Onam Festival

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Onam Festival: This topic has appeared again and again in the GS prelims as well as in Mains.

IBN news item gives a good description at What 'Onam' festival is all about?

On the other hand Wikipedia has a more elaborate write up. (Click Here to Access)

For further study on similar lines Check the social festival index on Wikipedia. (Click here to Access)

Kindly observe caution while making notes from the Wikipedia write ups. Sometimes they are subjected to vandalism or motivated tones.

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Manas National Park

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Manas National Park Assam is in UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Check the following Link for making further notes: Click Here

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Scotia Prince

Make a note of the following link:

Scotia Prince

New Consumer Price Index

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Before reading the post, Check the contents of a suggestive report here

From February 2011, the GOI has adopted new CPI. Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Minister for Labour And Employment had given a statement in Parliament giving the detail of the composition of CPI.

It is interesting to read the contents of the statistics.

I am of the view, that this year question paper is going to be bulky. As the stress will to evaluate the analytic ability, therefore, some sets of data will definitely take space on the question paper.

Go through the data provided in the report. Try to question as follows:
If any change takes place in housing, which section of society is going to be effected more?

Which type of food items are consumed more in Urban area?

If you are businessman in a particular area of trade, which section of society, rural or urban, can be your customers?

Check the contents of the suggestive report here.

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Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS)

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In game of cricket, if replays indicate the distance for the ball to travel to be in excess of 2.5 metres from the point of impact, a batsman can still be given out if Hawk-eye shows the ball will strike any part of the middle stump at a comfortable height.

The rule has been adopted by ICC: International Cricket Council

It has become an issue of debate during the World Cricket Cup 2011.

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Source: The Telegraph - Calcutta

Sample Paper for CS 2011 by UPSC

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The Sample Paper for the Preliminary Test 2011 for Civil Services is displayed on the site of UPSC at upsc.gov.in.

A copy of that paper can be accessed here.

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Check www.sumir.co.in for further resources and guidelines.

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UN Climate Change Conference in Cancun: 29/11/10 to 10/12/10

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Climate Change Conference, the 16 session of COP 16 held at Cancun Mexico.

Refer to Kyoto Protocol and Copenhagen Accord also.

Refer to the following two links:

UNCCCC

Wikipedia

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What is a dhow?

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A dhow is a traditional Arab sailing vessel. For detail check Wikipedia.

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France and India in 2010

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The President of France is in India. The Economic Times gives a report on his press conference in Bangalore. It reads a note on the relation between India and France.

Remember, three main leaders, namely The President of USA, The President of France and Premier of China (next to come) main visitors to India. Hence, the relations with three countries will form important issues during the interview. Similarly, it will definitely acquire place in May 2011.

Make note of these three countries. They are the probable issues for the Civil Services till May 2011.

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Security Concerns of India: Home Ministry Perception

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The hitched report is based on the press conference given the Home Minister P. Chidambaram. The report contains the issues on which the Home Ministry is working. This report is valid for 2011 prelims as well as the interview in 2011.

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Hitched Report: Chidambaram Press Conference Report by The Hindu

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A P Singh, IPS, New CBI Chief

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A P Singh IPS of Jharkhan Cadre will be the new CBI Chief. The earlier chief was Ashwani Kumar IPS of Himanchal Pardesh Cadre. Consult the appended report

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Hitched Report
AP Singh CBI Chief

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Corruption in Administration: Solutions and Ways

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How can the increasing corruption in the government offices be curbed?

What role can the elected legislators and Executive perform?

Such questions are generally asked in the interview and expect some original ideas and ability to do coherent thinking. The Bihar government is going to come up with a legislation on the accountability of the bureaucracy. It is definitely going to become the issue of debate for a long time. All the issues of corruption which are in news will never be asked directly in written question papers. They can be asked in the interview. Therefore, the aspirants must develop a mature and balanced answer to such queries.

Make a note of the Report " Nitish Kumar's move to curb corruption, red-tapism".

Permanent Commission to Women in Armed Forces

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The women will get permanent commission in armed forces. Consult the report here.

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Liquidity Crunch: A theoretical perspective

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The RBI is the monetary monitor in the country. The policies adopted by it has earned it appreciation through out the world.

Economic policies and foreign relations are two major topics which have emerged as major topics for General Studies Main paper. These two issues are highly specialized topics which all the aspirants are not expected to understand in their true dimensions. However, questions are there. They are to be prepared. The Economic Times and Business Standard are two such papers which regularly publish notes on the theoretical aspects on Economic policy issues. You do not have to have deeper knowledge of economics. The write ups are such that they could be understood by any intelligent educated person regardless of his or her academic background. The given report titled Liquidity Crunch: A tool to Transmit Monetary Policy is a note with such a content. There are many more issues taken up in the article like repo rate and reverse repo rate which are important topics which can be asked in the paper are also taken up. Kindly make note of that.

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Urbanization in Gujarat

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The report is to be kept for reference. It is about the trends in urbanization in India as per empirical studies by National Sample Survey Organization (NSS0).

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"Global Zero" policy

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The twentieth Century world backed Nuclear deterrance was promoted as the right policy to maintain the world peace.

With Obama, came the vision of Global Zero policy to maintain the world peace with a world without nuclear weapons has emerged as a new world theory of peace.

There are numerous dimensions to this theory. The editorial titled 'Dangerous Nuclear Illusions' on TOI must be read.

NREGA Issue: Editorial

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The article by Aruna Roy, member National Advisory Council, titled ‘What’s in NREGA for the middle class’ is written in elusive phraseology but quite suggestive for the aspirants for Civil Services. It is an elusive only to the extant that author has not given facts and figures which actually are required for the preparation of notes for Civil Services as that matters while writing answer. However, even then, it is an article which could be read in order to prepare to develop ones own views about the future development of the scheme MGNREGA. It can be useful for the interview as well writing answers in Mains even in 2011.

The MGNREGA spirit can be well understood and developed for examinations if the aspirants makes an additional study of New Deal of Roosevelt especially the motive of the schemes adopted between 1936 and 1940 in America. The candidates can use Wikipedia to acquire already developed material.

I am bit confused about the use of the term Middle Class as the target section of the society as the goal of NREGA. On the whole, a simple reading this topic is required.

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Global Activities of India for next 1 Year

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Refer to the editorial of Times of India HERE

The write up is about the Indian foreign policy for the next 12 months. It has taken up multiple dimensions related to Indian economy and international relations. It is worth reading for 2011 interview as well next year Mains examination.

It tries to bring out the perspective about the aims and notions of different countries about India as a market, partner in world politics and investment destination. France, UK, Russia, USA and China look from different angles towards India. India is approaching them with her national interest in mind. The above article helps in writing a note from that perspective.

Make a note on the contents of the article.

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RTI Website and Logo

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According to the PTI news, the new website of RTI as well as a Logo of RTI has been released by The Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Shri Prithviraj Chavan.

The government act is aimed to make the RTI more popular. After the five years in force by now, the government has observed that RTI is not popular in rural area. The logo has been granted to help the people identify it with their right which empowers them with infromation.

The Centre of Good Governance (CGG)Hyderabad will look after the activities on the portal.

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For reference check:

PTI Press release

(Disclaimer: PTI releases gradually become unaccessable. No surity of continuity of link to be alive.)


Times of India Report

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Elephant : National Heritage

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The Elephant has been accorded the national heritage status.

Refer to the hitched report.

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Link to be used: The Hindu.