INTEGRATED MAINS AND PRELIMS MENTORSHIP (IMPM) 2025 Daily KEY
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Biochar and Soil Health Card Scheme and its significance for the UPSC Exam? Why are topics like Flash Floods, Soil Health Card’ scheme, illegal migrants important for both preliminary and main exams? Discover more insights in the UPSC Exam Notes for August 16, 2025 |
For Preliminary Examination: Soil health, Soil health caed scheme
For Mains Examination: GS II & III - Governance & Environment and ecology
Context:
As of 2025, significant progress has been made with the distribution of more than 25 crore soil health cards, establishment of thousands of soil testing laboratories, large-scale soil mapping, and preparation of fertility maps across States and UTs. These measures are expected to improve crop yield, reduce input costs, and promote balanced use of fertilizers, thereby contributing to sustainable agriculture and doubling farmers’ income.
Read about:
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana
Village Level Soil Testing Labs (VLSTLs)
Key takeaways:
Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme
A Soil Health Card is a scientific report provided to farmers for each of their land holdings. It evaluates the soil by analyzing 12 key parameters –
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Macro-nutrients: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulphur
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Micro-nutrients: Zinc, Iron, Copper, Manganese, Boron
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Soil properties: pH (acidity/alkalinity), Electrical Conductivity (EC), and Organic Carbon (OC).
By issuing these cards, the scheme helps farmers understand the nutrient status of their soil and provides tailored recommendations on fertilizer use, organic manures, and soil amendments. The card is renewed in cycles (once every 2–3 years) so that farmers can track changes in soil health over time and adopt corrective measures
Objectives of the Scheme
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To provide every farmer with a Soil Health Card at regular intervals (ideally every 2 years), helping them identify nutrient deficiencies and optimize fertilizer use.
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To strengthen Soil Testing Laboratories (STLs) through capacity building, student engagement, and collaboration with institutions such as ICAR and State Agricultural Universities.
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To promote standardized soil sampling across states and enable block- or taluka-level fertilizer recommendations.
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To encourage balanced and integrated nutrient management practices based on soil test results, improving nutrient use efficiency in crops.
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To provide financial and technical support to farmers for addressing soil fertility gaps.
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To build awareness by training agricultural officers and progressive farmers in proper nutrient application methods.
Digital Infrastructure – Soil Health Card Portal
The Ministry of Agriculture has developed an online and mobile-based SHC Portal to generate cards in a standardized format, available in 22 languages, 5 dialects, and local measurement units.
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Soil samples are collected from farms, tested in designated Soil Testing Labs, and results uploaded to the National SHC Portal.
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The upgraded system (since April 2023) integrates Geographic Information System (GIS) features, enabling visualization of soil health data on interactive maps.
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A SHC Mobile App simplifies sample collection and monitoring:
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Ensures samples are collected from approved locations only.
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Captures GPS coordinates automatically, ensuring accuracy.
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Assigns a QR code to each soil sample, linking it to its digital test report.
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Facilitates direct uploading of lab results, ensuring transparency and eliminating manual errors
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Impact of the Scheme
- The Soil Health Card initiative has shifted farming practices towards scientific and data-driven decision-making. Farmers now have access to reliable information about soil fertility, which helps reduce input costs, increase productivity, and promote sustainable land management.
- By integrating laboratories, digital tools, academic institutions, and farmer communities, the scheme has built a holistic ecosystem for soil care.
- It empowers farmers to adopt climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture practices, ensuring that India’s soils remain fertile and productive for the future.
- Continued innovation and investment in the SHC Scheme will be crucial to safeguard soil health and secure food security for generations to come
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Answer (B)
🔹 Statement 1: expanding the cultivable area under irrigation
🔹 Statement 2: enabling the banks to assess the quantum of loans to be granted to farmers on the basis of soil quality
🔹 Statement 3: checking the overuse of fertilizers in farmlands
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- Flash floods are sudden and intense floods that occur within a short span of time, usually within six hours of heavy rainfall, cloudbursts, dam breaks, or rapid snowmelt. Unlike regular floods that develop gradually over days, flash floods strike with little or no warning, making them extremely dangerous.
- They are characterized by a swift rise in water levels and strong currents that can sweep away vehicles, uproot trees, damage infrastructure, and endanger lives.
- These floods typically occur in areas with poor drainage, steep terrain, or where the soil is already saturated and cannot absorb additional rainwater.
- Urban regions with concrete surfaces are also highly vulnerable because water cannot percolate into the ground, leading to rapid surface runoff.
- Flash floods are common in hilly regions like the Himalayas, where sudden cloudbursts release massive amounts of rain in a very short time, and in desert areas where dry riverbeds quickly turn into torrents after heavy rain.
- The impacts of flash floods are severe: loss of human lives, livestock, crops, and property; destruction of roads, bridges, and communication networks; and long-term disruption of livelihoods.
- Moreover, they often trigger landslides and soil erosion, further intensifying the damage. With climate change increasing the frequency of extreme weather events, the risk of flash floods has become more pronounced.
- Effective management requires early warning systems, better urban planning, watershed management, and community awareness to minimize the destruction caused.
- Unlike slow-onset floods, where evacuation is possible, flash floods demand immediate action, preparedness, and resilience-building to protect vulnerable populations
- A cloudburst is a sudden, intense, and localized rainfall event where a very large amount of rain falls over a small area in a short span of time, usually less than an hour.
- Unlike normal rainfall, which is spread over a wider area and longer duration, a cloudburst is highly concentrated, often releasing more than 100 mm of rain per hour.
- This makes it extremely destructive, as the ground and drainage systems cannot absorb or channel the water quickly enough.
- Cloudbursts usually occur in hilly and mountainous regions such as the Himalayas, where warm, moisture-laden air masses rapidly ascend due to orographic lifting.
- As the air cools quickly at higher altitudes, it condenses and releases massive amounts of water in a very short time. They are often associated with thunderstorms and can be accompanied by lightning and strong winds.
- The consequences of a cloudburst are devastating. The sudden downpour often leads to flash floods, landslides, and soil erosion, causing extensive loss of life, destruction of houses, roads, and bridges, and washing away of crops and livestock.
- Since they are highly localized and occur with little warning, predicting cloudbursts remains a significant challenge for meteorologists.
- In recent years, the frequency of cloudbursts in India, particularly in states like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir, has been linked to climate change, rising global temperatures, and increasing variability in monsoon patterns.
- These extreme weather events highlight the urgent need for disaster preparedness, resilient infrastructure, real-time monitoring systems, and community awareness to minimize damage and protect vulnerable populations
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Answer (A)
1. It is defined as sudden localized very heavy downpour with cloud thunder and lightning. 2. It mostly occurs in the hilly areas. 3. It results in a very high intensity of rainfall, i.e., 250 mm–300 mm in a couple of hours. 4. It occurs only during the daytime. |
Refugees in India
- According to a report by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), published in July 2024, India is home to at least 2,09,028 refugees, mainly from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Myanmar, and Afghanistan.
- However, Indian law does not define who a “refugee” is. The Citizenship Act, 1955, only provides a definition for an “illegal immigrant,” but makes no distinction for refugees.
- At the global level, the 1951 United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees defines a refugee as a person forced to leave their country of origin due to a well-founded fear of persecution on the grounds of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a social group.
- The Convention also outlines the responsibility of states to safeguard refugees and ensure they receive a minimum standard of treatment. While 149 UN member states have signed and ratified the treaty, India is among 44 countries that have not.
- Consequently, India lacks a dedicated refugee law, treating refugees and other foreign nationals in the same legal category.
Illegal Immigrants in India
- Under the Citizenship Act, 1955, an illegal immigrant is a foreign national who enters India without valid travel documents or remains in the country after the expiry of such documents. Such individuals are not eligible for Indian citizenship.
- The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) provided an exemption: Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, who entered India on or before 31 December 2014, are not treated as illegal migrants under the Act. By this definition, Rohingya Muslims are categorized as illegal immigrants and cannot apply for Indian citizenship.
Foreigners in India
As per the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025:
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Every foreign national must possess valid travel documents such as a passport and visa to enter and stay in India.
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A person entering without such documents can face up to five years of imprisonment or a fine up to ₹5 lakh.
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Foreigners who arrive legally but overstay after the expiry of their visa may face up to three years in prison or a fine up to ₹3 lakh.
1.Consider the following statements regarding the refugees:
1. The UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, 1951, lays down the obligations of states to protect refugees and grant them a minimum standard of care.
2. There is no national refugee law in India.
3. India is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Treaty.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
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Answer (c)
1. The UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, 1951, lays down the obligations of states to protect refugees and grant them a minimum standard of care. 2. There is no national refugee law in India. 3. India is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Treaty. |
- The Akash missile is India’s indigenously developed medium-range, surface-to-air missile system designed to defend against incoming enemy aircraft, helicopters, drones, and subsonic cruise missiles.
- Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), it is one of the country’s most successful indigenous defense projects and has been inducted into both the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force.
- The missile is powered by a solid-fuel rocket motor and uses a high-energy ramjet propulsion system, which enables it to travel at supersonic speeds of up to Mach 2.5.
- It has an operational range of around 25–30 km in its earlier versions, while the advanced variant, Akash-NG (New Generation), extends its range up to 70 km.
- The missile is guided by a sophisticated Rajendra phased-array radar, which can simultaneously track multiple targets and guide several missiles to intercept them.
- What makes the Akash system particularly significant is its ability to operate in diverse terrains and weather conditions, from deserts to high-altitude areas.
- It provides mobile, all-weather air defense coverage for vital installations, formations, and assets. The system is mounted on tracked and wheeled vehicles, ensuring high mobility and quick deployment in the battlefield.
- Over the years, the Akash missile has undergone continuous upgrades. The Akash-NG variant is lighter, faster, and equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar seeker, making it more precise and capable of engaging maneuverable aerial threats. India has also begun exporting the Akash system, showcasing its growing defense manufacturing capabilities.
- The development and induction of the Akash missile symbolize India’s push for self-reliance in defense technology (Atmanirbhar Bharat), reducing dependence on foreign suppliers, and strengthening the nation’s air defense shield against modern aerial threats
- Ballistic missiles are powered only for the initial part of their flight. After launch, they follow a high, arched trajectory—much like a ball thrown in the air—traveling into outer space before descending back towards their target under the force of gravity.
- Because of this, they can travel extremely long distances, ranging from a few hundred kilometers to intercontinental ranges of over 5,000 kilometers.
- They are usually much faster than cruise missiles, often reaching hypersonic speeds (more than Mach 5), and can carry conventional as well as nuclear warheads.
- However, their steep trajectory makes them easier to detect by radar systems, although their speed leaves very little reaction time for interception. Examples include India’s Agni series and the US Minuteman missiles.
- In contrast, cruise missiles remain powered throughout their flight and travel within the atmosphere, usually at low altitudes, to avoid radar detection. They are designed for precision strikes and can maneuver during their journey, making them highly accurate against specific targets such as enemy bunkers, command centers, or air defense sites.
- Unlike ballistic missiles, which rely on gravity during descent, cruise missiles use jet engines similar to aircraft engines and can fly at subsonic, supersonic, or even hypersonic speeds.
- Their ranges are typically shorter compared to ballistic missiles, but they provide strategic advantages due to their stealth and precision. Examples include India’s BrahMos and the US Tomahawk missile.
- In simple terms, ballistic missiles are like long-range hammers—fast, powerful, and designed to strike deep into enemy territory, often with devastating force. Cruise missiles, on the other hand, are like guided arrows—slower but stealthier, meant for pinpoint accuracy against high-value targets.
- Both play crucial roles in modern warfare, with ballistic missiles providing deterrence through range and destructive power, while cruise missiles offer flexibility and precision in tactical operations
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Answer (D)
Statement 1: Ballistic missiles are jet-propelled at subsonic speeds throughout their flights, while cruise missiles are rocket-powered only in the initial phase of flight.
Statement 2: Agni-V is a medium-range supersonic cruise missile, while BrahMos is a solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile.
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- Beyond age-related limitations, disabilities, and other circumstances that prevent working-age adults from joining the labour market, workforce participation in India also shows a pronounced gender disparity.
- Data from the 2022–2023 Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), carried out by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, reveals that roughly 80% of men are engaged in the labour force, compared to only about 40% of women.
- India’s female labour force participation rate is still lower than that of several nations with similar income levels and stages of development, leading to a significant underrepresentation of women in economic activity. While many women do work, much of their contribution remains outside the formal economy and is not reflected in the country’s GDP.
- This gap is not limited to rural regions or to women with minimal education; a substantial proportion of urban women, including those holding graduate or postgraduate qualifications, are also absent from the formal workforce
- The Udaiti Foundation’s findings show that women working in India’s blue- and grey-collar sectors earn only around 70% of what men receive for similar work. Half of these women are dissatisfied with their wages, and as many as 80% manage to save less than ₹2,000 per month—or, in many cases, nothing at all.
- Beyond lower earnings, issues such as poor work-life balance, male-dominated workplace environments, and a lack of respect and recognition drive many women to leave these jobs.
- The report notes that over half (52%) of women with less than a year of experience intend to resign within the next 12 months. Low wages, unsafe working conditions, and limited prospects offer women little reason to remain in such roles.
- However, the most significant obstacle remains gender bias. Many employers hold the view that women are incapable of performing physically demanding work. This perception, combined with assumptions that women prioritise domestic and childcare duties, discourages hiring.
- Additionally, reluctance to provide maternity benefits and other entitlements further reduces the willingness of employers to recruit women in these sectors
- Women’s workforce participation in India also varies by region and social identity. According to the PLFS, the unemployment rate among women has risen from 2.9% to 3.2%, with much of this increase driven by educated rural women unable to secure jobs in the blue- and grey-collar sectors.
- This is often due to gaps in digital literacy and vocational training. Historically, upper-caste women have exhibited lower participation in the labour market—particularly in manual or technical jobs—because such work is perceived as low in status, prompting families to discourage them from taking employment outside the home. Cultural restrictions similarly limit the participation of Muslim upper-caste women.
- By contrast, women from lower castes generally have higher participation rates, though mostly in informal, low-paying, and low-skilled jobs, reflecting their compounded social and economic vulnerabilities.
- These patterns have been studied extensively by sociologists and economists, including Mukesh Eswaran, Bharat Ramaswami, and Wilima Wadhwa in Status, Caste, and the Time Allocation of Women in Rural India (2013), and Muzna Fatima Alvi in Caste, Religion and the Labour Force Participation of Women: Evidence from India (2023).
- Further, research by Arun Kumar Bairwa and Jadhav Chakradhar in Caste Affiliation and Access to High-Authority Jobs in the Indian Service Sector (2024) reveals persistent disparities in access to senior-level positions between lower- and upper-caste groups
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Answer (A)
1. Construction sector gave employment to nearly one-tenth of the urban male workforce in India. 2. Nearly one-fourth of urban female workers in India were working in the manufacturing sector. 3. One-fourth of rural female workers in India were engaged in the agriculture sector. |
- Biochar is a carbon-rich material that is produced when organic matter such as crop residues, wood chips, animal manure, or other agricultural waste is heated at high temperatures in the absence or near-absence of oxygen, a process known as pyrolysis. Unlike ordinary charcoal, which is mainly used as fuel, biochar is specifically created for use in agriculture and environmental management.
- When applied to soil, biochar acts as a long-term carbon sink because it is highly stable and does not easily decompose.
- This means it can lock carbon into the ground for hundreds or even thousands of years, making it an important tool for mitigating climate change.
- Beyond carbon storage, biochar improves soil fertility and health by enhancing its ability to retain nutrients and water, reducing soil acidity, and fostering beneficial microbial activity. For farmers, this translates into better crop yields, reduced dependence on chemical fertilizers, and improved resilience of crops during drought conditions.
- Biochar is also valuable in waste management. Instead of burning agricultural residues in open fields—which causes air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions—these residues can be converted into biochar, turning a disposal problem into a sustainable resource.
- Moreover, the gases and oils released during the pyrolysis process can be captured and used as renewable energy, adding another benefit.
- Globally, biochar is being recognized as part of climate-smart agriculture because it addresses three major issues simultaneously: reducing carbon emissions, improving soil productivity, and providing a sustainable use for organic waste.
- In the Indian context, biochar has significant potential to tackle problems like stubble burning, soil degradation, and water scarcity, while contributing to climate change mitigation and sustainable farming practices.
1.With reference to Biochar, consider the following statements:
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It is produced through the process of pyrolysis, which involves heating organic matter in the absence of oxygen.
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It acts as a long-term carbon sink and helps in mitigating climate change.
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Its application to soil improves fertility, water retention, and microbial activity.
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In India, biochar is primarily imported as it cannot be produced from local agricultural residues.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
A. 1, 2 and 3 only
B. 2 and 4 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
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Answer (A)
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