term Capital Gains (STCG) tax is
15% on income from the sale of InvITs
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units held for up to 3 years.
- Long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax of
10% is charged on the sale of InvITs
units held for more than 3 years if
the income is more than Rs. 1 lakh.
- Recent changes in SARFAESI Act wrt
W definition of ‘borrower’ expanded to
include pooled investment vehicles.
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Sterilization :
C
- Done to neutralise the impact of

inflows or outflows of foreign
exchange reserves in the economy
@
Open Market Operations (OMOs) :
- It is one of the tools used by the RBI

for sterilization. OMOs are the
purchase or sale of government
securities by the RBI in the open
market.
Inflation targeting:
- Central banks have the power to

control the money supply in the
economy through tools like monetary
policy intervention, OMOs,etc
- When the Central Bank raises
interest rates, it becomes more
expensive for consumers and
businesses to borrow money, which in
turn reduces their spending and
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slows down the economy.
- If the Central Bank lowers interest
rates, it becomes cheaper for
consumers and businesses to borrow
money, which stimulates spending
and economic growth. Sometimes it
W may also lead to higher inflation.
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C
@
Carbon markets:
- They are markets for trading

carbon credits, to control
emissions.
- Carbon credits are permits that
allow emissions upto certain
level. They can be monetised if
not utilised fully. It is a
transferable financial
instrument.
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- Transactions are between the
private sector and the State.
Not from pvt sector to state
- Carbon markets can enable
trade between:
- between companies and the
W State Environmental
Authorities.
- developed and developing
countries
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- different sectors or industries
- Carbon markets let the private
sector to invest in low-carbon
projects and benefit from
carbon credits.
C
- Carbon offsets :
- It is a reduction of
emissions of co2 or
other GHG to
@
compensate for
emissions elsewhere
Classification of financial market given below
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Small Farmer-Large Field:
- Self explanatory
- SFLF concept was inspired the Large
Field Model (LFM) of Vietnam
- To achieve economies of scale and
bargaining power in the supply chain.
- This model was piloted in two villages
of Odisha, participating farmers
almost doubled their profits.
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Niger :
C
- grown in India mainly during kharif

season
- minor oilseed crop
- India provides Minimum Support
@
Price for niger

- Uses:
- Cooking,lighting,lubrication,perfume
making.
- seed cake is reused as animal feed
and manure.
- Niger seed oil-also consumed as a
condiment by some tribals
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Horizontal devolution of taxes:
- Horizontal devolution means the distribution
of funds among the states based on certain
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criteria
- Finance Commission (FC) is a constitutional
body which recommends the way in which
central government should share its tax
revenues with the states and local bodies.
C
- The 15th FC has made some changes to the

horizontal devolution formula
Changes include:
@
- Reduction in the weightage of population based

on 1971 census from 17.5% to 15%
- Increased weightage of population based on 2011
census from 10% to 12.5%
- Introduced a new criteria of demographic
performance, which rewards the states that have
controlled their population growth over these
years.
- Increased share of grants-in-aid for local bodies
from 2.5% to 4% of the divisible pool of taxes.
S3i initiative
- launched in 2015 to explore innovative

ways of financing sustainable
infrastructure projects in developing
countries by UNOPS
- funds renewable energy,health
infrastructure projects and
large-scale affordable housing,
- It does not focus on mass rapid
transport infrastructure aspect.
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Procedure established by law:
- Only the decisions of the executive will

W be tested by the courts
Due process of law:
- The courts examine the fairness of not

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only the decisions of the executive, but
also that of a law passed by the
legislature.
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Purpose of the constitution:
- The most prevalent way of limiting the

@
power of government is to specify

certain fundamental rights that all
of us possess as citizens and which no
government can ever be allowed to
violate.
Indian prisons:
- Prisons are in state list: management

and administration is by state govt
only.
- Prisons Act, 1894 and the Prison
Manuals of the respective State
Governments governs prisons.
- Section 59 of this Act which deals
with the Power to make rules
empowers the State Government to
make rules,subject to consistency with
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the act for aspects like:
- Classification of prison-offences
into serious and minor
offences;
- the award of marks and the
shortening of sentences;
W - regulating the use of arms
against any prisoner or body of
prisoners in the case of an
outbreak
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or attempt to escape, etc
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First amendment of the

@
constitution:
- In 1951
- The initial interpretations of
fundamental rights by the judiciary
called for an urgent amendment
National Commission for Backward

Classes (NCBC)
- Initially formed by - National

Commission for Backward Classes
Act, 1993
- 102 Constitution AmendmentAct
has accorded Constitutional Status
to the 8th version of the
commission.
- Same amendment got Article 338B
inserted into the constitution.
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National Human Rights Commission -
- Est- 1993
- Under Protection of Human Rights
Act (PHRA), 1993 and subsequent
W amendment in 2006
National Law Commission -
- Is a non-statutory body , constituted by a

SE
notification of the Government of India,
Ministry of Law & Justice, Department of
Legal Affairs
National Consumer Disputes Redressal

C
Commission (NCDRC)
- Is a quasi-judicial commission
- Set up in 1988
@
- Under the Consumer Protection Act of

1986.
President of India:
- If the election of a president is

declared void by supreme court,
- All acts done by him/her as president
before the date of decision remain
valid.
- President’s election in India is not
postponed on the ground that some
Legislative Assemblies have been
dissolved
- Article 111- in its original text
hy
mentions the words :
” …as soon as possible after the
presentation to him of a Bill for
assent….”
W
Article 110 of the Constitution:
SE
- Finance Bill is a Money Bill
- can be introduced only in Lok Sabha.
- Rajya Sabha can only recommend
amendments in the Bill.
- The bill has to be passed by the
C
Parliament within 75 days of its

introduction.
- finance bill is a money bill so, no joint
sitting
@
Article 112- Financial Bill
- is an ordinary bill-deals with money

matters and non-money matters.
- Deals with- levy of new
taxes,modification of the existing tax
structure, extension of tax structure
beyond the approved period,etc
Community reserves:
- Act as buffer zones to national parks,

wildlife sanctuaries and reserved and
protected forests
- This protected area category was first
introduced in the Wildlife
(Protection) Amendment Act of 2002
- To control land due and private
ownership
- Chief wildlife warden gets his powers
under section 33 of the act.
hy
- People of these areas are allowed to
collect non-timber forest produce.
So, statement 3 is correct.
- No hunting allowed
- No agricultural practices allowed,
including jhum cultivation.
W - So, statement 2 is correct ,statement 4
is incorrect.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct

answer.
SE
C
Fact
@
Scheduled areas: 5th schedule
- Article 244(1) of the Constitution:

Scheduled Areas means such areas as
the President may by order declare
to be Scheduled Areas.
- Criteria to be a scheduled area:
- size of the area should be
reasonable, whole state cannot
be scheduled
- tribal population living there for
a long time
hy
- A viable administrative entity
such as a district, block or
taluk.
- Economic backwardness of the
said area as compared to the
neighbouring areas.
W -
-
The Governor makes a report to the
President annually or whenever
required
SE
- The union executive then directs the
state govt on the administration of
such areas
C
@
Stupas:
- The remains of the Buddha’s body
were divided into eight parts and
placed under the Stupas.
- Commemorative stupas - to
commemorate important events in the
life of Buddha and his disciples.
hy
W
SE
C
@
Article 335
- Claims of SC/STs to appointments in

posts and services via reservation will
be done while not compromising the
efficiency of the system.
- Article 16 (4)-it deals with reservation
of backward classes in appointments
in services.
- Article 16(4) of the Constitution
would be limited by Article 335, as
mentioned in judgments of cases:
- Indra Sawhney case1993
hy
- M Nagaraj vs UOI case 2006
- “Efficiency of administration” not
defined under Article 335.
- Judiciary interpreted “efficiency of
administration” in B K Pavitra (II) v
Union of India case, 2019 case
W - statement II is not correct.
SE
C
@
Vattakirutal: self explanatory
- Similar prospective question for 2024

prelims : NAADUKAL
- Naadukal - hero stones, widely
worshipped and commemorates
honourable sacrifice.
- Found from hoyasalas period in
karnataka (called veeragallu) and
pallava era in tamilnadu
- Cover current affairs well to tackle
questions of this type.
hy
Factual question, need to remember
W timeline of kingdoms roughly
SE
C
@
Jainism = Non-violence
- They emphasised a lot on soul in

traditionally non living things
hy
W Devaraya I :
- 1406-1422
- In 1410 barrage across Tungabhadra
River was built and a 24-kilometer-long
aqueduct from the river to the capital
city
SE
- Nuniz's account mentions the projects
undertaken by Deva Raya I that
brought prosperity to the Kingdom.
Vira Vijaya:
- Son of Deva Raya I
C
- Nothing significant during his reign
Mallikarjuna Raya:
@
- Son of Devaraya II
- He was a weaker king- reign
characterised by loss of territory.
- The Gajapatis conquered
Rajamahendri in 1454 and Udayagiri
and Chandragiri in 1463. Bahamanis
took over a lot of the area.
Charter Act 1833

- Tea Trading activities of EIC
abolished
- All law making powers on Gov
Gen in the council
- Supreme authority to be
changed as Gov Gen in the
council
- Governor General of Bengal
designated as Governor
General of India
- Indian law commission in 1833
and Lord Macaulay made the
hy
law member
- Codification of laws began
W Janani Suraksha Yojana :
- Under the National Rural Health

Mission
- It is a 100 % centrally sponsored
scheme
SE
Objective:
- Reducing neonatal and maternal

mortality by promoting institutional
delivery among poor pregnant
C
women.
Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram

scheme:
@
- Zero expense delivery, free treatment

benefits
- Applies to pregnant women and
infants.
Anaemia Mukt Bharat- intensified

Iron-plus Initiative
- Work- strategies for tackling anaemia

to achieve the envisaged target under
the POSHAN ABHIYAN
- Irrespective of anaemia, children,
adolescents
and women of reproductive age and
pregnant women are given
Prophylactic Iron and Folic Acid
supplementation
hy
- Behaviour change communication
activities of this initiative :
- Encourages practice of delayed cord
clamping
- Followed by early initiation of
breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth
W National Deworming Day (NDD)
programme
- Bi-annual mass deworming for

SE
children in the age groups between
1-19 years is carried out every year.
- For pregnants and reproductive age
women, AMB initiative integrates
deworming.
C
Awareness wrt non-nutritional causes of

anaemia is focused like:
@
- Infections (e.g. malaria, parasitic

infections, tuberculosis, HIV),
- Inflammation,
- Chronic diseases,
- Gynaecological conditions
- Obstetric conditions
- Inherited red blood cell disorders.
Carbon fibres:
- Fibres with a carbon content of

>90%
- Produced by the thermal
conversion of organic fibres
with a lower carbon content
- Uses :
- Aircraft and spacecraft parts
- Racing car bodies
- Golf club shafts
- Bicycle frames
hy
- Fishing rods
- Automobile springs
- Sailboat masts
- Offers lightweight and high
strength are needed.
- Pyrolysis of carbon fibre is possible
W
Accelerometer :
SE
- Electronic sensor - measures the
acceleration forces acting on an object
- Determines the object’s position and
monitors the object’s movement.
C
- Airbags are deployed when sudden

deceleration of vehicle is detected
- Hard drive of laptop gets turned off
when free fall/ accidental fall is
@
detected by accelerometer
- It is even used to detect screen
movement to enable tilt
Biofilters :
- Microorganisms capable of
degrading certain chemicals, fixed to
an inorganic or organic carrier to
break down pollutants present in a
fluid stream.
- Also treats waste by removing uneaten
fish feed.
- Biofilters convert ammonia to nitrite
and then to the less toxic nitrate
nitrogen for the fish. They help to
hy
balance the chemicals.
- Biofilters do not increase
phosphorus as a nutrient for fish in
water. Phosphorus is removed to
W reduce eutrophication in water bodies
SE
C
@
Global navigation satellite system

(GNSS)
- It is a general term describing any

satellite constellation that provides
positioning, navigation, and timing
(PNT) services on a global or regional
basis.
- Major global and regional ones apart
from GPS are :
hy
- QZSS - Quasi-Zenith Satellite System-
regional augmentation system and
W -
GPS based.
IRNSS is regional too, aspiring to
expand globally over time.
SE
Mercury pollution:
- Mostly pollutes soil, deep ocean water

and sediments.
C
- Major source of mercury pollution is

small-scale gold mining
- Next comes chlor-alkali industries,
coal based thermal power plants,
@
zinc production, unhealthy disposal of

mercury containing products.
- There is no safe level for mercury
exposure. It is highly toxic.
Differences between Ballistic missile and

Cruise missile : in table-
hy
W
SE
C
@
Green hydrogen:
- Recently in August 2023, after
discussions with multiple
stakeholders, the Ministry of
New & Renewable Energy has
decided to define Green
Hydrogen as:
- Having a well-to-gate
emission (i.e., including water
treatment, electrolysis, gas
hy
purification, drying and
compression of hydrogen) of
not more than 2 kg CO2
equivalent / kg H2.
W - Green hydrogen can be used
directly as a fuel by a
Hydrogen Combustion Engine
(HCE).
SE
- HCE is an engine that uses
hydrogen (H2) as fuel.
- Green hydrogen can be
blended with natural gas to be
used as fuel.
C
- If green hydrogen is the fuel in

a fuel cell, the only products
are electricity, water, and heat.
@
Ukraine :
- Land boundaries
- Russia - east and north
- Belarus to the north
- Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary
to the west
- Romania and Moldova to the
south.
hy
Only Hungary and Romania given in
the question are correct.
- Sea boundaries
- Black sea
W - Sea of Azov
SE
C
@
Insolation
Incoming solar radiation

- Depends on:
- Transparency of atmosphere-
presence of pollution, clouds,
water vapour
- Latitude- angle of incidence of
sun rays due to tilt of earth
- Distance from sun
- Time of the day
hy
- Difference of insolation at
equator and poles cannot be
x10
- Share of infrared rays in
insolation is 49%
W - Rest is Visible and UV rays
- Infrared rays are largely
absorbed by water vapour in
the lower atmosphere.
SE
Mnemonic to remember Electromagnetic Spectrum:
'Gaadi XUV In My Range

C
High energy/frequency —--------------------------------> Less energy/Frequency
@
- The temperature contrast

between continents and oceans
is greater during summer than
in winter.
- This is due to more heat and

stronger sea breeze in the
summer.
hy
- The specific heat capacity of
water is much greater than the
land because the relative
density of water is much lower
W than that of the land’s surface.
This is the same in all seasons.
SE
C
@
Coal based thermal power plants:
- Some thermal plants use salt

water for cooling the
condenser system.
- 40% thermal power plants in
India are located in areas
facing high water stress, a
problem since these plants use
water for cooling,thereby
hy
paradoxically affecting
electricity generation.
- There are both private and
public plants.
W - Eg of pvt plant:
- Prayagraj Power Generation
Company Ltd -Is a coal-based,
3*660 MW, super critical
SE
thermal power plant in
Allahabad District, Uttar
Pradesh.
- The power plant is owned by
Renascent Power, a subsidiary
C
of Tata Power.
@
Wolbachia :
- When Aedes aegypti

mosquitoes carry Wolbachia
bacteria, the transmission of
viruses like dengue, Zika,
chikungunya and yellow fever is
reduced.
- The bacteria constantly
engages with the viruses
making it difficult for any other
hy
activity like multiplication to
happen.
W Carbon capture and sequestration:
- Removal of carbon from atmosphere

directly or indirectly
- Captures co2 and permanently stores
SE
it underground
- to either mitigate global warming.
- Spreading finely ground basalt rock
on farmlands promotes natural
weathering of minerals that can react
C
with CO2 and form stable carbonates.

- This increases carbon storage
capacity of soil
@
- Soil fertility and consequently,

crop yields.
- Increasing the alkalinity of oceans
by adding lime possibly increases the
absorbability of CO2 from the
atmosphere and reduces ocean
acidification.
Aerial metagenomics:
- Study of genetic material collected

from air
- Eg: whale snot collection by SnotBot,
animal droppings, etc
- One pyq of upsc mentioned - usage of
drones to collect whale snot.
- Study of animal droppings can only
give results for that individual but not
the whole species/population.
hy
- Usage of air borne devices to collect
blood samples from moving animals
are still in the research stage.
W Microsatellite DNA:
- Aka -Short Tandem Repeats - small

DNA sequences made up of repeating
SE
units
- Uses:
- Population genetics
- Conservation genetics
- Phylogenetic research ( relating
C
to the evolutionary
development and
diversification of a species or
group of organisms, or of a
@
particular feature of an
organism)
- genetic structure, population
dynamics, and evolutionary
relationships among various
species of animals can be
analysed.
MSME
- Acc to MSME Development Act,2006:
hy
- All loans to MSME do not qualify
under priority sector
- Norms for classification under priority
W sector are mentioned in the first
schedule to the Industries Act, 1951
and also as notified by the
Government from time to time.
SE
Beta:
- Beta (β) is a measure of the volatility
of a security / portfolio compared to
the market as a whole.
C
- Beta is used in the Capital Asset

Pricing Model (CAPM), which
describes the relationship between
@
systematic risk and expected return

for assets.
- CAPM is a widely used method for
pricing risky securities and for
generating estimates of the
expected returns of assets,
considering both the risk of those
assets and the cost of capital.
Central bank digital currencies

(CBDCs)
- What is e-Rupee? ₹ ₹ 💸
Digital form of Indian currency notes
- Based on Blockchain technology
- CBDC will be medium of payment &
legal tender
- RBI backed
CBDC v/s UPI 📱
1. UPI
- Payments made using digital
equivalent of existing currency notes
hy
- i.e. every ₹ transferred via UPI is
backed by physical currency
2. CBDC
- Digital ₹ to be legal tender in itself
W - needs no physical currency backing
Advantages of Digital ₹ 🤩
- Boost to digital economy
- Expands Financial inclusion
- Efficient & secure payments (local + int'l)
SE
- Easier to trace money trail
- Reduced cash dependency
- FinTech & Geopolitical leverage (Like Rupay/UPI)
- Greater push to govt's DBT like initiatives
- Check on counterfeit currency
C
- Check on corruption
- Corrects inflated prices in industries like Real Estate (going forward)
- It is possible to make payments without going through SWIFT system
- a time frame can be programmed for spending the digital currency.
@
What are other countries doing? 💰

- China tested e-CNY (2020)
- Bahamas: CBDC Sand Dollar
- Nigeria: e-Naira
- Ukraine, Sweden are testing CBDCs
Self-Help Groups
- They’re a brain child of ‘SEWA’(Self
Employed Women’s Association)
- Statement 2 and 3 are true and self
explanatory.
hy
W
Health care sector:
- Preventive and curative and

SE
rehabilitative care are all part of
healthcare.
- India ‘s health care systems
focus on all aspects.
- States are primarily responsible
C
for organising healthcare

services.
@
Ground water :
- Statement 1 is correct and self
explanatory.
- 89% of extracted groundwater
is used for irrigation in India.
hy
W
SE
C
Somalia is facing drought as 5

rainy seasons failed in the
region.
@
Article 355
- It is the duty of central

government to ensure that
every state govt is functioning
according to constitution and
protect every State against
external aggression and
internal disturbance
Article 22 (5)
When any person is detained in
hy
-
pursuance of an order made
under any law providing for
preventive detention, the
authority making the order
shall, as soon as may be,
W communicate to such person
the grounds on which the order
has been made and shall afford
him the earliest opportunity of
making a representation
SE
against the order.
Prevention of Terrorism Act,

2002-
C
- confession of the accused

before the police can be used
as evidence.
@
Biodiversity Management
Committees:
- Constituted under Biological Diversity Act,

2002
- Constituted in local bodies
- Functions:
- Preparation of peoples’ biodiversity
registers (PBRs) and associated traditional
knowledge
- Determining access and benefit-sharing
(ABS)
hy
- Levy and collection of fees on the access
of biological resources within its
jurisdiction
- May levy charges by collecting fees from
any person for accessing or collecting any
biological resource for commercial
W purposes from areas falling within its
territorial jurisdiction
Nagoya Protocol (2010) connection to

BMC:
SE
- to take measures to ensure that
benefits from the utilisation of
genetic resources and associated
traditional knowledge reach the
indigenous and local communities
C
on mutually agreed terms.

- The Biodiversity act gives effect to India’s
commitments under the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD) of 1992.
@
- CBD aim:
- Conservation of biological diversity
- Sustainable use of resources
- Fair and equitable sharing of the
benefits arising out of biological
resources and associated
knowledge.
Election of President:
Article 54:
- the President of India is elected by the

members of an Electoral College
consisting of the following:
- 1: the elected members of both RS & LS
- 2: the elected members of the Legislative
Assemblies of all States [including National
Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union
Territory of Puducherry].
- The Members nominated to
- 1) either House of Parliament or
- 2) The Legislative Assemblies of States,
hy
including NCT of Delhi and Union Territory
of Puducherry, are not eligible to be
included in the Electoral College.
The value of the vote of an MP in a

presidential election is based on the
number of elected members in
W legislative assemblies of states and UTs,
including Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu
and Kashmir. If the number of elected
Assembly seats increased, the value of
vote of each MLA of that state would
SE
decrease.
- The value of vote of each MLA of MP is 131

(which is less than Kerala where it is 152
for the above stated reason.)
C
- The value of vote of each MLA of

Puducherry (16) is higher than that of
Arunachal Pradesh (8) - because the ratio
of total population to total number of
@
elective seats in Puducherry is greater

compared to Arunachal Pradesh.
- A.H. Longhurst, Walter Elliot, Alexander

Rea, James. Burgess, Robert Sewell are
associated with excavations near Andhra
Pradesh.
- James Augustus Hickey was associated
with establishment of english press in
colonial India
- Many people were involved in the
establishment of churches.
- Lord Dalhousie is recognized as the
“Father of Indian Railways”
hy
W -
Besnagar: Shaivite
Aka Udayagiri Caves, have famous shaivite
cave shrine
- Located at Vidisha district of Madhya
SE
Pradesh
- Best examples of classical gupta arts.
- Cave 4 in this site ( Bina cave ) is a
significant stage in the process of cave
development.
Bhaja Caves : Buddhist
C
- This is a group of 22 rock cut caves built

during the 2nd century
- Located in Pune district
- Cave belongs to -Hinayana Buddhism
@
sect
Sittanavasal
- Location : Tamil Nadu.
- It was a major centre of Jain influence for
1,000 years and megalithic burial sites
- Additional info:
- Arivar Kovil -temple of Arihats -
Jains who conquered their senses,
- Navachunai tarn , a lake with a
submerged shrine.
- Find 20+ caves of India here
Handloom day:
- The first National Handloom

Day was inaugurated on 7
August 2015 to promote the
Handlooms sector.
- Symbolism : The Swadeshi
hy
Movement which was
launched on 7th August, 1905
is the inspiration to pick this
date
W
SE
Constitution day:
- Celebrated annually on 26th
November, to commemorate the
adoption of the Constitution of
C
India, starting from 2015

- Aka Samvidhan divas
- The Drafting Committee was set
up on 29th August, 1947.
@
- Members of drafting committee:

- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (Chairman)
- N. Gopalaswamy Ayyangar
- Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayyar
- Dr. K.M. Munshi
- Syed Mohammad Saadullah
- N. Madhava Rau (He replaced B.L.
Mitter who resigned due to
ill-health
- T.T. Krishnamachari (He replaced
D.P. Khaitan who died in 1948)
- On 26 November 1949, the
Constituent Assembly of India
adopted the Constitution of India.
It came into effect from 26th
January 1950.
National Flag:
- The Flag Code of India, 2002 was

amended recently, and National Flag
made of polyester / machine made
flag have also been allowed since then.
- Hoisted flag is now allowed at night
hy
too.
- Previously only Karnataka Khadi
Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha was
licensed to produce flags. Now anyone
can make and sell.
- Related statutes are Emblems and
W names Act,1950 and Prevention of
Insult to National Honour Act,1971.
- The ratio of the length to the height
( that is, width) of the Flag
SE
- shall be 3:2, but the standard sizes are
as follows:
-
-
C
@
Gold - Switzerland:
- 1st largest exporter of Gold in the

world.
- Mainly exports to India, China and US
- It has the seventh-largest reserves
hy
of gold in the world
W
SE
Trade and Technology Council
- Between United States ofAmerica and

C
the European Union

- It is a strategic coordination
mechanism to tackle challenges
related to trade, trusted technology
@
and security.
- Aim:
- coordinate key global trade,
economic, and technology
issues and to deepen
transatlantic trade and
economic relations based on
these shared values.
Production-linked Incentive
schemes:
- Aim:
- to offer companies incentives for
hy
incremental sales from products
manufactured in India over the base
year.
-
As per the WTO data in 2019, for 2018

W - India’s share in
- global exports for merchandise was
1.7 %
Global imports were 2.6 %.
SE
-
- Service sector, India’s share:
- global exports was 3.5 %
- imports was 3.2 %.
C
@
Stability and Growth Pact (SGP):
- Agreement among European Union

(EU) member states
hy
- Binding
- It is - A set of fiscal rules designed to
prevent countries in the EU from
spending beyond their means and
for following sound financial policies.
- Note down other such treaties
W recently in the news in this same page
for future reference.
SE
C
@
The Global Compact for Safe,

Orderly and Regular Migration :
● Adopted at Marrakesh, Morocco, on

10 December 2018
● First intergovernmental agreement
under UN to cover all dimensions of
hy
international migration
● Only 164 countries formally
adopted it
● Not legally binding.
● The Global Compact is based on
international human rights law and
W upholds the principles of
non-regression and
non-discrimination.
● For more info: click here
SE
● With respect to the third statement,
there’s ambiguity. Shall wait for the
official key.
C
@
Home Guards
- U / Home Guards Act and Rules
of the States/Union
Territories
- serves as an auxiliary Force to
the Police for maintenance of
internal security situations.
Functions:
- In emergency or disaster
management,eg: fire, cyclone,
earthquake, epidemic etc.
hy
- Promote communal harmony
- Assist the administration in
protecting weaker sections
- Participate in socio-economic
and welfare activities
- Perform Civil Defence duties.
W
Arab Peace Initiative:
SE
- Peace plan proposed in 2002
- The Initiative aim:
- End to the conflict between Israel
and the Palestinians
- Normalization of relations between
C
Israel and the entire Arab world

- Israel is expected to withdraw from
the areas gained by Israel during the
@
1967 Six-Day-War.
- The Arab League endorsed the plan in
March 2002. Readopted it in March
2007.
- The Israeli government rejected the
initiative immediately.
Official Secrets act -mentions:
- Unauthorised use of uniforms,

falsification of reports, forgery,
personation, and false
documents.—(1) If any person for the
purpose of gaining admission or of
assisting any other person to gain
admission to a prohibited place or for
any other purpose prejudicial to the
safety of the State wears police or
hy
military uniform shall be guilty.
- No person in the vicinity of any
prohibited place shall obstruct,
knowingly mislead or otherwise
interfere with or impede, any police
officer, or any member engaged on
W guard, Sentry, patrol, or other similar
duty in relation to the prohibited
place.
SE
Arms (Amendment)Act, 2019 :
mentions:
- Those using firearms in a rash or

negligent manner in celebratory
gunfire, endangering human life or
C
personal safety of others, shall be

punishable with an imprisonment to
two years or with fine which may
@
extend to Rs one lakh or with both.
hy
W
SE
C
@
hy
W
SE
C
@
44th chess olympiad
- First 2 statements are correct.

- 3rd and 4th statement’s subject and
object are interchanged
- Focus on current affairs related to
sports to solve such questions
- Especially mascots, themes, etc.
hy
W
Keenly observe regions in
news as UPSC has been
SE
asking such questions
always.
C
@
African countries - Mali, Chad,

Guinea, Sudan and Burkina
Faso recently experienced
military coups.
hy
W
SE
Real time conceptual application
C
@
G20 :
- Consists of 19 countries + EU
- Established : 1999 as a platform for
Finance Ministers and Central Bank
Governors to discuss international
economic and financial issues.
India’s priorities at G20 2023 are:
- Green development, climate

resilience and LiFE
- Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs)
- Technological transformation
hy
and digital innovation ensuring
digital public infrastructure
- Women -led development and
greater gender equality.
- Inclusive growth, Equitable
W global health access.
SE
C
@
Additional information:
hy
W
SE
C
@
Tropical rainforests of the world:
hy
W
SE
C
@

15 Year Pyqs - Csewhy

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Generated for #8343 debjeet purkayastha indrajeetpurkayastha@gmail.

PYQ 2009-2023 | Notes

Message from @CSEWhy

Every year 10,00,000+ aspirants apply for UPSC Prelims

6,00,000 go to write the exam AND

HARDLY 14k make it to the next round

What do these 14,000 do differently to increase their probability to succeed?

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

They analyze PYQs for two purposes:

This PYQ compilation by @CSEWhy helps you with both.

Need more help or got suggestions? Email me at whycse@gmail.com

Year Page Number

2009 GS1 Prelims PYQs by @CSEWhy 1

2010 GS1 Prelims PYQs by @CSEWhy 40

2011 GS1 Prelims PYQs by @CSEWhy 80

2012 GS1 Prelims PYQs by @CSEWhy 123

2013 GS1 Prelims PYQs by @CSEWhy 164

2014 GS1 Prelims PYQs by @CSEWhy 207

2015 GS1 Prelims PYQs by @CSEWhy 244

2016 GS1 Prelims PYQs by @CSEWhy 279

2017 GS1 Prelims PYQs by @CSEWhy 311

2018 GS1 Prelims PYQs by @CSEWhy 347

2019 GS1 Prelims PYQs by @CSEWhy 390

2020 GS1 Prelims PYQs by @CSEWhy 434

2021 GS1 Prelims PYQs by @CSEWhy 480

2022 GS1 Prelims PYQs by @CSEWhy 528

Pre Independence Acts & Flowcharts 588

Additional Notes based on 2022 Pre 598

2023 GS1 Prelims PYQs by @CSEWhy 604 (coming soon)

Prelims PYQ 2009 | @CSEWhy

1, 2 and 3 Satygrahis of Individual

Aruna Asaf Ali also participated in

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First English factory in Surat in

Ammonium Chloride and Zinc

Sweet orange plant is propagated via

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'Gaadi XUV In My Range

Camphor - Camphor tree

Chicory - herb named chicory

Vanilla - spice- derived from vanilla

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Flying fox is a bat

Five year plans are no more relevant

AWBI is a statutory body estd. under

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National School of Drama was set up by

Highest honor conferred by Sahitya Akademi

Ministry in India is created by President

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Current Affairs of that time, Facts or Self

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award given in

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Ogaden: Region between

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- Giani Jail Singh was NAM Sec

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- WEF gives ‘Crystal

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Key of 2009 says (a), but

- INS Sindhughosh is a submarine

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Commission for Agricultural