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UPSC Essentials - December 2024

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UPSC ESSENTIALS

December 2024 Issue

LETTER TO ASPIRANTS
Dear Aspirants,

INDEX
Someone quite rightfully asked me, “Why is choosing
what you read important?” With lack of time and a plethora
of content, aspirants must know what is needed and can
be handled. Reading for knowledge enrichment is no
doubt essential. But since you are preparing for an exam,
eliminating what is not required is equally important. Here
comes the role of our UPSC section and this magazine which
COVER STORY UPSC SPECIALS
not only provides important reads every month but also gets Social Media: the double-
you exam-ready. edged sword __________02 ISSUE AT A GLANCE
Air Pollution __________30
We begin this issue with our Cover Story on a topic that has
become an omnipresent force, permeating every aspect of
EXPRESS EDGE
ESSAYS SIMPLIFIED
our lives -- Social Media. Why is social media a double- HISTORY & CULTURE ‘Poets are the Unacknowledged
edged sword? We answer. In the Express Edge�� 1. How do you explain Caste to a Legislators of the World’
the best minds who write for you on themes such as caste, non-Indian? ___________10 ____________________37
decolonisation, media literacy, COP 29, and more. Ponder on
2. From resistance to UPSC ETHICS SIMPLIFIED
the post-read questions after each article and prepare yourself
independence: India’s prolonged Why applying ethics to air
not only factually but also analytically, something that is battle for decolonisation pollution is the need of the hour?
expected from all aspirants. ____________________12 ____________________40
In UPSC Specials this month, we discuss air pollution both
POLITY EXPERT’S TALK
as an environmental and ethical issue. Don’t miss the current
The role of constitution in shaping Is Narayana Murthy right
�� Indian and American democracies about IAS, IPS and UPSC?
�� ____________________15 ____________________43
Readers, Narayana Murthy’s advice of hiring IAS, IPS from
GOVERNANCE UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS
B-schools, and not solely from UPSC hit the headlines last
How paid parking could change POINTERS
month. We asked our expert if Narayana Murthy is right about urban mobility and cut emissions Prelims Tidbits for the month of
IAS, IPS and UPSC? Check what he thinks about it in our ____________________18 November ____________47
Expert talk. Also, let us know what do you think about it.
ENVIRONMENT PRACTICE QUIZ
We are in the middle of December. From UPSC Mains results COP29: How India plays a ��
�� pivotal role in global climate ____________________77
there are many reasons why December is an important month governance ___________21
in your exam calendar. However, students who believe in hard
INTERNATIONAL
work with smart strategies will agree that the continuity of a
RELATIONS
few things is unavoidable if you prepare for your dream job.
India’s continued push for
For more, write to me at manas.srivastava@indianexpress. Security Council Reform
com. Stay motivated and keep reading The Indian Express. ____________________24

THINK SMART SOCIETY

WORK HARD Media literacy: Going
CONQUER YOUR GOAL! beyond what meets the eye
____________________27
Enjoy reading

Manas Srivastava

1
UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue

COVER STORY
Social Media: the double-edged sword
Written by Roshni Yadav

INTRODUCTION
On November 29, Australia passed a
Bill to restrict social media for children
under the age of 16, termed a “world-
��. The Online
Safety Amendment (Social Media
Minimum Age) Bill 2024 puts the onus
on social media companies to prevent
children from accessing their platforms.
��
million if they fail to do so.

This news holds relevance for aspirants

��
technology is mentioned in the UPSC CSE syllabus, and previously the commission has asked questions around this
��
mains and personality tests. Moreover, as social media has become a daily habit in our lives, especially among young
people. Individuals from various age groups use social media platforms for communication and networking, indicating
a growing dependency on these platforms. Thus, issues associated with social media and its impact are essential
beyond examinations as it is a serious subject of concern for the society.

��
Australia passed a Bill to restrict social media for children under the age of 16, termed a ��
��. The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 puts the onus on social media
��
fail to do so.

Studies say problematic social media use — inability to control usage, experiencing withdrawal and neglecting other
activities to use social media — has been on the rise. It has been associated with lower mental well-being, higher
levels of substance abuse and less sleep.

��

��
��
provide false information to gain access to these platforms.

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
��
cards, and facial recognition to identify underage users. However, these practices raise serious privacy concerns due to
the sharing of minors’ data with companies.

��
��
In today’s world, social media has emerged
as a powerful force, connecting people on
local, national, and international levels like
never before due to previous technological
advancements. However, it is often referred to
as a double-edged sword due to the negative
impact it has on multiple fronts. In this
context, let’s understand the advantages and
disadvantages of social media. According to Global Statistics, Indians spend an average of 2.36 hours on social media daily.
(File photo)

��

Social media is reducing social barriers. It connects people on the strength of human values, not identities.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi

��Social networking sites enable individuals and organisations to share and

exchange information at a speed unmatched by traditional promotional or educational methods. For companies and
organisations, utilising social networking platforms has become essential for communicating not only with the general
public but also with professional communities.

�� Social media has transformed the way information is shared among people. As a
result, it plays a crucial role in promoting good governance by encouraging citizen participation in decision-making.

Citizens can utilise social media to report issues and communicate with the government, thereby holding it
accountable. In turn, governments can use social media to engage directly with citizens, businesses, and experts to
gather feedback on service delivery, develop programs, and formulate policies.

�� One of the advantages of social media is that it has emerged as a

powerful tool for empowerment. It provides a platform for voices that have historically been marginalised, allowing
vulnerable sections of society to advocate for their rights, share their stories, and build supportive communities. This
is particularly evident in the way social media has boosted feminist movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp.

��Social media has reduced the gap between citizens and their elected
government and politicians, making democracy more participative.

��
invincible governments, make them accountable, and bring sustained change driven by people beyond one vote in
years.”

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December 2024 Issue
��

Social media has become an essential tool for staying connected. However, it also has some drawbacks, including the
spread of misinformation and its association with higher levels of anxiety and depression. Here are some negative
impacts of social media.

��
to information, fostering community engagement, and bridging the gap between ordinary citizens and decision-
makers. However, the issue of the spread of misinformation has emerged as the biggest disadvantage of social media.

��- “Social media platforms have adopted design choices that have led to a proliferation and
mainstreaming of misinformation while allowing themselves to be weaponised by powerful vested interests for
��

��
of democracy in India: Mainstreamed anti-minority hate, polarised communities and sowed confusion have made it
��

��The rise of social media has exposed many teenagers worldwide to name-
calling, harassment, embarrassment, humiliation, stalking, threats, and even fraud. This has contributed to an increase
in mental health issues among teenagers and, in some cases, has led to tragic outcomes.

“If a teenager is subjected to any form of online bullying, it can leave a lasting negative impact, which can
stay with the individual for years to come,” said Dr Vihan Sanyal (Psychotherapist).

Studies have shown that children who spend more than three hours a day on social media are twice as likely to
experience mental health issues like depression and anxiety based on images of what they don’t have in their lives.

��

Earlier this year, parents in the US launched a petition against TikTok and YouTube for promoting
��
��

�� As social beings, we inherently need social acceptance, and social media often becomes
a tool for validation. The number of likes one’s posts or images garners becomes a quantitative measure for many, in
relation to their looks and intelligence, and even extends to their worth as a person.

Individuals strive to maintain an ‘internet persona’��

considered ‘not good enough. Body dysmorphia is common among young people and has increased over the past few
years. The use of algorithms on these platforms forces people to only watch similar content. It often leads to a sense
of disappointment among the youth, changes in behavioural patterns, feelings of inferiority, and even cyberbullying,
resulting in grave mental health challenges and illnesses.

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December 2024 Issue
��Using social media in
moderation is not necessarily bad. In fact, it can boost
serotonin and other feel-good chemicals in the brain,
helping to uplift a person’s mood. However, it becomes
problematic when usage turns into a habit. As frequent
social media use can alter parts of the brain that are
��
the human brain develops a sense of identity and self-
worth between the ages of 10 and 19.

“There is also a correlation between excessive

social media usage and mental disorders like
anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, ADHD,
paranoia, delusions, suicidal thoughts and self-
harm”, said Dr Vihan Sanyal (Psychotherapist).

��
Mental illness is an amalgamation of
biological, social, psychological, hereditary,
and environmental stressors. The World Health
��
of well-being where an individual realises their
capabilities, can cope with the normal stressors of
life, works productively, and is able to contribute
to their community. Notably, the Sustainable
Development Goals target 3.4 and 3.5 talk about
reducing mental illness.

Thus, users need to keep a check on the amount of time they spend on social media. They need to recognise the signs
of social media addiction and take necessary steps quickly to ensure they do not become addicted to social media.

��

The government is bringing laws and is taking other steps to make social media platforms more accountable
for any slanderous content posted on their platforms.- Ashwini Vaishnaw, IT Minister

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December 2024 Issue
��
Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (“IT Rules”) and
��

��
��

After extensive consultations with the public and stakeholders, IT rules have been enacted under the authority of
��
(Intermediary Guidelines) Rules 2011.

Under it, all social media platforms are asked to set up a grievances redressal and compliance mechanism, which
��
of Electronics & Information Technology has also asked these platforms to submit monthly reports on complaints
received from users and actions taken. A third requirement for instant messaging apps is to make provisions for
��

��

Every year, World Social Media Day��

��
celebrate the impact of social media on global communication and connectivity.

Failure to comply with any one of these requirements would take away the indemnity provided to social media
��

��

��
communication link made available or hosted on its platform. This protection, the Act says, shall be applicable if the
said intermediary does not in any way initiate the transmission of the message in question, select the receiver of the
transmitted message, and does not modify any information contained in the transmission.

��
��
intermediary must not tamper with any evidence of these messages or content present on its platform, failing which it
loses its protection under the Act.

��
false. As a result, the government can exercise extensive censorship powers by requiring intermediaries to remove
posts that they label as fake or misleading.

Recently, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the IT Minister, said, “With the spread of misinformation and deep fakes, we must take
strict and urgent action to ensure that this menace is removed. So we are amending the intermediary rules. We are
��

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
they can detect deepfakes, they can detect misinformation, and they can take early action.”

��

��
��
��

��

��
��
responded by blocking access for this age group, leading to widespread age fraud. The Children’s Inter-
net Protection Act (CIPA) of 2000 restricted access to inappropriate content in schools and libraries, but
critics argued it was a limited solution since children could still access all online content outside these
settings, often blocking useful information.

��The UK has no current plans for Australia-style restrictions. But digital minister
Peter Kyle has said that everything is on the table when it comes to keeping people safe online and has
��
He said that regulator Ofcom must have regard to government priorities such as safety by design and
transparency and accountability, as they enforce the Online Safety Act from next year. The act, which
��
��

��In the European Union, parental consent is required for the processing of per-
��
��

��
under 15 to create accounts. However, local media say technical challenges mean it has not yet enforced.
In April, a panel commissioned by President Emmanuel Macron recommended stricter rules, including
��
when new legislation could be adopted and to what extent it would follow the experts’ recommendations.

��
only if their parents give consent. There are currently no plans to go further. However, child protection
��

��
media account without parental permission.

��
a maximum of two hours a day on their smartphones. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC)
said it wanted providers of smart devices to introduce so-called minor mode programmes that would bar
��

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
��
The power of an information tool is only as good as how we use it. It is crucial to tackle the ongoing systemic
��
media in India:

��

There is a need for a comprehensive transparency law that mandates relevant disclosures by social media platforms.
Additionally, content moderation and related functions such as standard setting, fact-checking, and de-platforming
should be incorporated.

��

��
��
is the responsibility of these platforms to take action against the distribution of misinformation and its misuse.

Ruchika Gupta writes, “We recommend three approaches to the distribution of content that can be adopted by
platforms:

(i) Constrain distribution to organic reach (chronological feed);

��

The current approach to misinformation that relies on fact-checking a small subset of content in a vast ocean
of unreviewed content is inadequate for the task and needs to be supplemented by a review of content creators
themselves.”

��

The Oxford University Press (OUP) has announced “brain rot ”as its “Word of the Year” for 2024. It
��
viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be
trivial or unchallenging.”

Prioritise Mental Health

We must also prioritise mental health by closely monitoring the incidence of psychiatric disorders, such as depression
and anxiety, while identifying both risk factors and sources of resilience. With respect to teenagers, parents should be
very mindful when allowing digital access to their children and discuss healthy use with them.

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
��

If ��
rights, it would set a precedent for governments worldwide, including India, to require social media giants like Meta
and X to take similar measures.

However, there is a possibility that Australia’s ban may ��. Nonetheless, it highlights the
��
��
harm than good.”

��
1. ��
��

2. ��
��

��
��

(Sources: How social media overdose impacts teenagers’ mental health, ��
��, Social media, Mental health in India,��
social media, Why democracy needs social media, ��, ��
access, ��, ��
move)

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue

EXPRESS EDGE
History & Culture
How do you explain Caste to a non-Indian?
At one level, caste in India is very much like a tribe in Africa. But how do the beliefs and
��
��
Written by ��

The easiest way to understand caste

is to turn our gaze upon Africa.
An African has a tribal identity
(Masai, Zulu), a religious identity
(Christian, Muslim), a national
identity (Rwanda, Uganda) and even
a racial identity (Mediterranean,
Sub-Saharan, European). Of these,
the tribal identity is organic and
indigenous. Intellectuals often blame
tribalism for ethnic strife and lack of
progress in African nations. At one
level, caste in India is very much like
a tribe in Africa. Like a tribe, every Caste and tribe are primal identities, tough to wipe out because while caste enables
discrimination, it also enables identity and pride in communities. (File Photo)
caste has its own unique customs and
beliefs, that it may or may not share with other castes.

��
��
word ‘caste’ is a European invention; the traditional Indian word is jati. There are over 2,000 jatis in India and these
are categorised into four varnas of the Rig Veda. But the reality is far more dynamic and complex.

��
The ��has within it economic and political hierarchies, and so can be confused with class systems. But
what makes caste unique is the doctrine of purity. For at least 1,500 years, if not longer, what has remained consistent
��

The Brahmin forms the highest cluster and continues to dominate India’s politics, bureaucracy, judiciary and even the
corporate world. At the other end of the spectrum are communities deemed impure, mostly involved in vocations such
as cremation, meat processing, leatherwork and sanitation.

They were deemed ‘untouchable’ and thus dehumanised, denied access to common facilities like the village well and
the village square. Their sight, their shadow and their touch was shunned. They lived invisible lives on the periphery
of the village, coming in to do their caste-based jobs only when others were indoors.

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
��
Hindu social reformers mostly came from elite groups. They did not challenge the caste superstructure head on in the
spirit of pragmatism. For example, Mahatma Gandhi, trained as a lawyer in London, used the term Harijan (God’s
people) to uplift these communities. This term was abandoned over time, as it was considered to be rather patronising.

��
oppression. In recent times, many have drawn a parallel to the plight of the Dalit in Indian villages and the African
slaves in American colonies. So many people see casteism through the lens of racism, demanding structural changes.

It took a lawyer named BR Ambedkar, himself a Dalit, to introduce the radical idea of ‘annihilation of caste’ to
achieve true equality. Ambedkar headed the committee that drafted India’s Constitution and shaped many policies that
have guided the Republic of India since independence. The Indian Government today refers to Dalit communities as
Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), and grants them positive discrimination through the reservation
of educational and job opportunities.

��
But is caste an essential component of Hinduism itself? Yes, say the Dalits. No, say the privileged elite. Is there
Hinduism outside of caste? No, say the Dalits. Yes, say the privileged elite. If one accepts the Dalit line, then anti-
caste movements become essentially anti-Hindu movements. All religious missionaries support anti-caste movements.

While these religions argue that their faith is egalitarian, the ground reality in India is that caste is never eradicated
��
In Pakistan, pride is taken in the Muslim Rajput identity and Dalits who convert to Christianity are subject to caste
violence that is masked as religious violence. In North-east India what seems to be Hindu-Christian clashes turns out
to be nothing but old tribal rivalries.

Caste and tribe are primal identities, tough to wipe out because while caste enables discrimination, it also enables
identity and pride in communities. Every caste celebrates its heroes and history in the name of cultural pride. This is at
the root of vote bank politics.

��
1. ��

2. ��
��

��
examples.

4. ��
��

5. ��
��

(Devdutt Pattanaik is a renowned mythologist who writes on art, culture and heritage.)

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue

From resistance to independence: India’s

prolonged battle for decolonisation
What were the early signs indicating the beginning of national consciousness in India and
��
��
especially in the intellectual sphere?
Written by Amir Ali

The process of decolonisation in India

was a prolonged one. There were inklings
��
consciousness and the realisation that
India should not be ruled as a colony by
alien British rulers. It was felt that the
British did not rule in the interests of
Indians but for the purposes of advancing
the interests of the British Empire.

In this sense, the 1857 Great Indian

��, often called the First War of
Independence, can be considered a strong, though ultimately thwarted, attempt at decolonisation on the part of native
��
Zafar.

��
Crown assumed direct rule over India, setting aside the East India Company’s governance.

��
Here, decolonisation can be understood as a dynamic process in which the coloniser was sometimes compelled to
loosen control in response to demands from the subjugated Indian society, which persistently pushed to unshackle
��

In this process, the Indian National Congress��

platforms for expressing nationalist ideas, which slowly and gradually increased by degrees and levels of political
autonomy for Indians.

��
after the establishment of the INC, with the passage of the Indian Councils Act. This Act expanded legislative
councils, though the number of Indian members remained quite low. The Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909, also known
as the Indian Councils Act of 1909, increased the number of Indian members.

A decade later, the ��

India, Edwin Samuel Montagu, pointing out to the House of Commons that the British government aimed for ‘the
increasing association of Indians in every branch of the administration and the gradual development of self-governing
institutions, with a view to the progressive realisation of responsible government in India as an integral part of the
British Empire’.

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
��Purna Swaraj
Notably, until the late 1920s, the nationalist movement did not demand complete independence but instead called for
��
Nehru, demanded dominion status for India.

When the British rejected the demand for dominion status, the INC responded the following year by passing the
��
resolution stressed that India ‘must sever the British connection and attain Purna Swaraj or complete independence’.

��
disobedience’. The Gandhian imprint on the national movement is evident. As mentioned earlier, the process of
decolonisation in India was prolonged and gathered momentum after the end of the Second World War.

By this time the economic costs of maintaining colonies had become prohibitive for many European colonial powers.
This was especially true of the British Empire, which had the most extensive colonies across the world and which was
famously known as ‘the empire on which the sun never sets’.

��
A good way of making sense of the process of decolonisation is to think of the many colonies of the British
Empire such as India, Pakistan, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Burma (now Myanmar), Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Kenya,
Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). In addition, there were many other colonies of other European powers. It gives us some
understanding of how the process of decolonisation created a new world, as the newly independent countries entered
the comity of nations.

The prolonged process of decolonisation brought about the ultimate outcome of political independence from British
��
��
Minister Clement Attlee, while the powerful Conservative Leader of the opposition �� reluctantly
accepted Indian independence.

On 26 January 1950, India became a sovereign and democratic republic. It is worth bearing in mind that 26 January
was the date that had been observed as Purna Swaraj Diwas since 1929 as the resolution of that name had been
publicly announced on that very date.

Decolonisation and a new world order

Despite the new political facts that ushered in the new world order with the end of the Second World War and the
process of decolonisation, the new order was skewed in favour of the former colonial metropolitan countries and to the
detriment of newly independent nations like India.

As the Second World War came to an end, the Bretton Woods system was created largely under the inspiration and
��
development institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction
��
economic stability in the world economy but were created from the perspective of the developed countries.

The imbalance in the international world order resulted in the call for a New International Economic Order (NIEO)
��
addressing the imbalance in terms of trade and protecting their sovereignty.

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
��
��
were also part of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), a group that India played a pivotal role in establishing.

��
protecting their economic interests. These economic interests were also protected and furthered through the United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which was established in 1964.

Development vs. decolonisation

The economic and political thinking that governed the early days of decolonisation in the 1950s, 1960s and until the
��
undergo a process of development in order to catch up with the nations of the First World.

In other words, it was felt that the developing nations needed to compress into a few decades the development
processes that the more ‘advanced countries’ had taken much longer to attain. However, such attitudes have since been
critiqued by post-colonial theorists, who question why decolonised countries should be expected to take the same
trajectory and play a game of catch-up in development.

One of the most important scholarly interventions that questioned the centrality of development and its role in
perpetuating the domination of Global South societies by the Global North was Columbian scholar Arturo Escobar’s
1995 book Encountering Development: The Making and Unmaking of the Third World, where he argued in the
direction of post-development.

Critics of post-colonial theory have pointed towards a tension between the representational and discursive concerns
often associated with post-colonial theory and the material practices emphasised in development theories. Despite
��
decolonisation, especially in the intellectual sphere.

��
1. ��

2. ��
��

��
��

4. ��
��

5. ��
��

(Amir Ali is an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.)

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue

Polity
The role of constitution in shaping
Indian and American democracies
The constitutions of India and the US have played pivotal roles in shaping their respective
democracies. But how do the sociocultural realities and historical contexts of the two
countries shape their respective ideas of secularism as envisioned in their constitutions?
Written by Kannan K

While India has completed its general elections in

mid-2024 and the new government has assumed
��
month.

India, the largest democracy in the world, has

once again showcased the robustness of its
electoral system, with more than 64 crore citizens
giving their mandate. Meanwhile, the US, one of
the oldest democracies in the world, continues to
embody a legacy of representative governance that The strength of the diverse democratic systems in India and the US lies in their sound and
well-crafted constitutions.
��
two centuries.

The strength of these two diverse democratic systems lies in their sound and well-crafted constitutions, which serve
as foundational documents for the functioning of each nation. Though the constitutions of the two countries have
��

��
The Indian constitution has designed a parliamentary democracy with a ��. There is a dual executive
system in place, with the Prime Minister, the de facto or real executive, serving as the head of government, while the
President, the de jure or nominal executive, holds a ceremonial role as the head of state.

A quasi-federal system that divides powers among the states and a strong central government was designed, with the
states having no power to secede from the union. The Indian constitution grants the Union government all residuary
powers, which is the power to make laws on any matter not mentioned in the Concurrent List or State List.

The Indian constitution has created a healthy synthesis of the American doctrine of judicial supremacy and the British
doctrine of parliamentary supremacy. The apex court of India can exercise its judicial review powers to declare any
parliamentary law unconstitutional, while Parliament has the power to amend the constitution as long as it does not
contravene the basic structure of the constitution.

��
In contrast, the US constitution has framed a presidential system of government with the President being both the de

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
jure and de facto executive. This system employs the doctrine of separation of powers to separate the executive from
��

Further, the US constitution provides for a federal system wherein the states have much more autonomy vis-a-vis the
federal government. The residuary powers in the US context rests with the states. In terms of judicial review, the US
constitution has established a system of judicial supremacy, granting the Supreme Court the power to declare any law
unconstitutional, ensuring a check on the legislative branch.

However, the US constitution requires a more stringent process for amendments, as it has no equivalent to India’s
��. Amendments must receive a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress and further
��
��
��

Other similarities
��
core philosophies and mechanisms, apart from the ones mentioned earlier. India’s constituent assembly framed the
constitution by borrowing the best ideas from constitutions across the world and adapting them to India’s unique
circumstances.

Dr BR Ambedkar, the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly’s drafting committee, famously said that the Indian
Constitution was designed by ‘ransacking all the known Constitutions of the World’. The US Constitution is one of the
sources from which the constituent assembly was inspired.

Important components of the Indian constitution such as the provision for fundamental rights, the independent nature
of the judicial system, judicial review, provisions for impeachment of the President and judges of the Supreme Court
��

��
��
in India is in direct contrast to the largely two-party system of the US. While the fundamental rights in the Indian
constitution encompass not only protection from state interference but also promote social and economic rights that
the state must promote, the US version primarily focuses on individual freedoms and protections against government
overreach.

In the context of emergency powers, India has detailed provisions for declaring a state of emergency, allowing the
government to assume extraordinary powers during crises. On the other hand, the US Constitution has no formal
emergency provision, only the suspension of certain rights during war or insurrection.

While both states are largely federal in nature, India is a quasi federal, ‘indestructible union of destructible states’,
while the US is a true federation, making it an ‘indestructible union of indestructible states.’

��
��
authority on all legal and constitutional matters.

On the other hand, the US constitution has put forth a dual system comprising both federal and state courts, with each
state operating its own court system to deal with matters regarding state law, alongside federal courts that handle cases
involving federal law.

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December 2024 Issue
The process of appointment of judges to the Supreme Courts also varies. Judges of the Indian Supreme Court are
appointed by the President based on recommendations from the Prime Minister and a collegium of senior judges. In
��

��
��
��
realities and the historical context in which the documents were framed.

The American notion of secularism, also known as ‘negative secularism’ establishes a complete separation between
��
endorses nor discriminates against any faith. Such a system was put in place to prevent the creation of a theocratic
��

On the other hand, the concept of secularism put forth by the framers of the Indian Constitution is often described as
‘positive secularism’. This idea takes into account the wide variety of religions and cultures that exist in India and
avoids any provision that insists on a strict separation between state and religion. It only ensures that the state does not
��

At the same time, the constitution grants all citizens and non-citizens various religious rights ensuring that the state
gives equal respect to all religions and protects all religions equally. This unique interpretation of secularism enables
��
maintain social order.

��
��
democracies that continue to shape the global political landscape. As they navigate the challenges and opportunities
of the 21st century, the oldest democracy and the largest democracy can learn from each other. Their constitutions will
undoubtedly play a crucial role in ensuring their continued success as democratic societies.

��
1. ��
��

2. ��
��

��
��

4. ��
��

5. ��
��

(Kannan K is a Doctoral candidate in Political Science at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Hyderabad)

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December 2024 Issue

Governance
How paid parking could change
urban mobility and cut emissions
The recent hike in parking fees in Delhi’s Lutyens area revived the debate over free and paid
parking. But what could be the long-term impact of adopting dynamic pricing for parking in
terms of congestion and emissions?
Written by ��

The ��
��
in parking charges in Delhi’s Lutyens
area as a way to combat pollution from
emissions caused by private motorised
vehicles. This relatively simple policy
measure revives the debate about
whether parking should be free or paid
in Indian cities. Parking charges can be
controversial, but on a deeper level, it’s
important to ask: to whom do the spaces ��
Lutyens area to combat pollution from emissions caused by private motorised vehicles.
in our cities belong? (Representational image)

The arrival of automobiles radically reshaped cities across the world. Studies in North America show that cars were
initially viewed with scepticism, but eventually, due to massive lobbying by automobile manufacturers and allied
interests (“motordom”), space was carved out for cars within cities. This meant dedicated parking spaces, roadways,
��

��
vehicles were relatively fewer. However, since the liberalisation in the 1990s, automobiles — especially motorised
��
push users away from using public transport.

��
In Indian cities, the rising number of vehicles has led to increasing demands for parking spaces. Most vehicle users
believe parking should be free, arguing that they already pay substantial taxes (such as road and fuel taxes) thus
covering their share of road use. However, free parking consumes a critical and often scarce resource in cities: land.
Urban land is prime real estate, used for multiple purposes and by many people. Therefore, it must be priced to ensure
��

��

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December 2024 Issue
��
��
spots. This is what urban planning expert Professor Donald Shoup terms “the high cost of free parking”.

Putting aside the economics of parking, let’s examine what happens when cities invest in free parking. As more space
is allocated to parking, cities become more favourable for vehicles and less so for those who walk, cycle or use public
transport.

In historic parts of Indian cities, like Ahmedabad’s old city or Chandni Chowk in Delhi, vehicles parked on the streets
take away space from pedestrians. These parts of the city, built before the arrival of vehicles, are dense, mixed-
use areas and can easily be traversed on foot. With vehicles taking over the streets, walking becomes a challenge,
constantly negotiating between parked and moving vehicles.

When cities supply more parking, they expand distances between jobs, services, and amenities, making vehicles
necessary. Abundant parking also encourages more people to drive, disincentivising public transport, walking, and
cycling.

��
��
��
��

��
bays are available for those who need them most and discouraging “cruising” for parking (i.e. going around the
��
transport instead.

Several Indian cities have started exploring paid parking. �� has approved
a policy to manage on-street parking (parking alongside footpaths) through parking fees. Ahmedabad Municipal
Corporation (AMC) adopted a tiered pricing policy, identifying high, medium, and low-demand areas and setting
prices accordingly.

��
and Mumbai are exploring digital payment options for parking services. These cities are also considering privately
operated parking lots; issuing residential parking permits and revising parking space estimates in urban regulations.

��
While these are all welcome moves to manage parking in cities to reduce congestion, incentivise public transport and
��
��
local bodies and public works departments.

Many street design standards, like those from the Indian Roads Congress, may also need updating, as they were
created to meet increasing vehicular demand. Additionally, private agencies must help develop digital infrastructure
for parking payments, an area where city governments have limited capacity. A clear implementation pathway for
enforcement, regulation, and operations is essential for a successful parking policy.

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December 2024 Issue
Lastly, where does the revenue from parking fees go? Most experts argue that the revenue from parking fees should
support public transport and incentivise people to adopt walking and cycling for short trips. By limiting parking
spaces, cities can evolve into more compact spaces where jobs, housing and services are close by, making it easier for
people to navigate their daily activities on foot or pedal.

There are several case studies from cities around the world that show how removing parking spaces can transform
��
while walkable cities are lively and humane spaces for people to inhabit.

��
��
grip is to price parking.

��
1. ��
��

2. ��
��

��
��

4. ��
��

(Jacob Baby is a doctoral researcher in Concordia University, Canada, and explores matters related to urban
planning in India.)

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue

Environment
COP29: How India plays a pivotal role in
global climate governance
India’s approach to climate governance has evolved over the years. How has India balanced
its developmental priorities with its climate commitments, while also shaping the climate
action dialogue at COP conventions?
Written by Aishwarya Sanas

In response to suggestions at the COP29

that principles of ‘Just Transition’ be used
to draw up climate action plans in the
future, India said that such “prescriptive
top-down approaches” are contrary
to provisions of the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change and the
Paris Agreement, and would never be
acceptable to the developing countries.

India is an active and responsible partner

In one of the ministerial rounds of meetings on Monday that was discussing higher ambition
in the global climate action movement, for reducing emissions in the pre-2030 period, India brought up the issue again in its
spearheading several important initiatives statement. (Representational Image/Reuters)

for a just, sustainable and clean future. However, India’s approach to climate change and its engagement with global
��
‘initial reluctance and suspicion’, to emerging as a ‘bold and responsible climate leader’.

��
��
��
Environment in Stockholm, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi highlighted the need for balancing environmental
protection with poverty alleviation. She said, “We do not wish to impoverish the environment any further, and yet we
cannot for a moment forget the grim poverty of large numbers of people.”

Saving the environment was initially perceived as requiring a reduction in economic activities and halting
industrialisation, which in turn meant to forgoing economic growth and human development. However, the emergence
of the concept of sustainable development provided a framework for balancing economic development with
environmental conservation. The idea of sustainable development played an important role in bringing developing
countries like India on board for global climate action.

Since the inception of the annual climate conventions, India has been supporting the principles of Common But
��
and capacity-building from developed to developing countries.

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December 2024 Issue
By the early 2000s, India became an ‘interested bystander’ in the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United
��
November 2002. As demands for greater action from high-emitting developing countries increased, India (although
initially reluctant to binding national targets) showed its commitment to climate action by establishing the National
��

��
The signing of the Paris Agreement of 2015 marked a shift in global climate governance, creating more space for
developing countries to participate without bearing the disproportionate burden of serious obligations. The shift can be
understood through the following changes:

��

��
responsibility to a collective action framework where both developed and developing nations are held responsible

��
allowing nations to contribute as per their capacities and circumstances.

��

��
��
��
��
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non-fossil fuel-based energy resources.

��
cent of the global carbon credits market. India has the second largest number of registered projects under the Clean
��

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and other carbon trading provisions under the Kyoto Protocol are
important means for facilitating and expediting India’s steady energy transition away from fossil fuels to renewable
sources of energy production. Renewable energy projects contribute approximately 50 per cent of CDM initiatives in
��
challenges in achieving a steady energy transition. This requires extensive investment, technological upgrade, and
��

��
��Like-minded
�� and the BASIC Group (Brazil, South Africa, China and India). It has also played
a leadership role for blocs such as the African Group, the Small Island Developing States, and the group of Least
Developed Countries. The COP framework provides an egalitarian platform, allowing smaller nations to hold larger
��

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December 2024 Issue
Climate change intersects with several other global issues and has become an agenda in various non-climate forums
such as United Nations Security Council, G20, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, etc. These global issues
��
��
��
important part of it.

Under the ��touted to be operationalised at the ongoing COP, India stands to receive
��
��
population of indigenous people after Africa.

��
India, with its huge territorial expanse, population, demographic dividend and industrial potential, plays a vital role
��
countries, according to a recent analysis. Furthermore, India has emerged as a leader in combating climate change
through several initiatives such as the Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) mission, programmes such as the International
Solar Alliance, the Green Credits Programme, the Big Cats Alliance, the Quad Climate Working Group, and the
Mangrove Alliance for Climate Ministerial Meeting.

��
UNFCCC, COP and the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Together these entities form a triad
that drives global action on the complex climate challenge of the 21st century. With universal membership, and a
framework convention for coordinated action, this system is built to last.

��
��
decisive steps to strengthen its leadership role.

��
1. ��
��

2. ��
��

��

4. ��
��

(Aishwarya Sanas is a doctoral researcher at Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Delhi NCR.)

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December 2024 Issue

International Relations
India’s continued push for Security
Council Reform
Written by Dileep P Chandran

“We must move forward in a time-bound

manner on reforms in global institutions
such as the UN Security Council,
multilateral development banks, and the
WTO,” said Prime Minister Narendra
Modi at �� in
Kazan, Russia.

The Prime Minister’s call for reforms in

global institutions is especially relevant on
United Nations Day, celebrated every year
on October 24 to mark the founding of the
United Nations in 1945. The day serves Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, China’s President
�� Xi Jinping and other world leaders during the 16th BRICS Summit, in Kazan, Russia,
Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. (Stanislav Krasilnikov/Photo host brics-russia2024.ru via PTI)
��
addressing contemporary challenges and promoting fairness and equality in global governance.

��
��
institutional structures would help make the world safe to live in. He articulated his vision for a peaceful and
��

His liberal internationalism wanted to move beyond the balance of power politics of anarchical international relations.
Wilson’s vision found concrete shape in the form of the League of Nations at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. The
��
WWI.

��
Nonetheless, the League of Nations laid the groundwork for the establishment of a stronger international organisation
with a unique institutional structure.

��
The leaders of the Allied powers started consultations about the formation of a new international organisation during
the war itself. In 1941, American President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister ��
during a secret meeting envisioned an international organisation aimed at maintaining peace and order in post-war
international politics.

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December 2024 Issue
They issued the Atlantic Charter outlining their vision of a free and peaceful future. This document laid the foundation
for international collaboration during the war and a permanent system for general security.

��
of the name United Nations which was originally coined by Roosevelt to identify those countries which were allied
��
Nations Charter on 26 June 1945 at the San Francisco Conference. India was also among these nations.

��
��
��
are members of the United Nations.

��
The founding mission of the United Nations is the maintenance of international peace and security in the post-war
��
deploying peacekeeping forces, and creating conditions for long-term peace.

Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter empowers the Security Council to take actions, ranging from economic
sanctions to military intervention. The General Assembly is also bestowed with deliberative functions to intervene in
international security issues.

��
provides the mandate for peacekeeping forces, and member countries provide troops. United Nations peacekeeping
��

The United Nations peacekeeping forces currently oversees 11 peacekeeping operations, including the United Nations
Military Observer Group on India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), which was set up in 1949. The United Nations also
��
The United Nations Summit for Future (2024) included nuclear disarmament as one of its commitments while calling
��

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One of the criticisms of United Nations peacekeeping is that permanent members of the Security Council often
appropriate its tools for their narrow political gains. For instance, in the absence of the USSR, the United States
secured a Security Council resolution authorising force against North Korea.

��
peacekeeping measures, undermining the body’s neutrality and collective spirit in global security.

��
��
current global realities, with limited representation of countries from Asia, Africa, and Latin America in the Security
Council.

Therefore, calls for reform center on expanding the number of permanent members of the Security Council, with the
G4 countries (Brazil, Germany, India, Japan) pushing for permanent seats. Abolishing or limiting the veto power is

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December 2024 Issue
also seen as essential for democratising the structure of the United Nations.

��
India, a founding member of the United Nations, has been an active contributor to United Nations peacekeeping
missions since their inception. As the world’s largest democracy and an emerging global power, India advocates
strongly for United Nations Security Council reforms, seeking a permanent seat to ensure greater inclusivity in global
governance.

At the United Nations Summit of the Future in September 2024, India welcomed United Nations Secretary-General
António Guterres’ support for reforms in the Security Council structure. India continues to be a vocal proponent of an
equitable and inclusive global governance mechanism.

Moreover, non-western institutional and regional arrangements like the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO
and BRICS could challenge the legitimacy of the United Nations’ collective security mechanisms unless the latter
becomes more inclusive and representative of other rising political powers.

Hence, reforms of the United Nations should primarily aim at addressing the issues of inequity and
��
��

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1. ��

2. ��
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��
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4. ��
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5. ��
��

(Dileep P Chandran is Assistant Professor at the department of Political Science in University of Calicut, Kerala.)

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December 2024 Issue

Society
Media literacy: Going beyond what
meets the eye
The unchecked proliferation of information poses threats to the well-being of open and plural
societies by fostering mistrust, amplifying polarisation, and perpetuating intolerance. How
does media literacy help address these challenges?
Written by ��

To underscore the critical

��
independent press in India, National
Press Day is celebrated annually
on 16 November. The day also
commemorates the inception of the
Press Council of India, which came
��

Since its establishment, the Press

Council of India has come a long
way from tackling issues like media
ethics and press safety to addressing Media literacy equips individuals to critically evaluate what is presented by the media as objective
the challenges of the digital age. truths.

The expansion of Information and

��
media literacy in ensuring responsible journalism and countering misinformation.

��
The deluge of information today compels us to develop resilience against ��, �� and
malinformation. The ubiquitous term disinfodemic, referring to the way information and misinformation are
intriguingly juxtaposed made possible by the new ICT, underscores the need for a well-developed response to the
pressing social problem.

It raises another pertinent question: How can one ensure an equitable access to accurate and ethically produced texts,
messages, videos, visuals and other forms of content in a digital world?

One has to realise that despite the transformative potential of innovations in ICT, they hardly advance the elemental
human search for truth. Contrarily, information is increasingly weaponised to breed mistrust, division and intolerance,
and its unhindered proliferation jeopardises the larger goal of the well-being of an open and plural society.

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December 2024 Issue
��
��.

��
��
fosters radicalisation that makes diversity, peace and sustainable development avertible.

Develop a way with media literacy

It is time to pause and understand our information needs, digital rights, and the algorithms shaping how information
��
truth often takes a backseat, concrete facts get smothered by emotional responses, primarily fuelled by social media.
The wide-eyed but equally eager information seekers ought to understand who creates the message, what purposes it
serves, and what creative techniques are used to make lies indistinguishable from the truth.

The growing acquaintance with the dynamics of the ever-growing media and information technology network has
assumed greater importance now. Developing a distinct ability to analyse how political, religious, commercial,
��
��
��
between the lines, not on them.

Media literacy emphasises cultivating critical thinking, enabling individuals to resist being swayed by rhetorical
��
for manipulative persuasion and are often used to further vested interests. To make us sensitive to religious, social,
cultural and racial prejudices, media literacy harps on critical thinking so that one can realise that all beliefs and
��

��
��
all media messages include four dimensions:

�� What sort of information is being transmitted?

�� The underlying feelings that are being conjured.

��The artistic beauty and creativity of the design of the message.

�� The values being conveyed through the message.

These dimensions highlight that the intent of the message goes well beyond what meets the eye. For instance, the sale
of adulterated sweets and savoury snack food was made the topic of talk shows on several channels during the recent
festive season. However, few can comprehend the subtle nuances of discussions disguised in the idiom of public good.

��
of consuming adulterated sweets and snacks made with unhealthy ingredients. However, during commercial breaks, a
leading actor endorses a popular chocolate product, and a prominent actress promotes a well-known snack brand.

��

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December 2024 Issue
��
the surface and understand how health discussions at times can be leveraged as marketing tools. By understanding
these nuances, viewers can make informed choices and resist being swayed by celebrity endorsements.

��
��
��
��
��

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authenticity, credibility and biases in mediated messages. By fostering critical thinking, online and digital rights and
social and emotional sensitivity, media literacy helps create an inclusive, participatory and open society that empowers
people.

The dream of global digital citizenship of a world not marred by the toxic ethnicity, religiosity, nationalism, and
��
enables one to uncover the obscured truths, question racial, religious and ethnic stereotypes and foster connectedness
across diverse communities.

��
must agree with Internet Matters, UK (2024), which states, “Like reading, writing, and numerical skills, media literacy
should form a core basis of education.”

��
1. ��

2. ��

��
��

4. ��
��

5. ��
��

(Shafey Kidwai, a bilingual author, is a professor of Mass Communication at Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh)

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December 2024 Issue

UPSC SPECIALS
Issue at a Glance
Air Pollution
Delhi’s air quality remained severely polluted for many days last month. Other cities of
India also continued to struggle with air pollution. Here’s everything you need to know about
it.
Written by Roshni Yadav

��
The month of November saw Delhi’s
average Air Quality Index (AQI) to be in
the ‘severe’ category. Furthermore, not
only Delhi but also other cities in India
and outside the country experienced poor
air quality. In this context, it is essential to
understand the issue of air pollution from a
broader perspective.

As per WHO, household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and
��

��
General Studies Paper III syllabus. The UPSC has previously asked questions related to air quality. Additionally, this
��
tests.

��

1. What is air pollution and what are its sources?

2. What impact does air pollution have on health, the economy, and the environment in India?
3. What are the government initiatives and programs for combating air pollution in India?
4. What steps should be taken to control air pollution?

��
Air pollution is the contamination of the environment, whether indoors or outdoors, by any agent—chemical, physical,
or biological—that alters the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
��
Health Organization (WHO)

According to WHO, almost all of the global population (99%) breathe air that exceeds WHO guideline limits and
contains high levels of pollutants.

��

The yearly practice of burning crop stubble, combined with consistent vehicle emissions and pollutants from
��

��
pollution.- WHO

�� Impact

Nitrogen dioxide Burning of fuel, with sources Short-term exposure to high levels of NO2
�� including emissions from vehicles can aggravate respiratory diseases. Long-
and power plants. term exposure may also contribute to the
development of asthma and could increase
susceptibility to respiratory infections.

�� Surface ozone pollutant is formed Increase in risk of hospital admissions for
by the reaction of atmospheric Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases
pollutants in the presence of (COPD) and the number of cardiovascular
sunlight. and respiratory deaths

�� Burning of fossil fuels by power Harmful to the cardiovascular system and
�� plants and other industrial can lead to the development of respiratory
facilities. Additional sources are illnesses. SO2 can also react with other
industrial processes and natural compounds to form particulate matter.
sources such as volcanoes.

�� Increase in fertilizer use coupled Excess ammonia is harmful to plants and
with large contributions from reduces air and water quality
livestock waste have resulted in
the world’s highest concentrations
of atmospheric ammonia

�� It is a naturally occurring toxic Children who survive severe lead

metal found in the Earth’s crust poisoning may be left with permanent
exposed through mining, smelting, intellectual disability and behavioural
manufacturing and even recycling disorders.
activities

�� If CO levels are high enough, a person may

�� containing carbon, such as wood, become unconscious and die. Long-term
coal and petrol, is burned exposure has been linked with an increased
risk of heart disease.

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December 2024 Issue
��
pollution. Thermal power plants and factories also emit a steady stream of pollutants, compounding the problem.

Furthermore, stubble burning is a major contributor to air pollution in northern India, particularly in states like Punjab
��
season. The smoke produced from burning agricultural residue releases high levels of particulate matter, carbon
monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides.

��

Smog is a type of air pollution that creates a hazy or foggy atmosphere, reducing visibility and
��
term “smog” referred to pollution from coal-burning, especially common in industrial areas.

��
��
��
��
��
environment but also to the economy.

��
��
pollution, according to a study published in Lancet Planetary Health in 2021.

Exposure to air pollutants can lead to various health issues, including lung disease, asthma, stroke and cancer. Severe
��
��
airborne pollutants like particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and volatile organic
compounds (VOCs).

��
contribute to mental health problems

��
air quality manifest in distinct ways, such as:

(i) lower labor productivity,

(ii) lower consumer footfall,

(iii) lower asset productivity,

(iv) welfare losses,

(v) premature mortality,

(vi) increased health expenses.

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December 2024 Issue
��
year, equivalent to 6.1% of global GDP.

Anil Sasi writes- “Air pollution has a direct, and a particularly debilitating impact on GDP growth and per-capita
income levels by way of reduced worker output, lower consumer footfall in consumption-led services, hampered asset
productivity, and a surge in health expenses and welfare allocations, especially in the productive age groups….Even in
indoor jobs such as those in call centres, air pollution takes a toll on productivity.

Also, poor air quality impeded the performance of otherwise highly productive employees as much as it did of less
productive workers.”

��
respiratory and pulmonary disorders in both animals and humans. In marine ecosystems, the consequences include
��
indirectly harm the health of living beings. Additionally, the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has
long-term environmental implications, including global warming and climate change.

��
��
�� The government implements actions for air quality
regulation and pollution abatement under various provisions of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act,
��

�� The CPCB is executing a nationwide program for monitoring

ambient air quality known as the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP).

��

The CPCB carries out functions as outlined in The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution)
��
��
��

�� The initiative was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and
��
��
The target has since been revised to achieve a reduction of up to 40% in PM10 levels or to meet the national standard
of 60 µg/m³ by the year 2025-26.

��
Environment, Forest and Climate Change. This was based on a plan that was submitted by the Central Pollution
��
the now-dissolved Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority for the NCR. From 2021 onwards, the
GRAP is being implemented by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

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December 2024 Issue
GRAP outlines the necessary actions to address particulate matter (PM) emissions from various sources and aims to
prevent PM10 and PM2.5 levels from exceeding the ‘moderate’ category of the national Air Quality Index (AQI).

�� The colour-coded AQI index was launched in India in 2014, and it helps the public
and the government understand the condition of the air and what subsequent measures are to be taken to combat the
situation, based on its severity. The pollutants measured include PM 10, PM 2.5, Nitrogen Dioxide, Ozone, Carbon,
etc. There are six categories of AQI, namely

(i) ‘Good’ (0-50),

(ii) ‘Satisfactory’ (51-100),

(iii)‘Moderately polluted’ (101-200),

��

(vi) ‘Severe’ (401-500).

�� The CPCB has established guidelines to promote the establishment of paddy straw-based
pelletization and torrefaction plants, which may help address supply chain issues.

� ��
purchase of crop residue management machinery and the establishment of Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) in the
National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, as well as the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

� ��

� Additionally, there has been a ban on the use of pet coke and furnace oil as fuels in the National Capital Region
��
��

��
��
additional steps that can be taken.

To address the issue of stubble burning, the Commission for �� has recommended
��
rice varieties, cultivating low-straw and
early-maturing paddy varieties, and
implementing direct seeding methods
for rice. These strategies can be used to
reduce the generation of paddy straw
��

��
also be used to control air pollution.
��
��

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December 2024 Issue
In it, clouds are usually injected with salts like silver iodide, potassium iodide, or sodium chloride, which is the ‘seed.’
These salts are expected to provide additional nuclei around which more cloud droplets can form. They are dispersed
into the cloud either using aircraft or through generators on the ground. Notably, for cloud seeding, cloud cover and
clouds of a certain type are necessary.

As vehicular emissions are among the key contributors to air pollution, we should promote the use of electric and BS-
VI vehicles. We should focus on increasing the green cover in our cities.

��
Prelims

��
��

1. Carbon dioxide

2. Carbon monoxide

��

4. Sulfur dioxide

5. Methane

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

��

(c) 1, 4 and 5 only

��

1. India launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019.

2. The Centre has set a new target of 40 percent reduction in particulate matter concentration in cities covered under
the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) by 2026.

��

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
��

1. It is a type of air pollution that creates a hazy or foggy atmosphere.

2. It forms when pollutants react chemically in the presence of sunlight.

��

4. Stubble burning is cited as a major contributor to smog in northern India.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

��

(b) 1 and 2 only

��

(d) 1, 2 and 4 only

Mains

Describe the key points of the revised Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) recently released by the World Health
��
Air Programme are required to achieve revised standards? (UPSC CSE 2021)

Prelims Answer Key

1.�� 2.��3.��

(Sources: ��, ��

��, ��, ��, WHO)

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December 2024 Issue

ESSAYS SIMPLIFIED

‘Poets are the Unacknowledged

Legislators of the World’
What is a ‘good’ essay for UPSC Civil Services Exams? In the special series ‘UPSC Essays
��
questions of past years. Here’s a topic from the essay paper of 2022.
Written by Pranay Aggarwal

“Where the mind is without fear and

the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken
up into fragments…”
These words of Tagore, that I came across as
an eighth grader, continue to fascinate, inspire,
and rouse me today. They gently changed
me, from a carefree child into somewhat of a ��
concerned and engaging citizen. Quite likely, some of the sample essays written by our expert Pranay Aggarwal covering questions
of past years.
many of us have similarly come across an
inspiring poem, a pithy Doha, or a beautiful Shloka which we still ‘carry’ with us. Magnify from the individual to the
��

While poets may not draft laws and govern states, they wield an ��
society’s values, ethics, and collective consciousness. In more ‘stable’ times, poets serve as a society’s moral guides,
custodians of its traditions, and social commentators. During times of tumult, they can become its worst critics,
activists, and dissenters.

Poets may not wield formal authority, yet, through their words, they shape our understanding of the world. In this
sense, they ‘legislate’ not in parliaments but in the hearts and minds of people! To understand its full import, we must
delve into how ��
��
��

��
Poets, well aware of their own temporal position, engage in a dialogue with the past and the future. Through this
engagement, they provide continuity in a constantly evolving world. Poetry ��, connecting
generations through shared stories.

Adi Kavya Ramayana is not only the life story of Shri Rama, but also a repository of the ��.
In his work, Valmiki immortalized Shri Rama and transcended storytelling to impart lessons on duty and dharma.
His verses have inspired generations to contemplate the nature of honor, loyalty, and duty, ��for

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
millennia. Ved Vyasa, in Mahabharata, delivered to us the divine song of Bhagwat Gita; which has served as a moral
guide for generations.

��
and ethics.

��
Poetry often encapsulates a simple yet profound idea, conveyed beautifully. Children’s poems carry moral messages
that shape young minds. Nursery rhymes often teach values of honesty, loyalty, and sharing. These poems are thus
‘legislation’ that guides future generations, embedding morals in them through rhyme and rhythm.

Fostering Oneness
A Constitution unites all those whose lives it governs. Poetry can also serve as ��. Consider the
unifying force of national anthems. Jana Gana Mana is a �� of India’s diversity and unity. Tagore’s
composition is not just a poem but also a reminder of our common heritage and shared identity, inspiring patriotism in
all Indians.

��
��
preferred mediums for ��. Poetry often holds up a mirror to society, capturing
both its light and shadows. Poets use art for social commentary, encouraging people to examine oppressive political
��
envision a better world.

The ��, for instance, address issues like caste discrimination, ritualism, and religious orthodoxy. Kabir’s
couplets, without formal authority, shaped society’s ethics, challenged prevailing structures and advocated reforms.
��

Today, �� continue this tradition. Websites, social media, and literary blogs feature countless poets
who address contemporary issues ranging from climate change and racial injustice to sexual freedom and mental
health. Without recognition, these modern poets foster a collective consciousness. By ��
��

Emotional Connect
A unique quality of poetry is its ��, bypassing intellectual defenses
and appealing directly to the heart. Through metaphor and symbolism, ��
deeply. This emotional connection is powerful as it appeals to shared human experiences, ��
��.

Poems by �� explore themes of love and loss, invoking a sense of shared humanity. Although they
��
The ��
��.

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December 2024 Issue
Poetry and Protest
In times of socio-political upheaval, poetry often comes in handy. During the independence movement, poetry was a
powerful medium for fostering national pride and resistance against colonial oppression. Bankim Chandra’s Vande
Mataram became the rallying cry of the freedom struggle. The 20th century African-American poet ��
used her words to reveal the injustices of racial discrimination, catalyzing momentum for civil rights in USA. ��
Dylan’s lyrics became an anthem for the American anti-war protestors. Even today, verses from ��
�� resonate in protests across India, reminding us of poetry’s power to inspire hope and resilience!

Slogans, chants, and verses unify voices and communicate ideals. Through rhythm and symbolism, poetry captures the
essence of human struggles, encouraging individuals to strive for a better future.

Unacknowledged Legislators
��
administrators, and industrialists, who are more directly credited for societal progress. The ��
��, symbolic, and somewhat abstract.

Not only the innumerable unsung poets, even many of those we celebrate today were not acknowledged in their own
times. �� died penniless. Only 10 of Emily Dickinson��
��, too, died in relative obscurity. Examples abound.

Today, the internet has enabled �� to share their work widely. Even as their poetry resonates
with a worldwide audience, most remain uncelebrated.

Paradoxically, being ‘unacknowledged’ is what �� without

��

��
society and a window to what it can become. They instill values, challenge injustices, and connect people across
divides, fostering a consciousness that transcends the limitations of formal institutions.

��
��
policies govern behavior; it is poetry and literature that nurture
conscience. Perhaps, legislation is not just about controlling
actions but also guiding hearts and minds. It is through this
��
way, indeed ‘legislate’ the world.

(�� Pranay Aggarwal is an educator and

mentor for aspirants preparing for UPSC Civil Services exam.
With more than 10 years of experience guiding civil service
aspirants, he is acknowledged as an expert on civil service
exam preparation, especially on subjects like Social Issues
and Sociology. He is the India representative on the Research
Committee on Education, Religion and Political Sociology
for UNESCO’s International Sociological Association and
a committee member of Indian Sociological Society and its
committee on social movements. He is also the Convenor
of Indian Civil Services Association, a think tank of senior
bureaucrats.)

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December 2024 Issue

UPSC Ethics Simpliﬁed

Why applying ethics to air pollution is
the need of the hour?
‘We cannot expect only the Supreme Court to think about the lungs of people. Shouldn’t we
all think more ethically to remove pollution from the environment?’ Nanditesh Nilay insists
aspirants to view contemporary issues from an ethical perspective too.
Written by Nanditesh Nilay

Let’s begin by remembering the poem by William Wordsworth:

“The world is too much with us, late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers…”

Wordsworth’s disappointment with mankind is so visible and related to our present time which is blurry and dark. We
are travellers in this world but do we belong to this world? If yes, why do we fail in healing the environment? Our
environment needs more human values-stamina rather than competency-based stamina from all those human beings
��
from the natural sky? The middle and upper classes loved to be referred to as important intellectuals. But do they think
about the entropic relationship between man and nature? In all these above questions where are the haves not? What
about them? Ponder.

Let’s ask a few more fundamental questions. Are we self-aware and self-regulated individuals? Are we wise and
compassionate? If the answer is yes, then why are we not able to save our lungs in the post-pandemic time? It was

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
our lungs that got defeated by COVID-19 and now pollution and an alarming air index are enveloping the whole
environment, and defeating the meaning of life. Why have we not learned anything from the catastrophe of the
pandemic? It is not death but life that marks the relevance of Herbert Spencer or Charles Darwin’s survival of the
��
hell.”

��
piece of land under the open sky. Now the question is whether it is fair to put all the blame on them for that stubble
burning. Many industries are using garbage for generating energy and thus helping the people and environment.
Why can we not create a system through a public-private partnership to buy all Stubble from farmers in advance? Is
��
vaccination became a possibility for the whole nation.

��
Court asked all state governments in Delhi & NCR to close the schools. Why do we wait for the Supreme Court to
take all calls for goodness and humanity too? Is compassion and care not a part of ethical decision-making at various
levels in institutions? If yes, why then wait for the judiciary to intervene? Compassionate governance for a developing
country like India is a must and decision-making must be done with a steadfast approach to human relationships. Law
can be coded in letter and spirit by courts but general compassion and care have to be part of governance and normal
life.

Now what about poor people in India? Do they not possess equal rights for clean air like rich people? They don’t
��
are blindly fought on historical chunawi muddas of Garibi and Berojgari. After the voting, what about those people
��
sign of healthy democracy where a poor person’s life must be treated with those constitutional values of equality and
fraternity? Why should wearing a mask be compulsory? Why is there no general pain and concern for all those poor
people who qualify for clean air like the rich? In the pandemic time, it was such a satisfying sight to see everyone
getting vaccinated. But the present polluted environment asks us to make care and compassion a general way of living
and this is nothing but ethics in governance.

There are lakhs of cars running on the road and in a family of four, there are a minimum of two cars. Should we not
think about our role in increasing the pollution and earth’s temperature? What are we doing with ACs especially the
centralised ones in every room or moving alone in SUVs? Are we not guilty? Why should we only target those Tuk
Tuk or other vehicles? And what about those trucks and the pathetic lives of drivers and conductors? Why are some
cities in the world turning into gas chambers? The reasons are simple. We the people or sisters and brothers are more
seen as rich and poor. So the urgency of compassionate decision-making for this type of pollution is missing.

We are living with a pandemic experience where the pre-pandemic and post-pandemic world cannot be the same.
But as we have observed, we are nothing but apathetic individuals. Why so? Why is global warming not breaking
the slumber of mankind? The water crisis, air pollution, hunger, poverty, and many fundamental issues are not at the
center of human reasoning. Why? Are we not willing to learn that Covid has taken our dreams? Every conversation
across the globe is becoming political. No problem. But life is not at the mercy of power or politics but politics with
the spirit of service. Care and compassion have to be a general life conversation for people. But who will do it? Who
will lead it? Only leaders. There must be a uniformity of citizens conduct across the globe and it must be nothing less
than sounding moral and ethical.

Seeing children under the mask coughing, allergic, and becoming asthmatic is a painful sight. We cannot expect only

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December 2024 Issue
��
view of mankind under the clean air.

��

“When did my childhood go?

Was it the day I ceased to be eleven,

Was it the time I realised that Hell and Heaven,

Could not be found in Geography,

And therefore, could not be,

Was that the day!”

Let’s save childhood and humanity by being less of a stranger in this world. Time has arrived to coalesce and enlighten
with Summum Bonum or that ultimate goodness.

��
(The writer is the author of ‘Being Good and Aaiye, Insaan Banaen’, ‘Ethikos: Stories Searching Happiness’ and
��
to UPSC, SAARC countries, Civil services Academy, National Centre for Good Governance, Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI), Competition Commission of India (CCI), etc. He has PhD in two disciplines and has been a
Doctoral Fellow in Gandhian Studies from ICSSR. His second PhD is from IIT Delhi on Ethical Decision Making
among Indian Bureaucrats.)

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December 2024 Issue

Expert’s Talk
Is Narayana Murthy right about
IAS, IPS and UPSC?
‘Narayana Murthy’s advise of hiring IAS, IPS from B-schools, not solely from UPSC can
be disheartening for aspirants. The core principle of civil services is not to sell, but to serve,’
says Ravi Kapoor.
Written by Manas Srivastava

According to the Infosys co-founder, the current system of competitive UPSC examinations can only produce civil
servants trained in general administration.

Infosys co-founder Narayana

Murthy has proposed an
overhaul to the civil services,
recommending that Indian
Administrative Service and
��
be recruited from business
schools and private sector
rather than solely relying on
the Union Public Service
Commission examinations.

While speaking at an event

this month, �� said, “It
is time for India to move from
an administrative mindset to a management mindset. The administration is all about the status quo. On the other hand,
management is all about vision and high aspiration. It’s about achieving the plausible impossible.”

According to the �� co-founder, the current system of competitive UPSC examinations can only produce civil
servants trained in general administration. He recommended a �� on vision,
cost control, innovation, and rapid execution to cater to the changing demands of governance. To what extent is the co-
founder right about not solely relying on the Union Public Service Commission examinations for hiring civil servants?

Manas Srivastava talks to Ravi Kapoor��

above mentioned comments of Narayana Murthy.

��
ten years of experience to create customised and productive curriculum. Through a free mentorship programme, he
integrates tailored educational materials, psychological principles, visual learning techniques, and a strong emphasis
on mental well-being into his teaching skills granting aspirants a chance to learn from his expertise.

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December 2024 Issue
��
Ravi Kapoor: He has a point, but it’s not entirely accurate. UPSC and LBSNAA are not static institutions — they’ve
evolved with the times. Ideas such as digitisation, e-governance, and New Public Management, which draw inspiration
from the private sector, are already part of governance today. However, comparing civil services to the private sector
��

For example, an SP managing law and order in a district deals with situations like communal tensions, protests,
or even natural disasters. Their decisions directly impact lives, public safety, and societal harmony, often in
unpredictable, high-stakes scenarios. Contrast this with the CEO of a car manufacturer, whose primary focus is on
��
��
with limited resources.

��
challenges that have no parallel in the corporate world. They don’t have the luxury of unilateral decision-making or
��

��
��
��
understanding of these stark contrasts.

��
��
��
corporate professionals misses some critical nuances.

��
��
��
��

��
��
intelligence, broader exposure to diverse socio-political landscapes, and the ability to work under extreme constraints.
Their roles demand dynamism, resilience, and an unmatched ability to balance competing interests — all while
operating in a highly scrutinised public sphere.

��
the IAS would be a game-changer. The two groups are already part of the same intellectual ecosystem, but IAS
��
experience.

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December 2024 Issue
��
Ravi Kapoor��
��
��
brands, and drive business growth. Success in a B-school is measured by one’s ability to increase shareholder value
��

In contrast, at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy Of Administration (LBSNAA), civil servants are trained with a
��

��
��
to manage disaster relief, oversee public welfare programs, and balance development priorities, all while maintaining
equity and accountability.

For instance, a corporate CEO might focus on marketing a car to maximize sales, whereas a District Magistrate (DM)
might focus on ensuring fair distribution of essential supplies like food or water during a crisis. While both roles
��
and public trust.

��
�� The civil services face challenges like rigidity, bureaucratic silos, and a slow pace of decision-making,
which often stem from their hierarchical structure. In a democracy, governance prioritizes consensus over speed,
which can create delays, but that doesn’t mean the system is beyond reform.

��
deep expertise in critical sectors like health, technology, or urban planning. Introducing more lateral entry, where
��
��
��

Reforms like performance-linked evaluations, digitisation, and modern training methods have already begun
addressing these issues. However, the focus must now shift to encouraging innovation, fostering accountability, and
creating an environment where both civil servants and lateral entrants can thrive together.

��
��
�� Instead of feeling demoralised, aspirants should focus on preparing for the real-world
challenges of governance. As for the institution, such criticism reminds us that visible results matter. Civil servants
��

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December 2024 Issue
��
�� The way forward lies in embracing reforms that make the system more agile, specialised, and outcome-
oriented. Lateral entry is a step in the right direction. By bringing in professionals with deep domain expertise from
��
governance ecosystem.

Additionally:

��
to handle complex, modern challenges.

��LBSNAA’s curriculum should focus more on real-world problem-solving, case-based learning, and
collaborative leadership.

�� Build mechanisms to recognise and reward civil servants who demonstrate exceptional initiative
and results.

�� Foster a culture where lateral entrants, civil servants, and external experts work together
seamlessly to create holistic solutions.

By combining the experience and adaptability of civil servants with the domain expertise of lateral entrants, we can
create a governance model that is both modern and rooted in the values of public service. This balance is key to
��

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December 2024 Issue

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers

Prelims Tidbits for the month of

November
��
��
UPSC and various other competitive examinations.
Compiled by ��

Polity
� ��

�� which held

that the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) was not a minority institution.

— In the Azeez Basha case, the SC constitution bench, while interpreting ��, had held that to be a minority
institution, it should have been both established and administered by the minority.

��
educational institutions of their choice.

— In the Azeez Basha case, the SC Constitution bench had held that AMU is not a minority institution and to enjoy
the status, it should have been both established and administered by the minority.

��
emphasised that establishment is more crucial than “administration.”

� ��

— The Supreme Court last week delivered a landmark verdict in the ��
Maharashtra case.
— The Court answered two key questions regarding the status of Article 31C and the interpretation of Article 39B. It
ruled that not all private property can be deemed “material resource of the community” for redistribution under Article
��
— The majority opinion provided four factors that must be considered to determine whether private property may be
deemed as a material resource of the community:
��
��
��
��

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December 2024 Issue
� ��

— A three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court, presided over by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, on
November 5 �� the ��
(Madarsa Act), except for its provisions allowing the Board to award higher degrees like Fazil and Kamil.

— The Allahabad High Court earlier struck down the Act in March, saying it violated the principles of secularism.

— The Madarsa Act provides the legal framework for madarsa education where, apart from the curriculum of the
National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), religious education is imparted as well.

— It created the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education, predominantly comprising members of the Muslim
community. The functions of the board are detailed under Section 9 of the Act and include preparing and prescribing
course material and conducting exams for all courses from ‘Maulvi’ (equivalent to Class 10) to ‘Fazil’ (equivalent to a
Master’s).

� ��

— The ‘Animal Health Security Strengthening in India for Pandemic Preparedness and Response’ initiative was
launched by the Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying in New Delhi on October 25.

— The project was approved by ��, created by G20 countries under the Indonesian presidency in
2022.

— The project will work with the help of three implementing agencies—the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the
World Bank, and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). It is expected to be completed by August 2026.

June 17, a total of 10 persons, including the loco pilot of a goods train and
train manager of Kanchanjunga Express, were killed after the Sealdah-
bound passenger train from Agartala was hit by a goods train from the rear
in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district, 11 km from New Jalpaiguri railway
station. (File photo)

� KAVACH

��
railway levels responsible, the Commissioner of Railway
Safety (CRS) said that the Kanchanjunga Express-goods
train collision in West Bengal this June was an “accident-in-
waiting” due to “lapses at multiple levels” in managing train
operations in the event of “automatic signal failures”, and could have been avoided.
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December 2024 Issue
— The railway safety body also called for the implementation of the automatic train protection system—KAVACH—
as the top priority.

— KAVACH is an advanced ��, designed to prevent collisions and enhance

operational safety. It was earlier named as Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS).

��
stations, trains and tracks. If a loco pilot inadvertently skips a red signal, Kavach automatically activates and controls
the train’s braking systems. Additionally, the system detects any trains approaching the same tracks, taking necessary
actions to avert collisions and alerting the loco pilot.

— Basic Features of KAVACH are:

(i) Allows trains to operate at permissible speeds.

(ii) Assists loco pilots in preventing Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD).

(iii) Provides continuous speed supervision.

(iv) Displays signal aspects and movement authority in the loco pilot’s cab.

��

� ��

��
��
state.

— AFSPA provides for special powers for the armed forces that can be imposed by the Centre or the Governor of a
��

��
civil power is necessary’’. AFSPA has been used in areas where militancy has been prevalent.

� ��

��
241 million residents are facing a 42 per cent gap between their resources and expenditure and that only 29 per cent
of their expenditure goes towards programmatic and development work.

�� was their own, with the rest

coming from the Union and state governments.

— Only 29 per cent of the current expenditure of the urban local bodies was directed towards programmatic and
development work.

��
of 16 states had limited or no power over recruitment.

��

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December 2024 Issue
� ��

— Last week, The Delhi High Court issued directions to improve the availability of so-called ��.

��
��

— Currently, 63 rare diseases — like Gaucher’s disease, Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSDs), and certain forms of
muscular dystrophy— are included under the National Policy for Rare Diseases on the recommendation of the Central
Technical Committee for Rare Diseases (CTCRD).

— In India, rare diseases are categorised into three groups based on the nature and complexity of available treatment
options.

� �� includes diseases that can be treated with a one-time curative procedure.

� �� diseases require long-term or lifelong treatment which are relatively less costly and have shown
��

� ��
continue lifelong.

— Import of rare disease medicines by patients does not attract customs duty, but companies that bring these drugs to
India still pay 11% customs duty and 12% GST.

� DAP

— Amid the ongoing DAP fertiliser crisis in Haryana, the Centre has allocated 1.10 lakh metric tonne (LMT) DAP to
farmers.

— DAP, or di-ammonium phosphate, is India’s second most commonly �� after urea.

— It is high in �� that stimulates root establishment and development — without which plants cannot
grow to their normal size, or will take too long to mature. It is thus applied just before, or at the time of sowing.

— At the beginning of this year, DAP along with muriate of potash (MOP) and all other such fertilisers that used to
receive nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) support was brought under “reasonable pricing” controls.

��
can earn from their sales.

� National Clean Air programme

��
��

— The NCAP’s target has set a target to cut particulate matter pollution (PM 10) by 40% by 2025-26 or meet National
Ambient Air Quality standards.

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December 2024 Issue
� PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme

— The PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme, launched on 6th November, is a new Central Sector scheme that seeks to provide
��.

— Under the PM Vidyalaxmi scheme, any student who gets admission to a Quality Higher Education Institution
(QHEIs) will be eligible to get ��
cover the full amount of tuition fees and other expenses related to the course.

— An outlay of ��
��

— The scheme will be available to India’s top-quality higher educational institutions (HEIs) based on NIRF rankings.

��75 per cent credit guarantee on outstanding defaults, supporting

banks in providing these educational loans under the scheme.

��
��

� ��

— In September 2024, the Union Cabinet approved “Mission Mausam”, with a budget of ��, to enhance
India’s ability to predict and respond to extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change.

— As part of Mission Mausam, India is building a cloud chamber to ‘manage’ certain weather events, and on-
demand, enhance or suppress rainfall, hail, fog and, later, lightning strikes.

��,
��.

— A cloud chamber resembles a closed cylindrical or tubular drum, inside which water vapour, aerosols, etc. are
injected. A cloud can develop under the desired humidity and temperature inside this chamber.

� Gram Panchayat-Level Weather Forecasting

— The initiative, Gram Panchayat-Level Weather Forecasting, is a joint program of the ��
��, and ��.

— The initiative is aimed at “empowering rural communities and enhancing disaster preparedness at the grassroots,
��

— Hourly forecasts will be available on the e-GramSwaraj and Gram Manchitra portals, and the Meri Panchayat app.
e-GramSwaraj is already operational.

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� ��

— The Supreme Court on Monday underlined that secularism is a “core feature” of the Constitution which has been
held to be a part of the basic structure.

— The secular nature of the Indian state is secured by Articles 25-28 of the Constitution.

— The �� added the words ‘socialist,’ ‘secular,’ and ‘integrity’ to the
Preamble.

� ��

��states have the power to tax

��, but also ��.

— This judgement overturned its 1990 seven-judge judgment in Synthetics & Chemicals Ltd vs State of Uttar
Pradesh, which held that States cannot tax industrial alcohol.

— ��

� ��
intoxicating liquors. Whereas Entry 52 of List I (Union List) gives power to the Centre to regulate industries in
the public interest, as declared by Parliament.

� Since non-potable alcohol (non-drinkable) and related industries fall under the Industries (Development and
Regulation) Act, 1961—a law passed by Parliament—the Centre argued that it holds authority over industrial
alcohol, leaving states without regulatory power in this area.

� ��

— The Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying has inaugurated the ��.

��
the country. The census takes into account information about the species, breed, age, sex, and ownership status of the
animals in question.

� ��

��
��
��, ��, and ��.

— NPPA is an organization of the Government of India which is responsible for regulating market prices of essential
medicines.

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December 2024 Issue
� ��

— Prime Minister Narendra Modi has

launched the ��
card under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan
Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana �� to
��
years and above, regardless of their income
and economic status.

— It was launched on ��, which is

being observed as the ��.
��
��
to a cover of ��
household, the cover will be split among them.

— AB PM-JAY is the world’s largest public health insurance scheme which provides free coverage up to Rs 5 lakh
annually to all members of eligible families.

��

Reports

(��: UPSC has directly asked questions about the publication of important indices and reports. In this regard, it
is important to know about these reports.)

� ��

— The International Labour Organization (ILO) has released a report titled ‘The impact of care responsibilities of
women’s labour participation’.

— According to the report, India has �� outside the labour force due to care responsibilities and
needs further investment in the care economy. In comparison, just around 1.1 per cent of men stay outside the labour
force due to care responsibilities in India.

— Iran, Egypt, Jordan, Mali, and India have more than 50 per cent of women outside the labour force due to care
responsibilities.

— The report also showed that 97.8 per cent women and 91.4 per cent men in India are outside the labour force due
to personal or family reasons.

— India would need further investment in the care economy, particularly in the early childhood care and education
(ECCE) to support labour force participation of unpaid carers and gender equality in the workforce.

— Belarus, Bulgaria, Latvia and Sweden have less than 10 per cent of women outside the labour force due to
caregiving while investing around 1 per cent of GDP in ECCE.

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� ��

— On the occasion of ��, published a report on diabetes.

— According to the report, a �� living with diabetes globally are in India��
��
Indonesia (25 million) and Brazil (22 million).

��
global analysis of trends in both diabetes rates and treatment.

� ��

— According to the annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin of WMO, annual mean carbon dioxide (CO2) levels rose��
��

— This was the �� when the annual mean CO2 rose by over 2 PPM.

— The globally averaged surface concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide GHG reached new
��

��
��

��
absorption by forests combined with stubbornly high fossil fuel CO2 emissions from human and industrial activities.

— Methane present in the earth’s atmosphere saw the largest three-year increase between 2020 and 2022.

� ��

— The Lancet Countdown: tracking progress on health and climate change was established the same year the Paris
Agreement entered into force (2016), to monitor the health impacts and opportunities of the world’s response to this
landmark agreement.

— It annually publishes a report to �� at global,

regional, and national levels.

— The Report notes that 10 of the 15 indicators it uses for monitoring climate change-related health hazards globally
have reached “concerning new records”.

��
country was exposed to at least 2,400 hours of heat, equivalent to 100 days, that could have resulted in moderate to
serious heat-related diseases.

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December 2024 Issue
� ��

— According to the latest ��

�� Global Tuberculosis Report, India saw a slight decline
in the estimated number of tuberculosis cases and deaths in
��

— India had an estimated 28 lakh TB ��

for ��. And, there were estimated 3.15
lakh TB-related deaths, accounting for ��
��.

— World Tuberculosis Day is observed on March 24 every

year. It aims to increase public awareness about the global
��
taken to eliminate the disease.

��
announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes
TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this
disease. The theme of this year is ‘Yes! We can end TB!’

� Emissions Gap Report

— The Emissions Gap Report is an annual publication released

by the UN Environment Programme.

— According to the report, greenhouse gas emissions of China

and India, two of the top three emitters, grew by 5.2 per cent
��
��

— The report said that the current climate actions could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by only 10 per
��
��

International Cooperation
� ��

��

— It was for admission into post-secondary Designated Learning Institutions (DLI), which are colleges approved by
the Canadian territorial or provincial government for hosting international students.

— It had strict requirements, such as paying one year’s tuition fee in advance and providing a mandatory Guaranteed
��

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December 2024 Issue
� BRICS

— The 16th BRICS Summit concluded

��. The
Kazan Declaration, issued at the end of
the Summit, highlights: It reiterates the
demand for equitable global governance,
advocates restoring peace through
dialogue, and encourages cooperation
among countries of the Global South.

— BRICS consists of Brazil, Russia, India,

China, and South Africa. On January 1 this
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, China’s President
year, BRICS admitted �� new members: Xi Jinping and other world leaders during the 16th BRICS Summit, in Kazan, Russia,
Wednesday, Oct 23, 2024. (PTI)
��, and the United
��. Argentina and Saudi Arabia were also invited but they haven’t joined.

— Meanwhile, Turkiye, Azerbaijan, and Malaysia have formally applied, and a number of others expressed a desire to
be members.

� ��

�� status by the BRICS group of nations.

— Turkey, a NATO member, has in recent months voiced interest in joining the BRICS group of emerging economies.

— The “partner country” category was introduced in the recently concluded BRICS in Kazan.

— BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates

� ��

— �� has come up with a MATES that allows talented young people from India to work in the country for
some time.

��
career professionals a chance to work in Australia for two years.

��
��

— The MMPA is a bilateral framework that supports and promotes two-way migration and mobility between the two
countries, while addressing issues pertaining to illegal and irregular migration.

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December 2024 Issue
� RCEP and CPTPP

— India should be a part of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and Comprehensive and
��
Thursday.

— ��

— The RCEP bloc comprises 10 ASEAN group members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos and Vietnam) and their six FTA partners - China, Japan, South Korea,
Australia and New Zealand.

��
Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Japan.

� International Solar Alliance

— India in collaboration with a few other countries including conference host France, set up the International Solar
Alliance (ISA) at the ��.

— It aims to accelerate the deployment and absorption of solar energy globally, mainly in developing countries.

— ISA has been targeting the deployment of 1,000 GW of solar energy, and unlocking a trillion dollars in solar
��

� ��

��
years. The pact was due to lapse on October 24.

— The agreement was signed on October 24, 2019, to facilitate the visit of pilgrims from India to Gurdwara ��
�� through the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor.

— The 4 km-long Kartarpur Corridor provides visa-free access to Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar
��.

� ��

— The convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is taking place in the �� from 21 October to 1
November with the theme of ‘Peace with Nature.’

— The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) came out of the same 1992 Rio Earth Summit that gave rise to the
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

��
biological resources are equitably distributed.

— The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework which concluded at COP15 in Montreal in 2022, lays
��
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December 2024 Issue
— These include the ��
��
��

� High Seas treaty

— The High Seas Treaty, also known as the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdictions or BBNJ, was
��
step forward in meeting the ��.

— India has signed the agreement at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, 2024. So
��
��

— The High Seas Treaty has four main objectives:

� Demarcation of marine protected areas (MPAs), rather like there are protected forests or wildlife areas;

� ��

� Initiation of the practice of environmental impact assessments for all major activities in the oceans; and

� Capacity building and technology transfer.

��

�� is the process by which a country agrees to be legally bound to the provisions of an international
law. This is separate from a mere signing on to an international law. Signing indicates that a country agrees with
��
which varies from country to country, it is not legally bound to follow that law.

� ��

— Maritime Exercise Malabar 2024

��
beginning with the Harbour Phase in
Visakhapatnam, followed by the Sea Phase.

— It was hosted by India and saw the

participation of ��, Japan, and the
��.

— Malabar is a multilateral war-gaming

naval exercise that was started in 1992. It
began as a bilateral exercise between the
navies of India and the United States.
Naval ships of India, USA, Australia and Japan during the sea phase of Exercise Malabar
�� 2024. This year’s edition of the quadrilateral exercise, which began on October 8 and
�� concluded on Friday, saw participation of warships, their integral helicopters, long-range
patrol aircraft and submarines. PTI
Japan have participated in the exercise
every year.
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December 2024 Issue
� ��
��

— The TATA Advanced System Ltd.

(TASL)-Airbus Final Assembly Line
(FAL) facility has been inaugurated in
Vadodara’s Harni area.

��
assembly line for military aircraft in
India. It will manufacture the C-295
medium-lift tactical transport aircraft for
the Indian Air Force (IAF).
C295 aircraft (PTI)
— The facility was jointly inaugurated by
��

��
��
surfaces are some other features.

— According to Airbus, the C295 is a versatile tactical transport that can perform a variety of missions, such as
carrying troops and cargo, maritime patrol, airborne warning, surveillance and reconnaissance, armed close air
��

� UNRWA

— Israel’s parliament has passed two Bills to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees
(UNRWA) from operating in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

��
��

— UNRWA began operations on May 1, 1950. It operates in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as well as in
Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan — where Palestinian refugees took shelter after their expulsion

Economy
��

— The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has retained the �� and ICICI Bank as
Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs).

— Some banks, due to their size, cross-jurisdictional activities, complexity, lack of substitutability and
interconnectedness, become systemically important. They are perceived as banks that are ‘Too Big To Fail (TBTF)’
and enjoy certain advantages in the funding markets.

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December 2024 Issue
Environment
� ��

— At COP29, China and India, along with other BASIC country partners Brazil and South Africa, confronted the
European Union (EU) against the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) introduced last year.

— CBAM taxes certain products coming in from other countries on the basis of their emissions footprint in their
production process. For instance, if the imported steel was produced through a process that entailed higher emissions
than the emissions standards for that product in Europe, it would be taxed.

— CBAM allows industries in Europe to remain competitive while continuing to maintain high environmental
standards. It prevents these industries from relocating their production to countries where the production might
be cheap owing to less strict emission norms, a situation described as carbon leakage. In the process, it hopes to
contribute to reducing global emissions.

� ��

— COP, or ��, is the annual meeting of the members of the UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) — an international agreement, signed in 1992, that has provided a basis for climate
negotiations.

— ��: The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in this COP. It placed obligations on the set of rich and
industrialised countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by assigned amounts. It did not last long as the rich and
powerful countries were not happy with its provisions.

— �� It led to the landmark Paris Agreement — a legally binding international treaty to limit
global temperatures to below 2 degree Celsius, and preferably below 1.5 degree Celsius. The parties also agreed to
submit their climate action plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), by 2020.

— �� The Glasgow pact made a commitment to “phase down” the use of coal (this language
��
��

— ��
��

� ��

��
insemination at the ��
Breeding Centre in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district is an
“extremely important step” in the conservation of the
critically endangered species.

— The Great Indian Bustard is a large bird ��

in India. It is known to be a key indicator species of the
grassland habitat, which means its survival also signals
��
the health of grassland habitats. ��

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
— It has an estimated population of only 150 ranging in the wild, mostly in Rajasthan. It is a critically endangered
species.

� Cyclone Dana

— Heavy rainfall lashed parts of West Bengal and Odisha on October 24.

— Landfall is when a tropical cyclone comes onto land after being over water. As
per the IMD, a tropical cyclone is said to have made landfall when the centre of
��or its eye��

— Cyclone Dana will be the second to develop in the North Indian Ocean in less
than two months, after Cyclone Asna in the Arabian Sea in late August.

— The name Dana means “generosity” in Arabic and was chosen by Qatar,
according to the standard convention of naming tropical cyclones in the region.
Path of Cyclone Dana
— In 2000, a group of nations called WMO/ESCAP (World Meteorological
��
Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand, decided to start naming cyclones
in the region.

��
Emirates and Yemen. The list of 169 cyclone names released by IMD in April 2020 was provided by these countries
��

� Geoengineering

— A new study has argued that spraying millions of tonnes of diamond dust in the Earth’s upper atmosphere every
year could help cool down the Earth and combat global warming. Several other compounds, such as sulphur, calcium,
aluminium, and silicon, have been suggested previously for doing the same job.

— Geoengineering refers to any large-scale attempt to alter the Earth’s natural climate system to counter the adverse
impacts of global warming. Two broad geoengineering options are being explored: Solar Radiation Management
(SRM) and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies.

��
solar rays and prevent them from reaching Earth.

— Then there are Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies, which include Carbon Capture and Sequestration
��
The only method being tried out in practice is CCS.

— The �� eruptions in the Philippines in 1991, one of the largest in the 20th century, are believed to
have reduced the Earth’s temperature by 0.5 degrees Celsius that year.

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� Bhitarkanika National Park

— Cyclone Dana, which made landfall close to Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha on 25th
��

��
��

— It is the second largest mangrove ecosystem after Sundarbans in West Bengal.

— Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees and shrubs typical of estuarine and intertidal regions, meaning they grow in areas
where freshwater and saltwater meet.

��

— Red mangrove, Avicennia marina, grey mangrove, rhizophora etc. are some common mangrove trees.

��
their roots, husks, and leaves, according to a report published by the World Bank Group.

� ��

��
1,000 km, a tigress from the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger
Reserve in Maharashtra on Sunday reached its
��
Odisha.

��
km in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district adjoining
Jharkhand and West Bengal, is Asia’s second
largest biosphere, and the country’s only wild STR is the country’s only wild habitat for melanistic royal Bengal tigers.
(File Photo)
habitat for melanistic royal Bengal tigers.

— Many royal Bengal tigers of Similipal belong to a unique lineage with higher-than-normal levels of melanin, which
gives them black and yellow interspersed stripes on their coats. These tigers are not entirely black, and are therefore
more accurately described as being pseudo-melanistic.

— Melanism is a genetic condition in which an increased production of melanin, a substance in the skin that produces
hair, eye, and skin pigmentation, results in black (or nearly black) skin, feathers, or hair in an animal.

� Hasdeo Arand

— The Hasdeo forest in Chhattisgarh saw villagers clash with the police earlier this month, after tree-felling for
mining of coal resumed in the green belt.

— The Hasdeo Arand is referred to as the “lungs of Chhattisgarh”, with a wealth of biodiversity. It is the “largest un-
fragmented forests in Central India consisting of pristine Sal (Shorea robusta) and teak forests.”

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December 2024 Issue
� Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve

— Three more wild elephants have died in Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) after consuming a
toxic substance, taking the toll to ten so far this week.

��
��

— It is mainly recognised for the presence of majestic Royal Bengal Tiger,which is the National Animal of India.

— The BTR consists of three distinct areas i.e. ‘Bandhavgarh National Park’, ‘Panpatha Wildlife Sanctuary’ which is
��

� Kodo Millets

��
��
millet”.

— Kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum) is also known as Kodra and �� in India. The crop is grown in India,
Pakistan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and West Africa.

— The tropical and subtropical regions are best suited for Kodo millet cultivation and it is grown on poor soils, and
widely distributed in arid and semi-arid regions.

— CPA (Cyclopiazonic acid) is one of the major mycotoxins associated with the kodo millet seeds causing kodo
��

��
grain and fodder yield. Ergot is a parasitic fungal endophyte that grows in the ear heads of various blades of grass,
most frequently on kodo millet.

� DANA

��
of Valencia in the last week of October.

— The primary cause of the intense rain is likely an annual weather phenomenon known as a “��,” or cold
drop. It is also sometimes called a “DANA,” the acronym for “depresión aislada en niveles altos,” or isolated
��.

— DANA or cold drop takes place when cold air descends over the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea. This
results in atmospheric instability, causing hotter, moist air on the surface of the sea to rise quickly, leading to the
formation of dense, towering cumulonimbus clouds in a matter of hours. These clouds then dump heavy rain in parts
of Spain.

— The phenomenon is a common occurrence in Spain and usually coincides with the onset of autumn and spring in
the western Mediterranean. It is related to the polar jet stream.

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December 2024 Issue
� ��

— India has submitted its NBSAP spelling out its �� which was part of the
commitment under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) at the recently concluded
annual United Nations conference on biodiversity in Cali, Colombia.

��KM-GBF treaty ��

��
mainstreaming.

— The KM-GBF was adopted in �� at the 15th meeting under the Convention on Biological Diversity and 196
��

� ��

��

— AQI is a number that indicates air quality: the higher the AQI, the worse the air. There are six categories of AQI,
��
400), and ‘Severe’ (400-500).

— The colour-coded AQI index was launched in India in 2014, as part of the Swachh Bharat campaign, and it helps
the public and the government understand the condition of the air and what subsequent measures are to be taken to
combat the situation, based on its severity.

Science and Technology

� LiDAR

— Scientists have detected a lost Mayan city, hidden for centuries by the dense Mexican jungle, using LiDAR.

— LiDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing technology that uses light in the form of a pulsed
laser to measure ranges (or variable distances) of a sensor, usually mounted aboard an aircraft, to Earth’s surface.

��
10 cm, according to the US Geological Survey.

� Black hole triple

��

— The system comprises a black hole at its centre, currently in the process of consuming a small star spiralling very
close to it. There is also a second star, which appears to be circling the black hole but is actually far away.

— A black hole is a region in space where the pull of gravity is so strong that no matter or light can escape it.

— Astronomers believe most black holes are formed after massive stars explode at the end of their lives — known as a
��.

— It is located in the Cygnus constellation and contains one of the oldest known black holes, V404 Cygni, which is
about nine times the size of our Sun.

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December 2024 Issue
� ��

— According to the toxicology report of the 10 elephants that died at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, they had consumed
a “large quantity” of kodo millet plants that were infected with a fungus. In all the pooled samples, there was the
presence of cyclopiazonic acid.

��
��dry and semi-arid regions.

— However, sometimes “environmental conditions like spring and summer strike as being suitable for a certain kind
of poisoning which leads to greater economic crop loss.”

— According to the paper, “CPA (cyclopiazonic acid) is one of the major mycotoxins associated with the kodo millet
��

— Ergot is a parasitic fungal endophyte that grows in the ear heads of various blades of grass, most frequently on
kodo millet. Consumption of such kodo grains is often found to cause poisoning.

� Lignosat

��
�� named Lignosat was launched
into space on November 5 to test the reliability of
timber as a renewable building material for future
space travel.

— It is developed by Kyoto University and

��. It arrived at
the International Space Station (ISS) on November
Kyoto University’s Takao Doi said timber could enable humanity to live in
5 aboard a SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule. After a space. (Photo - Irene Wang/REUTERS)
month, it will be released into orbit above the Earth,
where it will remain in orbit for six months.

— LignoSat measures just 4 inches (10 centimeters) on each side, and weighs 900 grams.

— The satellite is named after the Latin word for wood, with panels built from a type of magnolia tree, using a
traditional Japanese crafts technique without screws or glue to hold it together.

� ��

��
scientists, Christian Sommer and Giorgio Bavestrello.

— They found that when adult Turritopsis dohrnii �� were stressed, they reverted to an earlier stage in their
life-cycle — rather than die.

— Two scientists in Norway have discovered that Turritopsis dohrnii is not the only jellies who can reverse
development but comb jellies from the species Mnemiopsis leidyi can also reverse from a mature “lobate”, or adult
with lobes, to an early larval-state — also when stressed.

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Important Days/Event
� United Nations Day

— ��

— The term “United Nations” was suggested by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Second World War.

��
Nations was ��.

��Trygve Lie from Norway who served from 1946-1952.

— The longest statement at the United Nations was delivered by V.K. Krishna Menon of India. His speech to the
��

��
��twelve times.

(Source: un.org)

� World Polio Day

— �� is observed as World Polio Day.

— Rotary International ��

develop the vaccine against the disease in the 1950s.

��
according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. In January 2011, India reported its last polio case, in West
Bengal’s Howrah.

��
cure for polio, it can only be prevented through a vaccine.

� ��

— The �� is celebrated on Dhanvantri Jayanti, or what is believed to be the birth anniversary of
god Dhanvantri which was on �� this year.

— The central government started Ayurveda Day celebrations in 2016 to create more awareness about Ayurveda.

— The birth anniversary of Dhanvantri was chosen to mark this day, as Dhanvantri is considered the physician of
Gods. He is also considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

— For Ayurveda Day 2024, the theme is ‘Ayurveda Innovation for Global Health’, and the focus is on four areas:
women’s health, workplace wellness, school wellness programmes, and food innovation.

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� Rashtriya Ekta Diwas

— Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) is celebrated every year on the ��
Sardar Patel.

— The celebration of Ekta Diwas was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014.

��
��

— The Sardar Patel statue called ��, the world’s tallest statue, twice the height of the Statue of
Liberty in the US, is located in Gujarat’s Narmada.

� ��

— October 29 is the UN International Day of Care and Support.

— The theme of this year is “Transforming Care Systems: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the
context of Beijing+30”.

� ��

— The �� is organised by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in

collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) in New Delhi from 5th - 6th November, 2024.

— The summit theme is ‘Role of Buddha Dhamma in Strengthening Asia’.

� Chalo India campaign

— The ��will launch its Chalo India campaign on the sidelines of the ongoing World Travel Mart
in London.

��
“friends” of diaspora members to get free visas.

— Five foreign nationals nominated by each Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder on a special portal will be
eligible for a gratis e-visa (visa granted without fees).

— The UK is the �� to India. At almost 1.9 million, it also has one of
the biggest Indian diaspora.

��
50 stakeholders.

� ��

— The Indian government��Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans

Dialogue��

��
Waterways and Observer Research Foundation.

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December 2024 Issue
Diseases
(Just FYI: UPSC has consistently included questions on health and diseases in its examinations over the years. For
��
virus was featured. Therefore, it is crucial to stay updated on diseases that are currently in the news.)

� ��

— One person has died and 10 have been hospitalised in the US due to an E.coli infection after eating McDonald’s
burgers.

— The most common symptoms of E.coli (Escherichia coli) infection include fever of more than 102 degree F,
��
to four days after eating or drinking something that contains the bacteria.

Persons in News
� Romila Thapar

— Historian Romila Thapar was

honoured with PG National Award
��
ancient Indian history.

— The PG award is a tribute to Marxist

philosopher and writer P Govinda
Pillai who died in 2012. The award
was presented by PG Sanskriti Kendra,
which was established in 2019.

(Professor Thapar is a renowned historian, known for her research on ancient Indian history.
� Kemi Badenoch She has been writing books on the social and cultural history of early India since the 1960s.)

— Kemi Badenoch became the new leader of Britain’s Conservative Party��

black woman politician — to lead a major British party.

— Badenoch, 44, replaces former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and has pledged to lead the party through a period of
renewal.

��
writing and advocacy.

� Anil Pradhan

��
(science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education in underserved areas, was awarded the third Rohini
��.

— The prize has been instituted in the memory of Rohini Nayyar by her family. Nayyar, an economist, served as an

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December 2024 Issue
��
2005. She passed away in 2021.

— The prize, comprising a cash award of Rs. 10 lakh, a citation and trophy, is given annually by the Nayyar
Foundation for Social and Economic Purpose, and is meant for individuals below 40 years in age.

— The inaugural award was won by Sethrichem Sangtam, who runs an NGO that works with farmers in eastern
Nagaland.

� Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar

— The Centre has appointed Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar as the chairperson of the ��
��.

— Rahatkar, the ninth chairperson of the NCW, succeeds Rekha Sharma whose tenure as NCW chairperson ended in
August after two consecutive terms.

— Rahatkar has been appointed for a three-year term or till the age of 65 years, whichever is the earliest.

� ��

— A statue of Babu Chabilal Upadhyaya, a leader of the ��, will be installed by the state
government in Guwahati.

— Upadhyaya, hailing from present-day Sonitpur district, had founded the Assam Association, a pioneering political
organisation.

��
Pradesh Congress Committee. He played a leading role in the country’s freedom struggle.

� Pandit Ram Narayan

— Sarangi giant Pandit Ram Narayan, who gave the humble, demanding instrument a classical stature, passes away
at 96.

— Born and raised in a small village named �� near Udaipur, Narayan came from a family of court musicians,
mostly vocalists in the Udaipur court.

� Dinanath Batra

��
organisation dedicated to education, in Kurukshetra from 1965 to 1990 passed away at the age of 94.

— Batra wrote about 15 books on subjects ranging from the “Indianisation” of education and against painting
nationalists as “terrorists”, and on a curriculum for character building.

� Sharda Sinha

— Folk legend Sharda Sinha, known for her repertoire of songs in Maithili, Bhojpuri, Magahi, Sanskrit and Hindi,

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��

— Often referred to as ��, she

was known for songs that would be played at Chhath,
weddings, and several other rituals. She had also lent her
voice to songs in movies such as Maine Pyar Kiya and
Gangs of Wasseypur.

— Sinha was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991 and

��
bringing folk poets’ creations out of obscurity. Often feted as the successor to legendary folk singer Vindyavasini Devi,
Sharda Sinha brought respectability to folk artists.

� ��

— Tamil actor Vijay while delivering a political speech for his new party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (“Tamil Nadu
��

— �� is regarded as ��

��

— Anjalai Ammal��
remained politically active until she died in 1961.

��
She wore a burqa and travelled in a horse-drawn carriage to meet him. It is believed that Gandhi has called her ��
��.

� ��

— Justice K S Puttaswamy, former Karnataka High Court judge and the lead petitioner in the seminal ‘right to
privacy case’��

— The court has held that “the right to privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of the right to life and personal liberty
under Article 21 and as a part of the freedoms guaranteed by Part III of the Constitution”.

— Three elements are considered as the core to the right to privacy: Personal autonomy, the freedom to make choices
and the right to determine what happens with information about oneself.

� ��

— Bibek Debroy who was Chairman of PM Modi’s

��, dies at 69.

— Debroy was appointed Chairman of PM-EAC on

��
NITI Aayog.

— Debroy was awarded a Padma Shri in 2015 and the

Bibek Debroy was awarded the Padma Shri in 2015.
Lifetime Achievement Award by the US-India Business ��

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
Summit in 2016.

— The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) is an independent body constituted to advise on
��

� CV Ramakrishnan

— Professor Comaralingam V Ramakrishnan, father of Nobel laureate Venki Ramakrishnan, died on Friday in
��

— Prof CVR, as he was popularly known, founded the Department of Biochemistry at the Maharaja Sayajirao
��

� Victoria Kjaer Theilvig

— 21-year-old Victoria Kjaer Theilvig

��
��
ever victory in the prestigious beauty
pageant’s history.

— Mexico’s María Fernanda Beltrán

��
��
as the second runner-up.

��
� Dr Navin Ramgoolam elegance and poise. (Source: Miss Universe Org/Instagram)

— Mauritius’s opposition leader Navin Ramgoolam was appointed prime minister on Tuesday, returning to the post a
decade on after his coalition won a near clean sweep of seats in parliament in a general election.

� ��

— The Sarai Kale Khan Chowk in Delhi was renamed ‘Bhagwan Birsa Munda Chowk’, with Union Home Minister
Amit Shah inaugurating the tribal cultural icon’s statue on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary year.

— �� marks the 150th birth anniversary of the tribal icon Birsa Munda, which is celebrated as “Janjatiya
��

— He, also known as ��, organised the “Ulgulan” or the Munda Rebellion
��

� ��

— The Odisha government has announced a year of celebrations for the 125th birth anniversary of ��
��, a former Chief Minister of the state and towering Odia icon.

��

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December 2024 Issue
��

— He served as the last Prime Minister of Odisha from 1946 to 1950, and then as Chief Minister from 1956 to 1961.

��

� ��

— �� is observed as National Education Day, to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul
Kalam Azad.

��
��

— Maulana Azad was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1992.

� ��

— 20-year-old ��Miss Grand

�� crown.

— Miss Grand International is said to be currently the number one Beauty Pageant in the world with over 5 Million
followers across the globe.

� ��

— President Droupadi Murmu on 24th October appointed

Justice Sanjiv Khanna as the 51st ��.

— The President exercised the power under clause (2) of

Article 124 of the Constitution of India to appoint him as
the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He is likely to take
oath on November 11.

Justice Sanjiv Khanna is the second-most senior judge of the

� �� Supreme Court. (Supreme Court website)

��
��

��
formally appointed as the general secretary of the ruling Communist Party in August.

Places in News
(Just FYI: The location of the place is important, considering that UPSC has asked several questions about places
��
plot them on a world map.)

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December 2024 Issue
� Jagannath Temple

��
Puri.

— Puri’s Jagannath temple is dedicated to the worship of Lord Jagannath, believed to be an incarnation of Vishnu,
along with his older brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra.

— It is one of the chardhams, four of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus.

— It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

� ��

— According to Swiss air quality rating agency IQAir, Lahore in Pakistan continued to be the most polluted city in the
world, recording an air quality index (AQI) of above 1,000.

— The rising smog levels have led the Chief Minister of Punjab in Pakistan, Maryam Nawaz, to introduce a “smog
diplomacy” initiative between India and Pakistan to address the dangerously high levels of air pollution, The Guardian
reported.

� ��

— At least 26 people were killed, and over 60 injured after an explosion tore through at the Quetta railway station in
Pakistan’s Balochistan.

— The name Quetta is a variation of kwatkot, a Pashto word meaning “fort,” and locally, it is known by its ancient
��

� India-China has reached an agreement on patrolling

along LAC

��
China, New Delhi and Beijing have agreed on the disengagement
on the border.

— Friction points such as Galwan Valley, the north and south

banks of Pangong Tso, Gogra-Hot Springs area have seen some
��

— Legacy issues of Depsang Plains and Demchok remain,

troops at Depsang Plains were blocked from accessing patrol
points. Important locations

— These are the important areas important for your exam.

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
� ��

— Seven people were killed in Jammu and Kashmir on October 20 when

suspected militants targeted the workers of infrastructure company APCO
Infratech, which is constructing the Z-Morh tunnel on the Srinagar-
Sonamarg highway.

— The Z-Morh tunnel is a �� connecting the Sonamarg

health resort with Kangan town in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
The tunnel has been constructed near Gagangir village ahead of Sonamarg.

— The tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity to Sonamarg, a famous

tourist destination on the Srinagar-Leh highway. Z-Morh Tunnel

— The tunnel has acquired its name for the Z-shaped road stretch at the place where the tunnel is being constructed.

��
avalanches in the winter.

— The Z-Morh tunnel is part of the Zojila tunnel project that aims to provide all weather connectivity from Srinagar
to Ladakh throughout the year.

— The construction of the tunnel will provide safe connectivity between Srinagar, Dras, Kargil and Leh regions.

� ��

��Bihta, a town near the

state capital Patna.

— A dry port, or ��, provides a logistics facility away from a seaport or airport for cargo
��
movement of goods.

— The Bihta dry port is spread over seven acres. It is being run in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode by Pristine
Magadh Infrastructure Private Limited and the state industry department.

� ��

��
ambulance service at AIIMS Rishikesh.

— A helicopter will be stationed under the service at the AIIMS from where it will be sent anywhere within a radius of
150 km to airlift anyone who has met with an accident to the medical facility.

� ��

— The host city for the 16th BRICS summit in ��.

��Volga and ��. This city

of 1.2 million is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, the homeland of the Tatar people, the second largest ethnic

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December 2024 Issue
group in the country after Russians.

— �� which was originally built in the early 16th century. It was burnt down by Ivan the Terrible
(Grand Prince of Moscow) during the Siege of Kazan. The mosque was rebuilt with Saudi and UAE help in 2005.

Sports
(Just FYI: With the unpredictability of the UPSC examinations and questions like the ICC World Test Championship
question 2021, you can’t be sure of anything. It is wise to know what it is and not go into too much detail.)

� ��

— The 2024 Paragliding World Cup launched at the renowned Bir-Billing site in Kangra district, attracting 94
��

— This is the second World Cup held at Bir-Billing, following the inaugural event in 2015.

— Over the past three decades, Bir-Billing has made a name for itself as a “paraglider paradise” due to its strong,
��
Manali.

� ��

— The Archery World Cup Final 2024 was held in Tlaxcala, Mexico.

— Indian archer �� won the Silver medal making it a sixth World Cup Final medal. She lost to the
People’s Republic of China’s Li Jiaman.

� Commonwealth Games

— The �� of the Commonwealth Games has decided to drop nine sports from it.

��
2026 in Glasgow, Scotland.

— Badminton, cricket, hockey, squash, shooting, archery, table tennis, and wrestling have been omitted.

� ��

— The captain of the Indian men’s hockey team Harmanpreet Singh, who led the country to its second successive
bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, won the �� in Oman.

— PR Sreejesh, who retired from the game after winning his second Olympic medal, won the Goalkeeper of the Year
award.

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December 2024 Issue
Awards
� ��

— British writer Samantha Harvey won

��
with “��
novel set aboard the International Space
Station that ponders the beauty and
fragility of Earth.

— Harvey is the ��

winner since 2019.

— The prize is open to English-language

writers of any nationality and has a Samantha Harvey poses with the trophy and her book “Orbital” after winning the Booker
Prize award 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
reputation for transforming writers’
careers. Previous winners include Ian
McEwan, Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie and Hilary Mantel.

��
� ‘4 B’ Movement

— As Donald Trump returns to the White House, social media in the US is seeing the rise of the ‘4B’ movement,
��
practices.

— 4B stands for four bis, or no in the Korean language: bihon, bichulsan, biyeonae, and bisekseu, meaning the refusal
of (heterosexual) marriage, childbirth, romance, and sexual relationships, respectively.

— The 4B movement belongs to the strain of radical feminism that believes that heterosexual relationships at their
heart remain structures of oppression, and women need to break free of them to be truly independent and happy.

��
— ��
��
UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with 15,000 troops would monitor borders, support Lebanese forces as Israel
withdrew in 2006.

— Digital Arrest: A “Digital Arrest” scam involves fraudsters impersonating law enforcement via video calls,
threatening fake arrests to extort money. In the majority of cases, online frauds and criminals typically call potential
victims and tell them that they have sent or are the intended recipients of a parcel containing illegal goods, drugs, fake
passports or any other contraband item.

— Salt Typhoon: Salt Typhoon is the name Microsoft cybersecurity experts have given to a Chinese group suspected
of using sophisticated techniques to hack into major systems — most recently, US telecommunication companies.

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December 2024 Issue

Practice Quiz
Current Affairs Revision MCQs
��
Compiled by Nitendra Pal Singh

QUESTION 1 QUESTION 3
�� Consider the following wildlife sanctuaries:
following statements: 1. Gir Wildlife Sanctuary
1. It increases the content of essential micronutrients 2. Paniya Wildlife Sanctuary
in food to improve the nutritional quality of food.
��
��
��
least 12 months.
��
��
(a) Only one
��
(b) Only two
��
(c) All three
(a) Only one
(d) None
(b) Only two
(c) All three
QUESTION 4
(d) None
Consider the following languages:
1. Pali
QUESTION 2
2. Prakrit
With reference to the Marburg virus disease (MVD),
consider the following statements: ��
�� 4. Punjabi
2. Human MVD infections are caused by prolonged 5. Gujarati
exposure to mines. ��
��
4. It does not spread through human-to-human ��
transition. (b) 1, 2, 4 and 5
��
(a) 1, 2 and 4 ��
��
(c) 1 and 2 only QUESTION 5
�� With reference to the United Nations Interim
Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), consider
the following statements:

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
1. It is an international body assigned to prevent (a) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct and
violations along the border between Lebanon and Statement 2 is the correct explanation for
Israel. Statement 1.
2. The peacekeeping force includes only military (b) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct
personnel and does not have civilian personnel. and Statement 2 is not the correct explanation for
�� Statement 1.
�� (c) Statement 1 is correct but Statement 2 is
�� incorrect.
�� (d) Statement 1 is incorrect but Statement 2 is
�� correct.

(b) 2 only
�� QUESTION 8

(d) 1 only ��

��
��
QUESTION 6 ��
With reference to the Nobel Prizes 2024, consider (a) Vietnam
the following statements:
(b) Malaysia
1. The Nobel Prize for Literature 2024 was awarded
(c) Indonesia
to South Korean author Han Kang.
(d)Laos
2. The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the
Japanese organisation Nihon Hidankyo.
�� QUESTION 9
�� With reference to the AstroSat, consider the
(a) 1 only following statements:

(b) 2 only ��

aimed at studying celestial sources in X-ray and UV
(c) Both 1 and 2
spectral bands simultaneously.
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
2. It enables the simultaneous multi-wavelength
observations of various astronomical objects with a
QUESTION 7 single satellite.
Consider the following statements: ��
��
�� Plant cover across the Antarctic
Peninsula has increased more than 10 times over the (a) 1 only
past few decades. (b) 2 only
�� The Antarctic continent is warming (c) Both 1 and 2
twice as fast as the global average, at a rate of
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
��
Celsius per decade.
��
��

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
�� (c) their discoveries of receptors for temperature and
With reference to the Auroras, consider the following touch.
statements: (d) enabling the development of mRNA vaccines.
1. These are essentially natural lights that appear as
bright, swirling curtains in the night sky. QUESTION 13
2. In the Northern Hemisphere, these bright and Consider the following statements with reference to
colourful lights are called Aurora Australis, while International organisations:
those in the South are called Aurora Borealis.
1. The East Asia Summit (EAS) process was
�� initiated in 2010 the ASEAN Member States, China,
space between charged solar winds and the Earth’s India, Japan, and Russia.
magnetosphere.
��
��
�� came together to sign the ASEAN declaration.
(a) Only one ��
(b) Only two Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
(c) All three (RCEP) in 2020, it ultimately decided not to do so.

(d) None ��

(a) 1 and 2 only

QUESTION 11 ��

With reference to the AlphaFold2, consider the ��

following statements: ��
��
2. It can predict the structure of a protein with QUESTION 14
outstanding accuracy. With reference to the thermite as a weapon, consider
�� the following statements:
�� 1. It was used in both world wars.
(a) 1 only 2. Dragon drones release thermite which triggers
(b) 2 only ��
(c) Both 1 and 2 extinguish.

(d) Neither 1 nor 2 ��

international law.
��
QUESTION 12
��
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has
(a) Only one
been awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun
for: (b) Only two

(a) the discovery of microRNA and its role in post- (c) All three
transcriptional gene regulation. (d) None
(b) the discoveries concerning the genomes of
extinct hominins and human evolution.

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
QUESTION 15 QUESTION 18
With reference to the La Nina, consider the With reference to the Moonlight programme,
following statements: consider the following statements:
1. It is a warm phase of the El Nino-Southern 1. The programme was launched by the National
Oscillation. Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at
2. It involves changes in wind and ocean the International Astronautical Congress.
��
�� satellites that will allow accurate autonomous
cold water from the depths of the sea rises up, landings and high-speed communication.
resulting in cooler than average ocean temperatures ��
��
�� (a) 1 only
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 only
�� (c) Both 1 and 2
�� (d) Neither 1 nor 2
��
QUESTION 19
QUESTION 16 With reference to the Precision therapy, consider the
Consider the following statements: following statements:

1. The contribution of direct taxes to total tax ��

�� in tumours which allows to target treatments that
compared to the previous year. ��

2. The share of indirect taxes to total tax revenue 2. It serves as a key tool to identify patients requiring
�� intensive treatments like surgery or chemoradiation.
year. ��
��
��
(a) 1 only (a) Only one
(b) 2 only (b) Only two
(c) Both 1 and 2 (c) All three
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 (d) None

QUESTION 17 ��
��
��
(a) Constitutional body (a) Russia
(b) Judicial body (b) Japan
(c) Statutory body (c) South Korea
(d) Ombudsman body (d) Taiwan

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
QUESTION 21 ��
With reference to rare diseases, consider the hunger crises are located in Africa.
following statements: ��
1. Some rare diseases can be treated with a one-time (a) 1 only
curative procedure and some require long-term or (b) 2 only
lifelong treatment.
(c) Both 1 and 2
2. Therapies are available for around 50 per cent of
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
rare diseases.
��
QUESTION 24
��
�� It became China’s Special Administrative Region
after four centuries of Portuguese colonial rule.
(a) Only one
Following attempts to control the strategically
(b) Only two located peninsular region as a trading post in the
(c) All three 16th Century, Portugal secured a permanent lease
(d) None ��
“Las Vegas of the East”.
��
QUESTION 22
(a) Hong Kong
With reference to the Abetment in the Bharatiya
Nyaya Sanhita, consider the following statements: (b) Macau

�� (c) Singapore

�� (d) Taiwan
2. A person abets the doing of a thing if he engages
with one or more others in a conspiracy for the doing QUESTION 25
of that thing.
With reference to “Reconstruction of the population
�� history of South Asia using ancient and modern
�� genomics”, the project of Government of India,
�� consider the following statements:
(a) 1 and 2 only 1. The study is being undertaken through the
�� Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which
functions under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture.
��
��
��
��
��
QUESTION 23 archaeological sites in India and Pakistan.
With reference to Global Hunger Index 2024, ��
consider the following statements: about the movement and interactions of ancient
populations in India.
1. India falls into the “alarming” category as
compared to its South Asian neighbours like ��
Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, which fall into ��
the “serious” category.

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
(a) 1 only ��
��

(c) 2 only (a) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct and
Statement 2 is the correct explanation for Statement
��
1.
(b) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct
QUESTION 26
and Statement 2 is not the correct explanation for
It refers to the growing tendency of companies or Statement 1.
��
(c) Statement 1 is correct but Statement 2 is
about their activities, products or services being
incorrect.
environment-friendly or climate-friendly.
(d) Statement 1 is incorrect but Statement 2 is
��
correct.
(a) Greenshifting
(b) Bluewashing
QUESTION 29
(c) Greenhushing
Consider the following places:
(d) Greenwashing
1. Daulat Beg Oldie
2. Demchok
QUESTION 27
��
The recent collaboration between the Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO) and Department of 4. Galwan valley
Biotechnology (DBT) will focus on: ��
1. Impact of microgravity on edible algae ��

2. Bio therapeutics ��

��

4. Regenerative medicine ��

5. Growth of cyanobacteria with urea in space ��

��
��
(a) 1, 2 and 4 only With reference to the Polio, consider the following
�� statements:

��
��
��
Immunisation Programme (UIP).
2. India reported its last polio case in 2015 in
QUESTION 28
Mumbai.
Consider the following statements:
��
Statement 1: Biodiversity is declining more quickly
4. There is no cure for polio, it can only be prevented
inside key protected areas than outside them.
through a vaccine.
Statement 2: Most of the protected areas are not
��
designed to safeguard the whole ecosystem but only
certain species.
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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
�� QUESTION 33
(b) 2 and 4 only With reference to the E.coli, consider the following
�� statements:

(d) 1 and 4 only 1. It is a bacterial infection.

2. It causes gastrointestinal symptoms.

QUESTION 31 ��

With reference to the UN peacekeepers in Lebanon ��

(UNIFIL), consider the following statements: ��

1. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (a) Only one

(UNIFIL) was established by a resolution of the UN (b) Only two
�� (c) All three
�� (d) None
withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon
to restore peace and security.
QUESTION 34
��
�� Which of the following is/are the required eligibility
conditions for the appointment of the Chief Justice
(a) 1 only
of India?
(b) 2 only
��
(c) Both 1 and 2 Judge of a High Court or of two or more such Courts
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 in succession.
2. the person must have been for at least ten years
QUESTION 32 an advocate of a High Court or of two or more such
Courts in succession.
With reference to the spectrum for satellite
communication (satcom), consider the following ��
statements: a distinguished jurist.

1. Satcom services use an array of satellites in orbit ��

to provide connectivity on the ground. ��

�� (a) 1 and 2 only

communication. ��
��
than terrestrial broadband networks. ��
4. It allows communication networks to reach remote
locations.
QUESTION 35
��
Consider the following statements:
��
��
(a) Only one
��
(b) Only two
2. India’s per capita emission remains higher than
(c) Only three the global average of 6.6 tCO2e.
(d) All four

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
��
��
(a) 1 only (a) 1, 2 and 4 only
(b) 2 only ��
(c) Both 1 and 2 ��
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 ��

QUESTION 36 QUESTION 38
With reference to “agricultural household,” consider Consider the following statements and answer the
the following statements: question below:
1. It is one that has reported a total value of produce 1. Planet X exists in the ‘habitable zone’ of the Sun
from farming exceeding Rs 6,500 (be it cultivation with temperatures that allow for water to exist.
��
2. Nasa’s missions have earlier shown proof of
rearing, or aquaculture, sericulture and apiculture).
ancient liquid water on planet X, gauged from
2. More than half of rural households in the the dry lake beds, and presence of water ice in
country — including households in semi-urban unexplored areas.
centres with a population of less than 50,000 — are
��
“agricultural”.
��
�� ultraviolet radiation.
��
��
(a) 1 only harmful ultraviolet rays, as it does not have a
(b) 2 only protective shield.
(c) Both 1 and 2 ��
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 ��
(a) Mercury
QUESTION 37 (b) Venus
With reference to National Agricultural Cooperative (c) Mars
Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED), ��
consider the following statements:
1. It is registered under the Multi State Co-operative
QUESTION 39
Societies Act.
Consider the following statements given below:
2. It comes under the Ministry of Cooperation and
the Minister of Cooperation answers NAFED-related ��
queries in Parliament. radiation into Space and prevent it from reaching
Earth, thereby cooling down the planet is called
��
geoengineering.
Nafed, who have the authority to say in the form
of members of the General Body in the working of 2. In the Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS)
Nafed. method, carbon dioxide is sucked out through large
��
4. Nafed was setup with the objective to promote
towards storage sites or utilisation.
Cooperative marketing of agricultural produce to
��
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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
�� (a) Only one
dioxide emitted, from industry or power plants, is (b) Only two
“captured” at source and deposited deep below the
(c) All three
Earth’s surface in suitable geological formations for
long-term storage. (d) None
��
�� QUESTION 42
(a) 1 and 2 only With reference to the C-295 aircraft, consider the
�� following statements:
�� 1. It was originally produced by a Spanish aircraft
manufacturer named Construcciones Aeronáuticas
(d) 1 only
SA.
2. A plant has been inaugurated at Bengaluru,
�� where Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) will
Consider the following statements with reference to manufacture the C-295 aircraft for the Indian Air
cyclones: Force (IAF).
1. Extratropical cyclones have cold air at their core ��
and derive energy from releasing potential energy ��
when cold and warm air masses interact. (a) 1 only
2. Warm fronts or cold fronts are associated with (b) 2 only
tropical cyclones.
(c) Both 1 and 2
��
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
��
(a) 1 only
QUESTION 43
(b) 2 only
Consider the following pollutants:
(c) Both 1 and 2
1. PM 10
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
2. Nitrogen dioxide
��
QUESTION 41
4. Carbon dioxide
With reference to the Delimitation, consider the
following statements: 5. Sulphur
��
boundaries of territorial constituencies. ��
��
2. The delimitation exercise has been carried out
only seven times since Independence. ��
��
boundaries of constituencies based on population ��
and in the number of seats.
��
��
��

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December 2024 Issue
QUESTION 44 QUESTION 47
�� The Charding Nullah, also known as the Lhari
�� stream is located in:
�� (a) Galwan region
(a) Bauxite (b) Demchok region
(b) Copper (c) Depsang plains
(c) Iron (d) Drass region
(d) Coal

QUESTION 48
QUESTION 45 With reference to the Kunming-Montreal Global
With reference to the livestock census, consider the Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF), consider the
following statements: following statements:
1. It carries out a headcount of the number of 1. India submitted its National Biodiversity Strategy
domesticated animals and not for stray animals. ��
�� national biodiversity targets which are aligned with
��
��
to biodiversity.
the animals.
2. The KM-GBF was adopted in 2022 at the 15th
��
meeting under the Convention on Biological
��
Diversity.
(a) Only one
��
(b) Only two ��
(c) All three (a) 1 only
(d) None (b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
QUESTION 46 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
With reference to the “black hole triple”, consider
the following statements:
QUESTION 49
1. The system comprises a black hole at its centre
With references to the tuberculosis (TB) cases in
and a second star, which appears to be circling the
India, consider the following statements:
black hole but is actually far away.
��
2. It is situated in the constellation of Cygnus.
��
�� 50 per cent by 2025.
��
2. India saw a slight increase in the estimated
(a) 1 only ��
(b) 2 only ��
(c) Both 1 and 2 ��
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 ��
��

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UPSC ESSENTIALS
December 2024 Issue
(a) Only one ��
(b) Only two ��

(c) All three (a) Anjalai Ammal

(d) None (b) Velu Nachiyar

�� (d) Govindammal

In 1921, she joined the Non-Cooperation Movement

(1919-22), deeply driven by Gandhian principles.
This marked the start of a political career that saw
her involvement in the Neil Statue Satyagraha as
��
India movement (1942). She also presided over the
��
Mahatma Gandhi is believed to have then called her
“South India’s Rani of Jhansi”.

Answer Key
1. (b) 2. (c) 3. (c) 4. (a) 5. (a) 6. (c) 7. (a) 8. (d) 9. (c) 10. (b)
11. (c) 12. (a) 13. (b) 14. (b) 15. (b) 16. (d) 17. (c) 18. (b) 19. (c) 20. (d)
21. (b) 22. (d) 23. (d) 24. (b) 25. (b) 26. (d) 27. (d) 28. (a) 29. (b) 30. (d)

31. (c) 32. (b) 33. (c) 34. (d) 35. (a) 36. (c) 37. (b) 38. (c) 39. (d) 40. (a)

41. (a) 42. (a) 43. (a) 44. (d) 45. (a) 46. (c) 47. (b) 48. (c) 49. (b) 50. (a)

��

��Click here

Question 14 to Question 26 - Click here

��Click here

Question 41 to Question 50 - Click here

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