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NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same time gives you extra points in the form of background information.
General Studies – 1
Topic: geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Economic Times
Why the question:
India is likely to get average monsoon rains this year, a private weather forecasting agency said on Tuesday, raising prospects of higher farm and economic growth in Asia’s third-biggest economy.
Key Demand of the question:
Bring out the seasonal variations in the monsoon and to analyse the impact of climate change on monsoon.
Directive word:
Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must investigate the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by introducing Indian monsoon and its importance briefly.
Body:
Start by briefly mentioning about mechanism of the monsoon and the reasons for fluctuations in Indian monsoon according to the seasons. Divide the answer in to various months and how monsoon varies with it. Use a diagram to explain it more systematically. Do include the Western Disturbances, Somali Jet Streams, Easterly Jet streams etc.
In the next part, write about the impact of climate change – both monsoon deficit and too much monsoon in counterproductive in the Indian scenario. Mention the drawbacks of the too much surplus in monsoon such as floods, crop damage, increased pest infestation and disease, low outputs etc with supporting examples. Also, include the indirect costs incurred such as increased imports and reduced exports.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward to deal with climate change impact and mitigate it.
Introduction
Monsoons are seasonal winds which reverse their direction with the change of season. The monsoon is a double system of seasonal winds. They flow from sea to land during the summer and from land to sea during winter. Monsoons are peculiar to Indian Subcontinent, South East Asia, parts of Central Western Africa etc. Indian Monsoons are Convection cells on a very large scale. They are periodic or secondary winds which seasonal reversal in wind direction.
Body
Factors that influence formation of South west monsoon are:
- The differential heating and cooling of land and water creates a low pressure on the landmass of India while the seas around experience comparatively high pressure.
- The shift of the position of Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in summer, over the Ganga plain (this is the equatorial trough normally positioned about 5°N of the equator. It is also known as the monsoon-trough during the monsoon season).
- The presence of the high-pressure area, east of Madagascar, approximately at 20°S over the Indian Ocean. The intensity and position of this high-pressure area affect the Indian Monsoon.
- The Tibetan plateau gets intensely heated during summer, which results in strong vertical air currents and the formation of low pressure over the plateau at about 9 km above sea level.
- The movement of the westerly jet stream to the north of the Himalayas and the presence of the tropical easterly jet stream over the Indian peninsula during summer.
- Position and strength of the Tropical Easterly Jet (African Easterly Jet).
- Southern Oscillation (SO): Normally when the tropical eastern south Pacific Ocean experiences high pressure, the tropical eastern Indian Ocean experiences low pressure. But in certain years, there is a reversal in the pressure conditions and the eastern Pacific has lower pressure in comparison to the eastern Indian Ocean. This periodic change in pressure conditions is known as the SO.
- Indian Ocean Dipole, which is sustained variations in the difference between tropical western and eastern Indian Ocean surface temperatures
- Madden-Julian oscillation, an oceanic-atmospheric phenomenon which affects weather activities across the globe. It brings major fluctuation in tropical weather on weekly to monthly timescales.
Effects of climate change on the Indian monsoons:
- Climate Change has been ruining quite a few things such and Indian Monsoon might be one of them.
- The worst part here is that the effects of the Indian Monsoon are also felt by others and not just India, making it an active feature of the weather across the globe.
- Research has confirmed that Monsoon in Asia is entwined with several aspects of global climate along with having an influence over the global atmospheric circulation as well.
- Since the year 1950, average summer rains in India have declined by around 7 percent.
- In 1990s, high concentrations of aerosols were found in the northern Indian Ocean. In fact, satellite images even showed a stain across the Indo-Gangetic Plain and over the Indian Ocean, which was named as the “brown cloud”. In 1999, a team of investigators set out to understand what brown cloud exactly was.
- Black carbon combines with sulfates and other aerosols, wherein the Indo-Gangetic Plain contributes highly due to intensive industrial and extractive activity.
- Regional Climate Change has been occurring also because of changes in land use.
- In the last 15 decades, forest cover over Asia has reduced significantly.
- Increase in agricultural production in India, excessive use of water for irrigation has caused a negative impact on the moisture of the soil thereby diminishing its capability to reflect or absorb heat.
- Due to all these factors, Monsoon is shifting its patterns.
- Aerosols absorb solar radiation due to which less of it reaching the surface of the Earth.
- This leads to cooling of land, reducing the contrast of temperature between sea and land, thereby weakening the atmospheric circulation that sustains the Indian Monsoon.
- Not only this, changes in circulation in the Indian subcontinent affect air-sea interaction which is the binding factor between Asia and the Indian Ocean.
Measures needed
- Deploying lower-carbon Energy:
- There are four main types of low-carbon energy: wind, solar, hydro or nuclear power. The first three are renewable, which means these are good for the environment – as natural resources are used (such as wind or sun) to produce electricity.
- Deploying lower carbon energy would help address both domestic and international climate challenges while simultaneously improving the economic well-being of India’s citizens.
- Mainstreaming Renewable energy:
- India’s energy mix is dominated by coal powered electric generation stations as of now.
- The need of the hour is increase the share of renewable energy in this energy mix.
- Focus on Energy Efficiency:
- Will need energy efficient buildings, lighting, appliances and industrial practicesto meet the net-zero goal.
- Increased usage of Biofuels:
- Can help reduce emissions from light commercial vehicles, tractors in agriculture.
- In aviation, the only practical solution for reducing emissions is greater use of biofuels, until hydrogen technology gains scale.
- Transition towards Electric vehicles:
- This will further help curb the carbon emissions.
- Carbon Sequestration:
- India willhave to rely on natural and man-made carbon sinks to soak up those emissions. Trees can capture 0.9 billion tons; the country will need carbon capture technologies to sequester the rest.
- Carbon Pricing:
- India, which already taxes coal and petroleum fuels, should consider putting a tax on emissions to drive change.
Conclusion
Climate change is set to inescapably alter the ocean temperatures around the Indian neighborhood. So, giving more importance to understanding the vagaries of the NE monsoon should be among India’s key priority in adapting to climate change. India needs to step up research to improve the performance of the monsoon prediction models. Preparedness is the best way forward.
General Studies – 2
Topic: India and its neighborhood- relations.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Insights on India
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 2 and mentioned as part of Mission-2022 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the key features of India’s foreign policy since its inception and its gradual evolution.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving context towards development of foreign policy in its nascent stages..
Body:
First, write about the fundamental Principles of India’s foreign policy – Panchsheel, pragmatism, constructive engagement over aggression, global consensus on issues of global dimensions, non-alignment etc.
Next, bring out the evolution of India’s foreign policy.
Conclusion:
Conclude by mentioning the present situation.
Introduction
India’s foreign policy is shaped by several factors including its history, culture, geography and economy. Our first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, gave a definite shape to the country’s foreign policy. The thrust of foreign policy keeps on changing according to changing international conditions. Article 51 of the Indian Constitution also lays down some Directive Principles of State Policy on Promotion of International Peace and Security.
Body
The principles of Indian foreign policy are as follows
- Panchsheel
- The policy of Non-Alignment
- Policy of Resisting Colonialism, Imperialism, Racism
- Peaceful settlement of International Disputes
- Support to UN, International Law and a Just and Equal World Order
Evolution of India’s foreign policy
- The era of Optimistic Non-alignment (1946-1962)
- 1946-62 was an era of optimistic non-alignment, whose setting was very much in the bipolar world, led by the US and USSE.
- At that time India’s objectives were to resist the constraining of choices and dilution of its sovereignty as it rebuilt its economy and consolidated its integrity.
- Its parallel goals as first of the decolonised nations was to lead Asia and Africa in a quest for a more equitable nation.
- The Decade of Realism and Recovery(1962-1971)
- During this decade India made pragmatic choices on security and political challenges despite a paucity of resources.
- India looked beyond non-alignment in the interest of national security, concluding a now largely forgotten defence arrangement with the United States in 1964.
- External pressure on Kashmir mounted in this period of vulnerability.
- The phase of Regional Assertion(1971-1991)
- In the third phase, India has major ‘regional assertion’ and it started with the creation of Bangladesh and ended with Indian peacekeeping force ‘misadventure’ in Sri Lanka.
- It was a particularly complex phase as the US-China-Pakistan axis which came into being at this time seriously threatened India’s prospects.
- The collapse of USSR, its close ally, and the not unconnected economic crisis in 1991 compelled us to look again at the first principles of both domestic and foreign policy.
- Quest for Strategic Autonomy(1991-1998)
- The dissolution of USSR in 1991 led to the emergence of the unipolar world led by the United States,
- These events led to the beginning of the fourth phase of Indian foreign policy.
- It encouraged a radical rethink in India on a broad range of issues and it shifted focus safeguarding strategic autonomy.
- It was also a period Indian reached out to the US more intensively.
- Balancing Power(1998-2014)
- After 1998 Indian entered the fifth phase of foreign policy and acquired attributes to balancing power.
- It is reflected in India-US nuclear deal as well as better understanding with the West at large.
- During this phase, India was successful in making common cause with China on trade and climate change, along with this that it was able to consolidate further ties with Russia.
- Energic Diplomacy(2014-Present)
- In this phase of transitional geopolitics, India’s policy of Non-Alignment has turned into Multi Alignment.
- Moreover, India is now more aware of its own capabilities and the expectations that the world has of India.
- To begin with China gathered more momentum, during this period India has chosen to turn to very energetic diplomacy.
- It did so by recognising that we are entering the world of convergences and issue-based arrangements.
Conclusion
We are living in a dynamic world. India’s foreign policy is therefore geared up to be proactive, flexible as well as pragmatic so as to make quick adjustments to respond to evolving situations. In the implementation of its foreign policy India, however, invariably adheres to a set of basic principles on which no compromise is made. In the light of the changing actualities of the international situation, India must cautiously play foreign policy, if it wants to emerge as a global rather than an aspirational player.
Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Difficulty level: Tough
Reference: Down to Earth
Why the question:
The strategic framework published in a report April 6, 2022 to advance a One Health response to AMR at the global, regional and country levels is a joint effort by the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
Key Demand of the question:
To write about concerns surrounding AMR, its causes, measures to deal with it and role of one health approach in this regard.
Directive word:
Evaluate – When you are asked to evaluate, you have to pass a sound judgement about the truth of the given statement in the question or the topic based on evidence. You must appraise the worth of the statement in question. There is scope for forming an opinion here.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Define AMR and its causes.
Body:
First, write about the why there is global cause of concern – Superbug, Multi drug resistance to bacterium and viruses, Increased cost of treatment, prolonged hospitalisation, increased mortality and less effective inoculation.
Next, write about the various initiatives to tackle AMR – Global Action Plan on AMR, World Anti-microbial awareness week, Delhi Declaration on AMR, National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance etc. Evaluate its efficacy.
Next, write about the one health approach and the initiatives it offers in dealing with AMR.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
The WHO defines antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a condition wherein microbes survive when exposed to the drug which would have normally caused them to die. It is the resistance acquired by any microorganism like bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasite, etc. against antimicrobial drugs (such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarial, and anthelmintic) that are used to treat infections and is regarded as a major threat to public health across the globe.
Microorganisms that develop antimicrobial resistance are sometimes referred to as “superbugs”. As a result, standard treatments become ineffective, infections persist and may spread to others.
Body
Reasons for the spread of AMR:
- Antibiotic consumption in humans
- Unnecessary and injudicious use of antibiotic fixed dose combinations could lead to emergence of bacterial strains resistant to multiple antibiotics.
- Social factors
- Self-medication.
- Access to antibiotics without prescription.
- Lack of knowledge about when to use antibiotics.
- Cultural Activities
- Mass bathing in rivers as part of religious mass gathering occasions.
- Antibiotic Consumption in Food Animals
- Antibiotics which are critical to human health are commonly used for growth promotion in poultry.
- Pharmaceutical Industry Pollution
- The wastewater effluents from the antibiotic manufacturing units contain a substantial amount of antibiotics, leading to contamination of rivers and lakes.
- Environmental Sanitation
- Untreated disposal of sewage water bodies – leading to contamination of rivers with antibiotic residues and antibiotic-resistant organisms.
- Infection Control Practices in Healthcare Settings
- A report on hand-washing practices of nurses and doctors found that only 31.8% of them washed hands after contact with patients.
Efforts to control AMR in India:
- Burden of infectious disease (Bacterial infections) is high and healthcare spending is low.
- The National Health Policy 2017 highlights the problem of antimicrobial resistance and calls for effective action to address it.
- The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) identified AMR as one of the top 10 priorities for the ministry’s collaborative work with WHO.
- In 2012, India’s medical societies adopted the Chennai Declaration, a set of national recommendations to promote antibiotic stewardship.
- India’s Red Line campaign demands that prescription-only antibiotics be marked with a red line, to discourage the over-the-counter sale of antibiotics.
- National Policy for Containment of Antimicrobial Resistance 2011.
- National Action Plan on AMR resistance 2017-2021.
- India has instituted surveillance of the emergence of drug resistance in disease causing microbes in programmes on Tuberculosis, Vector Borne diseases, AIDS, etc.
- Since March 2014 a separate Schedule H-1 has been incorporated in Drug and Cosmetic rules to regulate the sale of antimicrobials in the country.
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) banned the use of antibiotics and several pharmacologically active substances in fisheries.
- The government has also capped the maximum levels of drugs that can be used for growth promotion in meat and meat products.
“One Health” to control AMR
- One Health is the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally, to attain optimal health for people, animals and our environment, as defined by the One Health Initiative Task Force.
- One Health model facilitates interdisciplinary approach in disease control so as to control emerging and existing zoonotic threats.
- India’s ‘One Health’ vision derives its blueprint from the agreement between the tripartite-plus alliance comprising the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), a global initiative supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank under the overarching goal of contributing to ‘One World, One Health’.
- To achieve targets under the ‘One Health’ vision, efforts are ongoing to address challenges pertaining to veterinary manpower shortages, the lack of information sharing between human and animal health institutions, and inadequate coordination on food safety at slaughter, distribution, and retail facilities.
- These issues can be remedied by consolidating existing animal health and disease surveillance systems., the Information Network for Animal Productivity and Health, and the National Animal Disease Reporting System developing best-practice guidelines for informal market and slaughterhouse operation (e.g., inspections, disease prevalence assessments), and creating mechanisms to operationalise ‘One Health’ at every stage down to the village level.
Way forward
- In addition to developing new antimicrobials, infection-control measures can reduce antibiotic use.
- It is critical to ensure that all those who need an antimicrobial have access to it.
- To track the spread of resistance in microbes, surveillance measures to identify these organisms need to encompass livestock, wastewater and farm run-offs.
- We need sustained investments and global coordination to detect and combat new resistant strains on an ongoing basis.
- International alignment and coordination are paramount in both policymaking and its implementation.
- Solutions in clinical medicine must be integrated with improved surveillance of AMR in agriculture, animal health and the environment
Conclusion
Anti-Microbial Resistance is not a country specific issue but a global concern that is jeopardizing global health security. Antimicrobial resistance is one of the major public health problems. Reducing the incidence of infection through effective infection prevention and control. As stated by WHO, making infection prevention and hand hygiene a national policy priority is need of the hour.
Value addition
International Efforts
- A multi-sectoral $1 billion AMR Action Fund was launched in 2020 to support the development of new antibiotics.
- Peru’s efforts on patient education to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions.
- Australian regulatory reforms to influence prescriber behaviour.
- Denmark’s reforms to prevent the use of antibiotics in livestock have not only led to a significant reduction in the prevalence of resistant microbes in animals, but also improved the efficiency of farming.
- India proposed laws to curb the amount of active antibiotics released in pharmaceutical waste
General Studies – 3
Topic: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Insights on India
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 3 and mentioned as part of Mission-2022 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To understand the potential of 5G technology and how India could harness it.
Directive word:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by stating details of 5G network and its frequency range.
Body:
First, mention the various potential benefits of 5G technology such as faster access to critical services, building smart cities, developing competitiveness with other nations in service delivery standards etc.
Next, discuss the challenges to roll out 5G such as high cost of installation, public apprehension regarding safety, need for a robust policy and Centre-state coordination etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude by stating that more and more discussions and quick action is the need of the hour for India to quickly harness the potential of 5G technology.
Introduction
5G is the fifth generation mobile network. It’s a unified platform which is much more capable than previous mobile services with more capacity, lower latency, faster data delivery rate and better utilisation of spectrum. The standards for the usage of 5G are defined and driven by 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).
Body:
Benefits of 5G technology:
- A more Connected World:
- 5G will provide the capacity and bandwidth as per the need of the user to accommodate technologies such as Internet of Things.
- Thus, will help to incorporate Artificial Intelligence in our lives. It can also support Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality services.
- Bringing Internet Connectivity Everywhere:
- The speed of 5G will have ripple effects across many industries and geographies.
- High speed internet access is critical to pushing rural industries — like farming and agriculture — to evolve.
- 5G networks stand to unlock that innovation, but it’s highly dependent upon how it’s implemented.
- Better Coverage in Densely Populated Areas:
- Small cell deployments will be made more effective through high-speed internet, allowing lightweight, easy-to-mount network base stations to increase capacity and coverage in densely populated areas.
- Though their range is much shorter, they will be able to alleviate overloaded networks in cities and other densely populated regions.
- Networking as a Service:
- Network slicing allows multiple virtual networks to be created on top of a shared physical infrastructure, so different types of applications and services will be able to run on shared infrastructure.
- This enables telecommunications companies to provide networking on-demand in the same way that we currently access other services on-demand, creating a user experience that’s indistinguishable from a physically separated network.
- radio access networks (RAN):
- This is creating a new set of ecosystem players dominated by smaller and more innovative companies, which can make way for unknown companies from countries such as India, to emerge as mainstream mobile infrastructure technology providers for the world
The potential advantages it offers:
- Industry 4.0:
- The manufacturing industry is going through a digital revolution.
- Within the context of Industry 4.0, manufacturers are becoming more efficient through the application of automation and data exchange to their existing factory processes to enable better integrated workflows and smarter manufacturing.
- Industrial IoT technologies are streamlining and simplifying many manufacturing processes in revolutionary ways.
- Mixed reality (MR) applications:
- The MR Apps comprise augmented reality (AR) plus virtual reality (VR) apps.
- Beyond the consumer market (think Pokémon Go), interesting applications are also likely to be found in industrial and medical contexts.
- Remote medical procedures, engineering, public safety and field-service applications are all strong use case opportunities for the application of low latency 5G services.
- Sports and entertainment:
- A combination of VR and AR with ultra-high-fidelity enabled by 5G could transform the way fans interact in these events.
- Motorsports is ideal for VR in particular: equipped with their mobile device or headset, fans could be served information like lap or technical information about cars as they race on the track in a sport like Formula 1
- Fixed wireless access:
- Fixed wireless access could also be used to bring high bandwidth digital services to under-served rural areas.
- Mobile operators will then be able to compete with wireline, satellite and cable companies, offering new revenue streams and faster RoI.
- Autonomous vehicles:
- The idea that much of the car, if not all of it, is controlled not by the driver but by technology.
- 5G is critical to realize this as it will offer the connectivity and speed needed to deliver vast amounts of data to one another as well as other objects simultaneously.
- 5G can provide a completely seamless mobile experience is a must so that cars can stay constantly connected.
Challenges:
- Huge Investment Required: India needs a massive Rs 5 lakh crore ($70 billion) investment to bring in 5G.
- Expensive spectrum: Indian spectrum prices are some of the highest in the world and the allocated quantity is well below global best practices, while 40% of the spectrum is lying unsold.
- Lack of uniform policy framework: Delays due to complex procedures across states, non-uniformity of levies along with administrative approvals have impacted telecom service providers in rolling-out Optical Fiber Cables (OFC) and telecom towers.
- Local Regulatory Issues: Many of the local rules and regulations are prohibiting the rapid and cost-effective roll-out of small cells in city centres where Fifth Generation (5G) is initially expected to be most in demand.
- Debt scenario in the industry: According to ICRA, the collective debt of telecommunications service providers (TSPs) stands at Rs 4.2 lakh crore.
- Low optical fiber penetration: India lacks a strong backhaul to transition to 5G. Backhaul is a network that connects cells sites to central exchange. As of now 80% of cell sites are connected through microwave backhaul, while under 20% sites are connected through fiber.
- High Import of Equipments: Imports account for a 90 per cent of India’s telecom equipment market. However due to lack of local manufacturing and R&D, Indian telecom providers have no option other than to procure and deploy 5G technologies from foreign suppliers.
- Security: According to the Global Cyber Security Index released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), only about half of all the countries had a cybersecurity strategy or are in the process of developing one. The index, which was topped by Singapore at 0.925 saw India at 23rd position.
- Possibility of increased digital divide: Initial deployment of 5G networks in dense urban areas could left behind rural areas due to commercial viability, may led to increase the digital divide.
- Human exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields: There has been concern about the said impact of these frequencies on health of human as well as on animals.
Way Forward:
- Spectrum Policy: India’s spectrum allocation for public wireless services should be enhanced significantly. Also, the cost of spectrum relative to per capita GDP is high and should come down.
- Create a Fifth Generation (5G) Program Office within Department of Telecommunications and an Oversight Committee.
- New civil infrastructure like highways, roads, canals and utilities (gas, electricity, water) lines should be mandated to provide Common Telecom Infrastructure resources such as ducting and power junction boxes to support 5G infrastructure.
- Security audits, a prerequisite for importing of equipment before deploying in Indian networks, needs to be simplified.
- Favorable Taxation Policy: Reducing taxation and regulatory fees on revenues could contribute to further evolution of the tax framework.
- Fifth Generation (5G) Pilot: Policy-makers may consider encouraging 5G pilots and test beds to test 5G technologies and use cases and to stimulate market engagement.
- Support Fifth Generation (5G) investment: Indian government and regulators should ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry and its ability to fund the significant investment required for 5G network deployments.
- Policy-makers may consider the use of licensed, unlicensed and shared spectrum to create a balanced spectrum ecosystem – one that encourages investment, makes efficient use of spectrum and promotes competition.
- Where market failure has occurred, governments may consider stimulating investment in fiber networks and passive assets through setting up PPPs, investment funds and offering grant funds, etc.
Conclusion
The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2023 there will be a staggering 9.1 billion mobile subscriptions. 5G will act as the catalyst for Digital India—a watershed moment in digital transformation. India is at the cusp of a next generation of wireless technology 5G. It provides an opportunity for industry to reach out to global markets, and consumers to gain with the economies of scale. It can help in better service delivery, faster access to services and deeper penetration of digital services.
Topic: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, Nano-technology, biotechnology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Republic World
Why the question:
European Space Agency’s (ESA) Director-General Josef Aschbacher, on April 12, inaugurated a new facility- Space Safety Centre- dedicated to monitoring space weather, potentially hazardous asteroids and space debris.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the harmful effects of solar storms and space debris and ways to avoid them.
Directive word:
Analyse – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by stating the what is a space debris and defining solar storm.
Body:
First, write about the impact of solar storms – electromagnetic radiation and charged particles spewed toward Earth can damage activated satellites. Astronauts and even infrastructure on Earth such as power grids too are prone to the threat.
Next, mention the threat posed by space debris to satellites especially to those in the lower earth orbits.
Next, write about international policy on space debris management needs to be put in place mainly to reduce the debris due to routine activity and also destructive testing should go through a rigorous regulation and taking responsibilities by countries who create the debris.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing measures for effective management of Space Debris and solar storms.
Introduction
Solar storms are generated when enormous jets of highly charged particles burst from the surface of the Sun and are propelled out into space for those unfamiliar with the term. The Sun, which is currently in its 11th solar cycle, has been increasing its activity in recent months.
Space debris is a term for the mass of defunct, artificially created objects in space, most notably in Earth orbit. It includes the fragments from their disintegration, erosion and collisions. The European Space Agency estimates there are currently 128 million pieces of debris smaller than 1cm, about 900,000 pieces of debris 1–10cm in length, and around 34,000 pieces larger than 10cm in Earth orbit.
Body
The impact of solar storms and space debris on satellites and various aspects of space safety
- Space debris poses a global threat to the continued use of space-based technologies that support critical functions like communication, transport, weather and climate monitoring, remote sensing.
- Space junk is a threat to active satellites, unmanned spacecrafts and spaceships.
- International space station:
- Although the ISS uses Whipple shielding to protect itself from minor debris, portions (notably its solar panels) cannot be protected easily.
- There is also the risk, known as the Kessler Syndrome or Kessler Effect, where one piece of debris breaks off and hits another so that it becomes a cascade, which could end up polluting an entire orbit for satellites.
- Earth:
- Although most debris burns up in the atmosphere, larger objects can reach the ground intact. According to NASA, an average of one catalogued piece of debris has fallen back to Earth each day for the past 50 years
- When a solar storm hits the Earth, it can potentially damage the electronics in the satellites, disrupt the radio communication networks on Earth, and affect GPS signals and the electricity grid.
- Solar storms can also lead to voltage disruptions leading to power outages, changes in soil voltage that enhance corrosion in oil pipelines, disruption in cellular communications networks, exposure to elevated levels of radiation, and reductions in flights with polar routes.
Measures needed to tackle
Space debris
- Solar physicists and other scientists use computer models to predict solar storms and solar activities in general. Current models are capable of predicting a storm’s time of arrival and its speed. But the storm’s structure or orientation still cannot be predicted.
- Certain orientations of the magnetic field can produce a more intense response from the magnetosphere, and trigger more intense magnetic storms.
- With the increasing global dependence on satellites for almost every activity, there is a need for better space weather forecasts and more effective ways to protect satellites.
Solar storm
- An old-fashioned bridge-building between spacefaring nations would help.
- The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, negotiated during an earlier space race with little input from China, is badly in need of an update.
- In particular, provisions that grant countries permanent property rights to their objects in space may complicate efforts to clean up debris.
- Space agencies should fund research into debris-removal technologies—such as those recently demonstrated by Astroscale, a Japanese startup, which hold promise— and consider partnerships with companies developing them.
- The US should also seek to expand the Artemis Accords, a framework for space cooperation that includes (so far) 11 other countries.
- As more nations join, debris-mitigation protocols, such as a requirement to specify which country has responsibility for end-of-mission planning, should become routine.
General Studies – 4
Topic: Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators;
6. What does this quote means to you? (150 words)
“In civilized life, law floats in a sea of ethics”. – Earl Warren.
Difficulty level: Difficult.
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Quotes Wednesdays’ in Mission-2022 Secure.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by giving a simple understanding of the meaning of the quote.
Body:
Mention the relationship between laws and ethics. Write that law needs a proper process and is support and supplemented by ethics. Write about law as a source of ethical guidance. Substantiate with examples.
Conclusion:
Conclude by summarising.
Introduction
Laws refer to the set of codified norms which are enforced by the state. They act as external obligations. On the other hand, ethics refer to the set of norms which guide our internal compass and judgements. Laws and ethics both serve similar purposes of guiding human conduct so as to make it conducive to civilized social existence. They enforce a sense of right and wrong.
Body
The quote implies that there is a foundation of ethical values for the law. In performing our legal duties, we are also satisfying our ethical obligations. While in an uncivilized society, enactments of tyranny or barbarism may motivate an obligation to obey the law. But in a civilized society, the obligation to act ethically is not a result of supposed obligation to obey alone, but a result of the binding ethical values that have informed the content of the law.
It is well known that those nations of the world, which are deemed civilized and well-constrained by the rule of law, may be governed by laws that are not ethically sound. For instance, Slavery, apartheid, and torture, have been perpetuated pursuant to the laws of many civilized countries.
Western liberal regimes of property, contract and tort law include doctrines and principles, the applications of which result in predictable hardship for the poor and the vulnerable. Laws that permit environmental degradation, capital punishment of the innocent and political corruption are hardly ethical waters for any ship of state.
However, Laws can never be so exhaustive to cover each and every scenario possible. Hence, there will always be scope for discretion. In such scenarios, ethical behaviour should come from within. There are many scenarios where laws cannot exist. E.g. we cannot have strict laws to scrutinize every small act of corruption. Even with laws, some unethical practices continue to exist. E.g. laws for violence against women have existed for ages. But that hasn’t caused such acts to end.
Conclusion
Laws and ethics have their own unique position. Both are equally important and go hand in hand.
Topic: Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators.
7. What does this quote means to you? (150 words)
“The highest result of education is tolerance” ― Helen Keller
Difficulty level: Easy
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Quotes Wednesdays’ in Mission-2022 Secure.
Directive word:
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by explaining the quote in your word.
Body:
Write about tolerance and the ways it is developed. Mention the role of education in developing tolerance and how it helps us overcome our biases and prejudices. Write about the limitations of education in achieving tolerance. Substantiate with examples.
Conclusion:
Conclude by emphasising on the importance of tolerance in the world.
Introduction
Education in its very essence means bringing out what is best in a person and providing him/her an opportunity to realize his /her complete potentiality and giving rational touch to his feelings and thoughts. Education is meant neither exclusively for employment nor entertainment and not even for mere living but it is for life. So education cannot be an end in itself but it is only a means to an end since end of education is character and tolerance.
Body
The more education an individual receives education, the more he/she realizes how much you do not know. This then, becomes quite humbling. The uneducated are usually intolerant of others because they live “self-centred” lives. They simply do not possess the knowledge to give them perspective of the actual facts.
With the onset of globalisation and urbanisation, the diversity is increasing in all the societies and countries all over the world. In any given region or society on earth we can easily find people belonging to various religion and caste at any given moment. This being the case, tolerance is a much needed ideology today.
Tolerance is the acknowledgement that no one person is the centre of the universe; that we are mortal here in this world; that we are as infallible as anyone else; that we all make mistakes and fall far short of perfection. So we find that Education is a great leveller. And this is what we call tolerance.
Conclusion
Mahatma Gandhiji’s concept of Nayee Talim about education too had connection with tolerance as he said the function of Nayee Talim is not to teach an occupation but through it to develop a complete man.’ Thus here he brings in the concept of brotherhood of man.
So education must take up this task of cultivating the seeds of love and tolerance from the very beginning as the child develops into complete man. Aristotle said ‘Educating the child without educating the mind is no education at all.’ So true to his words education must be for transformation and not just for information.
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