23-03-2024

Table of Contents
No. Article Newspaper Syllabus

1 Trials On for 7 weight loss drugs knocking Indian Doors. Indian express GS - 2

Business
2 Forex reserves, rupees sit on opposite poles. GS - 2
Standard

3 Pakistan’s Taliban problem on either side of afghanistan’s border Indian express GS - 3

Chinese coast guard tries to block Filipino vessels in South China

4 The Hindu GS - 2
Sea

5 Delhi HC admits CBI appeal challenging acquittals in 2G case The Hindu GS - 3

6 Russia admits ‘state of war’ amid massive strikes on Kyiv The Hindu

Other articles:
6 a) Russia, China veto U.S. bid on Gaza ‘ceasefire’ at UN Security Council.
b) Real GDP growth may hit 8% this fiscal year, signals FinMin
c) insurance is anyway a difficult product to buy..18%GST makes it costly
Indian Express (Delhi) - Pg 1, 2
 Part A—Preliminary Examination • Semaglutide (sold as Ozempic and Wegovy)

Paper I - (200 marks) from Novo Nordisk, Mounjaro and Zepbound

from Eli Lilly.
 Current events of national and international
importance. • Semaglutide - mimics a hormone called
glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1).

Why it is needed?

• Lancet study - 12.5 million children (aged b/w

5 & 19).

• 1990 - 0.4 million.

• Obesity - paradoxical state of malnutrition.

Challenges:

• Surge in generics once the patents for these

drugs expire.

• Long term utilisation could strain healthcare

resources.

• Must be complemented with lifestyle changes.

• Drugs may not work uniformly for everyone.

 Practice Prelims question
Q. Which of the following statements regarding
obesity and its management is/are correct?
1. Obesity is defined as a body mass index
(BMI) of 30 or higher.
2. Bariatric surgery is one of the primary
interventions for severe obesity.
3. Obesity-related heart diseases cannot be
addressed effectively through medication
alone.
How many of the above statements are
correct?
a) Only one
b) Only two
c) All three
d) None of the above
Business Standard (Mumbai) - Pg 4
 Forex reserves.

About it.

• Assets held by Central bank in any foreign

Part B—Main Examination
currencies.
PAPER-IV
 Includes foreign currencies, bonds, treasury
General Studies‐III : Technology, Economic
bills & other governmental securities etc.
Development, Bio-diversity, Environment,
Security and Disaster Management.  Cushion for a country’s imports.

• Indian Economy and issues relating to planning,  Ensure to meet our external obligations
mobilization, of resources, growth, development like foreign loan.
and employment.
• Vital role - Maintaining the stability of the
nation’s currency and its economy.
India’s Forex reserves.

• RBI - Custodian of the foreign exchange

reserves of India. Trends in this reserves.

• Denominated & expressed in the US dollar. • 1960s - Reserves covered just 8 weeks' worth
of imports.
• Components of India’s Forex reserves.
• 1980s - Rose to USD 7 billion in 1980s (more
 Foreign currency assets (FCAs) -
than double that of China).
maintained US dollar, Euro, pound,
Australian dollar & Japanese yen. • 1991 - India’s reserves - steadily decreasing
with the reserves stood at USD 5.8 billion.
 Gold
• 2004 - Developments led to forex reserves of
 SDR (Special Drawing Rights) - Reserve
India reached USD 100 billion mark for the
currency with IMF.
first time.
 RTP (Reserve Tranche Position) - India’s
quota with IMF.
Trends in this reserves.

• 2024 - Foreign exchange reserves rose to a

record high of USD 642.49 billion.
 Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) - supplement
 cover 11 months of Imports without any
foreign exchange reserves of the member
issue.
countries.
• Contributors.
 Amount of SDR – USD 18,135 million.
 Foreign currency assets - rose by USD
 Reserve portion in the IMF - India's quota
6.034 billion to USD 568.386 billion.
in the IMF – USD 4,832 million.
 Gold – Increased from USD which increased
from 425 million to USD 51.140 billion.
 Practice Question – Mains
GS - III
Q. How globalization has led to the reduction of employment in the formal
sector of the Indian economy? Is increased in formalization detrimental
to the development of the country?
Indian Express (Delhi) - Pg 13
 Part A—Preliminary Examination
Paper I - (200 marks)
• Current events of national and international importance.
Part B—Main Examination
PAPER-III
General Studies‐ II: Governance, Constitution, Polity,
Social Justice and International relations.
• India and its Neighborhood- Relations.
• Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and
Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s
interests.
The Durand Line: Recognition :

• 1,640-mile (2,640 km) border between • Drawn without much consideration for the
Afghanistan and Pakistan ethnic and tribal boundaries

• 1893 by Sir Mortimer Durand, a British • Afghanistan has never formally recognized the
diplomat. Durand Line.

• Based on - the agreement between Sir

Mortimer Durand, and Abdur Rahman Khan,

• Intended to prevent Russian expansion into

British India

• 2,670-km line stretches from China to

Afghanistan’s border with Iran
 Practice Question – Prelims
Q. Consider the following statements with reference
to Durand line:
1) Durand Line is internationally recognized as
the western border of Pakistan, it remains
largely unrecognized in Afghanistan.
2) The Durand Line was established in 1893 as
the international border between the Emirate
of Afghanistan and the British Indian Empire.
Which of the statements given above is/are
correct?
(a) 1 only
(b)2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d)None of the above
The Hindu
Pg 18 - Chennai
Pg 16 - Bengaluru
Pg 12 - Delhi
Pg 14 - Hyderabad
Pg 12 - Thiruvananthapuram
 Part A—Preliminary Examination
Paper I - (200 marks)
 Current events of national and international
Practice Question – Mains
importance.
Part B—Main Examination GS - III
PAPER-III Q. ‘Sea is an important Component of the
General Studies‐ II: Governance, Constitution, Cosmos’. Discuss in the light of the
Polity, Social Justice and International relations. above statement the role of the IMO
• Important International institutions, agencies and (International Maritime Organisation) in
fora- their structure, mandate. protecting the environment and
General Studies‐III: Technology, Economic enhancing maritime safety and security.
Development, Bio diversity, Environment,
(150 words, 10 marks)
Security and Disaster Management.
• Conservation, environmental pollution and
degradation, environmental impact assessment.
 Role of the IMO in protecting the environment:
Introduction:
• MARPOL convention
• Sea covers approximately 71% of the Earth’s
• Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSAs)
surface.
• GloBallast Partnerships Project
• Plays a pivotal role in shaping our planet’s
climate, ecosystems, and overall well-being. • Global Maritime Energy Efficiency Partnership
project (GloMEEP)
• International Maritime Organization (IMO) -
specialized agency of the United Nations. • Global Maritime Technology Cooperation
Centre (MTCC) Network
Role of the IMO in enhancing maritime safety Conclusion:
and security:
• IMO assumes a pivotal role in safeguarding
• International Convention for the Safety of Life the marine environment and promoting
at Sea. maritime safety and security worldwide.

• International Ship and Port Facility Security • Through implementation of regulations, the
(ISPS) Code. facilitation of international cooperation, and
the provision of technical assistance, the IMO
• Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts
strives to mitigate environmental degradation,
against the Safety of Maritime Navigation
prevent maritime accidents, and combat
(SUA Convention).
maritime threats.
• Search and Rescue convention.
The Hindu
Pg 14 - Chennai
Pg 14 - Bengaluru
Pg 10 - Delhi
Pg 12 - Hyderabad
Pg 10 - Thiruvananthapuram
 Part A—Preliminary Examination
Paper I - (200 marks)
• Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution,
Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy,
Rights Issues, etc..
Part B—Main Examination
PAPER-III
General Studies‐II: Governance, Constitution, Polity,
Social Justice and International Relations
• Structure, Organization and Functioning of the
Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and
Departments of the Government; Pressure Groups and
Formal/Informal Associations and their Role in the
Polity.
The High Court:

• Provisions - Article 214 to Article 237 of the • Revenue and Land Disputes over decisions of
Indian Constitution.
revenue courts.
Appellate jurisdiction of High Courts:
• Constitutional Matters - questions of constitutional
• Civil Appeals – amount should be at least INR
5000 law or violations of fundamental rights.

• criminal matters the death penalty imposed by • Writ Jurisdiction Appeals - orders passed by single
district's Session Judge must be approved by
judges of the High Court in writ petitions.
the High Court.
Special leave to appeal :

• party is dissatisfied with the decision of a High

Court.

• file a petition for Special Leave to Appeal (SLP)

to the Supreme Court

• petition is filed under Article 136

• Supreme Court has discretionary power to grant

special leave to appeal from any judgment.

Grant of Leave:

• Court finds merit in the petition, it may grant

leave to appeal.
 Practice Question – Prelims
Q. Consider the following statements Indian
Judiciary:
1) Both supreme court and high court
have powers vested by the constitution
to grant special leave on appeal
2) Aggrieved party from the judgment can
claim special leave to appeal as a right.
How many of the above mentioned
statements are correct ?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) None
(d) Both
The Hindu
Pg 18 - Chennai
Pg 16 - Bengaluru
Pg 12 - Delhi
Pg 14 - Hyderabad
Pg 12 - Thiruvananthapuram
 Part A—Preliminary Examination
Paper I - (200 marks)
• Current events of national and international importance.
Part B—Main Examination
PAPER-III
General Studies‐ II: Governance, Constitution, Polity,
Social Justice and International relations.
• India and its Neighborhood- Relations.
• Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and
Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s
interests.
Important cities and war hit zones of
Ukraine:

• Kyiv: capital and most populous city of Ukraine

along the Dnieper River.

• Kharkiv: -It is the second-largest city in

Ukraine. It is located along the banks of the
Kharkiv, Lopan, and Udy rivers.

• Donetsk: - is an industrial hub.

• Odesa: - seaport and transport hub, on the

northwestern shore of the Black Sea. It is a
warm-water port.

• Dnipro: - southeast of Kyiv on the Dnieper River.

• Zaporizhzhya:- on the banks of the Dnieper
river. Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant which
is the largest nuclear power station in Europe.

• Luhansk: - is located in the valley of the

Siversky Donets river.

• Kherson: -port city of Ukraine situated on the

Black Sea and on the Dnieper River.

• Mariupol: - It is a city on the north coast of

the Sea of Azov at the mouth of the Kalmius
river.
 Previous year question – Prelims 2023
Q. Consider the following countries:
1) Bulgaria
2) Czech Republic
3) Hungary
4) Latvia
5) Lithuania
6) Romania
How many of the above-mentioned countries share
a land border with Ukraine?
(a) Only two
(b) Only three
(c) Only four
(d) Only five
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
DISCUSSION
 Previous year question – Prelims 2023
Q. Consider the following countries:
1) Bulgaria
2) Czech Republic
3) Hungary
4) Latvia
5) Lithuania
6) Romania
How many of the above-mentioned countries share
a land border with Ukraine?
(a) Only two
(b) Only three
(c) Only four
(d) Only five
 Practice Question – Prelims
Q. Consider the following statements with reference
to Durand line:
1) Durand Line is internationally recognized as
the western border of Pakistan, it remains
largely unrecognized in Afghanistan.
2) The Durand Line was established in 1893 as
the international border between the
Emirate of Afghanistan and the British Indian
Empire.
Which of the statements given above is/are
correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) None of the above
 Practice Question – Prelims
Q. Consider the following statements Indian
Judiciary:
1) Both supreme court and high court
have powers vested by the constitution
to grant special leave on appeal
2) Aggrieved party from the judgment can
claim special leave to appeal as a right.
How many of the above mentioned
statements are correct ?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) None
(d) Both
 Quiz question
Q. Which of the following statements regarding
obesity and its management is/are correct?
1. Obesity is defined as a body mass index
(BMI) of 30 or higher.
2. Bariatric surgery is one of the primary
interventions for severe obesity.
3. Obesity-related heart diseases cannot be
addressed effectively through medication
alone.
How many of the above statements are
correct?
a) Only one
b) Only two
c) All three
d) None of the above
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