INTEGRATED MAINS AND PRELIMS MENTORSHIP (IMPM) 2025 Daily KEY
| Exclusive for Subscribers Daily:
India-Thailand and Spyware and its significance for the UPSC Exam? Why are topics like Biomass Mission, Semiconductors important for both preliminary and main exams? Discover more insights in the UPSC Exam Notes for April 15, 2025 |
🚨 UPSC EXAM NOTES presents the March edition of our comprehensive monthly guide. Access it to enhance your preparation. We value your input - share your thoughts and recommendations in the comments section or via email at Support@upscexamnotes.com 🚨
Critical Topics and Their Significance for the UPSC CSE Examination on April 15, 2025
Daily Insights and Initiatives for UPSC Exam Notes: Comprehensive explanations and high-quality material provided regularly for students
For Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international Significance
For Mains Examination: GS II - International relations
Context:
The recent elevation of the India-Thailand bilateral relationship to the strategic level reflects a smart foreign policy move in New Delhi’s regional and international diplomacy, indicating the growing weight of Southeast Asia in its strategic calculus. As India deepens its Act East policy and expands its Indo-Pacific engagement, Thailand emerges as a key partner, bound by longstanding historical and cultural ties and shared strategic concerns.
Read about:
India-Thailand deepening relation
BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation)
Key takeaways:
- The recent upgrade of India-Thailand relations to a strategic partnership marks a calculated move in New Delhi’s regional and global diplomacy, highlighting the increasing strategic importance of Southeast Asia in India’s foreign policy priorities.
- As India advances its Act East Policy and deepens its involvement in the Indo-Pacific region, Thailand stands out as a crucial ally, rooted in shared cultural heritage, historical bonds, and mutual strategic interests.
- During his official visit to Thailand on April 3, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted Thailand’s central role in India’s Act East Policy and its significance within India’s Indo-Pacific framework.
- This elevation of bilateral ties goes beyond symbolic gestures, representing a convergence of bilateral efforts and multilateral cooperation to promote regional peace, economic integration, and collective security.
- This enhanced cooperation is built upon a joint vision of a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific. It focuses on improved regional connectivity and the strengthening of institutions such as BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).
Expanding Areas of Bilateral Collaboration
- The strategic engagement between India and Thailand spans multiple sectors, including defence, security, maritime safety, cybercrime prevention, innovation, trade and investment, start-ups, education, renewable energy, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
- Both countries have committed to institutionalizing new dialogue mechanisms, including strategic consultations between their respective National Security Councils and enhanced defence cooperation through technology sharing, joint military training, and industrial collaboration.
- Although trade remains a vital element of the relationship, challenges such as India’s persistent trade deficit with Thailand must be addressed. India is advocating for increased access to Thai markets for its agricultural goods, pharmaceuticals, and services. Additionally, both sides are exploring the use of local currencies in bilateral trade to buffer against global currency fluctuations.
- In light of current global uncertainties, India and Thailand are also shifting focus toward next-generation industries such as electric vehicles, digital payments, fintech, space technology, and the circular economy.
- As part of this economic shift, both nations have agreed to fast-track the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), aiming to finalize significant reforms by the end of 2025. To navigate the evolving economic landscape, it will be critical to promote investment, reduce non-tariff barriers, and harmonize regulatory standards.
Thailand’s Role in India’s Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific Strategy
- Thailand’s strategic location makes it a key player in the success of India’s Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific vision. Serving as a gateway to continental ASEAN and sharing maritime boundaries in the Andaman Sea, Thailand holds immense potential for bilateral, trilateral, and multilateral maritime partnerships.
- With robust infrastructure and active participation in regional frameworks like ASEAN, BIMSTEC, the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC), and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Thailand plays a bridging role between South and Southeast Asia.
- India’s Indo-Pacific policy, grounded in ASEAN centrality, is advanced through multilateral forums such as the East Asia Summit, IORA, and the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS).
- Both countries have reaffirmed their commitment to a rules-based, inclusive Indo-Pacific. Thailand’s co-leadership in the Maritime Ecology pillar of India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), alongside Australia, further reinforces this shared agenda.
- This synergy between bilateral diplomacy and regional cooperation enhances India’s multilateral outreach and bolsters its capacity to respond to strategic pressures, particularly in the maritime domain where Chinese assertiveness remains a concern. The Bay of Bengal and BIMSTEC platforms are key theatres of such collaboration.
BIMSTEC and the Bay of Bengal: A Regional Pivot
- The Bay of Bengal has emerged as a vital zone for strategic collaboration and economic opportunity. As founding members and the largest economies in BIMSTEC, India and Thailand play central roles in shaping the future of regionalism.
- The adoption of the BIMSTEC Charter and the Master Plan for Transport Connectivity reflects new energy in the grouping’s agenda.
- At the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok (April 2025), India and Thailand jointly urged the swift implementation of the Motor Vehicles Agreement and called for improved coastal shipping and direct port linkages to enhance trade and mobility across the region.
- These initiatives are vital for connecting India’s Northeastern states to Southeast Asia and are integral to Prime Minister Modi’s vision of Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR).
- India’s growing focus on BIMSTEC is also a practical adaptation of its neighbourhood-first policy, especially as SAARC remains constrained by political deadlock. Connectivity projects like the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway are instrumental in promoting regional integration and in counterbalancing China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
- BIMSTEC also serves as a collaborative security platform for India and Thailand to address transnational threats such as terrorism, cybercrime, human trafficking, and illicit trade through coordinated mechanisms
Follow Up Question
|
Answer (C)
Let’s check the approximate latitudes:
Now arranging from south to north:
Correct order: 3 (Jakarta) – 4 (Singapore) – 1 (Bangkok) – 2 (Hanoi) |
For Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international Significance
For Mains Examination: GS III - Science and Technology, Security
Context:
Israeli company NSO Group’s controversial spyware Pegasus was used to target 1,223 individuals using WhatsApp across 51 countries in 2019, with 100 Indians being impacted by use of the hacking software — the second highest count globally, court documents showed. The revelation has come as part of a lawsuit filed by WhatsApp against the NSO Group in October 2019, accusing the surveillance company of exploiting a vulnerability in the messaging platform to target users including journalists, lawyers, politicians and human rights activists. In this context, let’s know about the Pegasus
Read about:
Commercial Spyware
Pegasus
Key takeaways:
Pegasus
-
Spyware, by design, monitors individuals through their smartphones. Pegasus operates by sending a malicious link, and once the recipient clicks on it, surveillance software is covertly installed on their device. Some newer variants of Pegasus can infect a device without any user interaction. Once installed, the spyware grants full control of the phone to the attacker.
-
Pegasus has been linked to surveillance activities by authoritarian regimes. The NSO Group, its developer, claims the spyware is sold exclusively to government entities.
-
The spyware first came into the spotlight in 2016 when Ahmed Mansoor, a human rights defender in the UAE, received a suspicious SMS on his iPhone 6, leading to the exposure of Pegasus
Hermit
-
In 2022, the Hermit spyware targeted both iOS and Android devices in countries like Italy and Kazakhstan. Developed by the Italian firm RCS Lab, its activities were first reported by Lookout, a cybersecurity company based in San Francisco. Google’s Threat Analysis Group later provided an in-depth analysis of how Hermit functioned.
-
Hermit functions similarly to Pegasus, granting attackers the ability to record audio, make unauthorized calls, and execute other illicit activities once it’s embedded in a device.
-
As per Lookout’s findings, Hermit can extract email account data, contacts, web history, calendar entries, and even take photographs. It also harvests device information, including software versions, hardware details, phone number, and more. Furthermore, it can install Android Package Kits (APKs) without user consent.
-
These types of sophisticated spyware systems, such as Hermit and Pegasus, require substantial financial investment and complex infrastructure. Google’s TAG revealed that Hermit’s infections began via unique links sent to victims, which triggered app installation when clicked
Snowblind
-
The banking malware Snowblind recently gained attention for targeting Android users to capture sensitive financial credentials. It exploits a built-in Android security feature to bypass app protections.
-
Unlike conventional malware, Snowblind abuses a system tool known as ‘seccomp’ (secure computing), which is integrated into the Linux kernel and Android OS to detect unauthorized program alterations.
-
This malware can disable biometric login and two-factor authentication, both of which are crucial defenses in banking apps. Like many Android threats, Snowblind often spreads through apps downloaded from unreliable sources
Spyware and Stalkerware Applications
-
Spyware and stalkerware are malicious programs that compromise internet-connected devices, often remaining hidden from antivirus software while transmitting user data to remote servers.
-
These apps typically pose as anti-theft tools intended to help recover lost or stolen phones, making them hard to detect.
-
A spyware app, which can sometimes be installed remotely, can monitor user activity, access media files, and collect personal data, forwarding it silently to a central database.
-
In contrast, stalkerware generally requires physical access to the target device. While it operates similarly to spyware, it also transmits real-time location data to another device controlled by the perpetrator
1.In India, it is legally mandatory for which of the following to report on cyber security incidents? (UPSC CSE 2017)
1. Service providers
2. Data centres
3. Body corporate
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
|
Answer (d)
Under Section 70B of the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has been designated as the national agency for incident response. As per the rules notified by the Government of India, it is legally mandatory for the following entities to report cybersecurity incidents:
They must report certain types of cybersecurity incidents (like unauthorized access, data breaches, malware attacks, etc.) to CERT-In in a timely manner. Hence, all three are legally required to report such incidents |
-
Life on Earth, from microscopic organisms to towering California Redwoods, is fundamentally carbon-based, making carbon a key element for all living beings. However, the planet's carbon content remains constant — it doesn't increase or decrease. Instead, carbon circulates among the atmosphere, biosphere, oceans, and Earth's crust through a process known as the carbon cycle. Forests play a vital role in this cycle as major carbon reservoirs. They are estimated to absorb around 16 billion metric tonnes of COâ‚‚ annually and currently store approximately 861 gigatonnes of carbon in both vegetation and soil.
-
Despite their importance, there is a significant global gap in reliable data regarding forest biomass — the total organic material found in forests. This lack of information restricts a full understanding of forest health and their contribution to the carbon cycle and climate regulation.
-
The Biomass mission is designed to address this critical data shortfall. It will help researchers gain a clearer picture of how carbon distribution across the planet is evolving due to deforestation and rising atmospheric COâ‚‚ levels. The mission will offer the first-ever global-scale, detailed measurements of forest biomass, helping to track changes in forest cover and improving knowledge about their role in the carbon cycle.
-
The satellite is planned to launch on April 29 aboard a Vega C rocket from the European Space Agency’s launch site in Kourou, French Guiana. It will enter a sun-synchronous orbit, maintaining a consistent position relative to the Sun, at an altitude of roughly 666 km.
-
According to the World Resources Institute, 3.7 million hectares of tropical forests were lost in 2023, equating to around 10 football fields every minute. This loss contributed to roughly 6% of global carbon dioxide emissions that year.
-
To accomplish its mission, the satellite will employ synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology to scan the Earth's surface. Notably, it will be the first space mission to use P-band SAR, a long-wavelength radar, and will be equipped with a 12-meter-wide antenna for this purpose
1.According to India's National Policy on Biofuels, which of the following can be used as raw materials for the production of biofuels? (UPSC 2020)
1. Cassava
2. Damaged wheat grains
3. Groundnut seeds
4. Horse gram
5. Rotten potatoes
6. Sugar beet
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
A. 1, 2, 5 and 6 only
B. 1, 3, 4 and 6 only
C. 2, 3, 4 and 5 only
D. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
|
Answer (A)
According to the National Policy on Biofuels – 2018, the following materials are allowed as raw materials for biofuel production:
However, Groundnut seeds and Horse gram are not typically used as raw materials under this policy, primarily because they are edible pulses and oilseeds which have other significant uses and are not surplus or waste products. So, the correct set includes:1 (Cassava), 2 (Damaged wheat grains), 5 (Rotten potatoes), and 6 (Sugar beet) |
- As the term implies, semiconductors can either conduct electricity or block it, depending on certain conditions. Modern semiconductors, typically made from materials like silicon, contain millions of transistors—tiny switches that alternate between on and off states to handle data, including visuals, audio, and signals.
- These components are at the heart of virtually all modern electronic devices, from everyday household items and mobile phones to advanced defence equipment and luxury products.
- They are also known as microchips or integrated circuits. With technological advancements accelerating globally, the push for self-sufficiency in semiconductor production is no longer limited to the United States.
- These chips are vital for domestic high-tech manufacturing and to meet increasing demands for electronic devices such as laptops and smartphones.
- Additionally, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has increased the need for specialised chips like Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), essential for training AI models.
- The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vulnerability of global semiconductor supply chains, especially the heavy reliance on a limited number of manufacturers—primarily located in Taiwan.
- The production process itself is highly capital-intensive and demands uninterrupted power supply and ultrapure water to clean the chips, making it difficult for other nations to emulate Taiwan’s efficiency and dominance.
- According to a 2020 report by the Semiconductor Industry Association in collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group, the U.S. accounted for just 12% of global semiconductor production, a steep drop from 37% in 1990.
- In related developments, Howard Lutnick, the U.S. Commerce Secretary under former President Trump, recently stated that new tariffs on critical tech imports and Chinese semiconductors would be introduced within the next two months
|
Answer (A)
|
Scientists demonstrate clear quantum advantage using simple game
For Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international Significance
For Mains Examination: GS III - Science & Technology
Context:
Previous attempts at showing quantum supremacy have used complicated problems. Google used random circuit sampling for its Sycamore processor, andChinese researchers used the Gaussian boson sampling problem for the Jiuzhang computer. Both require specialised equipment to perform, making it difficult to verify the results
Read about:
National Quantum Computing Mission
Quantum Computer
Key takeaways:
- For years, scientists have been seeking a task where quantum computers outperform classical computers, a benchmark known as quantum supremacy.
- Recently, researchers from the University of Oxford and Universidad de Sevilla achieved this milestone using a relatively simple game-based approach. Their findings, published in Physical Review Letters in February, are based on a problem involving odd-cycle graphs.
- The challenge is to colour a circle with an odd number of points using only two colours in such a way that no two adjacent points share the same colour—an outcome that is mathematically impossible.
- The researchers turned this puzzle into a test for quantum supremacy, moving away from earlier, more complex demonstrations. For instance, Google used a task known as random circuit sampling to demonstrate its Sycamore processor’s capabilities in 2019, while Chinese researchers employed Gaussian boson sampling on the Jiuzhang quantum computer. These methods, however, require intricate math and specialised tools, making external validation difficult.
The Colouring Challenge
- In the adapted experiment, the odd-cycle graph problem is used in a game format. Imagine a circle with three points—trying to colour them using only red and blue such that adjacent points don’t match will always lead to a contradiction.
- In this game, two players, Alice and Bob, who cannot communicate, respond to questions from a referee about the colours of points on the circle. To win, their responses must meet two criteria: they must give the same answer for the same point, and different answers for adjacent points.
- In a classical scenario, even with an agreed strategy beforehand, the best possible win rate for a 3-point circle is 83.3%.
Quantum Implementation
- In the quantum version, researchers used two strontium atoms placed two metres apart and entangled them using laser beams. Entangled particles behave in a way that classical physics cannot explain—measuring one instantly affects the other.
- A central computer (referee) sent queries to separate control systems representing Alice and Bob. Upon receiving a question, each system used quantum operations (rotations determined by the specific point on the circle) to manipulate their atom and derive a result—either 0 or 1, which was then translated into red or blue.
- The experiment was conducted over 101,000 rounds, covering odd cycles with 3 to 27 points, in just under a minute. The researchers also conducted rigorous tests to confirm the quantum nature of the correlations.
Proving Quantum Advantage
- The results were striking. For the 3-point scenario alone, the quantum strategy achieved a significantly higher win rate than 83.3%, demonstrating quantum supremacy up to 19-point circles. The overall win rate was 97.8%, with the 2.2% error attributed to noise during entanglement.
- Additionally, their test revealed the strongest correlation ever observed between two separate quantum systems, further validating the quantum nature of the experiment.
Significance of the Study
- This research presents a far simpler pathway to demonstrating quantum supremacy. While Google needed 53 superconducting qubits for its Sycamore processor, this experiment used only two entangled qubits, making it far less complex and resource-intensive.
- The method has practical implications. It could be useful in coordination problems where parties cannot communicate, such as the rendezvous task—determining a common meeting point without sharing information.
- Unlike classical systems that rely on exhaustive search methods, quantum entanglement enables faster, more efficient problem-solving. For example, identifying one correct option out of a million would take up to a million steps for a classical computer, whereas a quantum computer using Grover’s algorithm could do it in roughly 1,000 steps
1.Which one of the following is the context in which the term "qubit" is mentioned? (UPSC 2022)
A. Cloud Services
B. Quantum Computing
C. Visible Light Communication Technologies
D. Wireless Communication Technologies
|
Answer (B)
A qubit (quantum bit) is the fundamental unit of information in quantum computing, analogous to a bit in classical computing. Unlike a classical bit, which can be either 0 or 1, a qubit can exist in a superposition of both states, enabling quantum computers to perform complex computations much more efficiently in certain scenarios
|
For Preliminary Examination: Buddhism, Jainism
For Mains Examination: GS I - Art & Culture
Context:
In the past two months, large-scale demonstrations have erupted across India, demanding that the control over the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, be handed over to Buddhists. These protests are the latest chapter in a decades-old dispute over who controls one of the holiest sites in Buddhism. Buddhists want the repeal of the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949 (BGTA), under which the temple is currently governed.
Read about:
Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949
Buddhist Circuit
Key takeaways:
Lumbini (Nepal)
-
Lumbini, situated near Gorakhpur across the border in Nepal’s Rupandehi district, is recognized as the birthplace of Lord Buddha in 623 BC. This sacred site lies in the Terai plains of southern Nepal.
-
Emperor Ashoka of ancient India erected a commemorative pillar at Lumbini. The area, rich in archaeological relics related to the Buddha’s birth, is now being developed into a prominent Buddhist pilgrimage destination.
-
Although Lumbini had faded from collective memory for centuries, it was rediscovered in 1896 through archaeological excavations. UNESCO designated it as a World Heritage Site in 1997.
Mahabodhi Temple (Bodh Gaya, Bihar)
-
Located in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, the Mahabodhi Temple is one of the holiest places in Buddhism. It commemorates the spot where Prince Siddhartha achieved enlightenment and became the Buddha around 589 BCE.
-
Emperor Ashoka is credited with constructing a modest shrine at this location in the 3rd century BCE. Today, the Vajrasana or "Diamond Throne" under the Bodhi tree is a surviving feature from that era. Later, the Shunga dynasty added to the structure between the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE.
-
The Chinese pilgrim Faxian, who visited in the 5th century CE, noted three monasteries in the vicinity. The present temple structure, with its pyramid-like shape, was likely built during the Gupta period in the 6th century CE.
-
This UNESCO World Heritage Site includes a towering temple with intricate carvings and a descendant of the original Bodhi tree. It draws global pilgrims who come to reflect and honor the Buddha.
Sarnath (near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh)
-
Sarnath is where the Buddha delivered his first sermon, known as the Dhammachakra Pravartan, following his enlightenment.
-
The site features the Dhamek Stupa, built by Ashoka, as well as numerous monasteries and temples. The Sarnath Archaeological Museum preserves a range of significant artefacts from the Buddhist period.
Kushinagar (Uttar Pradesh)
-
Kushinagar marks the location where the Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana (final liberation) around 483 BC. The Mahaparinirvana Temple, housing a reclining statue of the Buddha, and the Ramabhar Stupa, believed to be his cremation site, are major landmarks.
-
This town aligns with ancient Kushinara, once the capital of the Malla republic—one of the 16 Mahajanapadas from the 6th to 4th centuries BC. Over time, it came under the rule of various dynasties including the Mauryas, Shungas, Kushanas, Guptas, Harshavardhana, and Palas.
-
In 1876, Alexander Cunningham and ACL Carlleyle conducted the first archaeological excavations here, uncovering the reclining Buddha statue and the main stupa. Kushinagar is notable as one of the rare sites where the Buddha is depicted in a reclining posture.
Buddhist Circuit
-
In 2016, the Ministry of Tourism launched the Buddhist Circuit as India’s first transnational tourism route, connecting sacred Buddhist sites across India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. This initiative allows visitors to follow the life and teachings of the Buddha.
-
Key destinations on the circuit trace the Buddha’s journey from birth to Mahaparinirvana. These include Bodh Gaya, Vaishali, Rajgir, and Kushinagar in Bihar; Sarnath and Shravasti in Uttar Pradesh; and Kapilavastu and Lumbini in Nepal.
-
Prince Siddhartha Gautama was born around 563 BC in Lumbini and spent his early years in Kapilavastu. He attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya and delivered his first sermon in Sarnath. His teachings continued in places like Rajgir—where a forest monastery was built for him by King Bimbisara—and Shravasti, where he spent a significant part of his monastic life. His final discourse was given in Vaishali
Follow Up Question
|
Answer (B)
"Sankhya does not accept the theory of rebirth or transmigration of the soul."
Incorrect. The Sankhya school does accept the theory of rebirth or transmigration. It believes in the existence of Purusha (soul) and Prakriti (matter), and that bondage and liberation involve the cycle of birth and rebirth due to ignorance "Sankhya holds that it is self-knowledge that leads to liberation and not any exterior influence or agent."
Correct. Sankhya philosophy teaches that liberation (moksha) is attained through the discrimination between Purusha and Prakriti — that is, through self-knowledge. No external deity or agent is necessary for liberation. |
For Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international Significance
For Mains Examination: GS I - World Geography
Context:
This summer is likely to be extremely warm. In its latest forecast for the coming months, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted an “above-normal number of heatwave days” over most parts of the country.
Read about:
What is a heat wave?
Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) criteria for Heat Waves?
Key takeaways:
Heatwaves refer to short durations of unusually high temperatures, typically affecting confined geographical areas. In contrast, annual temperature refers to the average readings across a country or region over an entire year. Interestingly, 2024 marked the hottest year on record both globally and in India. However, there isn't a direct link between the total number of heatwave days in a season and the yearly average temperature.
-
Although it is difficult to accurately forecast the exact number of heatwave days for an upcoming season, multiple studies confirm a growing trend in both the frequency and severity of heatwaves in India.
-
A recent study titled “Heat waves in India: patterns, associations, and sub-seasonal prediction skills” by Raju Mandal and his team at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, examined heatwave occurrences over the past 70 years.
-
Published in Climate Dynamics, the research highlights a steady rise in heatwave events since 2000, especially in central, northwestern, and southeastern regions, with an increase of approximately three heatwave days per decade. The southeastern coast — covering areas like Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh — witnessed the most significant relative rise.
-
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) offers reliable heatwave alerts up to a week in advance, providing early warnings to states and districts. Unlike sudden and localized heavy rainfall, heatwaves extend over broad areas, making them easier to predict using weather models.
-
These forecasts align with the broader pattern of intensifying summer heat and more frequent heatwave episodes. The consequences affect public health — particularly for marginalized communities — and cause economic disruptions like income loss.
-
Despite being a climate-related threat, the adverse effects of heatwaves can be mitigated with proactive measures. Many states and cities have formulated heat action plans to reduce their impact. However, reports suggest that these strategies often fall short in actual implementation.
-
According to the IMD, the April-to-June summer period is likely to see a rise in heatwave days across most of northern, central, and eastern India. Only a few areas, including parts of the extreme south, the northeast, Jammu & Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh, may be spared from severe heat.
-
Each state has a different baseline for what constitutes a “normal” number of heatwave days. For instance, Rajasthan typically expects around 8 to 12 such days each summer. In 2024, however, eastern Rajasthan experienced 23 heatwave days, and the western part saw 29. Similarly, while Uttar Pradesh normally has 10 to 12 heatwave days, it endured 32 in the previous year.
-
The year 2024 stood out for its extreme conditions, with almost every state — except Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura — facing heatwave episodes. Even Kerala experienced six days of heatwave conditions. In total, India recorded 554 heatwave days in 2024, the highest in the past 15 years. For comparison, 2010 witnessed 578 heatwave days nationwide
1. Appropriate alternate technologies are not sufficiently available.
2. India cannot invest huge funds in research and development.
3. Many developed countries have already set up their polluting industries in India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
|
Answer (a)
|
| Subject | Topic | Description |
| Polity | Centre and State relations | Centre State and interstate relations |
| Environment & Ecology | Marine Ecosystem | Marine Ecosystem |
| Economy | Consumer Rights | Consumer Rights |
| Ancient History | Buddhism | Buddhism |
|
UPSC EXAM NOTES will be conducting both Prelims and Mains exams every Sunday as part of the Integrated Mains and Prelims (IMPM) Program. This program provides a comprehensive approach to UPSC exam preparation, ensuring that candidates are well-prepared for both stages of the exam. Program Highlights:
Duration: The IMPM plan is a one-year program, ensuring continuous and structured preparation over 12 months. With regular testing and consistent study guidance, this program is designed to maximize your chances of success in the UPSC exams |