Forwarded from VK IAS_ Official
IR-I Mapping_places_in_news.pdf
59.7 MB
✅Watch part 1 of this IR mapping series on our free CA module for Prelims 2025- Click here
✅Part 2- click here
✅Part 2- click here
Forwarded from UPSC - International relations by Vikas Kanukollu
image_2025-03-24_18-05-01.png
3.9 MB
✅Gs-2 : IR- Kurdistan issue
🅾️Background : Kurdish people's long-standing struggle to establish a nation-state of Kurdistan, a homeland for Kurds spread across Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Armenia( 5 Countries)
🅾️Why didn’t it happen?=Western betrayal: After WWI, Western powers promised a homeland (Treaty of Sèvres, 1920), but later backed off (Treaty of Lausanne, 1923), prioritizing other geopolitical interests.
📍 Places in News (Important for UPSC Prelims)
⚜️1. Zagros Range- Geographical heartland of Kurdish-populated areas.
⚜️2. Mosul & Kirkuk-Oil-rich contested areas in Iraq significant to Kurds.
⚜️3. Mount Ararat- Symbolic mountain near Armenian-Turkish border, Kurdish aspiration.
⚜️4. Rojava- Kurdish autonomous region in Syria governed by PYD/YPG.
⚠️Gs2-IR/PSIR channel link : https://www.tg-me.com/UPSC_PSIR_IR
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
⚠️Gs2-IR/PSIR channel link : https://www.tg-me.com/UPSC_PSIR_IR
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
🅾️Background : Kurdish people's long-standing struggle to establish a nation-state of Kurdistan, a homeland for Kurds spread across Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Armenia( 5 Countries)
🅾️Why didn’t it happen?=Western betrayal: After WWI, Western powers promised a homeland (Treaty of Sèvres, 1920), but later backed off (Treaty of Lausanne, 1923), prioritizing other geopolitical interests.
📍 Places in News (Important for UPSC Prelims)
⚜️1. Zagros Range- Geographical heartland of Kurdish-populated areas.
⚜️2. Mosul & Kirkuk-Oil-rich contested areas in Iraq significant to Kurds.
⚜️3. Mount Ararat- Symbolic mountain near Armenian-Turkish border, Kurdish aspiration.
⚜️4. Rojava- Kurdish autonomous region in Syria governed by PYD/YPG.
⚠️Gs2-IR/PSIR channel link : https://www.tg-me.com/UPSC_PSIR_IR
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
⚠️Gs2-IR/PSIR channel link : https://www.tg-me.com/UPSC_PSIR_IR
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
✅Gs-1 : Indian Society- Urbanization- Trajectory of Indian Urbanization we already discussed that here multiple times-Click here
🅾️More or less the same issues are discussed again here in this article
🅾️Cities are spatially diverse and demographically unique-so Centrally planned schemes often ignore regional and intra-city spatial diversity.Hence we need Localised master plans based on micro-geographies (e.g., ward-level planning units) that integrate mobility, housing, livelihoods, and disaster resilience.
🅾️Urban development is a state subject under the Constitution.Despite this, the Centre dominates through missions like JNNURM, AMRUT, and PMAY, which are heavily top-down.
⚜️Policy Principle: Subsidiarity – decision-making should lie with the smallest, lowest, or least centralized competent authority.Greater autonomy should be given to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)
🔰Join - VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
🅾️More or less the same issues are discussed again here in this article
🅾️Cities are spatially diverse and demographically unique-so Centrally planned schemes often ignore regional and intra-city spatial diversity.Hence we need Localised master plans based on micro-geographies (e.g., ward-level planning units) that integrate mobility, housing, livelihoods, and disaster resilience.
🅾️Urban development is a state subject under the Constitution.Despite this, the Centre dominates through missions like JNNURM, AMRUT, and PMAY, which are heavily top-down.
⚜️Policy Principle: Subsidiarity – decision-making should lie with the smallest, lowest, or least centralized competent authority.Greater autonomy should be given to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)
🔰Join - VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
✅Gs-2 : IR- India- US trade relations
⚠️Context : US Agricultural Push into Indian Market – Soybean, Corn & Cotton
🅾️Demand Side – What India Needs-protein-rich feed inputs (soybean meal and corn)- As protein consumption rises, so does the dependence on indirect demand for US grains. Because India’s per capita meat, egg, and milk consumption is rising- poultry needs feed- which US wants to tap into.
🅾️Supply Side – What the US Has in Surplus-US needs to offload its surplus to high-demand economies like India- US is a top global producer of: Soybean (meal and oil), Corn (for both ethanol and feed), Cotton (was world's top exporter)- India is no longer a consistent net exporter, as domestic textile use rises.
🚫Strategic Risk for India-Overdependence on US agri-exports = vulnerability to external price shocks
🔰Join - VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
⚠️Context : US Agricultural Push into Indian Market – Soybean, Corn & Cotton
🅾️Demand Side – What India Needs-protein-rich feed inputs (soybean meal and corn)- As protein consumption rises, so does the dependence on indirect demand for US grains. Because India’s per capita meat, egg, and milk consumption is rising- poultry needs feed- which US wants to tap into.
🅾️Supply Side – What the US Has in Surplus-US needs to offload its surplus to high-demand economies like India- US is a top global producer of: Soybean (meal and oil), Corn (for both ethanol and feed), Cotton (was world's top exporter)- India is no longer a consistent net exporter, as domestic textile use rises.
🚫Strategic Risk for India-Overdependence on US agri-exports = vulnerability to external price shocks
🔰Join - VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
✅Gs-3 : Mobilization of resources- Taxation - Global Minimum corporate taxation
🅾️Problem in the Old Regime-Income Tax Act, 1961 (Pre-2016)-Tax loophole: No office in India = No income tax, despite revenue from Indian users.Digital MNCs (like Google, Amazon) with no physical presence in India could earn revenue here but not pay tax.
🅾️So, to plug tax base erosion from the digital economy-Equalisation Levy was imposed- 6% On revenue paid to non-residents (e.g., Google), 2% on On gross sales of E-commerce to Indian users (e.g., Amazon)
⚠️Note : this is a tax on Revenue, not Profit.
🅾️Global Tax Reform – OECD’s Two-Pillar Framework- Explained here already- In return for new taxing rights under Pillar One, India agreed to remove Equalisation Levy- 2% levy on e-commerce already abolished (2024)=> Considering to abolish 6% levy on online ads from April 1, 2025
🎖VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
🅾️Problem in the Old Regime-Income Tax Act, 1961 (Pre-2016)-Tax loophole: No office in India = No income tax, despite revenue from Indian users.Digital MNCs (like Google, Amazon) with no physical presence in India could earn revenue here but not pay tax.
🅾️So, to plug tax base erosion from the digital economy-Equalisation Levy was imposed- 6% On revenue paid to non-residents (e.g., Google), 2% on On gross sales of E-commerce to Indian users (e.g., Amazon)
⚠️Note : this is a tax on Revenue, not Profit.
🅾️Global Tax Reform – OECD’s Two-Pillar Framework- Explained here already- In return for new taxing rights under Pillar One, India agreed to remove Equalisation Levy- 2% levy on e-commerce already abolished (2024)=> Considering to abolish 6% levy on online ads from April 1, 2025
🎖VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
✅Can quantum physics calm Your Anxiety!?
I tried to explain the concepts of quantum physics in the shortest possible way. Hope you find it useful!
https://youtube.com/shorts/2vWyUjEkUNo?feature=share
I tried to explain the concepts of quantum physics in the shortest possible way. Hope you find it useful!
https://youtube.com/shorts/2vWyUjEkUNo?feature=share
✅Gs-3 : Environment- Climate change
🅾️Basic funda-Energy balance of the Earth = Climate stability. So What happens in mountain regions when temperatures rise?
⚜️1. Glacial melting
⚜️2. Permafrost Thawing
⚜️3. Decline in Snow Cover
⚜️4. Erratic Snowfall Patterns
🔰Join - VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
🅾️Basic funda-Energy balance of the Earth = Climate stability. So What happens in mountain regions when temperatures rise?
⚜️1. Glacial melting
⚜️2. Permafrost Thawing
⚜️3. Decline in Snow Cover
⚜️4. Erratic Snowfall Patterns
🔰Join - VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
✅Gs-3 : Money laundering- Role of Enforcement directorate.
⚜️FEMA, 1999:-Civil law, not criminal.
⚜️Objective: Manage foreign exchange; promote orderly development of forex markets.
⚜️Enforcement Authority: Directorate of Enforcement (ED).
🅾️Search & Seizure Power: Section 37(3) of FEMA imports powers from Income Tax Act (ITA), Sections 131-132.
⚜️ED gets: Power to search premises, vehicles, lockers, etc.,Power to seize documents, books, valuables, including digital devices.
🅾️Constitutional Overlay: Article 21 – Right to Privacy (K.S. Puttaswamy vs Union of India, 2017). Search and seizure without safeguards = gross infringement of privacy.ED conducts search & seizure without prior judicial oversight, based on imported ITA powers.
🅾️Note these important cases for UPSC mains- Click here
⚠️Watch this video- Most imp case is Vijay madanlal case- Click here
⚡️VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
⚜️FEMA, 1999:-Civil law, not criminal.
⚜️Objective: Manage foreign exchange; promote orderly development of forex markets.
⚜️Enforcement Authority: Directorate of Enforcement (ED).
🅾️Search & Seizure Power: Section 37(3) of FEMA imports powers from Income Tax Act (ITA), Sections 131-132.
⚜️ED gets: Power to search premises, vehicles, lockers, etc.,Power to seize documents, books, valuables, including digital devices.
🅾️Constitutional Overlay: Article 21 – Right to Privacy (K.S. Puttaswamy vs Union of India, 2017). Search and seizure without safeguards = gross infringement of privacy.ED conducts search & seizure without prior judicial oversight, based on imported ITA powers.
🅾️Note these important cases for UPSC mains- Click here
⚠️Watch this video- Most imp case is Vijay madanlal case- Click here
⚡️VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
✅Gs2-Judiciary
🅾️Almost 6 years ago there was an article- Is Judicary being subverted by the government?- Click here and read this for the context
🅾️Why is NJAC being revisited now?Recent Cash Seizure at HC Judge’s Residence-Triggered debate on accountability of judiciary.
⚜️Demand for Transparency:Collegium seen as opaque, lacking public scrutiny.
🅾️Way ahead : Explore NJAC 2.0 with non-voting public oversight, independent secretariat, and judicial majority.
⚡️VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
🅾️Almost 6 years ago there was an article- Is Judicary being subverted by the government?- Click here and read this for the context
🅾️Why is NJAC being revisited now?Recent Cash Seizure at HC Judge’s Residence-Triggered debate on accountability of judiciary.
⚜️Demand for Transparency:Collegium seen as opaque, lacking public scrutiny.
🅾️Way ahead : Explore NJAC 2.0 with non-voting public oversight, independent secretariat, and judicial majority.
⚡️VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
✅Gs-1- Society- Urbanization
✅Gs-2 : Governance- Water governance
⚜️Smart City Reference Framework should ideally address the following components- Click here
👆In the above- water conservation is an important part- Why is this a problem actually?- Click here
🔰Central problem of water governance-India’s water governance is top-down, fragmented, and ecologically blind
🅾️Water vulnerability is not equal across society-Subaltern groups + marginalised communities suffer more during water crises.They face intersectional vulnerability (ecological + socio-economic marginalisation).Ignoring their agency = policy myopia.
🅾️What Works? → From anthropocentric → ecocentric worldview= Indigenous Models- Ex : Western India’s orans & sacred groves
🌟Beautiful conclusion for this: Water governance must shift from bureaucratic control to ecological co-creation
⚡️VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
✅Gs-2 : Governance- Water governance
⚜️Smart City Reference Framework should ideally address the following components- Click here
👆In the above- water conservation is an important part- Why is this a problem actually?- Click here
🔰Central problem of water governance-India’s water governance is top-down, fragmented, and ecologically blind
🅾️Water vulnerability is not equal across society-Subaltern groups + marginalised communities suffer more during water crises.They face intersectional vulnerability (ecological + socio-economic marginalisation).Ignoring their agency = policy myopia.
🅾️What Works? → From anthropocentric → ecocentric worldview= Indigenous Models- Ex : Western India’s orans & sacred groves
🌟Beautiful conclusion for this
⚡️VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
✅Gs-3 : Science and technology
✅Gs-3 : Economy
🅾️Bioeconomy = Economic activity derived from the industrial use of biological resources (plants, animals, microorganisms) and biological processes to produce goods/services- emerging theme for UPSC prelims-
✅Biotechnological Applications: BioE3 Policy (Biotech for Environment, Economy, Employment – 2024)
1. Bio-manufacturing (bio-enzymes, biofuels)
2. Synthetic biology (engineered microbes)
3. Bioprocessing (fermentation, cell culture)
⚡️VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
✅Gs-3 : Economy
🅾️Bioeconomy = Economic activity derived from the industrial use of biological resources (plants, animals, microorganisms) and biological processes to produce goods/services- emerging theme for UPSC prelims-
✅Biotechnological Applications: BioE3 Policy (Biotech for Environment, Economy, Employment – 2024)
1. Bio-manufacturing (bio-enzymes, biofuels)
2. Synthetic biology (engineered microbes)
3. Bioprocessing (fermentation, cell culture)
⚡️VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
Forwarded from VK IAS_ Official
Environment 2025 update.pdf
8.3 MB
✅Thematic notes of Current Affairs for UPSC 2025- Environment.
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
https://www.tg-me.com/VKIAS_com
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
https://www.tg-me.com/VKIAS_com
Forwarded from VK IAS- prelims (UPSC highlights)
#Env
⚠️Whenever you get any questions on any random initiatives like 100 million farmers take a look at the following template
🅾️WEF is known for its ability = Platformization + Multi-Stakeholder
🅾️Wprld Bank/IFAD = Gives Finance to empower Farmer-centric Resilience
🅾️UNDP = Policy + Energy + Climate
🅾️CGIAR = Science + Practice Integration
@upschighlights - Relevant hashtags for Prelims- Click here
🎖I will cover such topics in a structured format for Prelims- Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
@upschighlights - Relevant hashtags for Prelims- Click here
🎖I will cover such topics in a structured format for Prelims- Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
⚠️Whenever you get any questions on any random initiatives like 100 million farmers take a look at the following template
🅾️WEF is known for its ability = Platformization + Multi-Stakeholder
🅾️Wprld Bank/IFAD = Gives Finance to empower Farmer-centric Resilience
🅾️UNDP = Policy + Energy + Climate
🅾️CGIAR = Science + Practice Integration
@upschighlights - Relevant hashtags for Prelims- Click here
🎖I will cover such topics in a structured format for Prelims- Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
@upschighlights - Relevant hashtags for Prelims- Click here
🎖I will cover such topics in a structured format for Prelims- Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
Forwarded from UPSC Ethics by VK IAS
✅Gs-4 : Ethics- Vibe coding
🅾️With the advent of Large Language Models (LLMs), non-coders are now using AI tools to generate code via simple prompts m a trend dubbed "vibe coding". It prioritises "vibes" (intent) over structure (logic), allowing users to create digital tools or web apps without understanding the code itself.
⚠️Issues :
⚜️1. Users deploy code they don't fully understand, leading to unintended actions- Loss of Intentionality.
⚜️2. Insecurity, bugs, or misuse can't be traced to a responsible person-Accountability vacuum.
⚜️3. LLMs may unknowingly reproduce copyrighted code, breaching IP norms-Opaque authorship.
⚜️4. Unsafe or malicious code may be shipped unknowingly-Vibe coding normalises “it works, so ship it” mindset-Structural irresponsibility.
⚜️5. AI-coded submissions used in exams, hiring, or competitions distort merit-Merit dilution
⚜️6. Vibe coding promotes mimicry, not innovation; threatens tech artistry.
✅Join : Ethics channel link : https://www.tg-me.com/joinchat-mrcWyE8pY2UyMDll
🅾️With the advent of Large Language Models (LLMs), non-coders are now using AI tools to generate code via simple prompts m a trend dubbed "vibe coding". It prioritises "vibes" (intent) over structure (logic), allowing users to create digital tools or web apps without understanding the code itself.
⚠️Issues :
⚜️1. Users deploy code they don't fully understand, leading to unintended actions- Loss of Intentionality.
⚜️2. Insecurity, bugs, or misuse can't be traced to a responsible person-Accountability vacuum.
⚜️3. LLMs may unknowingly reproduce copyrighted code, breaching IP norms-Opaque authorship.
⚜️4. Unsafe or malicious code may be shipped unknowingly-Vibe coding normalises “it works, so ship it” mindset-Structural irresponsibility.
⚜️5. AI-coded submissions used in exams, hiring, or competitions distort merit-Merit dilution
⚜️6. Vibe coding promotes mimicry, not innovation; threatens tech artistry.
✅Join : Ethics channel link : https://www.tg-me.com/joinchat-mrcWyE8pY2UyMDll
✅Gs-2 : RPA- Electoral representation and regional balance - Click here
🅾️The debate over delimitation isn't just numerical—it is fundamentally about justice in representation, federal balance, and rewarding demographic responsibility.
🅾️Interesting suggestion in this article : Shift from absolute population to population density per sq.km + socio-economic needs.
⚠️we should redefine Representation Norms: Create new norms of representation where 1 MP is not just for 20 lakh population, but a composite metric of: population, density, backwardness, demographic performance.Move away from misleading per capita metrics that ignore temporal and regional diversity.
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS youtube channel
🅾️The debate over delimitation isn't just numerical—it is fundamentally about justice in representation, federal balance, and rewarding demographic responsibility.
🅾️Interesting suggestion in this article : Shift from absolute population to population density per sq.km + socio-economic needs.
⚠️we should redefine Representation Norms: Create new norms of representation where 1 MP is not just for 20 lakh population, but a composite metric of: population, density, backwardness, demographic performance.Move away from misleading per capita metrics that ignore temporal and regional diversity.
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS youtube channel
image_2025-04-01_11-31-10.png
3.3 MB
✅Gs-2 : IR- Arctic- Geopolitics
🅾️The Arctic is melting into a geopolitical hotspot- Why?- Arctic region is becoming a theatre of strategic competition due to melting ice caps leading to :
⚜️1. New sea routes
⚜️2.Access to untapped resources
⚜️3.Military posturing by global powers
✅Gs-3- climate change and its effects- Arctic research
✅Gs-1 : Geography- Impact of climate change on flora and fauna
📍Find answers for imp questions on the above topics from this article- click here
🎖VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS youtube channel
🅾️The Arctic is melting into a geopolitical hotspot- Why?- Arctic region is becoming a theatre of strategic competition due to melting ice caps leading to :
⚜️1. New sea routes
⚜️2.Access to untapped resources
⚜️3.Military posturing by global powers
✅Gs-3- climate change and its effects- Arctic research
✅Gs-1 : Geography- Impact of climate change on flora and fauna
📍Find answers for imp questions on the above topics from this article- click here
🎖VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS youtube channel
Congratulations pavan for your achievement in telangana state services group 1 exam. Thank you for your acknowledgement
Means a lot 🙂
Students from hyderabad can meet me at my office - for any updates about VK IAS activities in hyderabad you can join here :
https://www.tg-me.com/upsc_ashok_nagar_hyderabad
Means a lot 🙂
Students from hyderabad can meet me at my office - for any updates about VK IAS activities in hyderabad you can join here :
https://www.tg-me.com/upsc_ashok_nagar_hyderabad
✅Gs-1 : Geography - Myanmar Earthquake
🅾️A sudden release of energy stored in the Earth's crust due to tectonic stress → this energy travels as seismic waves → causes ground shaking.
🅾️Myanmar lies on a complex plate boundary: Between the Indian Plate (moving NE) and the Eurasian Plate. Indo-Burma region and the Sagaing Fault form a critical active tectonic zone. There is both strike-slip motion (plates sliding past each other) and subduction (one plate going under another).
🅾️What is the Sagaing Fault?-A transform fault (lateral, strike-slip)- Extends ~1,200 km from the Andaman Sea through Myanmar to the eastern Himalayas.One of the most seismically active faults in Southeast Asia.It accommodates the differential motion between: 1) Indian Plate (moving northeast) 2) Sunda Plate and Burma microplate (moving east)
🎖VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS youtube channel
🅾️A sudden release of energy stored in the Earth's crust due to tectonic stress → this energy travels as seismic waves → causes ground shaking.
🅾️Myanmar lies on a complex plate boundary: Between the Indian Plate (moving NE) and the Eurasian Plate. Indo-Burma region and the Sagaing Fault form a critical active tectonic zone. There is both strike-slip motion (plates sliding past each other) and subduction (one plate going under another).
🅾️What is the Sagaing Fault?-A transform fault (lateral, strike-slip)- Extends ~1,200 km from the Andaman Sea through Myanmar to the eastern Himalayas.One of the most seismically active faults in Southeast Asia.It accommodates the differential motion between: 1) Indian Plate (moving northeast) 2) Sunda Plate and Burma microplate (moving east)
🎖VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS youtube channel