Crest Learning UPSC

A. Maasai Mara National Park ✔ Where is it? • South-West Kenya • Right next to Tanzania ✔ What is it connected to? • The Serengeti National Park in Tanzania • Together, they make the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem (This is the world’s MOST FAMOUS wildlife ecosystem.) ✔ Why is it special? The Great Wildebeest Migration — largest land animal migration on Earth — Animals cross the Mara River — Happens between Serengeti ↔ Maasai Mara ✔ Landscape • Part of the East African Rift Valley system • Gentle savanna grasslands • High plateau (~1500 metres elevation) ✔ Who lives here? • Maasai tribe (famous pastoralist community) Maasai Mara = Kenya’s Serengeti + Big Five + Wildebeest Migration + Rift Valley. B. Kichwa Tembo (Destination of the aircraft) ✔ What is it? • A small airstrip inside Maasai Mara • Used mainly by tourists • Near the Oloololo Escarpment (Rift Valley feature) Because it’s inside the Maasai Mara protected area → location-based question. C. Diani (Origin of the aircraft) ✔ Where is it? • On Kenya’s southeastern coast • Along the Indian Ocean • South of Mombasa ✔ Why is it important? • Part of the Swahili Coast • Known for coral reefs, beaches, marine tourism Diani = Indian Ocean coast of Kenya.

India has signed an MoU with Russia’s UAC to manufacture the SJ-100 civil aircraft, marking a major step in India’s civil aviation capability. 👉Key Points (A) What the Pact Involves 1. MoU between HAL & UAC (Russia) → Production of SJ-100 twin-engine commuter aircraft in India. 2. First full passenger aircraft to be made in India → Earlier HAL only assembled transport aircraft (e.g., HS-748 AVRO). 3. Supports UDAN regional connectivity → India needs 200+ regional jets in the next decade. 4. Boost to domestic aerospace ecosystem → Encourages private participation + jobs + technology infusion. 5. Strategic significance → Reduces dependence on foreign firms; strengthens India–Russia defence-industrial partnership.

29th oct….👇

Paul Biya, President of Cameroon (Central Africa), aged 92, won re-election. • He has been in power since 1982 → 43+ years (world’s longest-serving elected leader). • Election marred by protests, violence, and allegations of non-credible results. • Cameroon’s Constitutional Court declared him the winner. Government System of Cameroon Unitary Presidential Republic Key Features: • President = Head of State + Head of Government • Executive powers highly concentrated in the President • President appoints PM, cabinet, judges, military chiefs • No effective term limits → allows long rule (Paul Biya: 43+ years) • Centralised unitary structure (power not shared with states) • Judiciary often seen as subordinate to executive • Elections criticised for low transparency & weak opposition space 👉Government System of India Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic (Parliamentary System) Key Features: • President = Nominal head • Prime Minister = Real executive head • Executive accountable to Parliament • Fixed 5-year terms for Lok Sabha • Independent institutions: ECI, Judiciary, CAG • Federal system: Power shared between Union & States • Transparent, competitive multi-party elections

1. What is CBAM? (EU Law) • EU charges extra money (tax) on imports that have high carbon emissions. • Aim: Protect EU industries + push global decarbonisation. CBAM = Carbon tax on imports. 2. What is ICM? (Indian Carbon Market) • India has started its own carbon market under CCTS 2023. • Companies will pay for carbon emissions. • Carbon credits will be traded. But… India’s carbon market is still new, weak, and fragmented. 3. Why linking EU–India carbon markets is a breakthrough? (CLEAR) Because: EU says: “If Indian companies pay carbon price in India, we will reduce CBAM tax at EU border.” 👉 This protects Indian exporters. 👉 Encourages cleaner production in India. 👉 Builds trust between North (EU) and South (India). ⭐ Where is the problem? Problem 1: India’s carbon price is TOO LOW • EU carbon price = €60–80 • India carbon price = €5–10 EU will say: “Your carbon price is too low. So we will not deduct much, or anything.” So exporters may still end up paying CBAM. Problem 2: India’s carbon market is not strong India does not have: • Strong carbon caps • Strong compliance rules • A single regulator like EU ETS • High-quality verification EU won’t trust Indian credits unless the system becomes strict. Problem 3: Double Burden on Indian companies Indian companies may need to pay: 1. Indian carbon price under ICM 2. EU carbon tax under CBAM This creates fear of a “double penalty”. Problem 4: Indian industries may resist Industries may say: • “Costs are rising!” • “Exports will fall!” They may pressure the government to weaken carbon rules. If the rules weaken → EU will stop giving deductions. Problem 5: EU decides if India’s system is ‘good enough’ This is a sovereignty issue. India worries that the EU might judge or interfere in its policies. SUMMARY Linking CBAM with India’s carbon market is a big opportunity: • It protects Indian exporters • Encourages clean energy • Builds global climate cooperation BUT it will work only if India strengthens its carbon market with: • Higher carbon prices • Strong compliance • Transparent verification • Unified regulator Otherwise, EU will refuse deductions → Indian companies will pay full CBAM tax → exports will suffer.

Q. Discuss how Big Tech platforms undermine Indian public health norms and the challenges this poses to regulatory enforcement. 1. Introduction Big Tech’s digital advertising practices increasingly violate Indian public health laws such as the DMRA and PCPNDT Act, enabling misinformation and unsafe medical claims. 2. How Big Tech Undermines Indian Public Health Laws A. Hosting Illegal Medical Advertisements • Platforms run ads for unapproved drugs, miracle cures, homeopathy for diabetes, blood pressure “solutions”, etc. • These ads are explicitly prohibited under the DMRA, 1954. B. Promotion of Unverified Therapeutic Claims • Ads claim disease cures without clinical validation. • Violates DMRA’s ban on advertising drugs or remedies without proven efficacy. C. Allowing Sex-Selection–Related Ads (PCPNDT Violation) • Search results sometimes show ads for pre-natal sex determination services. • Violation of PCPNDT Act, 1994. D. Non-compliance with Indian Laws vs. Strict Compliance in U.S. • Same platforms avoid such ads in the U.S. due to fear of prosecution. • Shows double standards. E. Economic Incentives • Sponsored ads generate high revenue; public health concerns become secondary. • Algorithms prioritise high-engagement content over legal compliance. 3. Why Big Tech Avoids Accountability (Systemic Challenges) A. Jurisdictional Limits • Top executives headquartered in the U.S. → Indian legal summons not enforceable. • Criminal prosecution weakens due to lack of extradition mechanisms. B. Structural Loopholes in Indian Law • DMRA is outdated; lacks modern digital provisions and platform liability clauses. • Enforcement agencies lack clarity on penalising intermediaries. C. Big Tech’s Corporate Strategy • U.S.-based parent companies distance themselves from liability in India. • Claim to be “intermediaries, not publishers”. 4. Consequences for Indian Public Health • Spread of misinformation encourages self-prescription and unsafe treatments. • Undermines public confidence in scientific medicine. • Boosts unregulated markets and quack remedies. • Promotes gender-biased practices (sex selection). 5. Way Forward (Article’s Recommendations) • Amend DMRA to include platform liability for digital ads. • Require Big Tech to appoint responsible managerial personnel in India. • Strengthen enforcement through regulatory complaints and court monitoring. • Updating laws to tackle algorithmic promotion of harmful medical content. • Government should ensure Big Tech responds to notices and legal orders promptly.

➡️What is SIR 2.0? A special house-to-house verification of voters to clean, update, and standardise electoral rolls before 2026 elections. Why Second Phase? Most states last did SIR between 2002–2004; discrepancies increased due to migration, deaths, duplication. What happens during SIR? • Booth-level officers visit homes and verify voters. • Missing households flagged. • Claims & objections window enabled. • Addresses corrected, deceased/duplicate voters removed. • Final updated rolls published. . States covered Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal. UTs: Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Puducherry. Why Assam not included? 1. Assam has a unique history of large-scale immigration • Assam experienced unprecedented migration from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) before and after 1971. • This caused serious demographic changes in districts bordering Bangladesh. • No other Indian state faced immigration at this scale, intensity, or duration. This led to prolonged agitations by indigenous Assamese groups. 2. Assam Accord (1985) — A Special Agreement • Assam and the Union Government signed the Assam Accord in 1985. • It created special rules for identifying foreigners in Assam. • It fixed different cut-off dates for citizenship: • National cutoff: 1948 • Assam-specific cutoff: 24 March 1971 ➡️ No other Indian state has a separate, state-specific citizenship cutoff date. 3. NRC (National Register of Citizens) was conducted ONLY in Assam • India never updated NRC in any other state. • NRC 2019 was implemented only in Assam, because of the Assam Accord. Since NRC determines citizenship, voter roll revision in Assam becomes a citizenship-linked process. ➡️ Other states only check: • Age • Address • Death • Duplication They do not check citizenship. 4. Supreme Court is supervising ONLY Assam’s citizenship process • The Supreme Court personally monitors Assam’s NRC and related citizenship issues. • SC does not supervise voter rolls or citizenship verification in any other state. Because of SC monitoring, the Election Commission cannot use the normal SIR 2.0 process in Assam. 5. Citizenship determination is legally intertwined with voter revision ONLY in Assam In Assam: • To be a voter → you must pass the Assam-specific citizenship test (1971 cutoff). • Elsewhere in India: • Voter revision has no citizenship investigation; only administrative details are verified. So, the EC must follow a different, Assam-specific workflow. • 👉Up to 2004: about 8 nationwide SIR exercises. • In 2025: there is the Bihar SIR (Phase I) completed + Phase II covering 12 States/UTs. • So at least 9+ major SIR cycles (including the 2025 ones) have taken place.

28th oct….👇

➡️Early vs Late Autism 1. What did the study find? There are two different kinds of autism: ✔ Type 1 — Early Autism Seen in small children. ✔ Type 2 — Late Autism Seen only in teenagers or adults. Earlier people assumed: ➡️ Late autism = doctors missed symptoms in childhood Now the study says: ➡️ Late autism may come from a different developmental path. 2. EARLY AUTISM What it looks like: • Child delayed in speaking • Avoids eye contact • Trouble making friends • Prefers repetitive behavior • Clear signs before age 3–5 years 🔹 Example A 3-year-old child doesn’t respond when called, doesn’t play with other kids, keeps arranging toys in one order again and again. Parents take him to a doctor → autism diagnosed early. ➡️ This is early-diagnosed autism. Biological pattern: • Stronger genetic role • Often linked with ADHD, developmental delay 3. LATE AUTISM What it looks like: • Person behaves “normal” in childhood • Problems appear in teenage/adulthood when life becomes socially complex • Difficulty maintaining friendships • Overwhelmed in social situations • Anxiety, depression, emotional stress • Trouble understanding social rules • Often mistaken for mental health issues only 🔹 Example A 17-year-old student did fine in school until Class 9–10. But when social life becomes complicated—group work, friendships, dating—he feels lost. He avoids conversations, feels exhausted by crowds, doesn’t understand social cues, and becomes anxious. Doctors say he has depression. Later, a specialist identifies autism features → late-diagnosed autism. ➡️ This is late-diagnosed autism. Biological pattern: • Different genetic markers • More association with anxiety, depression, OCD Early autism comes from early developmental and genetic factors; late autism emerges when social demands increase in teenage/adult life—showing two different pathways of autism.

➡️Tamil Nadu Paddy Farmers’ Problem 1. What happened? Heavy rains made the paddy too wet (high moisture). Government normally buys paddy only if moisture is ≤17%. 2. Why is this a problem? Because farmers’ paddy now has more than 17% moisture, so DPCs (purchase centres) may reject it. 3. Why did moisture increase? • Continuous rains during harvest • Huge crop this year → storage overloaded • Too few DPCs → long waiting time • Poor drying and storage facilities 4. What is Tamil Nadu asking? To increase the moisture limit from 17% → 22% so farmers don’t lose income. 5. Why is it politically important? Cauvery delta gives most of TN’s paddy and elects many MLAs, so smooth procurement is crucial.

➡️WHY IUCN RED-FLAGGED THE WESTERN GHATS? 1. What did IUCN say? IUCN’s new report says Western Ghats are in trouble. It put them in the category of “Significant Concern.” This means: 👉 The ecosystem is getting damaged, and if not protected, it may worsen. 2. Why did IUCN give a warning? Reason 1: Climate Change • Temperature rising • Rainfall pattern changing • Species like Nilgiri tahr & black-and-orange flycatcher are shifting to higher areas • Some may lose habitat completely Climate change = biggest threat Reason 2: Tourism Pressure • Too many tourists in fragile zones • Garbage (plastic, food waste) harms animals • Resorts, hotels, roads disturb wildlife Tourism = pollution + disturbance Reason 3: Invasive Species Plants and animals that do NOT belong to the Ghats are spreading and replacing native species: Examples: • Eucalyptus • Acacia • Lantana These reduce natural forest quality. Reason 4: Roads & Infrastructure • New roads • Hydropower dams • Railway lines All of these cut forests, break animal movement routes, and lead to more landslides. Fragmentation = major cause of biodiversity loss 3. What about Sundarbans? IUCN also red-flagged Sundarbans because of: • Rising sea levels • More frequent storms • Increased salinity • Pollution • Over-extraction of resources Mangroves shrinking = species at risk 4. Why are the Western Ghats important? • UNESCO World Heritage Site (39 sites) • Houses > 20% of India’s flora and fauna • 325 species from the Ghats are on IUCN Red List • One of the 8 hottest biodiversity hotspots in the world • Source of major rivers: Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery, Tungabhadra 2. IUCN Outlook Data • Assessed 32 natural World Heritage sites in Asia • Only 8 sites have “good” conservation Losing Western Ghats = losing India’s ecological backbone 5. What does IUCN world heritage outlook do? It checks the health of natural UNESCO sites across the world. It ranks sites as: 1. Good 2. Good with some concerns 3. Significant concern 4. Critical “Significant concern” is the second-worst category. Only “Critical” is worse. Western Ghats = Significant concern 6. What should India do? • Control tourist numbers • Stop harmful road/dam projects in core zones • Remove invasive plants like eucalyptus & lantana • Restore native forests • Improve protection in buffer zones • Work with local communities

➡️ 35% of all people extradited to India are economic offenders (fraud, cheating, forgery). 2. From which countries India gets most fugitives? • UAE → 25 people (highest) • USA → 12 • Canada → 4 • Thailand → 4 👉UAE is India’s biggest extradition 5. Crime-wise breakdown of people extradited to India • 35% → Economic offences • 27.5% → Terror-related • 21% → Murder/attempt • 8.75% → Other crimes • 5% → Sexual crimes • 2.5% → Drug crimes 👉Economic + Terror + Murder = almost 85% of all cases.

➡️Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP) • National science awards by the Government of India. • 4 categories: 1. Vigyan Ratna – lifetime contribution 2. Vigyan Shri – recent distinguished work 3. Vigyan Yuva – Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar – for scientists under 45 4. Vigyan Team Award – team contributions 2. Award Numbers • Total possible awards: up to 56 (across all categories). • 2024 awards: 24 individual + 1 team. 3. Key Feature • No cash prize → aligned with Padma award model. 4. Awarding Body • Selected by Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar Committee (RVPC) • Chaired by Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) • Includes secretaries of scientific ministries & science academies. 1. What the Article Highlights • Awards need greater transparency and scientist-led selection, not political influence. • Past issues: shortlisted scientists were later dropped without explanation. 2. Concerns Raised by Scientists • Fear that factors other than scientific merit (criticism of govt, ideology) might affect awards. • Demand: transparent selection, clear criteria, minimal ministerial interference. 3. Structural Issue • RVP appears centralised, moving control from scientific bodies to ministries. • This increases risk of politicisation. 4. What Should Be Done • Government must adopt a hands-off approach. • Allow peers (scientists) to judge scientific excellence. • Build trust by making selection autonomous, merit-based, and transparent. • Maintain institutional integrity like Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar awards earlier did. 5. Conclusion A strong science ecosystem requires independence from political pressures. For credibility, RVP must ensure scientist-driven, transparent, and merit-focused evaluation.

➡️CONSTITUTIONAL MORALITY 1. Introduction Constitutional morality refers to adherence to the core principles of the Constitution—justice, equality, liberty, dignity and rule of law—over social or majority morality. The idea was emphasised by Dr B.R. Ambedkar to ensure responsible use of power. 2. Key Features • Supremacy of constitutional values over popular beliefs. • Protection of individual rights, especially minorities. • Checks on authority—prevents arbitrary or majoritarian actions. • Respect for institutional roles (separation of powers). • Ethical behaviour by public officials 3. Supreme Court • Navtej Johar (2018): Constitutional morality > social morality; LGBTQ rights upheld. • Sabarimala (2018): Public morality cannot restrict women’s rights. • Puttaswamy (2017): Privacy grounded in dignity and constitutional morality. • NCT Delhi (2018/2023): Prevents executive overreach; strengthens accountability. 4. Importance • Maintains democratic stability. • Guides courts in rights-based interpretation. • Ensures fair governance even when society is divided. • Prevents misuse of majority power. 5. Challenges • Social prejudice vs constitutional values. • Populism and political majoritarianism. • Weak constitutional culture among institutions. 6. Conclusion Constitutional morality acts as a safeguard against arbitrary power and ensures that India’s democracy functions within the values and spirit of the Constitution.

➡️ASEAN • Founded: 1967 (Bangkok Declaration) • HQ: Jakarta, Indonesia • Founding members: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand. • Current members (10): + Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia. India’s Formal Links with ASEAN • Dialogue Partner: 1995 • ARF Membership: 1996 • Summit Level Partnership: 2002 • Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP): 2022 3. Key Agreements / Frameworks • AITIGA → ASEAN–India Trade in Goods Agreement • Currently being updated • ASEAN–India Plan of Action 2026–2030 4. Major Data • India–ASEAN trade: ≈ USD 110 Billion • ASEAN = India’s 4th largest trading partner • India + ASEAN = 25% of world population 5. Key Current Fact • 2026 = ASEAN–India Year of Maritime Cooperation #prelims

27th oct …👇

Ireland – System of Government Type of System • Parliamentary Republic • Unicameral + partly bicameral features (Oireachtas has 2 houses but real power sits with Lower House) 1. Executive President (Head of State) • Elected directly by people • 7-year term, max 2 terms • Largely ceremonial • Can refer bills to Supreme Court for constitutionality check • Appoints PM (Taoiseach) on advice of Parliament Prime Minister (Taoiseach) • Real executive head • Must have support of Dáil Éireann (Lower House) • Appoints Ministers • Responsible to Parliament → can be removed by no-confidence motion 2. Legislature (Oireachtas) Two Houses: (a) Dáil Éireann (Lower House) • Most powerful body • Members directly elected • Elects the Taoiseach • Controls government • Can remove government by no-confidence vote (b) Seanad Éireann (Upper House) • Weak Upper House • Mostly nominated or indirectly elected • Can delay bills but cannot block them • Dáil can override the Seanad 3. Judiciary • Independent • Supreme Court + High Court + lower courts • Judicial review exists • President can ask Supreme Court to test constitutionality before signing a bill (unique feature) 4. Local Government • County and city councils • Play major role in nominations for presidential candidates • Handle local services (roads, planning, housing)