IAS Mains – 2018: General Studies Paper – 1

1.   Safeguarding the Indian art heritage is the need of the moment. Comment (10)

2.   Assess the importance of the accounts of the Chinese and Arab travellers in the reconstruction of the history of India. (10)

3.   Throw light on the significance of the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi in the present times. (10)

4.   Why is Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) needed? How does it help in navigation? (10 ) Easy One

5.   Why is India taking keen interest in the Arctic region? (10)

6.   Define mantle plume and explain its role in plate tectonics. (10)

7.   What are the consequences of spreading of ‘Dead Zones’ on marine ecosystem? (10)

8.   “Caste system is assuming new identities and associational forms. Hence, caste system cannot be eradicated in India.” Comment. (10)

9.   ‘Despite implementation of various programmes for eradication of poverty by the government in India, poverty is still existing’. Explain by giving reasons. (10)

10.      How the Indian concept of secularism different from the western model of secularism? Discuss. (10)

11.      The Bhakti movement received a remarkable re-orientation with the advent of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Discuss. (15)

12.      Discuss whether formation of new states in recent times is beneficial or not for the economy of India. (15)

13.      Why indentured labour was taken by the British from India to their colonies? have they been able to preserve their cultural identity over there? (15)

14.      “The ideal solution of depleting ground water resources in India is water harvesting system.” How can it be made effective in urban areas? (15)

15.      Defining blue revolution, explain the problems and strategies for pisciculture development in India. (15)

16.      What is the significance of Industrial Corridors in India? Identifying industrial corridors, explain their main characteristics. (15)

17.      Mention core strategies for the transformation of aspirational districts in India and explain the nature of convergence, collaboration and competition for its success. (15)

18.      ‘Women’s movement in India has not addresses the issues of women of lower social strata.’ Substantiate your view. (15)

19.      ‘Globalisation is generally said to promote cultural homogenisation but due to this cultural specificities appear to be strengthened in the Indian society.’ Elucidate.

20.      ‘Communalism arises either due to power struggle or relative deprivation.’ Argue by giving suitable illustrations. (15)

Adamant Algae and Phosphorus

Nobel Literature Prize put off till 2019.नोबेल साहित्य पुरस्कार 201 9 तक बंद कर दिए गए है

G-6-L-2

• Earth is slightly flattened at the North and the South Poles and bulge in the middle.
• Jodhpur, is known as the Blue city as well as the Sun City of India.
• Japan is known as "The land of the rising sun" because of its geographical relationship with China.
•  Norway is called the Land of Sunset.
• Thailand is the country which is called the land of White Elephants.
• Finland is that country which is known as “land of thousand rivers.
• Scotland known as land of cakes.
• Bhutan is called Druk Yul - Land of Thunder Dragon.
• South Korea is called as the ''Land of Morning Calm''.
• Khajjiar of Himachal Pradesh is known as the mini Switzerland of India.
• The largest and highest plateau in the world is the Pamir mountain, called the "roof of the world".
• Iceland is a country in the North Atlantic Ocean that is aptly known as the "Land of Fire and Ice"

1. Netherlands  known as land of windmills.
2. Uttar Pradesh is called the Sugar bowl of india. It is the largest producer of sugarcane in India.
3. The Deccan Plateau is the largest plateau of India, extended up to 8 states.
4.  TheLadakh plateau is the highest plateau of India, being over 3000m.
5. Anamudi is the highest peak in the Western Ghats in India, having an elevation of 2,695 metres (8,842 ft). Anamudi is also the highest point in South India.
6. Doddabetta is the highest mountain in the Nilgiri Mountains at 2,637 metres (8,650 feet) Tamil Nadu.
7. Jindhagada Peak in Andhra Pradesh has a height of 1,690 meters is highest peak In Eestern Ghats.
8. Mount Dhupgarh or Dhoopgarh is the highest point in the Satpura Range and in Madhya Pradesh.
9. Pachmarhi is a hill station of Madhya Pradesh state of central India, situated at a height of 1067 m in a valley of the Satpura Range in Hoshangabad district.

G-6-L-1

• The sun, the moon and all those objects shining in the night sky are called celestial bodies.
• These celestial bodies are called stars. The sun is a star.
• The Big Dipper (US) or the Plough (UK, Ireland) is a large asterism consisting of seven bright stars of the constellationUrsa Major.
• The North star indicates the north direction. It is also called the Pole Star.
• Light travels at the speed of about 300,000 km per second.

Moon

• Neil Armstrong was the first man to step on the surface of the moon on 29 July 1969.
• Its diameter of moon is only one-quarter that of the earth.
• It is about 3,84,400 km away from EARTH.
• The moon moves around the earth in about 27 days.
• One side of the moon always faces Earth. Even so, over time, it's possible to see as much as 59% of the moon's surface, due to lunar libration.
• Mons Huygens is the Moon's tallest mountain.

1. The largest asteroid is the Ceres.
2. The small pieces of rocks which move around the sun are called meteoroids.
3. In our solar system, the planets orbit around the Sun in a elliptical path.

• The Pole Star indicates the direction to the North.
• Asteroids are found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

ESSAY PAPER – 2018 (UPSC Civil Services Mains Examination)

SECTION – A

1.     Alternative technologies for a climate change resilient India

जलवायु परिवर्तन के प्रति सुनम्य भारत हेतु वैकल्पिक तकनीकें। 

2.     A good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge

एक अच्छा जेवण प्रेम से प्रेरित तथा ज्ञान से संचालित होता है। 

3.     Poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere

कहीं पर भी गरीबी हर जगह की समृद्ध के लिए खतरा है। 

4.     Management of Indian border disputes – a complex task

भारत के सीमा विवादों का प्रबंधन - एक जटिल कार्य। 

SECTION – B

1.   Customary morality cannot be a guide to modern life

रूढ़िगत नैतिकता आधुनिक जीवन का मार्गदर्शक नहीं हो सकती है। 

2.   “The past’ is a permanent dimension of human consciousness and values

अतीत मानव चेतना तथा मूल्यों का एक स्थायी आयाम है। 

3.   A people that values its privileges above its principles loses both

जो समाज अपने सिद्धांतो के ऊपर अपने विशेषाधिकारों को महत्व देता है ,वह दोनों से हाथ धो बैठता है। 

4.   Reality does not conform to the ideal, but confirms it

यथार्थ आदर्श के अनुरूप है ,बल्कि उसकी पुष्टि करता है। 

5 Current Affairs 28/09/2018

1.New Delhi hosted the Conference of Heads of AYUSH National Institutes organized by the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA).

2.Jammu & Kashmir Bank has launched the first ‘All-Women Branch’ in the Jammu and Kashmir state

3.Anil D Sahasrabudhe has been appointed as the chairman of the 'All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

4.Repco Micro Finance Ltd finance company has won the NABARD award 2018 for its service to Self-Help Group (SHG) linkage.

5.7.6% As per the Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s latest report ‘Asian Development Outlook (ADO)’, what is India’s GDP growth forecast for FY 2019-20.

Diphtheria