UPSC Aspirant 2025-26

Happy Ambedkar Jayanti 💐💐 Happy Baisakhi🌾🌾 Happy Tamil New Year🌻🌻 Happy Other States New Year ☀️☀️

Celebrating 50 years of UNEP. Let's take a look at UNEP's achievements: https://twitter.com/EnvirForUPSC/status/1513734567211171844?t=_wF8rmWcHXGaOr71QOeKtQ&s=19 Source: Twitter

#Prelims2022 Topic-25 Subject - Environment Types of species 1. Keystone species: A keystone species is a plant or animal that plays a unique and crucial role in the way an ecosystem functions. Without them, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist altogether. Its disappearance could affect other species that rely on it for survival. Example for keystone species is sea otter. It feed on sea urchins and controls their population. If sea urchins population is not controlled, it would eat up the seaweed, which is a major source of food for the ecosystem A keystone species is often, but not always, a predator. Herbivores can also be keystone species. For example, In African savannas, elephants are a keystone species. It controls the tree population which makes the grasses thrive and sustain grazing. 2. Foundation species It refers to the species that creates or maintains an ecosystem. It has a strong role in structuring a community and can occupy any trophic level in a food web. Corals are one example of a foundation species. It produce the reef structures on which countless other organisms, including human beings, live. Other examples of foundation species are hardwood forests, kelp beds, and seagrass meadows.   3. Umbrella species An umbrella species is a large animal or other organism on which many other species depend. Umbrella species are very similar to keystone species, but umbrella species are usually migratory and need a large habitat. Protecting umbrella species automatically protect a host of other species. Tigers are an example of an umbrella species. Efforts to save wild tigers in forests also accomplish the goal of saving other species there, such as leopards, boars, hares, antelopes, and monkeys. 4. Indicator Species: An indicator species is a plant or animal that is very sensitive to environmental changes in its ecosystem. Indicator Species gets affected almost immediately by damage from external influences such as water pollution, air pollution, or climate change to the ecosystem and gives early warning. Examples of Indicator species Lichens are indicators of air pollution, especially sulfur dioxide. Adult frogs and toads are good indicator species since the skin of the adults is moist and permeable, allowing numerous pollutants entry into their bodies. Tadpoles live in water and indicate water quality issues. Salmons are an indicator species for wetland ecosystems. 5.Ecosystem Engineers: These are organisms that create, modify and maintain habitats. Ecosystem engineering can alter the distribution and abundance of large numbers of plants and animals, and significantly modify biodiversity. The best known examples of ecosystem engineers are humans (Homo sapiens).

#Prelims2022 Topic-24 Subject- Art and culture Six Orthodox schools of Indian Philosophy Nyaya Philosophy Nyaya school follows a scientific and a rational approach. Sage Gautama is the founder of this school. Nyaya school banks upon various pramanas (mechanism of attaining knowledge). It believes that gaining knowledge through the five senses is the sole way of attaining liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Sankhya Philosophy Sankhya is the oldest of all philosophies put forth by the sage Kapila. It is a dualistic philosophy with Purusha (soul) and Prakriti (nature) in it. Advaita Vedanta derives its base from Sankhya School. Sankhya also devolves philosophical basis for Yoga. It emphasizes the attainment of knowledge of self through meditation and concentration. Yoga Philosophy Yoga school introduces the methods of the discipline of body and mind. Sage Patanjali is the founder of Yoga. Emancipation of Purusha from Prakriti by self-awareness through the discipline of body and mind is conceptualized by Yoga. It is believed that practising Ashtanga Yoga is the way to relieve oneself from past sins in order to make way for liberation. Vaisheshika Vaisheshika school deals with metaphysics. It was founded by the sage Kanada. It is an objective and realistic philosophy of the Universe. According to the Vaisheshika school of philosophy, the universe is reducible to a finite number of atoms, Brahman being the fundamental force causing consciousness in these atoms. Purva Mimamsa Purva Mimamsa school believes in the complete authority of Vedas. It is based on sage Jaimini’s Mimamsa Sutras. It emphasizes the power of yajnas and mantras in sustaining the activities of the universe. It states that a human being can attain salvation only by acting in conformity with the principles of Vedas. Uttara Mimamsa (Vedanta) Vedanta school is a monistic school of philosophy that believes that the world is unreal and the only reality is Brahman. The three sub-branches of Vedanta are Advaita of Shankaracharya, Vishishta Advaita of Ramanujacharya and Dvaita of Madhwacharya. Uttara Mimamsa is based on Upanishads (the end portions of Vedas).

#Prelims2022 Topic-23 Subject- medieval history Important keywords of Delhi sultanate Period Offi cer: Central Level Duty Performed Wazir Chief Minister; in charge of Revenue &Finances. Ariz-i-Mumalik Head of Military Department Qazi Legal Offi cer; dispensing Sharia law Wakil-i-dar Controller of Royal household Barid-i-Mumalik Head of state news agency Amir-i-majlis Offi cer in charge of Royal feasts & festivals Majlis-i-am Council of friends and offi cers consulted on important affairs of the state Dahir-i-mumalik Head of Royal correspondence Sadr-us-sudur Dealt with religious matters and endowments Sadr-i-jahan Offi cers in charge of religious matters and endowments Amir-i-dad Public Prosecutor Naibwazir Deputy Minister Mushrif-i-mumalik Accountant General Amir-i-hazib Offi cer in charge of the Royal court Qazi-i-mumalik Chief Justice Qazi-ul-kazat Head of Chief Judicial Department Amir-i-Akhur Offi cer commanding Royal Horses Shahna-i-pil Superintendent of Royal Elephants Amir-i-bahr Offi cer in charge of police & transport naval port Offi cials: Provincial Function Amir Governor Mukti/ Wali Responsible for law & order and collection of taxes in their iqtas Nazir/ Wakuf Offi cials responsible for collecting revenue in the provinces Sahib-i-diwan Maintained accounts of the provinces and sent them to central administration Shiqdar Offi cer in charge of land measuring a shiq Central Department Function Diwan-i-Risalat Department of Appeals Diwan-i-Arz Department of Military Diwan-i-Bandagan Department of Slaves Diwan-i-Qaza-i-Mamalik Department of Justice Diwan-i-Ishtiaq Department of Pensions Diwan-i-Mustakhraj Department of Arrears Diwan-i-Khairat Department of Charity Diwan-i-Kohi Department of Agriculture Diwan-i-Insha Department of Correspondence Diwan-i-Wazriyat Department of Finance State Functionaries Amil Revenue offi cer Chihalgani A select body of Turkish nobility originally slaves of Iltumish which came into existence during the period of Iltumish to be destroyed by Balban later Iqtadar Governor, a person in whose charge an Iqta has been placed. Khwaja Keeping accounts and sending information to sultan, the offi ce was created by by Balban Kotwal Head of city administration. Muftis Expounder of law Muhatasib An offi cer appointed to maintain law and order in a municipality Muqti/Wali Provincial governor/ holder of Iqta Terms associated with economy Fawazil Excess amount of surplus of revenue appropriated fromIqta after detraying salary (of the Iqta holder) and meeting expenditure of troops. This amount was to be deposited with the state exchequer. However this trend ceased to exist from the time of Firoz Shah Tughlaq. Ushr A land tax, charged on the land held by a Muslim and wantered by natural means. These lands were knowUshri. Khams Booty captured in war.

#Prelims2022 Topic-22 Important flagship schemes Part-1 1. PM SVANidhi The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched PM SVANidhi, for providing affordable loans to street vendors. It was announced as a part of the Economic Stimulus-II under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. The vendors can avail a collateral-free, working capital loan of up to Rs. 10,000, which is repayable in monthly instalments within a year. There is no penalty on early repayment of loan. Microfinance Institutions, Non-Banking Financial Company, Self Help Groups are the lending institutions under the scheme. 2. Jal Jeevan Mission The mission envisages supply of 55 litres of water per person per day to every rural household through Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) by 2024. The Jal Shakti Ministry is the nodal ministry for the implementation of the scheme. The fund sharing pattern between the Centre and states is 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States, 50:50 for other states, and 100% for Union Territories. In 2020, Goa became the first 'Har Ghar Jal' State in the country by successfully providing 100% FHTCs in the rural areas. 3. SVAMITVA Yojana SVAMITVA stands for Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas. It is a Central Sector Scheme. It aims to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India. It is a scheme for mapping the land parcels in rural inhabited areas using drone technology and Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS). The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) is the nodal ministry. The Survey of India is the Technology Implementation Agency. 4. Gati Shakti It is one of the initiatives announced at the 75th Independence day by the Prime Minister of India. Gati Shakti is a Rs.100 lakh-crore project for developing ‘holistic infrastructure’. It will help raise the global profile of local manufacturers and help them compete with their counterparts worldwide. It also raises possibilities of new future economic zones. It will be a source of employment opportunities for the youth in future. 5. PLI Scheme The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme aims to give companies incentives on incremental sales from products manufactured in domestic units. It also aims to encourage local companies to set up or expand existing manufacturing units. The Scheme has also been approved for sectors such as automobiles, textiles, pharmaceuticals, IT hardware including laptops, mobile phones & telecom equipment, white goods, chemical cells, food processing etc. 6. Mission Karmayogi Mission Karmayogi’ - the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB) is aimed at building a future-ready civil service with the right attitude, skills and knowledge, aligned to the vision of New India. The iGOT Karmayogi digital platform provides the content drawn from global best practices. The scheme will cover 46 lakh central government employees, at all levels. NPCSCB will be governed by the Prime Minister’s Human Resource Council, which will also include state Chief Ministers, Union Cabinet ministers, and experts.