UPSC CSE Why

Check this step-by-step guide to fill One-Time Registration (OTR) for UPSC CSE 2025

Photograph instructions | Read carefully.

Pre-note: Wednesday or OTR day? 🚨 22nd January  | Wednesday 🚨

Pre facts 📃

1. Indus water treaty 🗓️ 1960, between India & Pakistan, brokered by World Bank • Rivers Covered: Indus & 5 tributaries (Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Chenab, Jhelum) Allocation 📄 : • Eastern rivers (Beas, Ravi, Sutlej): India • Western rivers (Indus, Chenab, Jhelum): Pakistan w/ limited rights for India (e.g., irrigation, hydropower) 2. Olive Ridley turtles [Lepidochelys olivacea] • Smallest & most abundant sea turtle species globally • IUCN Status: Vulnerable (due to habitat loss, fishing nets, climate change) • Distribution: Tropical and subtropical waters; Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean • Known for Arribada (mass nesting) 3. Smart Cities Mission [🗓️ 2015 by MoHUA] • WHY? To promote sustainable & inclusive urban development • Coverage: 100 cities selected through a competitive process Focus Areas: • Smart infrastructure; citizen services; Smart mobility ; Sustainable urban environment • 70+ % of projects completed; Focus on integrating data-driven governance • Enhanced resilience to climate change

@CSEWhy recommendations 🧑‍🏫

Indian express 📰 1. What WHO, Paris pullout means (Explained page) (GS2: IR) The Hindu 🗞️ 1. Time to seize the promise of the U.S.-India nuclear deal (Editorial) (GS2: IR) 2. What do draft data protection rules state? (Text&Context) (GS2: Policies) PS: Ask all your doubts regarding the application process in reply to this message. Here to help :)

Reminder: UPSC notification out tomorrow for Pre 2025 Get your OTR done, if not already. You can ALSO get it done while applying tomorrow Any issues/queries? Write in replies

Guys, there’s no point wasting time in unnecessary things now. UPSC Prelims is VERY close and your competition is already marching ahead. 🙃 Small example: from this Channel alone, 5k+ aspirants are practising daily MCQs, revising audio books and PYQs on CSEWhy app EVERYDAY 🫨 Get on app before it’s too late, available for both ios/android in Hindi/English: app.csewhy.com

Note - 25th May (UPSC '25) is closer than it appears, be Prepared 🚨 21st January | Tuesday 🚨

Pre Notes 📔

1. Inclusion of 179 groups in SC, ST, and OBC lists • The Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) and Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) study findings. • AnSI: Estd in 1945, under Ministry of Culture, GoI. - Study Cultural & Biological Diversity, Preservation of Indigenous Heritage and Ethnographic Research • TRIs: Under Ministry of Tribal Affairs, GoI. promote research and development focused on India's tribal communities. 2. National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) • Estd under Section 408 of Companies Act, 2013; quasi-judicial body - powers equivalent to a civil court • Jurisdiction - Corporate Disputes under Sections 241-242 (Companies Act) - Deals cases under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016 3. World Economic Forum 🗓️ 1971 by Klaus Schwab 🧔🏼 📍 Cologny, Geneva, Switzerland WHY? Public-private cooperation to shape global, regional, and industry agendas • Composed of business leaders, political leaders, academics, NGOs, and other global stakeholders

@CSEWhy recommendations 🧑‍🏫

Indian Express 📰 1. ASI excavation in Ratnagiri spotlights ancient Buddhist site, its SE Asia links (Pg 9) (GS1: History) 2. Mitigations, aggravating circumstances in death penalty cases (Explained page) (GS2: Law) 3. Redifining obesity (Explained page) (GS3: Health) 4. Bail under PMLA: interpretations by SC, HCs…(Explained page) (GS2: SC Judgements) The Hindu 🗞️ 1. We need distinguished jurists as judges (Opinion) (GS2: Polity) PS: Smart study > Hard study, CSEWhy App is the best way to save time on PYQs and Practice!

Note - Start Monday with Current Affairs aur Chai ☕️ 🚨 20th January | Monday🚨

Quotes 💭

"UCC is important step for national Integration" - Ranjan Gogoi (46th CJI)

Pre Notes 📔

1. Water Hyacinth [Plant Species] Origin: Found in Kenya's Lake Naivasha; Native to the Amazon Basin in South America Cons: It multiplies rapidly, causes 'eutrophication' by depleting oxygen, killing fish and other aquatic life Pros: Used for 'biogas production', compost, paper, and handicrafts

Mains notes 📄

  1. Rat Hole Coal Mining [Assam Tragedy]    • It involves digging narrow tunnels (3-4 feet), where workers (often children) enter and extract coal    • Practised in Meghalaya, due to difficult terrain & very thin coal layers.    • 6th Schedule protects tribal rights over land; Coal Mines Nationalisation Act of 1973 doesn't apply    • National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned (2014) this mining in Meghalaya as its unscientific and unsafe.

@CSEWhy recommendations 🧑‍🏫

Indian Express 📰 1. The Welfare India Needs (The Idea Page) (GS3: Agriculture) The Hindu 🗞️ 1. Recasting insolvency resolution (Opinion) (GS3: Economy) 2. To AI or not to AI (Education Plus) (GS3: Sc & tech) PS: For UPSC 2025, Practice is the key, CSEWhy App will help 🚀

If you haven’t written a mock today, This SHOULD be last of the Sundays before Prelims 2025 Yes, make 26th Jan day of your Prelims Mock test + PYQ analysis But hey, did you write mock today? Yes/No?

Pre-note: Sunday Current Affairs leker aa gaye hum! 🚨 19th January | Sunday 🚨

Pre notes 📔

1. Munnar Wildlife Division [Kerala]- 24 New Species Found • It has 7 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries • Only rehabilitation center for the Indian star tortoise in India • New Species: Brown Hawk Owl, Barred Buttonquail, Spotted Owlet, and 21 others • Endemic butterflies, Red-disc Bushbrown & Palni Bush-Brown also found. 2. SVAMITVA [Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas] • Launch: April 24, 2020 (National Panchayati Raj Day) under the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. • Objective: Provide property ownership rights to rural households by creating a digital property database in India • Technology: Drone-based surveys and CORS (Continuously Operating Reference Station)

@CSEWhy recommendations 🧑‍🏫

The Hindu 🗞️ 1. Survey adds 24 new species to Munnar’s faunal stock (States Page) (GS3 : Environment) 2. A confluence of faith and culture (Profile Page) (GS1: Art & Culture) PS: UPSC prep ka naya dost! CSEWhy App try kiya aapne?

Pre note: Its week's end. Was it how you planned? 🚨 18th January  | Saturday 🚨

Pre notes 📔

1. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award • Awarded to D Gukesh, Manu Bhaker, Harmanpreet Singh and Praveen Kumar. • Major Dhyan Chand [Indian Hockey player] - 3 Olympic Gold Medals (1928/32/36), Padma Bhushan (1956) - B.Day 29 Aug, Celebrated as 'National Sports Day' 2. Kuki-Zo Council [Apex body-Kukis groups] • Kukis : Largest Hill Tribe & ethnic group in Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram • Present in part of Myanmar & Bangladesh • Language: Sino-Tibetan Linguistic Family 3. NATGRID [National Intelligence Grid] WHY? To enhance counter-terrorism capabilities by linking databases Core Features: • Integrates 21 citizen-centric & sensitive databases • TO: Provides a secure platform to analyze data related to terrorism, national security, etc

@CSEWhy recommendations 🧑‍🏫

Indian express 📰 1. Incentives, not resources (Editorial) (GS2/GS3: Policies and Budget) 2. Engaging with the Taliban (Explained page) (GS2: IR) 3. Why space weather is key to successful docking of satellites (Explained page) (GS3: SnT) The Hindu 🗞️ 1. Script Reading (Editorial) (GS1: History) PS: We're now a club of 10k serious aspirants on the app. Aren't you one of them?

🚨 17th January  | Friday 🚨

Pre notes 📔

1. Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 [Statutory Body] • Lokpal Day: 16th January • Function: Investigates corruption allegations against public functionaries. • Chairperson: Retd./Current CJI or SC Judge • Amendment (2016): Included leader of the largest opposition party in the Selection Committee • Jurisdiction (Sec 14): PM, Ministers, MPs, and Group A, B, C, D Govt employees • 1st Lokpal: Retd. Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose (2019–2022) 2. 8th Pay Commission [eff. Jan 2026] • Set by Central Govt, Pay Comm. (Each 10yrs): Revise the salaries of central govt emp • 1st Pay Comm: estd.1946, chaired by Srinivasa Varadacharia, taken from Islington Commission • Minimum Pay for Govt Emp decided using Aykroyd formula (Aykroyd- Director of Food, US, 1935) 3. Namo Drone Didi Scheme Launch 🗓️: By GoI on Nov 30, 2023, to empower women-led SHGs w/ drone technology for agricultural services GOAL? Equip 15k women SHGs with drones by 2025-26 to offer rental services for applying liquid fertilizers & pesticides Financials 💸: • Total outlay of ₹1,261 crores • SHGs receive 80% subsidy on drone costs (up to ₹8 lakhs) • Rest 20% is financed through loans u/ AIF w/ a 3% interest subvention

@CSEWhy recommendations 🧑‍🏫

Indian express 📰 1. The ISRO Model (The Editorial Pages) (GS3: Sc. & Tech) The Hindu 🗞️ 1. ISRO docks two satellites, puts India in elite league (Front page) (GS3: SnT) 2. An alliance of democracies with India at its core (Editorial) (GS2: IR) 3. The impacts of rupee weakening (Text&Context) (GS3: Economy) 4. Costly HPV vaccine needs to be part of national immunisation programme (Science page) (GS2/GS3: Social issues and health) PS: Padhai kaisi chal rhi hai?

Pre Note: Taza Khagar ke sath hum aa gaye 🚨 16th January  | Thursday 🚨

Pre notes 📔

1. India's 3 Warships join Indian Navi • INS Surat: 4th Ship of Project 15B destroyers. • INS Nilgiri: Ship of Project 17A frigates • INS Vaghsheer: 6th Submarine of Project 75 Kalvari. • SAGAR: 2015, "Security and Growth for All in the Region "to enhance security and Blue economy 2. Gangasagar Mela [Gangasagar, WB] • Located in Sagar Island (WB) accessible by boat • 2nd Larget Fair after Kumbh • Present in the Mahabharata's Vana Parva (Book of Forest)

@CSEWhy recommendations 🧑‍🏫

The Hindu 🗞️ The red flag as China’s expansionist strategy rolls on (Editorial) (GS2: Inn Relation) Indian express 📰 1. Digital Power, No Responsibility (Ideas Page) (GS3: Inn Security) PS: Aise hi aur Current Affairs Compilation k liye App par jaye !