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At table reworking school curriculum: 24 with RSS links
Sillabus:
Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
Mains Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Growth of Education in India: Historical Background from Vedic Period to British Period
• Growth of Education in the Post-Independence Period-Reforms taken so far
• Education was initially a state subject but following an amendment (42nd) to the Constitution in 1976, it became a concurrent subject-True or False?
• The gains in terms of the literacy rates of the Indian population since independence-Know in detail
• Constitutional Provisions regarding Education- What Article 28, Article 29, Article 30, Article 21A, Article 45 and Article 46 says about Education?
• Education System in India-Know the Present Structure from Pre-primary level to Primary or elementary Level (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) to Secondary level (Rastriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan) to Higher education (Rastriya Uchhattar Shiksha Abhiyan)
• Goal 4 of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) related to Education and Govt of India’s initiatives/schemes/programmes to achieve the SDG Goal 4-Know in detail
• How National Policy on Education (NEP) 2020 and Sustainable development goals are linked?
• What are the salient features of New Education Policy 2020?
• How many policies India had so far and what was the fundamental objective of each which makes every policy unique?
• Know the Kothari Commission (1964–1966) recommendations to formulate a coherent education policy
• National Policy on Education (NPE) 1986 and New Education Policy (NEP) 2020-Compare and Contrast
• What do you understand by the National Curriculum Framework?
• National Policy on Education (NPE) and National Curriculum Framework (NCF)-Connect the dot
• “If NEP is the guiding philosophy, then NCF is the pathway”-Elaborate
• How the content of Indian history textbooks are decided?
• Who decides the content of Indian history textbooks?
• Who prepares the National Curriculum Framework for school education?
• “History is always written by the winners”-How this statement is relevant in present Context?
• How ‘ideology’ influenced the course of Indian history?
• Indian history has faced massive distortions from the time of British rule-How far you agree with this statement?
• What are the most sweeping changes in social science school textbooks since 2014 in India?
• A textbook “rationalisation” exercise by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)-Know the Key details
• What are the reasons given by Union Government for the textbook “rationalisation” exercise?
• Textbooks in India give “disproportionate attention” to caste-How far you agree with this statement?
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Explained: How are history textbooks written?
📍Express Investigation — Part 1: From Emergency to Gujarat riots, lessons of past deleted from textbooks of the future
📍Express Investigation — Part 2: Key deletions on caste, minorities in revised school textbooks
To end illegal mining, MP plans to make it legal in parts of Chambal sanctuary
Sillabus:
Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change
Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Map Work-National Chambal Sanctuary and Chambal River (Origin, drainage and mouth)
• Do you know-National Chambal Sanctuary or National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary is for the protection of the Critically Endangered Gharial, the red-crowned roof turtle and the Endangered Ganges river dolphin.
• The Chambal River is a tributary of the Yamuna River in Central and Northern India, and therefore forms part of the greater Gangetic drainage system-True or False?
• What is Sand?
• What do you understand by the term ‘Sand mining’?
• In India, what are the main sources of sand?
• What Geological survey of India (GSI) says on Sand Mining?
• What are the Steps Taken By Government Of India to curb illegal sand mining?
• The recent Madhya Pradesh government proposal to open 292 hectares for mining in five stretches on Chambal and its tributary Parbati river-What exactly proposal says?
• Know the Concerns, issues and challenges associated with sand Mining in India
• What do you understand by the term ‘Environmental Impact Assessment’ (EIA)?
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environment Protection Act, 1986-How are they related with each other?
• Why Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is Important?
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and India-connect the Dots
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Rules Amendment, 2006-Key features
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2020-Key Highlights
• Environmental Impact Assessment-Achievements, Issues and Challenges
• Supreme court of India on Environment Impact Assessment (ex-post facto environmental clearance)
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍UPSC Ethics Simplified: What is Environmental Ethics?
📍Why wrong sand mining in India needs good governance
EXPLAINED
Banning single-use plastic
Sillabus:
Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change
Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is Single-use plastics?
• What are the items being banned?
• How will the ban be enforced?
• How are other countries dealing with single-use plastic?
• What are Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016?
• Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022-Key Provisions
• Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016 and Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022-Compare and Contrast
• What do you understand by ‘Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)’?
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Who is behind the global surge in single-use plastic?
Black Swan Event
Sillabus:
Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development
Main Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy
Key Points to Ponder:
• What Is a Black Swan?
• When did the term originate?
• Is the Covid-19 pandemic a black swan event?
• Examples of Past Black Swan Events-Know them
• What Is a Black Swan Event in the Stock Market?
• Why Do They Call It a Black Swan Event?
• ‘Capital outflows to the tune of $100 billion (around Rs 7,80,000 crore) are likely to take place from India in a major global risk scenario’. Why RBI calling this a black swan event?
• Do you Know-According to National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) data, foreign portfolio investors have pulled out a record Rs 2,08,587 crore ($26.75 billion) from the Indian markets in calendar year 2022 so far.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Black Swan
How bird hits happen, why they are a concern
Sillabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination: General Studies III: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What do you understand by “wildlife strike”?
• What happened in recent Patna-Delhi Flight?
• What can happen as a result of a wildlife strike or Bird strike?
• Could bird strikes be critical to air safety?
• What causes bird strikes and what are some of the solutions to this problem?
• Airfield Environment Management Committee (AEMC)-Know the mandate and role
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍4 ‘wildlife strikes’ daily in 2021; DGCA writes to AAI, pvt operators
How lightning kills, and which areas are the most prone to strikes
Sillabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is lighting?
• Which areas are lightning-prone?
• Lightning by the Climate Resilient Observing Systems Promotion Council (CROPC) annual report-Key Highlights
• How common are deaths by lightning?
• How can the effects of lightning strikes be mitigated?
• Thunder and Lightning-Compare and Contrast
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Explained: Here’s how lightning strikes, and why it kills
THE IDEAS PAGE
Yoga, post Covid
Sillabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination: General Studies I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times
Key Points to Ponder:
• Orthodox Schools of Indian Philosophy-Know them in detail
• Orthodox Schools of Indian Philosophy and Yoga-Connect the dot
• Do you know-Yoga is first mentioned in the Rigveda.
• Why International yoga day is celebrated on June 21st?
• What is the theme for 2022 International Yoga Day?
• What is the importance of yoga day especially for India?
• Know about Tirumalai Krishnamacharya and his contributions
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Eight years and many mudras to Yoga Day 2022
📍Explained: Why June 21 is observed as International Yoga Day
THE WORLD
21st Amendment cleared by Lanka cabinet to trim President’s power
Sillabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: India and its Neighborhood- Relations.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What will the 21st Amendment entail?
• Which amendments preceded the 21st Amendment?
• Previous Constitutional Amendments in Sri Lanka- Changes made by 19th Amendment
• What was the 19th Amendment?
• What was the 20th Amendment?
• Know about Sri Lanka Economic Crisis
• What Is a Line of Credit (LOC)?
• What is ‘Short term concessional loan facility’?
• Why Sri Lanka’s economy is in trouble?
• How India is helping Sri Lanka in this crisis Situation?
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Sri Lankan Cabinet defers 21st Amendment to the Constitution by a week
📍Explained: The constitutional amendment proposed by Sri Lanka PM Rajapaksa amid protests
ECONOMY
5 states need to take steps to stabilize debt levels: RBI
Sillabus:
Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
Main Examination: General Studies III: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Why Bihar, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan and West Bengal are highly stressed states according to RBI?
• What makes a state highly Stressed?
• What do you understand by ‘Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP)’?
• What debt/ GSDP ratio indicates?
• Fiscal deficit targets for 2020-21 set by the 15th Finance Commission (FC-XV)-Know in detail
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍What the different state budgets tell us about overall public spending in 2022-23
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