brochure of online ias coaching for gs paper 1

7/27/2019 Brochure of Online IAS Coaching for GS Paper 1

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For Any Query Call us at: +91 9911157134, 011 - 45041881

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Brochure of

Online IASCoaching

for G.S.

Paper - 1
http://upscportal.com/civilservices/courses/ias-pre/csat-paper-1


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Online IAS Coaching for CSAT Paper - 1 (GS) 2014

Dear Aspirants,

We have started Paid Online G.S. (Pre.) Coaching from 5

th

July 2013.

In this segment you will get:

1. All the relevant and required materials of subjects mention in the GS syllabus like:

100% IAS Exam Syllabus Covered with MCQs.

History of India and Indian National Movement.

Indian and World Geography - Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.

Indian Polity and Governance - Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights

Issues, etc.

Economic and Social Development -Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics,Social Sector initiatives, etc.

General issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change - that do not require

subject specialisation

General Science.

Current Affairs.

2. Home assignment: where Multiple Choice Questions of the learned chapters will be given for self

evaluation.

3. Important current affairs materials for civil services preliminary examination will be provided

4. Online Tests will be conducted after the end of each subject.

5. At the end of your course, five comprehensive test will be conducted to evaluate your performance.

What candidates have to do:

1. You just have to register yourself.

2. After Registration you will get Log-in ID & Password from Our Side.
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Click Here to Join Online Coaching:http://upscportal.com/civilservices/courses/ias-pre/csat-paper-1


Structure of the Course:

S.

No.Subject

No. of

SessionsNo. of Home

AssignmentsNo. of

Test

1. Indian Polity & Governance 16 16 2

2. Economic and Social Development 14 14 2

3. General Science 14 14 1

4. Indian and World Geography 15 15 2

5. History of India and Indian National Movement. 10 10 1

6.General Issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-

diversity and Climate Change10 10 1

7. Science & Technological Development in India 11 11 1

Total Sessions 90 90 10

FIVE COMPREHENSIVE TEST WILL BE CONDUCTED AFTER THE END OF THE SESSION
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History of India and Indian National Movement

ANCIENT INDIAN HISTORY

Sources of Indian History

The Harappan Civilization

The Vedic

The Mauryan

Post Mauryan period (200 BC-300 AD)

Gupta & Post - Gupta period: Society, Economy & Polity

MEDIEVAL INDIAN HISTORY

Chronology of Events in Medieval India

North India between 750-1200

The Sultans of Delhi

The Mughal Kings

The Marathas

Vijayanagar Empire

The Saints of Medieval India

MODERN INDIAN HISTORY

Indian in the Eighteenth Century

Rise of the Regional Powers

Economic Impact of The British

Indian Renaissance and Reform Movement

Early Uprisings Against The British

The Revolt of 1857

Nature and Causes For The Rise of National Movement

The Rise of Neo-Nationalists or Extremistss

The Beginning of the Gandhian Era

The National Movements in 1940s

Chronology of The National Movement INDIAN GEOGRAPHY PHYSICAL

GIST OF N.C.E.R.T

The Harappan Culture: Bronze Age Civilization

The Later Vedic Phase Territorial States And The First Magadhan Empire

The Delhi Sultanat Architecture

Mughal Empire Social and Cultural Awakening in the First Half of the 19th Century

The Revolt of 1857

Contents


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Growth of New India - Religious and Social Reform After 1858

Nationalist Movement

Indian and World Geography

WORLD GEOGRAPHY GENERAL

North America

Middle America

South America

Africa

Europe

Australia

Asia

Antartica

Climatic Region of the World

WORLD GEOGRAPHY PHYSICAL

Lithosphere

Atmosphere

World Climatic Type

INDIAN GEOGRAPHY PHYSICAL

India Physical

INDIAN GEOGRAPHY GENERAL

Land and the People

States and Union Territories

Non-Conventional Energy

Nuclear Energy

Conventional Energy in India

Electricity / Power in India

GIST OF N.C.E.R.T

India Location

Drainage System

Climate Natural Vegetation

Soils

Land Use and Agriculture

Mineral and Energy Resource

Sugar Industry

Transport and Communication

Our Solar System

Land Form

Composition and Structure of Atmosphere


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Indian Polity and Governance

Outstanding features of the Indian Constitution

Preamble

Union and its Territory

Citizenship in India

Fundamental Rights

Fundamental Duties

Directive Principles of State Policy

Constitution Amendment

Emergency Provisions

President of India

Vice-President

Attorney General of India

Parliament of India

Office of Profit

The Judiciary

Lokpal and LokAyukta

Federal System

Governor

Antidefection law

Inter State Council

Electoral System in India

Panchayatraj Institutions

Nagarapalikas

Delegated Legislation

Public Service Commission

Comptroller andAuditor General of India

Delimitation of Constituencies River Water Disputes India

Right to Information

Good Governance

Seventh Schedule and Taxation Powers

Professional Tax

Order of Procedence

Delhi Government

Article 371

Fifth and Sixth Schedules

Current Affairs : National Polity updates

GIST OF N.C.E.R.T.

Why Do We Need A Constitution?

Philosophy of the Constitution

Fundamental Rights in the Indian Constitution

Executive

Legislature

Judiciary

Local Governments

Elections and Democracy


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Economic and Social Development

Economics :An Introduction

Economic Planning in India

Fiscal System

Monetary and Credit Policy

Money Market and Capital Market in India

Stock Markets in India

Taxation System in India: Concepts and Policies

Inflation : Concepts, Facts and Policy

Public Sector

Banking System in India

Poverty and Inequality Concepts, Data Policy and Analysis

Unemployment

Agriculture

Important Indices

Bretton Woods Institutions and Others

GATT and WTO

Foreign Trade

External Sector

Economy Updates

GIST OF N.C.E.R.T.

Sectors of the Indian Economy

Liberalization

Human Capital and Human Development

Growth and Changing Structure of Employment

Indias economic interaction with the World

ENVIRONMENT

ENVIRONMENT CONCEPT

Organisms and the Environment

Environment, Habitat and Niche

Environmental Factors

Ecological Adaptations

Population, Biotic Community and Succession

Ecosystem: Structure and Function

Natural Resources and their Conservation

Biodiversity

Pollution and Global Environmental Change

BIODIVERSITY

Biosequestraton

Conservation

Commission on sustainable Development (1992)

Nagoya Protocol PROTOCOL


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National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai

Project Tiger (1973)

The Biological Diversity Act 2002 and Rules 2004

Concerns & Issues

The Biological Diversity Act 2002

Biological Diversity Rules 2004 Biodiversity Act/Rules and Intellectual Property Rights

Iprs in the context of protection of Plant varieties and Farmers RightAct

Recommended Actions

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

Country Implementation

The International Year of Biodiversity (IYB)

Background

United Nations Decade on Biodiversity

Top 10 Famous Bird Sanctuaries of India

Types of Biodiversity

Genetic Diversity

Species Diversity Ecosystem

POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENT

Capacity Building for Industrial Pollution Management (CBIPM)

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

ENVIRONMENT MOVEMENT

United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (1972)

Brutland Commission (1983) The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (1992)

Kyoto Protocol (1997)

1997: Rio+5 Conference, New York

Johannesburg Summit 2002

Copenhagen Climate Council (2007) and Summit (2009)

Bali Action

2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference

INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES

Alliance of Small Island and States (AOSIS)

Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate The International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP)

Land use, Land-Use Change and Forestry

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD)

The Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB)

NATIONAL INITIATIVES

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

Green Development Initiative (GDI)


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National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)

Indian Network on Climate Change Assessment

The National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR)

ENERGY

Jawaharlal Nehru National SolarMission144

Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission

Nuclear Power in India

Solar Power in India

The Energy Conservation Building Code

Wind Energy Programme in India

GENERAL SCIENCE

Tissue

Muscular and Skeletal System

The Nervous System

The Endocrine System

Lymphatic System and Immunity

The Respiratory System

The Circulatory System

The Integumentary System

The Reproductive System

The Digestive System

The Excretory System

PHYSICS

Gist of Physics from NCERT Books

CHEMISTRY

Gist of Chemistry from NCERT Books

BOTANY

Photosynthesis

Digestion in Plants

Plant Reproduction

ANIMAL KINGDOM

Diversity in Living Organisms

The Animal Kingdom

WHAT, WHY & HOW?

Gist of What, Why & How?


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VARIOUS PROGRAMMES OF INDIA

IndiasNuclear Programme

IndiasDefence Programme

Indias Space Programme

Science and Technological Development in India

UNIVERSE

Universe

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Science and Technology in India: Policy Planning

Space Research

Atomic Research

Defence Research Oceanographic and Antartic Research

Biotechnology

Information Technology

Health Sector

Laser

Super Conductivity

Internet/Computer Glossary

CURRENT AFFAIRS

1. National

Constitutional Watch

Governments Plan, Programme, Policies& New Initiatives

Political News

2. International

3. India &The World

4.Science & Technology

Science & Technology (Concept) Science& Technology (Current)

5. Health

6. Economy

7. (i) Energy (Concept)(ii) Energy (Current)


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8. Environment

Environment

International Initiatives on Environment

Environment National Initiatives&Pollution ControlMeasures

Environment Current

9. Awards

10. Sports

11. Railway Budget

12. Union Budget

Multiple Choice Questions


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Payment Options


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POLITY

Public Service Commission:

Ques. 1 : Give an account of the Public Service Commission?

Ans.

Union Public Service Commission, State Public ServiceCommission, Joint Public Service Commission

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is a Constitutional body in India authorized toconduct examinations for appointment to the various civil services of the Union. The IndianConstitution (Part XIV - Services under the Union and the states- Articles. 315-323) provides for aPublic Service Commission for the Union and a Public Service Commission for each state. Therecan be a Commission for two or more states.

The first Public Service Commission was set up in 1926 by the then British Indian Government.

Constitutional Provisions Related to Public ServiceCommission

Art. 315 says that there shall be Public Service Commissions for the Union and for the States.The Union Public Service Commission, if requested by the Government of a State may, with theapproval of the President, agree to serve all or any of the needs of the State.

Joint Public Service Commission

Two or more States may agree that there shall be one Public Service Commission for that groupof States, and if a resolution to that effect is passed by the House or, where there are two Houses,by each House of the Legislature of each of those States, Parliament may by law provide for theappointment of a Joint State Public Service Commission (referred to as Joint Commission) to

serve the needs of those States.

Chairman and Members

The Chairman and other members of a Public Service Commission are appointed, in the case ofthe Union Commission or a Joint Commission, by the President, and in the case of a StateCommission, by the Governor of the State:

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As nearly as one-half of the members of every Public Service Commission shall be persons whohave held office for at least ten year either under the Government of India or under theGovernment of a State.

Vacancy and Absence

If the office of the Chairman of the Commission becomes vacant or if any such Chairman is byreason of absence or for any other reason unable to perform the duties of his office, those dutiesshall, until some person appointed to the vacant office has entered on the duties or, as the casemay be, until the Chairman has resumed his duties, be performed by such one of the othermembers of the Commission as the President in the case of the Union Commission or a JointCommission, amid the Governor of the State in the case of a State Commission, may appoint forthe purpose.

A member of a Public Service Commission shall hold office for a term of six years from the date onwhich he enters upon his office or until lie attains, in the case of the Union Commission, the age of

sixty-five years. and in the case of a State Commission or a Joint Commission, the age of sixty-two years, whichever is earlier.

A member of a Public Service Commission may, by writing under his hand addressed, in the caseof the Union Commission or a Joint Commission, to the President, and in the case of a StateCommission, to the Governor of the State resign his office.

A person who holds office as a member of a Public Service Commission shall, on the expiration ofhis term of office, be ineligible for reappointment to that office.

Removal

Chairman or any other member of a Public Service Commission shall only be removed from hisoffice by order of the President on the ground of misbehaviour after the Supreme Court onreference being made to it by the President had held an inquiry and recommended removal.

Misbehiviour is : if the Chairman or any other member of a Public Service Commission isinterested in any contract related to Government or participates in any way in the profit thereof orin any benefit or emolument arising from it otherwise than as a member and in common with theother members of an incorporated company. the member is considered to be guilty ofmisbehaviour.

Suspension

The President, in the case of the Union Commission or a Joint Commission, and the Governor inthe case of a State Commission, may suspend from office the Chairman or any other member ofthe Commission in respect of whom a reference has been made to the Supreme Court until thePresident has passed orders on receipt of the report of the Supreme Court on such reference.

In the following cases, the President may by order remove from office the Chairman or any othermember of a Public Service Commission

is adjudged an insolvent; or


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engages during his term of office in any paid employment outside the duties of his office; or is, in the opinion of the President, unfit to continue in office by reason of infirmity of mind or

body.

Strength of the Commission

In the case of the Union Commission or a Joint Commission, the President and, in the case of aState Commission, the Governor of the State fixes

the number of members of the Commission and their conditions of service

Conditions of service of a member of a Public Service Commission can not be varied to hisdisadvantage after his appointment.

After Retirement, Resignation or Removal

On ceasing to hold office by way of retirement, resignation or removal:

the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission shall be ineligible for furtheremployment either under the Government of India or under the Government of a State:

the Chairman of a State Public Service Commission shall be eligible for appointment as theChairman or any other member of the Union Public Service Commission or as theChairman of any other State Public Service Commission, but not for any other employmenteither under the Government of India or under the Government of a State:

a member other than the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission shall beeligible for appointment as the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission or as theChairman of a State Public Service Commission but not for any other employment eitherunder the Government of India or under the Government of a State:

a member other than the Chairman of a State Public Service Commission shall be eligiblefor appointment as the Chairman or any other member of the Union Public ServiceCommission or as the Chairman of that or any other State Public Service Commission, butnot for any other employment either under the Government of India or under theGovernment of a State.

Ques. 2 : Write a short notes on the Functions of Public Service Commissions?

Ans. It is the duty of the Union and the State Public Service Commissions to conductexaminations for appointments to the services of the Union and the services of the State

respectively.

It shall also be the duty of the Union Public Service Commission if requested by any two or moreStates so to do, to assist those States in framing and operating schemes of joint recruitment forany services for which candidates possession special qualifications are required.

To be consulted

The Union Public Service Commission or the State Public Service Commission, as the Case maybe, shall be consulted


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on all matters relating to methods of recruitment to civil services and for civil posts on the principles to be followed in making appointments to civil services and posts and in

making promotions and transfers from one service to another and on the suitability ofcandidates for such appointments, promotions or transfers;

on all disciplinary matters affecting a person serving under the Government of India or the

Government of a state in a civil capacity on any claim by or in respect of a person who is serving or has served under the

Government of India or the Government of a Slate or under the Crown in India or under theGovernment of an Indian State, in a civil capacity, that any costs incurred by him indefending legal proceedings

instituted against him in respect of acts done or purporting to be done in the execution ofhis duty should be paid out of the Consolidated Fund of India or as the case may he, out ofthe Consolidated Fund of the State;

on any claim for the award of a pension in respect of injuries sustained by a person whileserving under the Government of India or the Government of a State or under the Crown inIndia or under the Government of an Indian State, in a civil capacity, and any question as tothe amount of any such award and

it shall be the duty of a Public Service Commission to advise on any matter so referred tothem and on any other matter which the President, or, as the case may be the Governor ofthe State, may refer to them.

The President, for all-India services and. Central services, and the Governor for State Services,can exempt matters on which Public Service Commission need not be consulted.Public Service Commission need not be consulted with regard to Article-16 reservation in publicemployment or Art. 335 striking balance between reservation and administrative efficiency.

All regulations made by the President or the Governor of State shall be laid for not less thanfourteen days before each House of Parliament or the House or each House of the Legislature ofthe State as the case may be, as soon as possible after they are made and shall be subject to

such modification, whether by way of repeal or amendment, as both Houses of Parliament or thehouse or both Houses of the Legislature of the State may make during the session in which theyare so laid.

An Act made by Parliament or as the case may be the legislature of State may impose additionalfunctions on the Union Public Service Commission or the State Public Service Commissiontowards

any local authority or other body corporate (public sector unit) or any public institution

In short, the functions are

Functions of the UPSC are to conduct examinations for appointment to the services of the Union.

Recruitment to services & posts under the Union through conduct of competitiveexaminations;

Recruitment to services & posts under the Central Government by selection throughInterviews;

Advising on the suitability of officers for appointment on promotion as well as transfer-on-deputation;


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Advising the Government on all matter relating to methods of Recruitment to variousservices and posts;

Disciplinary cases relating to different civil services: and Miscellaneous matters, relating to grant to extra ordinary pensions, reimbursement of legal

expenses etc.

Annual Report

Constitution imposes on the UPSC the duty to present annually to the President a report about thework done by the Commission. The President shall cause a copy of it together with amemorandum explaining, as respects the cases if any, where the advice of the Commission wasnot accepted, the reasons for such non-aceptance to be laid before each house of Parliament.Similarly the Slate Public Service Commission has the duty to present annually to the Governor ofthe State a report as to the work done by the Commission. It shall be the duty of a JointCommission to present annually to the Governor of each of the States the needs of which areserved by the Joint Commission a report as to the work done by the Commission in relation to that

State, and in either case the Governor, shall cause a copy thereof together with a memorandumexplaining, as respects the cases, if any, where the advice of the Commission was not accepted,the reasons for such non- acceptance to be laid before the Legislature of the State.

Ques. 3 : What are the constitutional provisions for the independence of the public serivcecommission?

Ans. Being an important Constitutional authority with the duty to recruit for the higher echelons ofthe bureaucracy, the Commission needs to be kept independent. The Constitutional provisions inthis regard are

appointment is beyond politics as President appoints Removal, in certain circumstances is on the basis of the inquiry concluded by the Supreme

Court judge Salary etc. and conditions of service can not be altered to their disadvantage after

appointment Expenses of the Commission including any salaries etc. to the members or staff of the

Commission, are charged on the Consolidated Fund of India or, as the case may be, theConsolidated Fund of the State.

There are restrictions on post-retirement engagement as mentioned above The annual report is presented to the President who causes to be tabled in the Parliament

explaining why certain recommendations are not accepted if they are not accepted.

Recruitment Rules

In accordance with the provisions contained in Article 320 of the Constitution read with theprovisions of Union Public Service Commission (Exemption from Consultation) Regulations 1953,Recruitment Rules of all Group A and Group 13 posts in various Ministries/Departments ofGovernment of India are required to be framed in Consultation with the Commission. Consultationwith the Commission is also necessary for framing/amending Recruitment Rules for certaincategories of posts under the Employees State Insurance Corporation, The Delhi MunicipalCorporation, The New Delhi Municipal Council, Employees Provident Fund Organisation etc.under the relevant Acts made by Parliament in pursuance of the provisions of Article 321.


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:: MCQ ::

1. Consider the following statements:

1. The Chairman and other members of a Public Service commission are appointed,in the case of the Union Commission or a joint Commission, by the President,and in the case of a State Commission, by the Governor of the State.

2. As nearly a one-half of the members of every Public Service Commission Shouldbe Persons who have held office for at least ten year either under theGovernment of India or under the Government of State.

Which of the above statements is/are correct ?

a. Only 1

b. Only 2c. Both 1 & 2d. Neither 1 & 2

Ans: C

2. Consider the following statements:

1. Chairmen or any other member of a Public Service Commission Shall only beremoved from his office by order of the President on the ground of misbehaviourafter the Supreme Court on reference being made to it by the President had held

an inquiry and recommended removal.

2. A member of a Union Public Service Commission shall hold office for a term ofSix years from the date on which he enters upon his office or until he attains theage of sixty-five years.

Which of the above statements is/are correct ?

a. Only 1b. Only 2c. Both 1 & 2d. Neither 1 & 2

Ans: C

3. Which of the following expenditure are charged on the consolidated fund ofIndia?

1. Salaries of the Supreme Court Judges.


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2. Pensions of the Chairman of UPSC.

3. Debt charges for which the Government of India is liable.

Which of the statement given above is / are correct.

a. 1 & 2 Onlyb. 1 & 3 Onlyc. 2 & 3 Onlyd. All of the above

Ans: D

4. Consider the following statements related to UPSC:

1. It derives its functions only from the Constitution.

2. It is not consulted on matters related to the reservation of posts for the BCs, SCsand STs.

3. The President can place the personnel system of any local authority, corporatebody or public institution within the jurisdiction of UPSC.

Which of the statement given above is / are correct.

a. 2 Only

b. 1 Onlyc. 3 Onlyd. All of the above

Ans: A

5. Consider the following statements about the functions of the UPSC:

1. To conduct examination for appointments to the services of the Union.

2. To assist states, if requested, in framing and operating schemes of point

recruitment for any services for which candidates possessing specialqualifications are required.

3. To present, annually to the President a report as to the work done by it.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct.

a. 1 & 3 Onlyb. 1 & 2 Only


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c. 2 & 3 Onlyd. All of the above

Ans: D

Indian Economy

Fiscal System:

Fiscal Policy

Definitions

That part of government policy which is concerned with raising revenue through taxation

and with deciding on the amounts and purposes of government spending. The governments policy in regard to taxation and spending programs. The balance

between these two areas determines the amount of money the government will withdrawfrom or feed into the economy, which can counter economic peaks and slumps.

Government spending policies that influence macroeconomic conditions. These policiesaffect tax rates and government spending, in an effort to control the economy.

government policy for dealing with the budget-especially with taxation and borrowing The policy of a government in controlling its own expenditures and taxation, which together

make up the budget Fiscal policy is the means by which a government adjusts its levels of revenue and

spending in order to monitor and influence a nations economy.

Ques. 1 : What is Fiscal Policy?

Ans. Fiscal policy involves use of taxation and government spending to influence economy. Inother words, fiscal policy relates to raising and spending money in quantitative and qualitativeterms.

As far as fiscal receipts are concerned, taxes, user charges (power, water, transport charges etc);disinvestment proceeds; borrowings from internal and external sources are the main channels. Allreceipts are not earned and some are borrowed. Receipts and expenditure are divided intorevenue and capital accounts. Expenditure is also shown as Plan and Non-plan items.

Fiscal system deals not only with the quantity but the quality of public finance as well. In otherwords, not merely how much is raised and spent but how has it been raised- is it raised by way oftaxes or borrowings; are they excessive or irrational etc. Also, the way the finances so raised areused wastefully or productively. How much is spent on plan heads and how much populisticallytargeted etc also is studied.

Fiscal policy can achieve important public policy goals like growth; equity; promotion of small scaleindustries; encouragement to agriculture; location of industries in rural areas; labour-intensivegrowth; export promotion; development of sound social and physical infrastructure etc.

Ques. 2 : What do you mean by Revenue account expenditure?


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Ans. Revenue account expenditure is essentially the non-plan expenditure that does not create

assets, that is - interest payments, subsidies and public administration. It is synonymous withmaintenance and consumption expenditure as also welfare expenditure.

Ques. 3 : What do you understand by capital account receipts?

Ans. Capital account receipts are recoveries of loans and advances made by the Union

Government to States, UTs and PSUs; fresh borrowings from inside the country and from abroad;disinvest-ment proceeds etc. As is clear from above, some of them are debt and some are non-debt.

Ques. 4 : What is Revenue Deficits?

Ans. Revenue deficit is the difference between the revenue receipts on tax and non-tax sides and

the revenue expenditure.

Ques. 5 : What do you mean by Revenue Expenditure?

Ans. Revenue expenditure is synonymous with consumption and non- development, in general.

But in the case of India, the social sector expenditure flag ship schemes like NREGA is in therevenue expenditure, though as a part of the Plan expenditure.

Ques. 6 : What do you understand by Fiscal deficit?

Ans. Fiscal deficit is the difference between what the government earns and its total expenditure.That is, the difference between what is received by the government on revenue account and allthe non-debt creating capital receipts like recovered loans and disinvestment proceeds; and thetotal expenditure. It amounts to all borrowings of the government in a given period.

FD = Total expenditure of the Government in a budget minus (Revenue receipts + non-debtcreating capital receipts).

Net Central Fiscal Deficit is calculated by deducting from the GFD the financial assistance (loansand grants) that the States are given.

Ques. 7 : What is Budget deficit?

Ans. Budget deficit considers only the difference between the total budgeted receipts and theexpenditure. It was abolished in 1997.

Fiscal Deficit mirrors the health of government finances most accurately unlike the budget deficitconcept. BD does not cover all borrowings but only that portion of the borrowings for whichgovernment relies on printing money by the RBI

Ques. 8 : What do you mean by monetised deficit?

Ans. Monetised deficit is the borrowings made from the RBI through printing fresh currency. It isresorted to when the government can not borrow from the market (banks and financial institutionslike LIC etc) any longer due to pressure on interest rates. It means infusion of fresh currency intothe market. It corresponds to the budget deficit that is discarded as a concept since 1997.


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consultation between Government and the RBI. There are penal interest rates if the pre-agreedamount is violated.

Replacement of the adhoc bills with WMA represents an advance in fiscal discipline andharmonization of the fiscal and monetary policies as the RBI is consulted in Governmental short

term borrowing and the automaticity is dropped in the creation of currency by the RBI to fundgovernmental expenditure.

Ques. 11 : According to you how much of Fiscal Deficit is right? (Give answer in thecontextof current economic scenario)?

Ans. Fiscal deficit is bridged by market borrowings and central bank printing fresh currency

(monetization), if necessary. To a limited extent, FD is important as the Governments ability tohelp growth and welfare increases. Government can always return the loans when its revenuesimprove due to tax buoyancy. However, FD becomes problematic and even destabilizing when itovershoots a rational threshold.

Therefore, moderation of fiscal deficit is important. Large and persistent fiscal deficits are a causeof concern, as they pose several risks.

Fiscal deficits may cause macroeconomic instability by inflating the economy as money supplyrises.

Corporate sector is crowded out they are left with inadequate funds in the markets as thegovernment borrowing requirements increase. Added to that, interest rates will be higher as thereis pressure on the available money in the market.

If the funding route is through RBI monetization, it means inflation and instability.

Inflation may mean less savings, less investment and eventually it hurts the sustainability of highgrowth.

Large deficits, even if they do not spill over into macroeconomic instability in the short run, willrequire higher taxes in the long term to cover the heavy burden of internal debt. High tax rates willplace India at a significant disadvantage to other fast-growing countries. It means, as the FRBMAct says, inter generational parity is hurt if debt mounts as future generations will have to payhigher taxes to help the government repay the debt.

Government liabilities- interest payments- increase and there is far less for development.

BOP pressures may mount if inflows drop due to the country being downgraded by rating agencieslike Standard and Poor, Moody etc.

Therefore, FDs must be moderated- they are desirable within limits but hurtful beyond the limits.

The above analysis applies to FD in normal times. But in abnormal times like since 2008-09 whenthe world slipped into recession impacting Indian economy negatively, FD must be allowed to beincreased for the fiscal stimuli which are necessary to arrest downturn in the economy and kickstart growth. FRBM allows such counter-cyclical expenditure. Even then, deficit should be incurrednot for populist expenditure but to stimulate the economy.


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The sovereign debt crisis in Eurozone (2010 onwards) and particularly the Greece economy is dueto excessive FD. It borrowed and spent excessively in response to the global financial crisis. Thestimulus package did not work. The need for massive borrowing and spending continued. But thegovernment was not able to raise the money at normal rates of interest. It had to pay high rates ofinterest. That means it will be debt-trapped. The banks and other financial institutions that invested

in Greek government bonds panicked. Their share prices fell. Financial system was in danger ofinstability. Similar crisis was seen in Ireland later and Spain and Portugal too. These countries areacronymally called PIGS .The lesson from Greek crisis is that FD may be incurred only forproductive reasons and ensure good returns.

Ques. 12 : Write a short notes on FRBM Act 2003.

Ans. Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act 2003 was notified in 2004 withthe following salient features

annual targets of reduction in deficits, government borrowing and debt Government to annually reduce the revenue deficit by 0.5 per cent and the fiscal deficit by

0.3 per cent beginning fiscal 2004-05. elimination of revenue deficit and reduction of fiscal deficit to 3% of GDP by March 31,

2009. a cap on the level of guarantees and total liabilities of the Government. prohibits Government to borrow from the RBI (primary borrowing) after April 1, 2006. RBI

can not print money to lend to the government. on a quarterly basis, that Government shall place before both the Houses of Parliament an

assessment of trends in receipts and expenditure. annually present the macro-economic framework statement, medium term fiscal policy statement and fiscal policy strategy statement. The three statements would provide

the macro-economic background and assessment relating to the achievement of FRBMgoals.

Under exceptional circumstances, Government may be compelled to breach targets. Incase of deviations, the Government would not only be required to take corrective measures,but the Finance Minister shall also make a statement in both the Houses of Parliament.

Borrowing from the RBI is permitted in exceptional situations like natural calamities.

FRBM was brought in for fiscal discipline; increase plan expenditure; reduce the amount ofborrowings; meet consumption from governments own fiscal resources; leave the RBI withautonomy as far as money creation goes etc. Fiscal consolidation is necessary particularly in theera of globalization when the penalty for irresponsibility is high.

New Zealand was the first country to enact a Fiscal Responsibility Act in 1994, thereby settinglegal standards for transparency of fiscal policy and reporting, and holding the Governmentformally responsible to the public for its fiscal performance. A similar legislation, the Charter ofBudget Honesty, has been enacted in Australia. The UK, too, has enacted a Code for FiscalStability.

Kelkar Task Force in its report on implementing FRBMA (2004) said that plan expenditure shouldbe enhanced and the way to cut deficit is by enhancing revenues (taxes) and rationalize non-assetcreating expenditure like subsidies which should be targeted better.

Ques. 13 : What is Fiscal Consolidation?


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Ans. Fiscal consolidation means strengthening government finances. Fiscal consolidation is

critical as it provides macro economic stability; cuts wasteful expenditure; can enable governmentto spend more on infrastructure and social sectors. Tax reforms, disinvestment, better targeting ofsubsidies and so on are the hallmarks of fiscal consolidation.

Enactment of FRBM Act provides an institutional framework and binds the government to adoptprudent fiscal policies. There is a need to involve states to effect overall fiscal consolidation andstrengthen the growth momentum.

GST and revised DTC are an important federal effort toward fiscal reforms and consolidation.

Ques. 14 : Clearly distinguish between Plan and Non Plan Expenditure?

Ans. In the Budget, expenditure is shown both as revenue and capital and also as plan and non-

plan. Plan expenditures, as the name implies, relate to expenditures on annual plan projectscontributing to five-year plan; these include projects like dams, roads, power plants etc. Non-Planexpenditure relates to maintenance, consumption and welfare. Non-plan expenditure does not

create assets. When a project is being built, it is a plan item of expenditure. When completed andbeing maintained, it is a non-plan item of expenditure.

Non-plan expenditure is a generic term, which is used to coyer all expenditures of governmentnot included in its annual plan programmes. But essentially covers consumption and maintenanceexpenditure. Non plan expenditures has the following items

Interest payments Subsidies Defence Public admn

It is important to mention that not only that maintenance expenditures subsequent to thecompletion of plan programmes are non-plan, but even expenditures on research projects andoperating expenses of power stations are classified as non-plan.

The distinction between plan and non-plan expenditure items has become simplistic arid isartificial and untenable. The building of a new school or a primary health centre is considered aPlan investment but its running and maintenance is considered non-Plan spending. Thus, veryoften it had led to Government allocation being reduced for maintenance as it is classified as non-plan item and will be criticized. Thus, assets are neglected. New projects are allotted money whilethe completed projects are neglected.

It is important to take a consolidated view of finances keeping in perspective the interdependenceof Plan and non-Plan expenditures.

Kelkar Task Force to implement FRBMA 2003 recommend reexamination of the distinctionbetween Plan and Non-plan expenditure.

Ques. 15 : What was Rangarajan Panel on Public Expenditure.

Ans. 18-member high-level expert committee has been set up under the Chairmanship of Dr C.

Rangarajan to suggest measures for efficient management of public expenditure.This committee will see whether the classification of expenditure into Plan and Non-Plan is rational


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and can be continued. The committee would also look at new mechanisms that have evolved suchas special purpose vehicles for NREGA, NRHM, etc.

The committee, which has been set up by the Planning Commission would examine theclassification of expenditure into revenue and capital in the context of the constitutional provisions.

Table 1. : Trends in Deficits of Central Government

Year Revenue Deficit Fiscal Deficit Primary DeficitRevenue Deficit

as percent of Fiscal Deficit

(As per cent of GDP)

2003-04 3.6 4.5 0.0 79.7

2004-05 2.4 3.9 0.0 62.3

2005-06 2.5 4.0 0.4 63.0

2006-07 1.9 3.3 -0.2 56.3

2007-08 1.1 2.5 -0.9 41.4

2008-09 4.5 6.0 2.6 75.2

2009-10 5.2 6.5 3.2 81.0

2010-1(P) 3.2 4.8 1.8 66.3

2011-12(BE) 3.4 4.6 1.6 74.4

Ques. 16 : What do you mean by Public Debt?

Ans. Public debt includes internal debt comprising borrowings inside the country like market loans;

borrowing from the RBI on the basis of treasury bills; and external debt comprising loans fromforeign countries, international .financial institutions, NRI deposits etc. In the expression publicdebt and other liabilities, other liabilities include outstanding against the various small saving

schemes, provident funds etc. It includes private sector borrowings too.

Public debt is justified as the government does not have adequate resources and taxation can notbe done beyond a point. It should be for productive reasons and also welfare reasons. The spiralof deficit and debt run the risk of undermining the countrys creditworthiness, devaluing thecurrency and destabilising the entire economy with grave social consequences. Therefore, itshould be incurred judiciously.

Ques. 17 : What is External Debt & its main component?

Ans. External debt includes both the government and private debt.External debt consists of:

long-term external debt which is the bulk part NRJ deposits and multilateral loans commercial borrowings bilateral loans and Trade credit

Ques. 18 : What is Internal debt?


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Ans. Internal debt includes loans raised by the government in the open market through treasury

bills and government securities, special securities issued to the RBI and most importantly, variousbonds like the oil bonds, fertilizer bonds etc.

Ques. 19 : What do you mean by Zero based budget?

Ans. ZBB, a close and critical examination is made of the existing government programmes,

projects and other activities to ensure that funds are made available to high priority items byeliminating outdated programmes and reducing funds to the low priority items. Governmentalprogrammes and projects are appraised every year as if they are new and funding for the existingitems is not continued merely because a part of the project cost has already been incurred.Programmes are discarded if the cost-benefit ratio is below the prescribed norms.

The objective of the ZBB is to overhaul the functioning of the government departments and PSUsso that productivity can be increased and wastage can be minimised. Scarce governmentresources can be deployed efficiently.

ZBB as a resource planning and control technique and process yielded substantial benefits in theadvanced countries like New Zealand, UK, Australia and Sweden in terms of efficiency gains,better resource use, lower costs and finally surplus budgets, particularly in New Zealand.

However, the use of ZBB to human development programmes and poverty alleviation andemployment generation programmes is limited and the results are cumulative and can not beassessed annually.

Ques. 20 : Write a short notes on Fringe benefit tax?

Ans. The benefits that are usually enjoyed collectively by the employees and cannot be attributedto individual employees. They are the fringe benefits. They are taxed in the hands of the employer.Examples are transport services for workers and staff, gym, club, etc.

The rationale for levying a FBT on the employer lies in the inherent difficulty in isolating thepersonal element where there is collective enjoyment of such benefits and attributing the samedirectly to the employee. This is so especially where the expenditure incurred by the employer isostensibly for purposes of the business but includes, in partial measure, a benefit of a personalnature. It is abolished in the Union Budget 2009-10.

Ques. 21 : What is Fiscal Drag?

Ans. A situation where inflation pushes income into higher tax brackets- bracket creep. The result

is increase in income taxes but no increase in real purchasing power. This is a problem duringperiods of high inflation. Government gains due to higher tax collections and the economy suffersas growth is dragged down due to less demand. In high-growth and high inflation economies(overheated), fiscal drag acts as an automatic stabiliser, as it acts naturally to keep demandstable.

Ques. 22 : What do you mean by Fiscal Neutrality?

Ans. When the net effect of taxation and public spending is neutral, neither stimulating nor

dampening demand- a balanced budget. It is neutral, as total tax revenue equals total publicspending.


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Crowding Out

Excessive government borrowing can lead to shrinkage of the liquidity in the market; forces theinterest rates to go up; private investment is crowed out for two reasons: liquidity availability is lessand the rates are high. Investment suffers and growth decelerates. The Government also may notspend the borrowed resources well to generate returns. If the government deploys the funds well,it may have a crowding in effect: the infrastructure built can have a multiplier effect on investment,tax collections and growth.

Pump-Priming

Deficit financing and spending by a government on public works in an attempt to revive economyduring recession - countercyclical measures. It can raise the purchasing power of the people andthus stimulate and revive economic activity to the point that deficit spending will no longer beconsidered necessary to maintain the desired economic activity.

Ques. 23 : What do you understand by small saving?

Ans. Small savings are a sizeable portion of the financial savings of the country. They contribute

to the finances of the Government- federal and State- that is they are an important source ofborrowing for the government. These schemes have a built in tax concession that enhances theirattraction for the small savers. They also earn a rate of interest that is higher in comparison towhat the banks offer- approximately 8%. They are called small savings as savings are made insmall amounts by low income and other groups. Small savings instruments in India are retailedthrough 1.53 lakh post offices of which about 1.29 lakh are in rural areas. The National SmallSavings Fund (NSSF), in the Public Account of India has all the small savings. They arecompletely onlent to the state in which they are collected.

Ques. 24 : What is merit & Demerit goods?

Ans. Merit goods are goods like education, health care etc that are important for the society as a

whole- that is, they have positive externalities. Market may not supply them in adequate quantities:Government supplements the market. Demerit Goods are those whose consumption should bediscouraged. They have negative externalities. Examples of Demerit Goods include: tobacco,alcohol etc. Thirteenth Finance Commission calls them sin goods and wants them to be harshlytaxed.

Ques. 25 : What do you mean by Giffen Goods?

Ans. They include goods whose demand goes up when the price increases. They are the statusmarkers and exclusivist in nature.

Ques. 26 : What is Twin Deficits?

Ans. Budget deficit (fiscal deficit) and current account deficit-the two fuelling each other - are

known as twin deficits.

Union Budget Independence Agency to Manage Debt


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An independent debt management agency will be set up to help enforce fiscal responsibilitiesamong states and the central government.

The government is in the process of setting up an independent debt management office in thefinance ministry. A middle office is already operational and in a next step, government proposes to

introduce the Public Debt Management Agency of India Bill in the next financial year, saidMukherjee while presenting the budget for 2011-12 in the Lok Sabha.

He said statutory targets set under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Actof 2003 had a positive impact in reducing fiscal and revenue deficits.

In the course of a year, the central government will introduce an amendment to the FRBM Act,laying down the fiscal roadmap for the next five years, Mukherjee said.

He said the 13th Finance Commission has worked out a fiscal consolidation roadmap for states,requiring them to eliminate revenue deficit and achieve a fiscal deficit of three percent of theirrespective gross domestic products (GDPs) latest by 2014-15.

It has also recommended a combined state debt target of 24.3 percent of GDP to be reachedduring this period, he added.

:: MCQ ::

1. Consider the following statements.

1. A depression is an economic down turn that is less severe.

2. A recession is any economic down turn where real GDP declines by more than10 percent.

Which of the above statements is / are true.

a. Both 1 & 2b. 1 onlyc. Neither 1 nor 2d. 2 only

Ans: C


1. Difference between fiscal deficit & the interest payments are called primarydeficit.

2. Revenue deficit is the difference between the Revenue receipts on tax & non taxsides & the revenue expenditure.



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a. Both 1 & 2b. 2 onlyc. 1 onlyd. Neither 1 nor 2

Ans: A


1. Difference between what the government earns & its total expenditure is calledBudget deficit.

2. Peter O Pier is known as the father of Zero Based Budget.

3. Borrowings made from the RBI through printing fresh currency is called

monetised deficit.


a. 1, 2, & 3b. 2 & 3 onlyc. 1 & 2 onlyd. 3 only

Ans: B


1. Revenue account expenditure essentially the non-plan expenditure that does notcreate assets.

2. Capital account receipts are recoveries of loans made by the union governmentto states, UTs & PSUs fresh borrowings from inside the country & from abroad.


a. 1 only

b. 2 onlyc. Neither 1 nor 2d. Both 1 & 2

Ans: D



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1. The money printed by the RBI is called high powered money or reserve money.

2. Australia was the first country to enact a fiscal responsibility Act in 1994.

3. FRBM Act (India) was notified in 2004.

4. Fiscal deficits may causes macro economic instability.


a. 1 & 2 onlyb. 2, 3, 4 onlyc. 1, 3 & 4 onlyd. 1, 2, 3 & 4

Ans: C

General Science (Botany)

Photosynthesis:

INTRODUCTION

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, some bacteria, and some protistans use theenergy from sunlight to produce sugar, which cellular respiration converts into ATP, the fuel used

by all living things. The conversion of unusable sunlight energy (solar energy) into usable chemicalenergy, is associated with the actions of the green pigment chlorophyll. Most of the time, thephotosynthetic process uses water and releases the oxygen .We can write the overall reaction ofthis process as :

The above chemical equation translates as: Six molecules of water plus six molecules of

carbon dioxide produce one molecule of sugar plus six molecules of oxygen.

STRUCTURE OF LEAF

Plants are the only photosynthetic organisms to have leaves (and not all plants haveleaves). A leaf may be viewed as a solar collector crammed full of photosynthetic cells.

The raw materials of photosynthesis, water and carbon dioxide, enter the cells of the leaf,and the products of photosynthesis, sugar and oxygen, leave the leaf.

Water enters the root and is transported up to the leaves through specialized plant cellsknown as xylem.

Land plants must guard against drying out (desiccation) and so have evolved specializedstructures known as stomata to allow gas to enter and leave the leaf. Carbon dioxidecannot pass through the protective waxy layer covering the leaf (cuticle), but it can enter the


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leaf through an opening (the stoma; plural = stomata; Greek for hole) flanked by two guardcells.

Likewise, oxygen produced during photosynthesis can only pass out of the leaf through theopened stomata.

Unfortunately for the plant, while these gases are moving between the inside and outside ofthe leaf, a great deal water is also lost.

Cottonwood trees, for example, will lose 100 gallons of water per hour during hot desertdays. Carbon dioxide enters single-celled and aquatic autotrophs through no specializedstructures.

CHLOROPHYLL AND ACCESSORY PIGMENTS

A pigment is any substance that absorbs light. The color of the pigment comes from thewavelengths of light reflected (in other words, those not absorbed).

Chlorophyll, the green pigment common to all photosynthetic cells, absorbs all wavelengthsof visible light except green, which it reflects to be detected by our eyes.

Black pigments absorb all of the wavelengths that strike them. White pigments/lighter colors reflect all or almost all of the energy striking them. Pigments

have their own characteristic absorption spectra, the absorption pattern of a given pigment.

Chlorophyll is a complex molecule. Several modifications of chlorophyll occur among plantsand other photosynthetic organisms. All photosynthetic organisms (plants, certainprotistans, prochlorobacteria, and cyanobacteria) have chlorophyll a. Accessory pigmentsabsorb energy that chlorophyll a does not absorb. Accessory pigments include chlorophyll b(also c, d, and e in algae and protistans), xanthophylls, and carotenoids (such as beta-carotene). Chlorophyll absorbs its energy from the Violet- Blue and Reddish orange-Redwavelengths, and little from the intermediate (Green-Yellow-Orange) wavelengths.

STAGES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Photosynthesis is a two stage process. The first process is the Light Dependent Process (Light Reactions), requires the direct

energy of light to make energy carrier molecules that are used in the second process. TheLight Independent Process (or Dark Reactions) occurs when the products of the LightReaction are used to form C-C covalent bonds of carbohydrates. The Dark Reactions canusually occur in the dark, if the energy carriers from the light process are present. Recentevidence suggests that a major enzyme of the Dark Reaction is indirectly stimulated by


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light, thus the term Dark Reaction is somewhat of a misnomer. The Light Reactions occur inthe grana and the Dark Reactions take place in the stroma of the chloroplasts.

THE CARBON CYCLE

Plants may be viewed as carbon sinks, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere andoceans by fixing it into organic chemicals. Plants also produce some carbon dioxide by theirrespiration, but this is quickly used by photosynthesis. Plants also convert energy from lightinto chemical energy of C-C covalent bonds. Animals are carbon dioxide producers thatderive their energy from carbohydrates and other chemicals produced by plants by theprocess of photosynthesis.

The balance between the plant carbon dioxide removal and animal carbon dioxidegeneration is equalized also by the formation of carbonates in the oceans. This removesexcess carbon dioxide from the air and water (both of which are in equilibrium with regardto carbon dioxide). Fossil fuels, such as petroleum and coal, as well as more recent fuelssuch as peat and wood generate carbon dioxide when burned. Fossil fuels are formed

ultimately by organic processes, and represent also a tremendous carbon sink. Humanactivity has greatly increased the concentration of carbon dioxide in air.

:: MCQ ::


(i) Plants are the only photosynthetic organisms to have leaves.

(ii) Not all plants have leaves.

(iii) A leaf may be viewed as a solar collector.

Which of the above are true?

a) I & iib) Ii & iiic) Iii onlyd) All of the above

Ans: D


(i) A pigment is any substance that absorbs light.

(ii) The color of pigment comes from the wavelength of light reflected.

(iii) Black pigments absorb all wavelengths that strike them.

Which of the above are false?


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a) i & iib) ii & iiic) None of the aboved) iii only

Ans: C


(i) Accessory pigments absorbs energy that chlorophyll A does not absorb.

(ii) All photosynthetic organisms have chlorophyll

(iii) Chlorophyll absorbs energy from violet, blue & reddish orange radiation.

Which of the above are correct?

a) i & iib) ii & iiic) iii & id) All of the above

Ans: D

Indian & World Geography (World Geography General)

Nuclear Energy:

NUCLEAR ENERGY IN INDIA

Overview

Nuclear energy contributes about 4.1% of power generation in India. The share of nuclearenergy is expected to reach 9% by 2035.

Currently, there are 6 nuclear power plants generating about 4120 MW Power Station.

Power Station State Type Capacity (MW)

Kaiga Karnataka PHWR 660

Kakrapar Gujarat PHWR 440

Kalpakka Tamil Nadu PHWR 440

Narora Uttar Prdesh PHWR 440

Rawatbhata Rajasthan PHWR 740


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Tarapur Maharashtra BWR, PHWR 1400

The largest nuclear power station in India is located in Tarapur, Maharastra. The

largest research reactor is the Dhruva at the Babha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) inMumbai

Currently India uses two types of reactors for power production: Pressurised Heavy WaterReactor (PHWR), Boiling Water Reactor (BWR). Additionally the Prototype Fast BreederReactor is under experiments at the Madras Kalpakkam

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL) is the sole company authorisedto set up nuclear power plants in India

Nuclear power plants in India

Nuclear power projects under construction

Power Station State Type Capacity (MW)

Kaiga Karnataka PHWR 220

Kakrapar Gujarat PHWR 440

Kalpakkam Tamil Nadu PHWR 2000

Narora Uttar Prdesh PHWR 500

Rawatbhata Rajasthan PHWR 740

Tarapur Maharashtra BWR, PHWR 1400

Availability of nuclear materials

Australia has the largest reserves of Uranium in the world. Canada, which has thesecond largest reserves, is the largest exporter of Uranium.

India has limited availability of Uranium reserves in the country (about 1% of worldavailability).

The primary source of Uranium in India are the Jaduguda mines in Jharkhand.

Uranium is extracted in the form of Yellow Cake. However, Thorium is widely available in the world. Worldwide, Thorium is about three

times as abundant Uanium. India has about 25% of the worlds reserves of Thorium.

In India, Throium is commonly found in the form of the mineral Monazite in the beachsands of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The waiver of restrictions on nuclear fuel supply by the Nuclear Suppliers Group in Sep2008 has increased Indias opportunities for importing nuclear fuel (esp. Uranium).

India now has nuclear supply agreements with France (Sep 2008), the US (Sep 2008),the EU Nov 2009), Canada (Nov 2009) and Russia (Dec 2009).

Department of Atomic Energy


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The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) functions directly under the Prime Minister.

The Department was established in 1958. The DAE is responsible for all nuclear technology in India, including nuclear power

and nuclear research. Australia has the largest reserves of Uranium in the world. Canada, which has the second

largest. The Secretary, Dept. of Atomic Energy is the ex-officio Chairman of the Atomic Energy

Commission. Other members of the AEC include the Foreign Secretary and the CabinetSecretary.

Indias three-stage nuclear power programme

Due to limited availability of Ranium and the restrictions on nuclear fuel export, India hashad to develop ingenious technologies to make optimal use of available minerals

Subsequently, India has developed a three-stage programme to make use of uranium aswell as Thoriom.

Stage II Fast Breeder Reactor: the PHWR uses Uranium as fuel and produces Plutonium-

239 as a by-product. Stage II Fast breader Reactor: uses Plutonium-239 and Thorium-239 as fuel and

produces Uranium- 233. Stage III advanced Heavy Water Reactor: would use Thorium-232 and Uranium-233 as

fuels. Currently under development at the BARC.

GOVERNMENTAL BODIES IN NUCLEAR ENERGY

All bodies listed below function under the Department of Atomic Energy unless otherwisenoted

Heavy Water Board

Established 1969, headquarters Mumbai Responsible for production of heavy water (D2O) Operates six heavy water plants in the country:

o Kota (Rajasthan)o Baroda (Gujarat)o Hazira (Gujarat)o Thal (Maharashtra)o Talcher (Orissa)o Munuguru (Andhra Pradesh)o Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu)

India is the worlds largest manufacturer of heavy water.

India has exported heavy water to South Korea in 2002-2003.

Nuclear Fuel Complex

Established 1971, location Hyderabad. Responsible for enrichment and supply of nuclear fuel for all nuclear power plants in the

country. Also responsible for manufacturer of reactor core components.


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The NFC processes both Uranium concentrates (for nuclear fuel) and Zirconium (for reactorcomponents).

Uranium Corporation of India Ltd.

Established 1967, headquarters Singhbhum (Jharkhand) Responsbile for extraction and processing of uranium Operates five uranium mines and two processing plants All five uranium mines are located in Singhbum district of Jharkhand

o Jaduguda mine - oldest mine, commissioned 1967o Bhatin mineo Narwapahar mine -0 latest mine, commissioned 1995o Turamdih mineo Banduhurang mine - only open pit uranium min

India produces about 300 tonnes a year of uranium

Indian Rare Earths Ltd. Established 1950, headquarters Mumbai Responsible for extraction of minerals from beach sands It primary responsibility is the extraction of Thorium (in the form of monazite) for use

in nuclear industry. Operates four mineral extraction units

o Aluva (Kerala)o Chavara (Kerala)o Manavalakurichi (Tamil Nadu)o Chatrapur Orissa)

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)

Established as the Atomic Energy Establishment Trombay in 1957. Located in Mumbai It is Indias first and primary nuclear research facility Site of CIRUS reactor (Canada-India-US Research) Developed Dhruva reactor (1958) - largest research reactor in the country

Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR)

Established 1971, located at Kalpakkam (near Chennai)

Site of Fast Brreeder Test Reactor (FBTR), the first raactor in the world to use Plutonium(70%) Uranium (30%) Carbide fuel. The Plutonium for the reactor comes from spent fuelfrom the power plant on site

Developed KAMINI (Kalpakkam Mini) reactor in 1996, tghe only reactor in the world thatuses Uranium-233 as fuel

Currently, construction of 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor is under progress

Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC)

Established 1977, located Kolkata


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Operates the first cyclotron in India Provides protons, deuterons, alpha particles and heavy ion beams to other institutions in

the country

Institute for Plasma Research

Established 1986, located in Gandhinagar, Gujarat Functions under the Department of Atomic Energy The IPR is involved in research of various aspects of plasma science It is the biggest plasma physics organisation in India The IPR was responsible for developing the ADITYA tokamak in 1989.A tokamak is a

magnetic confinement fusion device used for thermonuclear fusion power The IPR is a major contributor to the International Thermonuclear Experimental

Reactor (TER) in Cadarache, France. Expected to be operational by 2016, the ITER is the

first large scale research incentive on nuclear fusion based power plants

TYPES OF NUCLEAR POWER REACTORS

Reactor Fuel Moderator Coolant Notes

Pressurisedwater reactor(PWR)

Enricheduranium

Light water(demineralisedwater)

Lightwater

PWR, BWRand Supercriticalwater reactors are 3 types of LightWater Reactors PWR is compactand high power and so usedcommonly in aircraft carriers,submarines etc PWR is theoldest,most widely used reactorfor power generation. In PWR, the

water is maintained at highpressure such that it does not boileven at high temperatures

PressurisedHeavy WaterReactor(PHWR)

Naturaluranium

Heavy water(D2O)

Heavywater

Uses natural uneriched uraniumLower fuel costs No enrichmentrequired Needslarge quantities of fuel

Boiling waterreactor

(BWR)

Enriched

uranium

Light waterLight

water

Second most common type ofreactor for power plants (afterPWR) Water is allowed to boil

Simple, uncomplicated designLower risk, longer lifetime thanPWR

Fast BreaderReactor(FBR)

EnrichedUranium,PlutoniumAlso nonfissileUranium 238

Nomoderator

Liquidmetal(usuallykuqyudSodium)

Breeds fuel by producing morefissile material than it consumesReactor core consists of Plutonimand Uranium Reactor core issurrounded by non-fissileUranium-238 which getsconverted into fissile Pu-239 by


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captruring fast neutrons Since fastneutrons are specifically desiredto bombard the U-238, nomoderator is required

AdvancedHeavy WaterReactor(AHWR)

ThoriumHeavy waterAmorphouscarbon

Biolingwater

Currently under development atBARC Designed to use Thoriumas fuel

:: MCQ ::

1. Consider the following, which of these are correct?

i) The largest power station in India is in Tarapur Maharashtra.

ii) The largest research reactor is Dhruva at the Babha Atomic Resarch Center.

iii) Currently India is using two types of Power reactors, Pressurized Heavy WaterReactor and the Boiling Water Reactor.

a) i and ii

b) ii and iii

c) i and iii

d) All of the above

Ans: D

2. Which of the following are correct?

i) Canada has the largest reserves of Uranium in the world.

ii) Australia which has the second largest reserves is the largest exporter of Uranium.

iii) The primary source of Uranium in India is Jaduguda. Uranium is extracted in theform of yellow cake.

a) ii and iii

b) i and ii


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c) iii only

d) i only

Ans: C

3. Match the following

Power Station State

i) Kaiga a) Karnataka

ii) Kakrapara b) Tamil Nadu

iii) Kalpakkam c) Gujarat

iv) Rawatbhatta d) Maharashtra

v) Tarapur e) Rajasthan

a) i-d, ii-b, iii-c, iv-a, v-e

b) i-a, ii-c, iii-b, iv-e, v-d

c) i-a, ii-b, iii-d, iv-e, v-c

d) i-b, ii-d, iii-c, iv-a, v-e

Ans: B

4. Which of these are correct?

i) India has about 25 % of the worlds reserve of Thorium.

ii) Thorium is found in the form of mineral Monazite in the beach sands of Kerala andTamil Nadu.

a) i only

b) ii only

c) i and ii

d) none


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Ans: C

5. Which of these are correct?

i) The Department of Atomic Energy functions directly under the Prime Minister.

ii) The DAE is responsible for all nuclear technology in India.

a) Both i and ii

b) i only

c) ii only

d) none

Ans: A

Indian History (Modern India)

The Revolt of 1857:

Introduction

The Revolt of 1857 has been hailed as the watershed or the great divide in the colonial history ofBritish India. Battle of Plassey in 1757 marked the beginning of the political influence of theEnglish East India Company, an influence which ended in 1858 when the Crown rule wasestablished in British India. A decade short of a century later in 1947, India gained independence.It is also regarded as an historic landmark for its suppression was followed by some fundamentalchanges in the administration of India.

The Revolt of 1857 was fundamentally different from earlier rebellions by the soldiers, peasantsand tribals of the nineteenth century. Prior to this, the mutinies and rebellions had remainedsporadic or local affairs. However, unlike these, the scale and spread of the Revolt of 1857 waslarger; sepoys at many centres mutinied and this was accompanied by civil disturbances.Unexpected as it was, it managed to shake the British. Though by the end of 1857 itself the British

had started to regain control, the Revolt of 1857 remains a significant event.

What differentiated the Revolt of 1857 from the earlier uprisings was that unlike the precedingmutinies and revolts, which were limited to a relatively smaller area, within a town or at the most afew districts, the 1857 Revolt escalated to an unprecedented degree and the participation waswider.

Areas affected by the Revolt of 1857- In Bengal, it was primarily the Bengal army which wasrecruited from North Western. Provinces and especially Awadh, that rose up in mutiny. Thesepoys wore joined by the civilians from the North, Central and Western India.


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Areas that did not participate in the Revolt- The Punjab, Bengal, most of Central Provinces, theCoasts and the South remained largely unaffected by it. While the Bombay and the Madrasregiments did not participate in the revolt, the Gurkha and the Punjabi soldiers fought on behalf ofthe English to put down the rebels.

Ques. 1 : Briefly discuss the causes of the revolt of 1857?

Ans. The revolt did not happen overnight. From the beginning of the political influence .of the

British after the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the British faced resistance from various sections of thesociety. The miscellaneous populace had been harbouring resentment against the British. Due tothe nature of the early historiography of the revolt, which was written by officials turned historians,it was believed to be a mere mutiny of the sepoys in Bengal and Meerut, which was later joinedby the civil populace. However, an analysis shows that such a simplistic view is limited in itsscope. It is difficult to highlight a single cause for the outbreak of the revolt. There were multiplegrievances, which were acutely felt by the different sections of the society. While noting the anti-British sentiments in the revolt it is equally essential to take into account the fact that the revolt inlater stages was directed against the landlords, banias and money-lenders. The landlords in the

British period were principally the creation of the new revenue policies introduced under them andhad become vehicles of peasant exploitation.

Social and Religious Causes: From the early decades of the nineteenth century, the British had

abandoned its policy of non-interference in the socio-religious life of the Indians. Abolition of Sati in1829 under Lord Bentinck, the Hindu Widow Remarriage Act of 1856, and western education allled to disruption in the social world of the people After the Charter of 1813, the Christianmissionaries were allowed to enter India and carry on with their mission of proselytizing. This,combined with the Religious Disabilities Act of 1856, which sought to do away with the previousban on Christian converts from Hinduism in inheriting property, created a feeling amongst thepeople of threat to their rel

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