08-FEBRUARY-2023

The Hindu News Analysis – 08th February 2023 – Shankar IAS Academy
S. Page Number*
News Articles
No. C B D H T

1
CAR T-cell therapy: the next step towards a holistic T&C T&C
9
T&C T&C
treatment of cancer 2 2 2 2

2 Fiscal consolidation in the context of the Budget 10 8 6 8 8

T&C T&C T&C T&C

3 The saga of a ‘spy’ balloon in U.S. airspace 1 1
8
1 1

4
The 30 crore missing voters are mostly young, urban, 11 9 7 9 9
or migrants

5 Quake deaths pass 6,000 as Turkey, Syria seek survivors 1, 12 1, 10 1, 10 1, 10 1, 10

*C – Chennai; B – Bengaluru; D – Delhi; H – Hyderabad; T – Thiruvananthapuram

 The Hindu News Analysis – 08th February 2023 – Shankar IAS Academy
S. Page Number*
News Articles
No. C B D H T

6 Easing core inflation curbs need to lift rate 16 14 14 14 14

T&C T&C T&C T&C

7 Total power generation capacity of India was 410 GW 1 1
8
1 1

8
ONGC to boost output from western offshore assets in T&C T&C
8
T&C T&C
3-4 years 1 1 1 1

9 Prelims Practice Questions

@ end of the video

10 Mains Practice Questions

*C – Chennai; B – Bengaluru; D – Delhi; H – Hyderabad; T – Thiruvananthapuram
Text & Context 2 – C, B, H, T ;
Pg 9 – Delhi Edition
 Part A — Preliminary Examination
Paper I - (200 marks)

• Current events of national and international importance.

Part B — Main Examination

PAPER - IV
General Studies ‐ III: Technology, Economic Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and
Disaster Management
• Science and Technology - developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.
• Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, biotechnology and issues
relating to intellectual property rights.
Cancer
Treatments available against cancer
• Abnormal growth of cells in our body.
• Surgery - Done on malignant tumour to
• Results in tumors inside our bodies remove it from our body.

 Two types • Radiotherapy - Uses high doses of radiation

 Malignant tumors/ Cancerous tumors. to kill cancer cells & shrink tumours

 Non-cancerous / Benign tumors.  Also affects normal cells.

• Systemic therapy - Administering specific

medicines which acts only on tumors

 Chemotherapy

 Immunotherapy

 CAR-T therapy
CAR-T therapy

• Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy.

• Uses a patient’s own t-cells to treat cancer.

• T-cells are modified in laboratory.

• Modified cells are infused back into patient’s

bloodstream.

• More clinically effective - ‘living drugs’.

CAR-T therapy

• Department of Biotechnology (DBT) combined

with BIRAC taking steps to reduce cost of
CAR-T therapy

 Objective - To make it possible for the use

of wider population in India.

• BIRAC - Biotechnology Industry Research

Assistance Council

 Not-for-profit, Section 8.

 Schedule B, Public Sector Enterprise.

Pg 10 – C ;
Pg 8 – B, H, T ;
Pg 6 – D
 Fiscal Consolidation
Part A—Preliminary Examination
Paper I - (200 marks) • Fiscal consolidation refers to the ways and

 Economic and Social Development-Sustainable means of narrowing the fiscal deficit.

Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics,
Social Sector Initiatives, etc. • Fiscal Deficit = Total expenditure of the
government – Total income of the government.
Part B—Main Examination
PAPER-IV • Fiscal deficit expressed as a % of GDP
General Studies ‐ III: Technology, Economic
• Total expenditure
Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and
Disaster Management.  Revenue expenditure + Capital
 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, expenditure.
mobilization, of resources, growth, development and
• Total Expenditure
employment.
 Government Budgeting.  Revenue Receipts + Non debt creating
 Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. capital receipts (NDCR).
How fiscal consolidation can be achieved  Government finances its deficit by borrowing

• Reducing government expenditure. from market.

• Increasing GDP.  Total investable resource 10.5% of GDP.

Need for fiscal consolidation  Investable resource - Financial savings of the

household sector + Net foreign capital inflows.
• Interest burden will constrain government
expenditure.  Total government borrowing (9.4% of GDP) -
Centre (5.9%) + State (3.5%).
 2023-24 Budget
 Resource available for private sector - 1.1%
 Total expenditure - Rs 45 Lakh
of GDP.
crores
 Government borrowing mainly goes into paying
 Interest payment - Rs 10.7 Lakh
interest.
crores
 Borrowing - 17.8 lakh crore.
• Fiscal deficit leads to crowding our of
private investment.  Interest Payment - 10.7 lakh crore.
• High fiscal deficit leads to high rate of Steps taken by the government

borrowing for the government • Reducing expenditure

 High debt to GDP ratio - High rate of

 Food subsidy cut by ₹90,000 crore.
interest paid to government.
 Decline in allocation to fuel subsidy,
fertilizer subsidy and MGNREGA.

• Accelerating growth

 Higher allocation for Capital expenditure.

(37% increase)

 Capital expenditure multiplier effect - 2.45

 Revenue expenditure multiplier effect - 0.45

Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management
Act 2003

• To limit fiscal deficit to 3% of GDP.

• 2018 amendment - time limit 31st March

Way forward
2021.
• Abiding by FRBM Act.
• Debt to GDP limit - 40%
• Fiscal consolidation.
• When limit breached, government must
provide reason for breach.

• Government aim - 4.5% fiscal deficit as a

percent of GDP by 2025-26.
Text & Context 1 – C, B, H, T ;
Pg 8 – Delhi Edition
Spy balloons Purpose

• High-altitude surveillance tools - • Intelligence gathering + other military missions.

operates at 80,000 - 1,20,000 feet. • Spy balloon - equipped with cameras & imaging
devices.

• Balloon’s proximity to Earth’s surface - clearer

+ high-resolution images.

Disadvantages

• Not directly steered by the operator - rely on

wind patterns.

• Relatively easy target - not capable to drift

their trajectory when gets attacked.
Chinese spy balloon Recent issue

• This is not the 1st time. • Earlier this month - reports about balloon

• Accusation by Taiwan in the past. above the U.S. State of Montana.

• Last Jan - sighting was reported over • U.S. military officials - confirmed that

Andaman & Nicobar Islands the balloon had travelled from China.

 But no official evidence.

• After confirmation - U.S. President Joe China’s stand
Biden was briefed on the matter.
• After sensation of news - China
• U.S. military - considered shooting down acknowledged that balloon was from China
the balloon.
 But rejected claims of spying.
The Pentagon’s stand
• Balloon - meteorological research & it went
• Balloon - Chinese surveillance tool off course due to winds.

 Carrying sensors & equipment. • Expressed “regret” over the incident.

 To collect info about military & other • China respects the sovereignty of other
strategic sites like Montana. countries.
How was the balloon shot down?

• Before shoot down - protection against

collection of sensitive information.
Reaction from China
• NASA - assessment of the ‘debris field’.
• Flyover of balloon was an accident.
• F-22 Raptor fighter jet - took down
balloon with AIM-9X Sidewinder missile. • Criticised U.S. for an obvious
overreaction.

• Statement - Shoot down of the balloon

has “seriously impacted & damaged”
relations between 2 countries.
Pg 11 – C ;
Pg 9 – B, H, T ;
Pg 7 – D
Graph 1
Graph 2
• Number of electors over the years.
• Country wise number of electors.
• Voter turnout over the years.
Table
Steps to increase voter turnout
• Constituencies will lowest voter turnout.
• SVEEP programme

 Systematic Voters’ Education and

Electoral Participation program.

 Focus - Voter awareness and Voter

literacy.

• Multi-Constituency Remote Electronic Voting

Machine to ensure electoral participation of
migrants.

• Motivating youth voters.

• Accessible model Polling Booths.

Pg 1, 10 – B, H, D, T ;
Pg 1, 12 – C
Earth crust

• Rocky layer of varying thickness.

• Does not occur as a single piece.

• Always in continuous motion.

• Plates move past one another, resulting in

quakes.
Seismic waves

• Waves radiate from the focus in all directions.

• various frequencies and velocities.

• vibrations travel outwards from the epicenter.

Body waves

• P-waves / primary waves

 Move faster & first to arrive at the surface.

 Can travel through gaseous, liquid & solid materials.

• S-waves / secondary waves

 Arrive at the surface with some time lag.

 Can travel only through solid materials.

Surface waves

• Due to interaction of body waves with surface rocks.

• Move along surface .

• More destructive.
Pg 14 – B, H, D, T ;
Pg 16 – C
Inflation
Headline inflation
• Rise in the average price.
• Rate of change in CPI
• Purchasing power of the money will get
Core inflation
reduced.
• Measurement - change in the costs of goods
• Measured using -
& services
 Consumer Price Index
 Excludes food & energy sectors.
 Wholesale Price Index
• Prices are much more volatile.
 Producer Price Index
Core inflation = Headline inflation – (Food and Fuel) inflation
Which one is used in monetary policy?

• Headline inflation.

• Reason - supply-side shocks affects

measurement of core inflation.
Text & Context 1 – C, B, H, T ;
Pg 8 – Delhi Edition
• Electricity - most visible form of energy.

• Critical component of infrastructure that

determines the economic development of a
country.

• Growth rate of power demand generally

higher than the GDP growth rate.

• To have 8% GDP growth per annum -

power supply needs to grow around 12
per cent annually.
 • Cogen - combination of heating plant &
power generator in one plant.

• Use of a heat engine or power station to

• Biomass power systems produce electricity
generate electricity & useful heat at the
from chemical energy contained in organic
same time.
matter.
Text & Context 1 – C, B, H, T ;
Pg 8 – Delhi Edition
Krishna Godavari basin

• Extensive deltaic plain formed by Krishna

and Godavari.

• Andhra Pradesh & adjoining areas of Bay

of Bengal.

• Petroliferous basin of continental margin.

• Large basin of continental margin located

on the east coast of India.

• 5 km thick sediments with several cycles

of deposition.

• D-6 block - biggest natural gas reserves

in India.
Methane hydrate

• A crystalline solid - methane molecule

surrounded by a cage of interlocking water
molecules.

• "ice" - hydrogen-bonded water & methane

gas come into contact at high pressures &
low temperatures such as in oceans.
 Previous Year Question - UPSC 2017
Q. Consider the following statements:
Practice Question – Prelims
1. The Election Commission of India is a five-
member body. Q. Which of the following is the correct
2. Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the sequence of energy sources in order of
election schedule for the conduct of both their highest to lowest share in the
general elections and bye-elections.
power sector in India?
3. Election Commission resolves the disputes
relating to splits/mergers of recognized a) Solar – Hydro – Wind – Nuclear
political parties.
b) Nuclear – Wind – Hydro – Solar
Which of the statements given above is/are
correct? c) Hydro – Wind – Solar – Nuclear
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only d) Wind – Solar – Hydro – Nuclear
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 3 only
 Previous Year Question – Prelims 2020
Q. Consider the following statements:
1. The weightage of food in Consumer Price
Index (CPI) is higher than that Wholesale
Price Index (WPI).
2. The WPI does not capture changes in the
prices of services, which CPI does.
3. Reserve Bank of India has now adopted
WPI as its key measure of inflation and to
decide on changing the key policy rates.
Select the correct answer using the code
given below:
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 only3
c) 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3
Practice question – Prelims
Q. With reference to Earthquakes, Consider
the following statements:
1. Earthquakes above 6.0 in Richer scale
occur only in Plate boundaries.
2. Rayleigh waves and loves waves are
associated with earthquakes.
Which of the statements given above is/are
correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
 Quiz of the day – 08/02/2023
Q. Which of the following is also known as
“flammable ice”?

a) Hydrogen carbide

b) Natural gas

c) Marsh gas

d) Methane hydrate
 Practice Question – Mains
GS – III
Q. With increasing inventions in the field of
Practice Question – Mains Biotechnology now-a-days, thrown some
GS – II light on the newly developing CAR-T
therapy and where it is used.
Q. Recently the USA has shot down
contended Chinese spy balloon and that (150 Words, 10 Marks)
created a severe blow to already
strained U.S.-Chinese relations. In this Practice Question – Mains
light, Discuss the areas of contention GS – III
between the USA and China.
Q. What is fiscal consolidation and its
(150 words, 10 marks) importance? What are the steps taken by
our government to ensure fiscal
consolidation?
(150 Words, 10 Marks)