UPSC CSE Why

Open invite🚨 Been an aspirant who likes to curate UPSC content? Come, work with me! Best pay in the industry + great learning opportunity as we build a new-age digital content brand How to apply? Just write me an email to whycse@gmail.com answering "Why you are right person for this?"

Pre note: Every day is a missed opportunity if you waste it delaying your success! 🚨 29th November | Friday 🚨

Pre Facts 📝

1. World Craft Council • Purpose: Recognize role of local authorities, craftspeople, & communities in cultural, economic, and social development. • India's Craft Cities: Jaipur (Rajasthan), Mammalapuram (Tamil Nadu), Mysore (Karnataka) & Srinagar

Pre notes ✍🏻

1. Collegium System: Learn or revise on CSEWhy blog here 2. Vizhinjam Trans-shipment Port: Revise from here 3. Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 • Authority: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change • Waste Reclassification: Segregation simplified into 4 categories instead of 10. • Proximity Regulation: On-site treatment not allowed if a common facility exists within 75 kilometers • Phase-Out Mandate: Chlorinated plastic bags, gloves, and blood bags to be phased out within two years

@CSEWhy Recommendations 📑

Indian Express 📰 1. What is Centre's new mission to promote natural farming (Explained) (GS3: Agri) 2. Socialist, Secular in Preamble (Explained) (GS2: Polity) The Hindu 🗞 1. Census 2025 as a comprehensive citizen registry (Editorial) (GS2: Polity) PS: If you are in delhi, do you wanna attend CSEWhy offline meetups to meet other aspirants and have good fun?

Pre note: If you are new or veteran to prep, get your Pre/Mains PYQs here 🚨 28th November | Thursday🚨

Mains Keywords

1. Charm Diplomacy [type of soft power] • Refers to a strategic approach where a country uses cultural influence, personal charisma, persuasive rhetoric & P2P connect to build goodwill • Eg: India- Afghanistan Relations, Nurturing Afg Cricket, Salma Dam (Friendship Dam), Cultural & Education Exchange Programmes

Pre Facts 📝

1. One Nation One Subscription • 3 yr scheme for nationwide access to scholarly research & journals • Coordination: Managed by Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET) u/ the University Grants Commission (UGC) 2. UN Resolution 1701 • Hezbollah to be north of Litani River & Israel to the south of Blue Line • Allowed Only the Lebanese Army in buffer zone.

Pre notes ✍🏻

1. Business Advisory Committee [Both LS & RS] • Members: 15 LS (chaired by Speaker) & 11 in RS (chaired by VP) • Purpose: Recommends time for discussion on bills and other matters referred by the Speaker/Chairman 2. Moire & Superconductors • Moiré: Formed by stacking & twisting layers of 2D materials like graphene or tungsten diselenide. Twisting = altering electronic properties • Superconductivity: A state when a material can conduct electricity w/o any resistance. Observed when materials are cooled below a critical temperature • Recent findings: show semiconductor moiré materials, like twisted bilayer tungsten, can exhibit superconductivity.

Mains notes 📙

1. Elections & Electoral Profile Key Judgements: • "Democracy cannot survive without free and fair elections" (Union of India vs. ADR, 2003) • "Free and fair elections are the basic structure of the Constitution" (PUCL vs. Union of India, 2003) • "The heart of the parliamentary system is free and fair elections" (Mohinder Singh Gill vs. CEC of India, 1977). • In Feb 2024, SC struck down electoral bonds as “unconstitutional and manifestly arbitrary.” LS 2024 elections data • In 19/36 states & UT, more women voted than men in 2024 • Gender gap in voter turnout has now disappeared (once at 10%) • The gender ratio of registered voters improved to 948 women per 1,000 men, up from 928 in 2019

@CSEWhy Recommendations 📑

Indian Express 📰 1. Israel Hezbollah Ceasefire Deal (Explained) (GS2: IR) 2. Greatest Show must go on (Editorial) (GS2: Polity) 3. In Defence of India (GS2: IR) The Hindu 🗞 1. The Right to Work Deleted (Explained) (GS3: Economy) PS: What did you study yesterday?

Pre note: What will you do if not for UPSC prep? 🚨 27th November | Wednesday🚨

Pre Facts 📝

1. Ocean of Water in Uranus & Neptune • The planets may have distinct layers: water above and hydrocarbons below, preventing particle mixing unlike Earth's core • Magnetic Fields: This separation may explain Uranus and Neptune's irregular magnetic fields, as observed by Voyager 2 • NASA Mission: A proposed Uranus mission could confirm the theory using Doppler imaging and study its moons, like Miranda.

Pre notes ✍🏻

1. Pennaiyar River [KRN & TN dispute] • Originates in the Nandi Hills in the Chikkaballapura district of Karnataka • Also known as the South Pennar River, Dakshina Pinakini in Kannada & Thenpennai or Ponnaiyar Tamil • 2nd longest river in Tamil Nadu, after Kaveri. East flowing River 2. GSAT-N2 (GSAT-20) • Successfully launched onboard SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. • Developed By: New Space India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO, under the Department of Space. • High-throughput communication satellite operating in the Ka-band will provide data and internet services to remote regions • Distinction: India’s highest throughput satellite and the only one exclusively operating in the Ka-band

@CSEWhy Recommendations 📑

Indian Express 📰 1. Dismantling of Climate Talks (Explained) (GS3: Environment) 2. An Article of Faith (Editorial) (GS2: Polity) 3. Significance of European Solar Mission, which Isro will launch (GS3: SnT) The Hindu 🗞 1. Constitution still thrives, let it show India the way (Editorial) (GS2: Polity) 2. Between Hope & Hurdles on the High Sea (Editorial) (GS2: Polity) 3. SC Ruling on Socialism & Secularism (Text&Context) (GS2: Polity) PS: Keep moving, study hard and keep yourself fit. life is good!

Pre note: Mains & Prelims PYQs video explanations & PDF notes/model answer here 🚨 26th November | Tuesday🚨

Pre Facts 📝

1. Cabinet approved the PAN 2.0 project • New PAN cards to now have QR codes; eases taxpayer registration services • PAN: now "single source of truth & data consistency” 2. International Cooperative Alliance's (ICA) Global Cooperative Conference 2024 • ICA: Estd. 1895 during at 1st Cooperative Congress in London, England [HQ: Brussels, Belgium] • Host: India, for the first time in ICA’s 130-year history • Theme: “Cooperatives Build Prosperity for All.” • Aim: Launch the UN International Year of Cooperatives-2025. 3. Mediterranean Dialogue [NATO initiative] • Enhance security and stability in the Mediterranean region • Dialogue b/w NATO & 7 Non-Nato countries: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia • India & MED: Diaspora of 460K, Annual Trade of USD 80 Billion, IMEC important for Trade & Energy Security 4. MACE Observatory [Hanle, Ladakh] • Asia’s largest & world’s highest Imaging Cherenkov Telescope • Purpose: Observes high-energy gamma rays to study phenomena like supernovae, black holes, and gamma-ray bursts • Cherenkov radiation: blue glow emitted when charged particles travel faster than the speed of light in a medium

Pre notes ✍🏻

1. 42nd Constitutional Ammendment • Added "socialist," "secular," and "integrity" to the Preamble. • Introduced Part IV-A, adding 10 Fundamental Duties • Provided for administrative tribunals & tribunals for other matters (Added Part XIV A). • The amendment stated that the President shall act in accordance to the council of ministers. • Shifted 5 subjects from state to concurrent list, viz, Edu, Forests, protection of animals, weights/measures & Adm of justice of all courts except the SC & HC 2. Refugee Camps & Location • Jordan: Azraq, Baqaa, Zaa'tari Camps • Kenya: Kakuma, Dadaab & Turkana Camps • Bangladesh: Kutupalong [Rohingyas] Largest Refugee Camp • Gaza: Jabalia, Khan Younis, Nuseirat, Al-Shati/Beach Camp • Um Rakuba Camp [Sudan], Bidibidi Camp [Uganda]

Mains notes 📙

1. National Mission on Natural Farming Focus: Shift farmers from chemical inputs to cow-based & locally produced inputs through awareness, training, and capacity building Features: • Excludes chemical fertilizers & pesticides • Biomass recycling, mulching, and cow dung-urine formulations • Improves natural nutrient cycling and enhances soil organic matter for climate resilience & carbon sequestration. Challenges: • May lead to reduced yields, impacting farmer income • Relies heavily on local inputs which may not be readily accessible for all farmers • Limited demand and lack of premium pricing for natural produce in mainstream markets

@CSEWhy Recommendations 📑

Indian Express 📰 1. The consensus document (Editorial) (GS2: Polity) 2. The Baku Betrayal (Editorial) (GS3: Environment) 3. Significance of European Solar Mission, which Isro will launch (GS3: SnT) The Hindu 🗞 1. Constitution still thrives, let it show India the way (Editorial) (GS2: Polity) 2. Feminist Ideology in India's Constitutional Discourse (Editorial) (GS2: Polity) 3. On Stubble burning & Satellite Data (Text&Context) (GS2: Health) PS: Are you reading newspaper daily?

Pre note: Are you running in right direction for UPSC Prelims? test here! 🚨 25th November | Monday🚨

Mains Keywords

1. Exported Emissions • Emissions generated in one country during production but "exported" when those are consumed in another country • A developing country produces goods for export to wealthier nations. The emissions from production occur in the exporting country but are driven by demand in the importing country.

Pre Facts 📝

1. Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue [u/Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports] • The National Youth Festival, an annual event celebrating the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda 2. Proba-3 Mission [European Space Agency] • 2 Satellites Involved: Coronagraph (to observe the corona) & Occulter (to block direct sunlight). • Impact: Provides insights into the origins of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that affect satellites and power grids. • Mission of ESA but PSLV [ISRO] will launch the satellites

Pre notes ✍🏻

1. Space Debris • Man-made objects in Earth's orbit with no useful purpose, including defunct satellites and rocket fragments • Project NETRA: Early warning system for space hazards by ISRO • Liability Convention 1972: Launching countries are liable for damages caused by their space debris • Kessler Syndrome: When overpopulation of space debris causes cascading collisions, creating more debris, increasing risks for operational satellites & future space missions 2. Global Plastic Treaty [u/UN Environment Assembly] • Plastic Pollution Crisis: Surged from 234 MT (2000) to 460 MT (2019); expected to hit 700 MT by 2040 • India's Position: Does not support any restriction on the production of polymers. Regulation should be Nationally Determined • Person-to-person transmission is rare but High mortality in human infections

Mains notes 📙

1. Lateral Entry in Civil Services: Definition: Refers to the recruitment of pvt sector professionals, subject experts, or academicians into senior positions in the govt, bypassing traditional UPSC examinations Advantages: • Brings expertise from private and academic sectors to improve policymaking and implementation • Reduces dependency on traditional bureaucratic skill sets [Generalist] for specialized functions Criticism: • Profit vs Public Welfare & Social Responsibility • Potential issues with accountability and alignment with the ethos of public service • Resistance from career civil servants due to perceived dilution of service hierarchy

@CSEWhy Recommendations 📑

Indian Express 📰 1. Three Solutions for Clean Air (Editorial) (GS3: Environment) The Hindu 🗞 1. India's Urban infrastructure financing, needs and reality (Editorial) (GS2: Urban Local Bodies) 2. Climate Deal a mere illusion, says India (News) (GS3: Environment) 3. After a health emergency, toxic air foretells an economic one (Science) (GS2: Health) PS: blog.csewhy.com has new CA updates for you, go learn!

Pre note: Har din keemati hai dost, mehnat itni karo aaj se hi ki Prelims paas aate aate panic na hona pade 🚨 24th November | Sunday🚨

Pre Facts 📝

1. MicroRNA [miRNA]: In details post with notes here 2. Cervical Cancer: In detail notes here 3. Commission for Air Quality Management [CAQM]: Establishment: Statutory body under the CAQM Act, 2021, focusing on air quality improvement in NCR

Pre notes ✍🏻

1. India’s Coffee (🇮🇳: 6th in production; Brazil 1st) • India📍: Karnataka (70%), Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Northeast India • Varieties: Arabica (aromatic, higher altitudes) & Robusta (stronger, used in blends) • Climate: hot & humid conditions, w/ 150–250 cm rainfall • Coffee Board of India: Statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry [HQ: Bangalore] 2. Brihadeshwar Temple [Shiva temple in Thanjavur, TN] • Built: Raja Raja Chola I • Today: UNESCO World Heritage Site u/ "Great Living Chola Temples," with Gangaikonda Cholapuram & Airavatesvara Temple.

@CSEWhy Recommendations 📑

The Hindu 🗞 1. Why is there a row over climate finance (FAQ) (GS3: Environment) 2. Why can CAQM do to improve Delhi Air (GS3: Environment) 3. How should India tackle diabetes load? (GS2: Health Policy) PS: blog.csewhy.com

🚨 23rd November | Saturday🚨

Quotes 💭

"Socialism here means that there should be equal opportunities for all; it never prevented the private sector from thriving here" - CJI Sanjiv Khanna

Pre Facts 📝

1. Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) • One of the world’s largest pipelines which brings oil from Kazakhstan to the Black Sea • Handles about 1% of global oil and includes US majors Chevron & Exxon • Gas Fields of Kazakhstan: Karachaganak Field, Kashagan Field, Tengiz Field 2. Paris treaty pullout [Argentina considering it] • Treaty aims to limit global warming to below 2°C, or 1.5°C, requiring countries to update their climate action plans (NDCs) every five years. • Article 28: lays down the procedure & timeline for a country’s withdrawal from the treaty • Can withdraw by: Notifying the UN Office of Legal Affairs, with the withdrawal taking effect 1 year later, during which it must fully participate in all activities. 3. Advanced centrifuges • What? Machines that separate uranium isotopes to enrich uranium • How? Centrifuges use centrifugal force to separate particles by density • The heavier gas molecules move to the outside of the cylinder, while the lighter gas molecules move to the center • Iran's use of advanced centrifuges raises concerns because they were banned by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015

Pre notes ✍🏻

1. International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] • What? Intergovernmental organisation to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, restricting militarization of Nuclear • HQ: UN Office at Vienna, Austria [Est independently of UN] • Additional Protocol: Increases the IAEA’s ability to verify the peaceful use of all nuclear material in States 2. Disqualification of Law Makers in India • Only resource you need to read on this topic 3. Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla [Chattisgharh] • India’s 56th Tiger reserve. • Rivers: Hasdeo, Gopad, and Baranga • Lies b/w Bandhavgarh TR [MP] and Palamau TR [JH], with Sanjay Dubri TR nearby [MP] • 3rd largest tiger reserve in the country after Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam TR in Andhra Pradesh and Manas TR in Assam

@CSEWhy

Recommendations 📑

Indian Express 📰 1. Caribbean Connect (Editorial) (GS2: IR) 2. Zone of Containment (Editorial) (GS2: Health) 3. Reading the thaw (Editorial) (GS2: IR) 4. China-India state of play (Explained) (GS2: IR) The Hindu 🗞 1. Understanding the changing face of extremist violence (Editorial) (GS3: Internal Security) 2. Democratising AI needs a radically different approach (GS3: Science)

Pre note: Get Prelims & Mains PYQs videos explanation & PDF notes in one place for UPSC 2025 🚨 22nd November | Friday🚨

Quotes 💭

"There are some thing, that we value as a public good that the markets can't deliver, like Clean Air" - Erik Maskin

Pre Facts 📝

1. Global Alliance against Hunger & Poverty [G20] • Action: Implements Deccan High-Level Principles on Food Security and Nutrition (2023) from the G20 Summit. • What?: A voluntary coalition targeting hunger (SDG 2), poverty (SDG 1), inequalities (SDG 10) etc. • Focus: Food assistance, school feeding, maternal nutrition & local food market promotion • Add-on: Supports smallholder farmers with finance, services, and inputs while aiding vulnerable groups with health & care. 2. Rock-cut footprints, human figure of Megalithic period unearthed at Kerala’s Kanhirapoil • Megalithic period = construction of large stone structures [megaliths], often associated with burial practices • Indicates early social structures, technological advancement & ritualistic practices in prehistoric India. 3. Ranthambore Tiger Reserve • Rivers: Boundary of Chambal River (south) & Banas River (north) • Environmental feature: Great Boundary Fault, where the Vindhyan plateau intersects the Aravalli range • Forest type: Mainly tropical dry deciduous with ‘dhak’, also called as 'Flame of forest' a drought resistant tree

Pre notes ✍🏻

1. International Criminal Court (ICC) • What?: 1st permanent international court to prosecute serious crimes under the Rome Statute • Composition: 124 members; notable non-members include India, the US, China, Russia & Israel • Binding decisions but relies on state cooperation for arrests. (issued arrest warrant against Putin & Netanyahu) 2. Comptroller and Auditor General of India [CAG- u/Art. 148] • K Sanjay Murthy new CAG, head of Indian Audit & Accounts Department • Office condition: Appointed by President by warrant u/ his hand, in office for 6 years or till 65 yrs (whichever first) • Not eligible for further office under both. Can be removed by President under the same grounds/procedure as SC judge

Mains Notes

1. World Fisheries Day Role of Fisheries Sector: • India is the 3rd largest fish producing & 2nd largest aquaculture producing nation in the world.. • 8% of global production and contributing about 1.09% to the country’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and over 6.724% to the agricultural GVA • Supports around 50 Million People, especially PVTGs & Vulnerable communities Government Schemes to Promote Fisheries: • PM Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY): Aims to double fish production and promote sustainable aquaculture • Blue Revolution: Enhances infrastructure and modernizes fisheries to improve productivity. • Fisheries & Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF): Provides financial support for developing fishing harbors and cold storage facilities.

@CSEWhy Recommendations 📑

Indian Express 📰 1. Leaner, Faster, Fairer (Editorial) (GS2: Judiciary) 2. Trust the Farmers (Editorial) (GS3: Agriculture) The Hindu 🗞 1. India needs a Environmental Health Regulatory Agency (Editorial) (GS3: Env) 2. Is Social Media doing more harm than good to democracy (Editorial) (GS2: Governance) 3. A Primer on how to survive the declining air quality in India (Science) (GS3: Env) PS: get your PYQs sorted today before its too late for 2025, see top of this message

Pre note: blog.csewhy.com 🚨 21st November | Thursday🚨

Pre Facts 📝

1. Modi in Guyana • MoU on deployment of UPI digital payment system • Places to know: - Essequibo Conflict b/w Guyana & Venezuela - Kaieteur Falls (one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world) - Pakaraima, Kanuku & Acarai Mountains 2. Updated Russia's Nuclear Doctrine • Now: Attack by non-nuclear power + nuclear power = joint attack; warrants response • Incorporates Belarus in security sphere from entire bloc against either Russia or Belarus 3. St. Francis Xavier's Decennial Exposition [Catholic saint founded Society of Jesus] • Known as the “Apostle of the Indies” and “Apostle of Japan”, he is considered to be one of the greatest missionaries since Paul the Apostle.

Pre notes ✍🏻

1. Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre [IN-SPACe] • Autonomous agency u/ Department of Space • Facilitates private sector participation in India's space activities 2. National Company Law Tribunal [NCLT] (quasi judicial u/ Companies Act 2013) • Composition: Includes a President (HC judge) & Judicial/Technical Members. (Central Government appoints) • Jurisdiction: Cases from Company Law Board, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code & other related claims 3. PM - Vidyalaxmi Scheme (for access to education loan) • For who?: Students in recognized courses in India & abroad; interest subsidies for E.W.S • Features: Provides Collateral Free, Guarantor Free loans. Only institutions with NIRF Rankings, 860 HEIs are eligible

Mains notes 📙

1. GM Crops & Crispr Tech Benefits of GM Crops: • Help reducing pesticide use and enhancing crop resistance to pests (e.g., Bt cotton and brinjal). • Herbicide-tolerant (HT) crops allow targeted weed removal, reducing tilling & carbon emissions • Genetic modifications can boost yields & nutritional value, reducing the need to expand farmland. Challenges and Risks: • Overuse of GM traits like Bt toxin can lead to pest & weed resistance • Monopolies by major companies limit farmer choice and charge big royalties (Monsanto) Regulation and Costs: • Developing GM traits is expensive, with regulatory costs exceeding $40 million per trait, leaving smaller players out. • Modern tools like CRISPR reduce development costs but still face high regulatory hurdles.

@CSEWhy Recommendations 📑

Indian Express 📰 1. Don't lose Moment (Editorial) (GS3: Agriculture) 2. India's Undertrial Prisoner (Explained) (GS2: Governance) The Hindu 🗞 1. Turning Tide (Editorial) (GS3: Economy) 2. The Long Fight for Accessibility, dignity in Indian Prisons (Editorial) (GS2: Governance) PS: Join @CSEWhyPlanB

Pre note: Friends, it is high time you start winding up Mains Prep by Mid Jan, last. Switch to PYQs in full flow! 🚨 20th November | Wednesday🚨

Quotes 💭

"A Healthy Ecology is the basis for a Healthy Economy" - Claudine Schneider

Pre Facts 📝

1. Army Tactical Missile System [ATACMS] • Range: 70-300 km. Guided partially by GPS • Long-range missile system with variants capable of carrying cluster bomblets or a single high-explosive warhead • Approved by Biden govt for Ukraine due to Russia’s deployment of North Korean troops 2. Teesta River • Originates in the Himalayas near Chunthang, Sikkim • A Tributary of the Brahmaputra, flowing through India & Bangladesh • The river originally flowed south into the Padma (Ganga in Bangladesh) but shifted eastward later to join the Jamuna (Brahmaputra)

Pre notes ✍🏻

1. Delimitation Commission [Article 82] • To fix seats & boundaries for LS & State constituencies. Learn more here • Composition: Retired SC judge, Chief Election Commissioner, Respective State Election Commissioners 2. Air Quality Index [AQI] • Launched by Central Pollution Control Board [CPCB] in 2014. • Pollutants Covered: PM2.5, PM10. Ozone, Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, Sulphur Dioxide, Lead, Ammonia • CPCB is a statutory body constituted under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 3. Competition Commission of India [CCI] (u/ Ministry of Corporate Affairs) • Chief national competition regulator in India • Recommended by Raghavan committee: the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969 (MRTP Act) replaced by the Competition Act, 2002

@CSEWhy Recommendations 📑

Indian Express 📰 1. The AQI we choose (Editorial) (GS3: Environment) 2. Trump's art of the deal (Editorial) (GS2: IR) 3. The China emissions paradox (Explained) (GS3: Environment) The Hindu 🗞 1. How India could counter the CBAM (Editorial) (GS3: Environment) 2. Is Imposing tariffs on Chinese Imports a good idea (Text&Context) (GS3: Economy) PS: Join team @CSEWhy in UPSC content creation, apply here

Friends, I am hiring in UPSC content. If you or someone you know who's looking to make a transition to workforce, this is your golden chance. Please know this is urgent hiring. You will be working directly with founding team. This opportunity will add most important skill of building distribution & scaling content to millions of impressions daily. • Position: 2 Content Curators • Location: Delhi-NCR • Job Description: Click here for JD & how to apply Reply here if you have any queries.

Pre note: Are you liking the raised quality of notes from newspaper here? 🚨 19th November | Tuesday🚨

Mains Keywords

1. Fossil Fuel Non Proliferation Treaty • Approach: Calls for a global agreement similar to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), focusing on reducing reliance on fossil fuels • Principles: Promote sustainable energy development, prevent new fossil fuel projects, and support communities affected by the transition 2. High Performance Buildings [HPBs] • What: Prioritize energy efficiency, climate resilience & resource conservation via smart design & sustainable materials. • How?: Use passive (natural light, orientation) & active (efficient HVAC, smart tech) methods for energy and water savings

Pre Facts 📝

1. Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary (Raipur, CG) • Rivers: Balmedhi, Jonk, and Mahanadi • Known for: Indian Wild Buffalo [EN], state animal of Chhattisgarh, native to the Indian Sub-continent 2. Dhudmaras in Bastar (On UN list of potential tourism picks) •📍 Heart of Kanger Ghati National Park (on banks of Kholaba River (Godavari's tributary)) • Selected by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation [UNWTO], HQ: Madrid, Spain 3. Aphantasia (inability to voluntarily visualize mental images) • People cannot form pictures in their minds, even when attempting to recall a familiar face, object, or scene 4. Small Modular Reactors [SMRs] • What? New gen of nuclear reactors to be smaller, safer & more flexible • Feature: Less than 300 MW electricity; suitable more for smaller grids/remote locations • Safety: Advance safety mechanisms including passive cooling system reducing accident risks

Pre notes ✍🏻

1. Graded Response Action Plan [GRAP] • What? Delhi-NCR emergency measures • Legal backing: SC approved in M.C. Mehta vs. Union of India case 2016 • Measures: Vehicle bans (older/high-polluting vehicles), restricted diesel generator usage, school closures etc 2. Forest Cover • Forest Cover: Includes lands over one hectare with tree canopy density above 10% • Tree Cover: Refers to smaller tree patches outside recorded forests, under one hectare • SC Directive: Follow the broad definition of forests as per the 1996 T.N. Godavarman case • Area-wise Forest Cover: MP>Arunachal Pradesh>Chhattisgarh>Odisha>MH • Forest cover as percentage of geographical area: Mizoram>Arunachal Pradesh>Meghalaya>Manipur>Nagaland 3. Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor [EMC] [40 days travel in 24] • The Red Sea piracy has shifted attention to the EMC • Vladivostok is largest port on Russia’s Pacific coast, the end point of the Trans-Siberian Railway, first free seaport of the Far East

@CSEWhy Recommendations 📑

Indian Express 📰 1. Neighbourhood first, in practice (Editorial) (GS2: IR) 2. Regulating Fossil Fuel, like Nuclear Weapons (Explained) (GS3: Environment) The Hindu 🗞 1. Manipur as a case for imposing Article 356 (Editorial) (GS2: Polity) 2. This time for Africa (Editorial) (GS2: IR) 3. How sustainable is India's path to net zero with 45 years left (Science) (GS3: Environment) PS: blog.csewhy.com

After a point in life, You don’t feel bad about your friends or schoolmates doing great in life. You see a friend at Oxford studying computer sciences, another vacationing in Bali, while there’s one more posting classic pictures from work stations in Bangalore or Palo Alto You see them. You feel happy. You know life’s good for us because you’ll make it in life, too. We all deserve to make it! We all have worked hard to be where we are! The one at Oxford? She genuinely love computers Bali guy is making a living out of blogging about his experiences Those in Bengaluru or PA go mad if they don’t code for a day You? You like your books. You are about to crack India’s toughest exam. You belong here! You know it’ll work out for you. You’ve worked hard for it. Toh bhai sunn, darr matt. Doston ki khushi me taali maar, teri baari bhi aagayi bass. 💪🏻 ♥️

While India is testing Hypersonic missiles, attempt this PYQ from 2023 #UPSC Prelims in quiz below :)

Pre note: Download CSEWhy app here to practice unlimited mocks! 🚨 18th November | Monday 🚨

Quotes 💭

"Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time" - Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Mains Keywords

1. War of Attrition [Military strategy] • Focus: Gradually weaken opponent through sustained losses in manpower, material & morale • Success: When opponent can't continue due to resource depletion or loss of will • Eg: The 1962 India-China War, involved attritional strategies by China to exhaust Indian defenses along the Himalayan borders

Pre Facts 📝

1. Nigeria Honours PM Modi w/ 2nd highest national award • Revise other awards from here 2. India tests Long-Range Hypersonic Missile • Hypersonic = Mach 5 & Above (5x Speed of Sound) • Feature: Strikes w/ extreme speed & evade most air defence system • Countries: USA, Russia, China & now India have tested it successfully 3. Poorvi Prahar [held in Arunachal Pradesh] • What? High-intensity tri-services exercise • Why? Tri-service effort to boost combat effectiveness in mountainous terrain 4. South East Asia's largest floating solar power plant in Purwakarta, Indonesia

Pre notes ✍🏻

1. Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) • What? Computational model inspired by the human brain, used to process information and solve complex problems • Composition: Layers of nodes (neurons) connected by weights & edges • Mechanism: Learns through training by adjusting weights using algorithms like backpropagation to minimize errors in predictions/classifications

Mains notes 📙

1. India, World & CO2 [Global Carbon Project Report] • India's Emission set to rise by 4.6% (highest among major economies) • Globally, Emission set to rise by 0.8%, 37 Billion Tonnes this year • GHGs like CO₂, CH₄, and water vapor trap heat by absorbing infrared radiation. • Why GHGs trap heat: Their molecular structure allows them to absorb a wide range of infrared wavelengths • Water vapor, though abundant, has a short cycle and doesn’t accumulate like CO2

@CSEWhy Recommendations 📑

Indian Express 📰 1. Reaching out with AI (Editorial) (GS3: SnT) 2. Why CO has contributed the most to global warming (Explained) (GS3: Environment) 3. AFSPA in Imphal Valley (GS3: Internal Security) The Hindu 🗞 1. A Devastating blow to global climate efforts(Editorial) (GS3: Environment) 2. New infectious diseases among bees threaten world economies(Science) (GS3: Env) PS: One stop current affairs CSEWhy blog here

Namastey Dosto! Exam kareeb aate jaa rha hai, apni taiyarii mein dagmagana nahi Use this Sunday evening's tea break to quickly revise crucial current affairs of last 30 days 1. SC's stand on bulldozer justice 2. Everything around Marital Rape 3. India-China disengagement summarised Found this valuable? LMK with a ❤️