✅Gs1- Role of women in Indian society-
✅Gs-2- Judiciary- Proposal: Elevate Justice Vipul Pancholi (Gujarat HC) to SC.
🅾️Objection: Justice Nagarathna dissented, citing concerns
🎖PYQ- Gs-2 paper had a question on Women in Judiciary- Click here- This is one dimension of woman empowerment
🅾️Judicial appointments are at the heart of separation of powers and rule of law. Dissent by a judge within Collegium = institutional safeguard, ensuring debate and preventing rubber-stamping.
⚡️VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
✅Gs-2- Judiciary- Proposal: Elevate Justice Vipul Pancholi (Gujarat HC) to SC.
🅾️Objection: Justice Nagarathna dissented, citing concerns
🎖PYQ- Gs-2 paper had a question on Women in Judiciary- Click here- This is one dimension of woman empowerment
🅾️Judicial appointments are at the heart of separation of powers and rule of law. Dissent by a judge within Collegium = institutional safeguard, ensuring debate and preventing rubber-stamping.
⚡️VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
✅Gs-2 : 2025- My assessment- everyone might feel difficult because of the need to connect static to the contemporary themes ( Themes and events that happened over last 5 years)- Requires high level of conceptual clarity, writing skill under pressure of time and quick recall. Would have been a nightmare for a lot of people- not because of difficult but because of the pressure.
⚠️10 Markers (150 words each)
🅾️1. Discuss the ‘corrupt practices’ for the purpose of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Analyze whether the increase in the assets of the legislators and/or their associates, disproportionate to their known sources of income, would constitute ‘undue influence’ and consequently a corrupt practice-Click here and Click here.
🅾️2. Comment on the need of administrative tribunals as compared to the court system. Assess the impact of the recent tribunal reforms through rationalization of tribunals made in 2021- Click here
🅾️3. Compare and contrast the President’s power to pardon in India and in the USA. Are there any limits to it in both the countries? What are ‘preemptive pardons’?- Click here and here
🅾️4. Discuss the nature of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly after the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019.- Click here and here Briefly describe the powers and functions of the Assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
🅾️5. “The Attorney General of India plays a crucial role in guiding the legal framework of the Union Government and ensuring sound governance through legal counsel.” Discuss his responsibilities, rights and limitations in this regard- Click here and here
🅾️6. Women’s social capital complements in advancing empowerment and gender equality. Explain- Needs lot of clarity on what social capital here means- this is the context- click here
🅾️7. e-governance projects have a built-in bias towards technology and back-end integration than user-centric designs. Examine- Click here and here
🅾️8. Civil Society Organizations are often perceived as being anti-State actors than non-State actors. Do you agree? Justify- Click here.
🅾️9. India-Africa digital partnership is achieving mutual respect, co-development and long-term institutional partnerships. Elaborate- Click here ( posted indirectly as a source of power and leverage when discussing DPI- But there is a direct TH hindu article which i missed- Click here)
🅾️10. “With the waning of globalization, post-Cold War world is becoming a site of sovereign nationalism.” Elucidate.- Click here, Here and here
⚠️10 Markers (150 words each)
🅾️1. Discuss the ‘corrupt practices’ for the purpose of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Analyze whether the increase in the assets of the legislators and/or their associates, disproportionate to their known sources of income, would constitute ‘undue influence’ and consequently a corrupt practice-Click here and Click here.
🅾️2. Comment on the need of administrative tribunals as compared to the court system. Assess the impact of the recent tribunal reforms through rationalization of tribunals made in 2021- Click here
🅾️3. Compare and contrast the President’s power to pardon in India and in the USA. Are there any limits to it in both the countries? What are ‘preemptive pardons’?- Click here and here
🅾️4. Discuss the nature of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly after the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019.- Click here and here Briefly describe the powers and functions of the Assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
🅾️5. “The Attorney General of India plays a crucial role in guiding the legal framework of the Union Government and ensuring sound governance through legal counsel.” Discuss his responsibilities, rights and limitations in this regard- Click here and here
🅾️6. Women’s social capital complements in advancing empowerment and gender equality. Explain- Needs lot of clarity on what social capital here means- this is the context- click here
🅾️7. e-governance projects have a built-in bias towards technology and back-end integration than user-centric designs. Examine- Click here and here
🅾️8. Civil Society Organizations are often perceived as being anti-State actors than non-State actors. Do you agree? Justify- Click here.
🅾️9. India-Africa digital partnership is achieving mutual respect, co-development and long-term institutional partnerships. Elaborate- Click here ( posted indirectly as a source of power and leverage when discussing DPI- But there is a direct TH hindu article which i missed- Click here)
🅾️10. “With the waning of globalization, post-Cold War world is becoming a site of sovereign nationalism.” Elucidate.- Click here, Here and here
✅Gs-2 : Fundamental Rights- Affirmative action- Affirmative action( Reservation)- Indira sawhney case, jarnail singh case and nagaraj case 2006- click here
🅾️Should reservations exceed the 50% cap?- Reservation beyond 50% cap is both a legal and sociological question.
🅾️Maratha quota case- Click here
🅾️EWS SC judgement- Notions of Equality- Click here
⚡️VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
🅾️Should reservations exceed the 50% cap?- Reservation beyond 50% cap is both a legal and sociological question.
🅾️Maratha quota case- Click here
🅾️EWS SC judgement- Notions of Equality- Click here
⚡️VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
✅Gs-2 : Judiciary- Judicial appointments- issues
🅾️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- Click here.
⚠️Issue- Concealing dissent from the public creates mistrust. Without openness, the judiciary risks being seen as arbitrary, eroding its authority.
🔰Argument: revealing dissent could harm reputations of candidates not selected.
⚜️Counterpoint: democracy requires transparency; Britain’s JAC or South Africa’s JSC disclose criteria and reasoning openly. Secrecy undermines legitimacy rather than protecting it.
⚡️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- Click here.
⚠️Issue- Concealing dissent from the public creates mistrust. Without openness, the judiciary risks being seen as arbitrary, eroding its authority.
🔰Argument: revealing dissent could harm reputations of candidates not selected.
⚜️Counterpoint: democracy requires transparency; Britain’s JAC or South Africa’s JSC disclose criteria and reasoning openly. Secrecy undermines legitimacy rather than protecting it.
⚡️VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
✅Gs-1- Society- Urbanization
🅾️Watch this video : https://youtu.be/ZcirvjHozg8?feature=shared
⚜️Smart City Reference Framework should ideally address the following components- Click here
🔰Brazil – Urban Flood Management: Brazil, with over 80% of its population living in urban areas, has shifted its approach to flood management.The country has moved beyond only canalisation and structural flood control, adopting a more integrated urban flood management approach that includes nature-based solutions and city-wide flood warning systems.
🔰Chennai – Flood Early Warning System: Chennai has adopted a city-level flood forecasting and warning system. Chennai is working on improving stormwater management and building preparedness to support vulnerable populations during extreme weather events.
⚡️VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
🅾️Watch this video : https://youtu.be/ZcirvjHozg8?feature=shared
⚜️Smart City Reference Framework should ideally address the following components- Click here
🔰Brazil – Urban Flood Management: Brazil, with over 80% of its population living in urban areas, has shifted its approach to flood management.The country has moved beyond only canalisation and structural flood control, adopting a more integrated urban flood management approach that includes nature-based solutions and city-wide flood warning systems.
🔰Chennai – Flood Early Warning System: Chennai has adopted a city-level flood forecasting and warning system. Chennai is working on improving stormwater management and building preparedness to support vulnerable populations during extreme weather events.
⚡️VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
Forwarded from UPSC Economy by VK IAS (Vikas Kanukollu)
✅Gs-3 : Mobilization of Resources- FDI
⚠️Reasons for Weak Capital Inflows :
🅾️Policy unpredictability: Sudden regulatory moves scare investors (taxes, compliance).
🅾️Valuation mismatch: Indian start-ups had inflated valuations during 2020–21; correction underway.
🅾️Ease of doing business bottlenecks: Implementation issues despite high-level reforms.
🌟Early investors (venture capital, private equity) now exiting, reducing fresh inflows. This shows India has entered a mature investment phase, where past profits are being booked.
🎖Join
@hinduhighlights for News analysis
@upschighlights for prelims info
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
⚠️Reasons for Weak Capital Inflows :
🅾️Policy unpredictability: Sudden regulatory moves scare investors (taxes, compliance).
🅾️Valuation mismatch: Indian start-ups had inflated valuations during 2020–21; correction underway.
🅾️Ease of doing business bottlenecks: Implementation issues despite high-level reforms.
🌟Early investors (venture capital, private equity) now exiting, reducing fresh inflows. This shows India has entered a mature investment phase, where past profits are being booked.
🎖Join
@hinduhighlights for News analysis
@upschighlights for prelims info
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
⚠️ALERT : For candidates preparing for 2025 Personality test!
Watch these videos- Issues of High importance- they are designed to structure your arguments for MAINS and Interview- https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQHWHNQUHjwPIPZlMmZcj_BEbTYlK8OLM&si=buYjtys54UPByuzC
Watch these videos- Issues of High importance- they are designed to structure your arguments for MAINS and Interview- https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQHWHNQUHjwPIPZlMmZcj_BEbTYlK8OLM&si=buYjtys54UPByuzC
✅Gs-1 : Urbanization- Case study- Kerala
🅾️Take this as a case study for UPSC mains and interviews :
🅾️Importance- Kerala Urban Policy Commission (KUPC)- first state-level urban commission in India (2023), tasked with designing a 25-year urbanization roadmap for the state.
🅾️Recommendations (Structured into Four Areas)
⚜️1. Climate & Risk-aware Zoning:Use high-resolution LiDAR mapping of landslides, coastal inundation, flood-prone zones
⚜️2. Build real-time observatories (climate, hazards, population dashboards).
⚜️3. Finance- “Janashree” programme → recruit/deploy youth in city governance.
⚜️4. Governance Innovation: Replace bureaucratic rule with city cabinets led by mayors.
⚠️ Trap: Don’t confuse KUPC with Smart Cities Mission. KUPC is state-level systemic planning body.
🎖Join
@hinduhighlights for News analysis
@upschighlights for prelims info
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
🅾️Take this as a case study for UPSC mains and interviews :
🅾️Importance- Kerala Urban Policy Commission (KUPC)- first state-level urban commission in India (2023), tasked with designing a 25-year urbanization roadmap for the state.
🅾️Recommendations (Structured into Four Areas)
⚜️1. Climate & Risk-aware Zoning:Use high-resolution LiDAR mapping of landslides, coastal inundation, flood-prone zones
⚜️2. Build real-time observatories (climate, hazards, population dashboards).
⚜️3. Finance- “Janashree” programme → recruit/deploy youth in city governance.
⚜️4. Governance Innovation: Replace bureaucratic rule with city cabinets led by mayors.
⚠️ Trap: Don’t confuse KUPC with Smart Cities Mission. KUPC is state-level systemic planning body.
🎖Join
@hinduhighlights for News analysis
@upschighlights for prelims info
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
Forwarded from VK IAS(UPSC Highlights)- History
#Art_and_Culture #History
✅Gs-1 : History - Harappan Language and Script- Note -Script ≠ language.
🔰Facts :
1. Harappan script: ~2600–1900 BCE, undeciphered.
2. Average inscription length: 5 signs.
3. Found on seals, pottery, amulets.
4. No bilingual inscription (unlike Brahmi).
5. Ministry of Culture conference (Sept 2024) on decipherment.
🔰Analysis :
1. There are Multiple hypotheses: Sanskrit, Dravidian, tribal (Santali, Gondi).
2. Decipherment requires bilingual artefact and rigorous interdisciplinary methods.
3. Language evolves; one-to-one mapping uncertain.
⚠️@historyhighlights for high value history snippets from news
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
✅Gs-1 : History - Harappan Language and Script- Note -Script ≠ language.
🔰Facts :
1. Harappan script: ~2600–1900 BCE, undeciphered.
2. Average inscription length: 5 signs.
3. Found on seals, pottery, amulets.
4. No bilingual inscription (unlike Brahmi).
5. Ministry of Culture conference (Sept 2024) on decipherment.
🔰Analysis :
1. There are Multiple hypotheses: Sanskrit, Dravidian, tribal (Santali, Gondi).
2. Decipherment requires bilingual artefact and rigorous interdisciplinary methods.
3. Language evolves; one-to-one mapping uncertain.
⚠️@historyhighlights for high value history snippets from news
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
✅Gs-3 : Science and technology- Transhumanism
🅾️This is useful in essay also- Transhumanism = effort to transform human condition via science & technology.
⚠️Imp- idea- Critics argue mortality defines humanity; engineered immortality risks erasing humility and meaning.
⚜️Religious traditions caution against “playing God.”
⚜️Posthumanism: even more radical → dissolving boundaries between humans, animals, and machines.
🎖Join
@hinduhighlights for News analysis
@upschighlights for prelims info
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
🅾️This is useful in essay also- Transhumanism = effort to transform human condition via science & technology.
⚠️Imp- idea- Critics argue mortality defines humanity; engineered immortality risks erasing humility and meaning.
⚜️Religious traditions caution against “playing God.”
⚜️Posthumanism: even more radical → dissolving boundaries between humans, animals, and machines.
🎖Join
@hinduhighlights for News analysis
@upschighlights for prelims info
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
✅In this age of information overload- clarity is the casuality.
⚠️ Materials are free- but not your time and attention span! Track your outcomes- not your hours.
⚜️Why most UPSC aspirants waste their time between September and January?- Hear this from AIR 11- Shivani! - https://youtu.be/KYtFzIQjIYA?si=AhENEXt-nZoA5VH5
🌟Also in the interest of the larger UPSC aspirant community- I will be sharing a few insights from my learnings about the mental blocks that even the most intelligent aspirants face.
🎖Please Subscribe on Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
⚠️ Materials are free- but not your time and attention span! Track your outcomes- not your hours.
⚜️Why most UPSC aspirants waste their time between September and January?- Hear this from AIR 11- Shivani! - https://youtu.be/KYtFzIQjIYA?si=AhENEXt-nZoA5VH5
🌟Also in the interest of the larger UPSC aspirant community- I will be sharing a few insights from my learnings about the mental blocks that even the most intelligent aspirants face.
🎖Please Subscribe on Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
✅Gs- 2 : IR- India and srilanka
🅾️Explained: What is the conflict between Lankan navy and Indian fishermen?- Click here
⚜️In short :
🅾️As per UNCLOS- The territorial waters extend seaward up to 12 nautical miles from baselines of a country. Using the bottom trawling fishing method, they drag large fishing nets along the seabed- not sustainable
🅾️Point of contention : Katchatheevu Island Issue-Click here
🔰take away : Katchatheevu is legally ceded to Sri Lanka (1974 treaty). India cannot “take it back” without violating treaty law.
⚜️Cooperative frameworks:Similar to Baltic Sea Fisheries Convention & EU fish quotas
⚡️VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
🅾️Explained: What is the conflict between Lankan navy and Indian fishermen?- Click here
⚜️In short :
🅾️As per UNCLOS- The territorial waters extend seaward up to 12 nautical miles from baselines of a country. Using the bottom trawling fishing method, they drag large fishing nets along the seabed- not sustainable
🅾️Point of contention : Katchatheevu Island Issue-Click here
🔰take away : Katchatheevu is legally ceded to Sri Lanka (1974 treaty). India cannot “take it back” without violating treaty law.
⚜️Cooperative frameworks:Similar to Baltic Sea Fisheries Convention & EU fish quotas
⚡️VK IAS subject wise channels - Click here
⚠️Youtube : Click here and join the VK IAS channel
Forwarded from UPSC - International relations by Vikas Kanukollu
✅Gs-2 : IR- SCO
🅾️Significance of SCO for India- Click here
⚠️SCO expanded to include India and Pakistan (2017), becoming the largest regional bloc by geography and population.Shanghai Five (1996) — China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan → confidence-building along borders.Formal birth: SCO in 2001 (Uzbekistan joined) to Counter “three evils”: terrorism, separatism, extremism.
🅾️Takeaway from the article : Global Development Initiative (GDI)
⚠️Gs2-IR/PSIR channel link : https://www.tg-me.com/UPSC_PSIR_IR
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
🅾️Significance of SCO for India- Click here
⚠️SCO expanded to include India and Pakistan (2017), becoming the largest regional bloc by geography and population.Shanghai Five (1996) — China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan → confidence-building along borders.Formal birth: SCO in 2001 (Uzbekistan joined) to Counter “three evils”: terrorism, separatism, extremism.
🅾️Takeaway from the article : Global Development Initiative (GDI)
⚠️Gs2-IR/PSIR channel link : https://www.tg-me.com/UPSC_PSIR_IR
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
✅Gs-3 : Internal security- Left wing extremism
🅾️How roads show that Infrastructure is not just economic resource but also a symbol of political and social capital?
⚜️In India’s tribal hinterlands, particularly Maoist-affected areas (Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha), absence of roads = absence of the state. Roads act as the visible arm of governance, reclaiming space from non-state insurgent actors.Research (Jain & Biswas, 2023) shows road connectivity correlates with crime decline and increased state access.International evidence (Rafael Prieto-Curiel, 2020) → higher connectivity = lower insurgency.
⚜️Roads as precondition for governance → but governance must follow with justice and equity.
🅾️Why do Maoists repeatedly attack in Chhattisgarh?-Click here
🎖Join
@hinduhighlights for News analysis
@upschighlights - Relevant hashtags for Prelims- Click here
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
🅾️How roads show that Infrastructure is not just economic resource but also a symbol of political and social capital?
⚜️In India’s tribal hinterlands, particularly Maoist-affected areas (Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha), absence of roads = absence of the state. Roads act as the visible arm of governance, reclaiming space from non-state insurgent actors.Research (Jain & Biswas, 2023) shows road connectivity correlates with crime decline and increased state access.International evidence (Rafael Prieto-Curiel, 2020) → higher connectivity = lower insurgency.
⚜️Roads as precondition for governance → but governance must follow with justice and equity.
🅾️Why do Maoists repeatedly attack in Chhattisgarh?-Click here
🎖Join
@hinduhighlights for News analysis
@upschighlights - Relevant hashtags for Prelims- Click here
🎖Please Subscribe : Youtube.com/vikaskanukollu
Forwarded from VK IAS by Vikas kanukollu (VK)
⚠️ALERT : For candidates preparing for 2025 Personality test!
Watch these videos- Issues of High importance- they are designed to structure your arguments for MAINS and Interview- https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQHWHNQUHjwPIPZlMmZcj_BEbTYlK8OLM&si=buYjtys54UPByuzC
Watch these videos- Issues of High importance- they are designed to structure your arguments for MAINS and Interview- https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQHWHNQUHjwPIPZlMmZcj_BEbTYlK8OLM&si=buYjtys54UPByuzC