28 August 2015

    Centre unveils list of 98 smart cities; U.P. & T.N. strike it rich  –   (Governance) Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday urged local and international investors to put their money on the Smart City Mission, assuring them that it was a safe bet. Mr. Naidu unveiled a list of 98 cities with Uttar Pradesh taking the largest share of developing 13 smaRead More…

Topper’s Strategy – Raju Mishra, Rank – 65, CSE-2014

    Disclaimer  – It worked for me, but this is most definitely not the only way to succeed in the examination. Neither can I or anyone else guarantee that following the same strategy, as those of toppers will bring you success. (This compilation is derived from his blog ) UPSC IAS Exam General Studies Strategy   Let us start with the NCERTs, which as per me are a sine qua noRead More…

27 August 2015

    Religion data released with little warning, no context   –   (Social Issues) ·         The events leading to the release of Census data on religion on Tuesday were a departure from the norm and marked by secrecy, sources in the census office said. ·         The 2011 data had been ready since late-2013, as the office worked on releasing the data far more quicRead More…

26 August 2015

    Muslim population growth slows  –   (Social Issues) ·         India’s Muslim population is growing slower than it had in the previous decades, and its growth rate has slowed more sharply than that of the Hindu population, new Census data show. The decadal Muslim rate of growth is the lowest it has ever been in India’s history, as it is for all religions. ·   Read More…

25 August 2015

Sensex plays Chinese checkers, knocks off 1,600 points   –    (Economics) ·         Rupee hits fresh two-year low, closes at 66.65/ dollar; Rs. 7 lakh crore of investor wealth gone in a day; India better off, says RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan. ·         An 8.5-per cent slump in China’s Shanghai Composite on Monday that wiped out all the gains it made this year triggerRead More…

24 August 2015

Setback to anti-terror agenda  –  (Security) ·         India would have handed over a list of 54 fugitives, up from 50 handed over in 2012. ·         Investigations in the 26/11 case. India sent many reminders to execute the letter rogatory sent to it in 2011. This includes e-mails and telephone logs of the accused. Ranil hopeful of political solution to Tamil questiRead More…

23 August 2015

    Migrants in the land of expatriates  –   (Social Issues) ·  Kerala’s key attraction as a destination of domestic migrant labourers is the high wage levels in the State as compared to the States of their origin. ·  But life is not easy for the migrant labourers. Most live in groups, often seven or eight persons sharing a single room, and up to 40 or 50 a building, withRead More…

21 August 2015

    Twin states lead in political killings  –   (Social Issues) · Personal animosity and property disputes were the main reasons for the murders in India (NCRB report) · Illicit relationships and love affairs are the next leading reason for murders in India. · TN, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh topped the list in caste-related killings. Kerala banana variant on GI list  – Read More…