UPSC Key-June 15, 2022: Why ‘I2U2’ to ‘Greenfield and Brownfield’ to ‘Palais des Nations’ relevant for UPSC CSE?

I-T flagged ‘misreporting’ of Rs 1.06-cr, black money SIT judge opted for amnesty scheme

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What Is Black Money?

• How Black Money Works?

• What are the sources of black money in India?

• Black money includes all funds earned through illegal activity only-True or false

• Black Money is recorded for tax purposes-True or False

• How Black money affects country’s economy?

• Most people who have black money try to convert it into legal money, also identified as white money. What are the number of ways to do that?

• What was the MC Joshi committee’s recommendation which was appointed to study the generation and curbing of black money?

• Amnesty Scheme 2021-Know the Key Highlights

• Why Special Investigative Team (SIT) on Black Money was appointed?

• What are major initiatives taken by the Government of India to curb black money?

• Demonetisation of 500 and 1000 rupee currency notes and Black Money-Connect the dot

• Black Money and Imposition of Tax (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) Act 2015-Key Highlights

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍No official estimation of black money in foreign accounts in last five years: Govt in Parliament

📍Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Bill, 2015

India, Israel, US, UAE are I2U2, summit next month

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is “I2U2”?

• From ‘International Forum for Economic Cooperation’ to “I2U2”-Know the background and Evolution

• The Abraham Accord is between which Countries?

• Map Work-Countries involved in Abraham Accord

• The Abraham Accord is the first Arab-Israeli peace deal-True or False?

• The India-Israel-US-UAE grouping-Know the bilateral relations between each one of them

• The Biden administration has launched several multilateral initiatives since January 2021 including the Quad (India, US, Japan and Australia), AUKUS (Australia, UK and US) and a Quadrilateral dialogue with Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan-Know India’s role in these groupings

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: Why is the Israel-UAE trade pact more than just another international deal?

Govt’s big employment push

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Why ‘Agneepath’ is said to be a “major defence policy reform”?

• The expenditure on defence constitutes what percentage of the central government’s budget?

• The expenditure on defence is what percentage of India’s estimated GDP for previous years?

• Agneepath Scheme-Know the key Highlights of the scheme

• What are the eligibility criteria?

• What happens after selection?

• When will the recruitment actually begin?

• How will the scheme benefit the armed forces and the recruits?

• Who are ‘Agniveer’ under the Agneepath Scheme?

• The government announced key changes in soldiers recruitment for the Armed Forces. What are they?

• What exactly does the term “tour of duty” entail when used in the context of the military?

• Aim of New Tour of Duty system-Know in Detail

• How would the Indian Army benefit from the Tour of Duty?

• What will be advantages esp. for the Government with this new move?

• Tour Of Duty may have certain drawbacks. What are they?

• The Agneepath scheme will help cut the rising salary and pension bill of the armed forces. Why rising salary and pension has been a major worry for governments over the years?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What’s in Agnipath scheme

📍Why it can help cut the rising salary, pension bill

📍A reform called Agnipath

📍Force of Change

GOVT & POLITICS

Presidential polls: Mamata and Left leaders meet Pawar

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these

Key Points to Ponder:

• The President of India is integral part of the Union Executive-True or False

• Know in detail about Article 54 to Article 58 of the Indian Constitution

• Who elects the President of India?

• The President is elected by members of the electoral college rather than by the general public. What does the electoral college entail?

• What is the term of the office of the President?

• When is the election of the Office of President of India held?

• Who conducts the election to the Office of President of India?

• What electoral system/process is followed for the election to the office of the President?

• What is System of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote?

• Why System of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote is used for President’s Election in India?

• The voting at the President’s election shall be by secret ballot-True or False?

• How Constitution of India provides uniformity in the scale of representation of different states as well as parity between the states as a whole and the Union at the election of the President?

• What are the Qualifications required by a candidate to contest the election to the Office of the President of India?

• Who is appointed the Returning Officer/Assistant Returning Officer for the election to the Office of President of India? Who makes such appointment?

• Can the result of the election to the Office of President be challenged? If so, what is the proper procedure for doing so?

• Are the provisions of the Anti-Defection Law applicable in Presidential elections?

• The oath of office to the President is administered by Whom?

• The President can be removed from office by a process of impeachment for ‘violation of the Constitution’-True or False?

• The Constitution of India defines the meaning of the phrase ‘violation of the Constitution’-True or False?

• What are the powers enjoyed and the functions performed by the President of India?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Presidential elections: Over 70 years, 14 Presidents, 15 big fights

📍Explained: How the President is elected

EXPRESS NETWORK

Phase-1 of greenfield airport in Dholera gets CCEA nod

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is Greenfield Infrastructure Project?

• What is Brownfield Infrastructure Project?

• Brownfield and Greenfield Infrastructure Project-Compare and Contrast

• What is Greenfield and Brownfield investments?

• What is Palace of Nations or Palais des Nations?

• In which part of History, you have heard about Palace of Nations or Palais des Nations?

• League of Nations and Palace of Nations or Palais des Nations-Connect the dot

• National Industrial Corridor Development Programme-Know the Key features

• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs-Role, About

• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs-Know the Composition

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Greenfield vs. Brownfield Investments: What’s the Difference?

📍Cabinet Approves Development of New Greenfield Airport Dholera, Ahmedabad

GOVT & POLITICS

Deadline for freezing administrative boundaries extended, no Census this year

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies I: Population and associated issues

• General Studies II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the meaning of ‘Census’?

• What is Population Census?

•The census exercise in India, which was originally scheduled to take place in 2021, has been further pushed to 2023-24-Why?

• How is the Census Conducted?

• Registrar General of India-About, Role and Functions

• What do you understand by the term ‘Administrative Boundaries’?

• The Census in India is conducted by whom?

• The Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner comes under which Ministry?

• What is the Constitutional Provisions to Conduct census in India?

• What is National Population Register (NPR)?

• Is National Population Register (NPR) connected to National Register of Citizens (NRC)?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: Why NPR isn’t NRC, and yet…

THE IDEAS PAGE

The RBI’s misdiagnosis

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the Monetary Policy Committee?

• The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is a Statutory Body-True or False?

• What is the Primary Objective of monetary policy in India?

• Why according to author Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has failed? (Hint: Given in the Article)

• There are several direct and indirect instruments that are used for implementing monetary policy-What are they?

• What is REPO rate?

• What is Current Repo Rate?

• What’s the RBI assessment on inflation?

• “The RBI chasing five different targets that is inflation, growth, interest rate, exchange rate, and dividends, it is hardly surprising that it lost sight of its inflation objective”-Do agree with this statement?

• What will be the impact of withdrawing the accommodative policy?

• Why the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) once again raised the Repo rate for the second time in over a month by an expected 50 basis points?

• The RBI has raised the Repo rate-How it will impact the demand in the economy?

• How this rate hike will impact banks and non-banking finance companies?

• There are two economic groups in every society including India i.e. the fixed income group and the variable income group. How Inflation effects these economic group?

• What is the Long term, Medium Term and Short-term impact of Inflation?

• How Inflation is Measured in India?

• New Standard for Measuring Inflation in India and Old Standard for Measuring Inflation-Key Differences

• Impact of Money Supply on an Economy-Inflation or Deflation?

• Steps or Measures Taken by GOI to Control Inflation

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍At this rate

📍First, Price Stability

📍RBI rate hike & its impact

📍At over 7%, price rise likely to keep pinching till Sept: RBI

📍ExplainSpeaking | How inflation beat the RBI: A recent history

EXPLAINED

The significance of holy relics of Buddha, sent on exposition to Mongolia

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: History of India

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Four Holy Relics of Lord Buddha are being taken to Mongolia for an 11-day exposition to coincide with Mongolian Buddha Purnima Celebrations-Know the importance of this event

• ‘Kapilvastu Relics’-Know in Detail

• India-Mongolia Bilateral Relations and Shared Heritage-Know in detail

• The rising role of Buddhism in India’s Bilateral Relations and in soft power strategy-Know in Detail

• Lumbini and Kushinagar-What is the importance of this place in Buddhism?

• Rise of Buddhism in India and Gautam Buddha or Siddharth-Know in detail

• Know in detail about Doctrines of Buddhism, the Four noble truths, The Five Precepts and Eight-fold Path

• What are the special features of Buddhism and why it spread rapidly and widely?

• When, where and under which King’s Patronage the first, Second, Third and fourth Buddhist Council held?

• Know about the two main schools of Buddhism-Mahayana and Hinayana

• Rajgriha, Vaishali, Patliputra, Kundalvana and Kapilavastu-Know the Importance of these place in Buddhism

• Know the important Buddhist Mudras-Dhyani Mudra, (gesture of meditation), Vitarka Mudra, (teaching gesture), Dharmachakra Mudra, (gesture of turning the wheel of the teaching), Bhumisparsha Mudra, (gesture of touching the earth), Abhaya Mudra, (gesture of fearlessness and granting protection), Varada Mudra, (gesture of granting wishes), Uttarabodhi Mudra, (gesture of supreme enlightenment), Anjali Mudra, (gesture of greeting and veneration) and Vijrapradama Mudra, (gesture of unshakable confidence)

• Map work-Mark Important Buddhist Sites in India

• Account for the decline of Buddhism in India

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 The rising role of Buddhism in India’s soft power strategy

📍 Buddhism

Previous Year Prelims Questions Based on Buddhism theme:

📍 Which one of the following statements is correct? (Prelims 2021 GS question Paper)
(a) Ajanta Caves lie in the gorge of the Waghora river.
(b) Sanchi Stupa lies in the gorge of the Chambal river.
(c) Pandulena cave shrines lie in the gorge of the Narmada river.
(d) Amaravati Stupa lies in the gorge of the Godavari river.

📍 Lord Buddha’s image is sometimes shown with the hand gesture called ‘Bhumisparsha Mudra’. It symbolizes (Prelims 2012 GS question Paper)
(a) Buddha’s calling of the Earth to watch over Mara and to prevent Mara from disturbing his meditation
(b) Buddha’s calling of the Earth to witness his purity and chastity despite the temptations of Mara
(c) Buddha’s reminder to his followers that they all arise from the Earth and finally dissolve into the Earth, and thus this life is transitory
(d) Both the statements (a) and (b) are correct in this context

📍 Which of the following kingdoms were associated with the life of the Buddha?
1. Avanti
2. Gandhara
3. Kosala
4. Magadha
Select the correct answer using the code given below: (Please refer Prelims 2015 GS question Paper for complete question)

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering Buddhism Theme:
📍 Early Buddhist Stupa-art, while depicting folk motifs and narratives successfully expounds Buddhist ideals. Elucidate (2016)

Get an e-paper subscription via our special offer – click here
For any queries and feedback, contact priya.shukla@indianexpress.com
The UPSC KEY Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest Updates.