UPSC CSE Why

Solar Geoengineering + UNSC graphic details

Pre note: result will come when it will come, breathe. 🚨09th June | Monday🚨

Daily Notes🗒

1. US National Guards • Dual Command reflecting US federalism Serves state governors for domestic crisis & federal govt. for national defense • Crisis Response Key responder in disasters & public safety, bridges civilian military roles (comparable to NDRF in India) • Structure: Led by state governor's, funded jointly by state/centre • In news: POTUS summoned 'em in LA; origin 1636 2. MagIC (Magnetic Isolation and Concentration) • imaging of biological molecules at 100x lower concentrations, enhancing research capability • Purpose: To accelerate breakthroughs in drug development & disease understanding 3. Irish Bogs • Natural carbon sinks storing C in peat; makes it critical for climate change mitigation • Biodiversity hotspot: Support unique flora & fauna adapted to acidic conditions offering insights into conservation strategies • Global Policy Relevance: Ireland's bog protection issues highlighted in European Court of Justice 4. National Cadet Corps • History: estd 1948 u/ MoDefence; headed by DG (Lt. Gen) • Objectives & Role: To groom disciplined, patriotic citizens focusing on youth training, leadership, social service & nation-building, while aiding logistics & rescue during emergencies 5. UNSC Temporary Members • UNGA elects Bahrain, Columbia, DRC, Latvia & Liberia as non-permanent UNSC members for a 2 year term • Total 10 non permanent members, 5 elected every year • Pakistan: chair of UNSC 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee for 2025, vice-cair of UNSC Counter-Terrorism Committee Note: UNGA elects non-permanent members of UNSC 6. Aerosol Injection - Stratospheric [Solar geoengineering technique ] • Climate Mitigation Technology: Reflects sunlight to cool earth by mimicking volcanic eruptions (lowers global temperatures by 0.5°C) • Effectiveness and Risks: Could lower warming more in polar than tropics; posing risks like uneven cooling, ozone depletion & disruption in monsoon patterns • Other methods of Solar Radiation Modification i) Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB): - Spraying fine seawater droplets into low level ocean clouds to enhance reflectivity & persistence - More localized than SAI but also more technically challenging & weather dependent ii) Space Sunshades: - Place large mirrors in orbit or at Lagrange Point 1 (points where gravity of earth/sun balance each other) to block/deflect incoming solar radiation iii) Cirrus Cloud Thinning (CCT): - Aim: to reduce global warming by modifying high-altitude cirrus clouds (trapping heat due to their high ice content) - CCT injects Bismuth Tri-iodide (ice-nucleating particle) to enlarge crystals, making cirrus clouds less persistent & escape heat iv) Spraying Diamond Dust: - Spraying synthetic nanodiamonds (1-100nm) into stratosphere - Highly reflective & chemically inert; scatter solar radiation in turn cooling the planet 7. Nomadic Elephant | India-Mongolia Joint Military Exercise: To enhance interoperability; focus: counter-terrorism & UN peacekeeping in semi-urban/mountainous terrain. 8. Census revision here

@CSEWhy Newspaper Recommendations📰

Indian Express 🗞 1. Tailoring a sector (GS3: Trade) 2. Renewable & protected (GS3: Wind Energy) PS: Pre or Mains, what did you study today?

2 headlines across 4 years

Kaisa laga aaj ka CA? Saying it regularly, you don't have to worry about CA. Count on me, you won't regret. Promise! :)

India is drawing 6 lines on ground to transfer water of Indus River System To cover states of HR, PB, UP, RJ, GJ Canal 2 seems to be coinciding with ancient civilisational river: Saraswati

9. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) - Overview: Highest ranking military officer & Principal Military Authority of Indian Armed Forces - Role and Responsibilities: • Permanent Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee; ensure inter-service coordination • Principal Military Advisor to the Defence Minister on tri-services matters & advisor to Nuclear Command Authority • Heads Dept. of Mil Affairs (DMA), manage procurement, training, logistics, & facilitating theatre commands • No military command over service chiefs, "first among equals" with a rank equivalent to a Secretary in the Ministry of Defence. - Historical Context and Evolution: • Proposed post 1999 war by Kargil Review Committee, refined by Naresh Chandra Committee (2012) and Lt. Gen. D.B. Shekatkar Committee (2016) • Purpose: address inefficiencies, enhance combat capability & reduce duplication amid modern warfare challenges - Key Facts • Age: 65 years (no fixed tenure); eligible candidates include retired 4/3 star officers u/ 62 years at appointment • Salary and perks match service chiefs; office ranks 12th in India’s order of precedence • Current CDS, Gen Chauhan is a first instance of a 3 star general becoming 4 star general post retirement (to be elevated as CDS)

Pre note: Read everything with GREAT care today. Worked overtime to fix it for you! 😄 🚨08th June | Sunday🚨

Daily Notes🗒

1. 1. Great Indian Bustard • Conservation Status & Threats: Critically Endangered (IUCN), Schedule I WPA72 w/ <150 individuals. Threatened by habitat loss + power line collisions, hunting & pesticides • Relevance: Flagship species for grasslands, tied to renewable energy conflicts; controls pests, indicates grassland health • In news: New chicks born in RJ, named after Op Sindoor: Vyom, Sofiya, Sindoor, Mishri etc. 2. DigiPIN • Digital Postal Index Number: geospatial reference system developed by Department of Posts, in collab with IIT Hyd & ISRO's NSRC • India's new era of addressing moving beyond JUST Pincode to pin point your exact geographic location 3. Bacteriophages to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance • Overview: AMR causes ~5mn global deaths where bacteriophages (phages) are emerging as an alternative • Mechanism: Phages target specific bacteria (eg E. Coli) [used in Soviet, Georgie & Belgium for ulcers & UTIs] • Strategies: Isolate bacteria, match phased & use engineered phages/banks to eliminate AMR • Challenges: Limited approval, mostly compassionate use; India explores this, facing production and regulatory hurdles. 4. Heaviest Proton Emitter Astatine-188 • What? Finland & Indian collaboration to find Astatine w/ 188 micro-second half life • Function: Advances nuclear stability research, offering insights into proton rich isotop limits, predicting stability drop for future nuclear studies 5. Microgravity [Seen in Pre25] • Definition: Environment w/ low gravitational force, experienced in space where objects appear weightless • Importance: Enables research on physical & cognitive impacts, plant growth & biological processes in space • Applications: Supports studies on muscle dysfunction, bioregenerative life-support systems, and potential food/fuel sources, aligning with India’s space missions like Gaganyaan • Challenges and Future: Poses risks like muscle atrophy and requires advanced tech, influencing future space habitation and interplanetary missions. 6. Axiom-4 (Launch: 10 June) • Crew capsule: Dragon C213, Launch vehicle: Falcon 9 [both SpaceX] • India: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is the pilot while another Indian Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair is on standby • ISRO Payloads on Axiom-4: 8 payloads (covered in next text) 7. Microalgae • What? Microscopic photosynthetic organisms found in aquatic environments (being studied by ISRO in Axiom-4) • Applications: Potential source of food, fuel, oxygen as well as use-case in wastewater treatment & carbon sequestration 8. Tardigrades • Overview: Water bears (microscopic extremophiles 0.05-1.2 mm) surviving extreme conditions (-272°C to 150°C) via cryptobiosis (Axiom-4 is carrying them as ISRO payloads) • Relevance: Research on their revival & gene expression in microgravity aids astrobiology & space exploration

I am working overtime to compensate covering all pointers covered in newspapers + PIB. Fun fact, I spent last 2-3 days working on mapping PRE25 Paper Qs to CSEWhy sources and have 45+ Qs references. Will share soon Long story short, NEVER be in a doubt of quality of CA you get here. Count on me, promise :)

I am seeing lesser interest in daily CA from aspirants despite curated notes on most articles of Newspaper + PIB + other sources Kya hua? Hogaya josh thanda? :)

Pre note: subscribe to CSEWhy CA blog for Free with just your email here 🚨07th June | Saturday🚨

Daily Notes🗒

1. National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) • Statutory body u/ NCISM Act 2020 (replaced Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM)) • Regulates Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa under Ministry of AYUSH • 29 Member team appointed by Search Committee (Cabinet Sec heads this search committee) • Initiatives (PRANA Conference, SMART 2.0, Desh Ka Prakriti Parikshan Abhiyaan) • Functions: - Regulate Medical education & institutions - Promote research & universal healthcare - Appellate authority for board decisions - Ensure quality & ethics among professionals 2. PM-PRANAM Scheme • In news: Launched to cut synthetic fertilizer use (KA leads the movement) • What's it?: Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment, and Amelioration of Mother Earth; to reduce chemical fertilizers (2023-2026 FY) • Approach: Encourage balanced use of chemical, biofertilizers, & organic inputs via natural farming • Tech use: tracked using Integrated Fertilizers Management System (iFMS) • Sustainable Practices: Reduces chemical inputs (e.g., DAP, NPK, MOP), minimizing soil degradation, water contamination, and biodiversity loss • Incentives: Centre grants 50% of subsidy savings to states (70% to farmers/panchayats, 30% for organic farming); no separate budget, funded by existing subsidies. • Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers 3. Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India (SPMEPCI) • Objective: Boost electric passenger car manufacturing (to achieve net zero by 2070) • Eligibility: Companies w/ ₹10k crore automotive revenue + ₹3k cr fixed asset investment • Incentive: 15% customs duty on importing 8k EVs annually for 5 yrs • Requirements: ₹4.1k cr invested in 3 years, 25% DVA by year 3, 50% by year 5 4. Learn about World Milk Day here on CSEWhy Blog 5. Revise Monetary Policy Committee here

Revision Recommendations📚

1. Pandyas Kingdom & architecture (new temple unearthed from their time)

@CSEWhy Newspaper Recommendations📰

Indian Express 🗞 1. After Sindoor, Calculate (GS3: Internal Security + GS2: IR) 2. Bridges to Valley: Lives along the line (GS3: Infrastructure; story of Chenab Bridge) PS: I will soon share images to confirm how you could solve Qs in Pre25 from such daily messages of this group :)

Thank me later :)

The kind of quality content you'd find on CSEWhy blog. Subscribe for FREE with your email: blog.csewhy.com

Pre note: Women in combat roles 🚨06th June | Friday🚨

Daily Notes🗒

1. Khichan & Menar | New Ramsar Sites (total 91, 4 in RJ) • Khichan (Phalodi): famous for migratory Demoiselle cranes • Menar (Udaipur): bird village famous for community led bird conservation efforts 2. Anji Khad Cable Stay Bridge • Reasi, Jammu over Anji river, part of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) • Anji is tributary of Chenab, key part of Indus River system

Quotes💡

"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals" - Immanuel Kant

@CSEWhy Newspaper Recommendations📰

Indian Express 🗞 1. Reimagining the classroom (GS2: Education & Policy) 2. State of ungulates: health of tiger depends on health of its prey (GS3: Environment) 3. Hydrology of the Brahmaputra (GS3: Environment, GS2: IR) PS: What did you study today?

Pre note: Starting Mains Prep? Start here 🚨05th June | Thursday🚨

Daily Notes🗒

1. Malayalam Film Industry & Justice Hema Committee • Justice Hema Committee: Formed in 2017 after a sexual assault case naming a prominent Mallu actor • Finding: The report highlighted pervasive sexual harassment & gender inequality in Malayalam film industry • Issues: 'Culture' of sexual harassment prevails, no casting couch regulations & systematic issues • Response & Challenges: Report was not released till a RTI campaign, released with 63 pages redacted; no concrete outcome 2. Exposomics (study of exposome) • It encompasses all environmental exposures an individual experiences over lifetime and how these exposures interact w/ genetic & biological factors to influence health & disease. • Purpose: Map exposures to understand cumulative impact on health outcomes using tools like biomarkers, sensors & omics tech 3. Census pointers: • First: 1872, first completed: 1881, first caste census: 1931 • Conducted by: Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner u/ MHA • Legal basis u/ Census Act 1948 • Next census: conclusion expected by 2027, last census in 2011

@CSEWhy Newspaper Recommendations📰

Indian Express 🗞 1. What Dhaka needs? (GS2: IR- India Bangladesh relations) 2. The Census of 1931 (GS2; Read for how the last caste census was 1931) PS: What did you study today?

Dams of India | Add Almatti Dam to this for revision :)

@CSEWhy Newspaper Recommendations📰

Indian Express🗞 1. The great churn in Asia (Miss nothing from this writer) 2. The Centre for the states (GS2: Centre-State Relations) 3. New protections for Ladakh (GS2: Special areas) PS: Avoid speculations around result days.

4. Civil Services Reforms • Historical Context: The UPSC exam format, rooted in the 1854 Macaulay Report, emphasizes merit and talent transferability, with the Kothari Committee (1975) introducing a three-tier structure (pre, mains, interview). • Initial Format Issues: Preliminary exam had optional subjects and General Studies (GS) papers; post-prelims, only shortlisted candidates’ marks were considered, favoring urban students with English proficiency and coaching access. • Concerns with Format: High qualifying marks and Paper-I’s focus on English disadvantaged rural candidates, leading to protests; questions often lacked merit for assessing civil servants. - Reconsider 6 attempts restricting to at-most 3 - Consider upper age limit to 27-29 as against current of 32 - Can include work ex mandatory of 1-2 years before appearing for UPSC CSE Pre - Need more admin focused Qs, feedbacks on scores & optional reforms - Aberration needs to be corrected w/ optional replaced by compulsory subjects for all 5. Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) • Concept: Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) integrates solar panels into buildings to serve dual purpose of building material & power generator (unlike BAPV Building-Applied-Photovoltaics i.e. panels added post construction) • Benefits: Offers energy efficiency (on-site power reduces grid dependency), cost savings (lowers electricity bills), aesthetic appeal, and sustainability (reduces carbon footprint). • Applications: Used in facades (as cladding), roofs (solar tiles/shingles), and windows (semi-transparent panels), replacing conventional materials. • Challenges & Scaling in India: High initial costs; requires policy support (subsidies, tax benefits), awareness campaigns, R&D investment, and integration into urban planning (e.g., smart cities). 6. Metal based nanozyme • Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) at IISc to address abnormal blood clotting in conditions like pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). • How?: Nanozyme mimics natural antioxidant enzymes, controlling reactive oxygen species (ROS) to prevent excessive platelet activation and thrombosis (clot formation). • Significance: Targets thrombosis, a major cause of morbidity/mortality, with potential applications in preventing ischemic stroke caused by clogged blood vessels.

Pre note: Did you know about this? 🚨 04th June | Wednesday 🚨

Daily Notes 🗒

1. Axiom-4 (Ax-4) Mission • Overview: 4th pvt astronaut mission to ISS; uses SpaceX Falcon 9 & Crew Dragon • Crew: Astronaut nationalities include US, India, Poland, Hungary • Objectives: Conduct ~60 microgravity experiments, test spacecraft tech, promote commercial space initiatives, and engage in STEM outreach. • Significance: Boosts India's Gaganyaan, supports Axiom's commercial space station vision & fosters global space collab. • ISS Context: Modular LEO station for microgravity research, operated by U.S., Russia, Japan, Canada, Europe. space. 2. Enemy Property Act • Overview: Enemy Property Act 1968 governs properties left by Pak/Chinese nationals post-partition, 62/65/71 war and is managed by Custodian of Enemy Property for India (CEPI). • Definition: Covers movable (shares, gold) and immovable (land, buildings) assets of enemy subjects/firms (Pakistan/China nationals). • Key Provisions: Enacted under Defence of India Rules, 1962; CEPI manages ~13,252 properties worth over Rs. 1 lakh crore, mostly Pakistani-owned. • 2017 Amendment: Expands enemy to include heirs (even Indian citizens); denies succession rights; ensures properties remain with CEPI. • Disposal: CEPI auctions vacant properties, offers occupied ones to occupants, sells movable assets; proceeds to government (e.g., Rs. 3,407 crore from shares, 2018–22). • Significance: Enhances national security, supports economic monetization, resolves legal disputes (e.g., Raja of Mahmudabad case) 3. Mount Etna Eruption • Overview: Mount Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano producing ash, smoke, and rock fragments several kilometers high. • Location: Situated on Sicily’s east coast, Etna is Italy’s highest peak south of the Alps, with five summit craters and frequent flank eruptions. • Eruption Details: Classified as a Strombolian eruption (moderately explosive, gas-driven bursts) by INGV Etna Observatory; some experts argue it was a Plinian eruption (more explosive, reaching stratosphere). • Impact: Spectacular display with no reported injuries, damage, or flight disruptions, despite near-constant activity (60+ flank eruptions since 1600). • Historical Context: Etna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013, has a 500,000-year eruptive history, with documented activity for 2,700 years. • Scientific Insight: Eruptions driven by gas pressure and magma chamber activity; Strombolian eruptions involve sudden gas bursts, while Plinian eruptions are more explosive.

In 2025, people born in • 1993 are 32 • 1994 are 31 • 1995 are 30 • 1996 are 29 • 1997 are 28 • 1998 are 27 • 1999 are 26 • 2000 are 25 You’re no more a kid with potential. Surface that potential! Quit the habits messing up your life

Pre note: Will cover detailed notes tomorrow 🚨 03rd June | Tuesday 🚨

@CSEWhy Newspaper Recommendations📰

Indian Express🗞 1. entire explained page PS: Avoid speculations around result days.