INDEX G.S PAPER I .............................................................. 4 8.9 Gold Standard............................................................ 41 8.10 FDI Hike in the Insurance Sector .............................. 42 1. GEOGRAPHY ................................................... 4 8.11 New Norms for AT1 Bond .......................................... 42 1.1 Godavari - Cauvery Link Project - Cauvery Component ............................................................................... 4 8.12 Special Purpose Acquisition Companies ................... 43 G.S PAPER II ............................................................. 5 9. INFFRASTRUCTURE .................................... 44 2. POLITY .............................................................. 5 9.1 Maritime India Vision 2030 ....................................... 44 2.1 Lateral Entry into Bureaucracy................................... 5 10. AGRICULTURE ............................................. 47 2.2 Haryana’s Job Reservation Law ................................. 6 10.1 Farmer Producers Organisations .............................. 47 2.3 Revisiting the Indra Sawhney Judgement .................... 8 10.2 Food Corporation of India Directive ......................... 48 2.4 Supreme Court Order on State Election 11. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ....................... 50 Commissioners ....................................................................... 10 11.1 Mapping the Genomes in the Indian Ocean ............... 50 2.5 CJI Remarks on Uniform Civil Code ......................... 11 11.2 Water and Virus ......................................................... 50 2.6 Electoral Bonds Scheme ............................................ 13 11.3 ISRO’s PSLV-C51 Launch - NSIL ............................. 51 3. GOVERNMENT ACTS & POLICIES .......... 14 12. ENVIRONMENT............................................. 52 3.1 India’s IT Rules 2021 ................................................ 14 12.1 Similipal Forest Fire .................................................. 52 3.2 Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2021 ............................................................ 17 12.2 Uttarakhand Floods and Texas Cold Snap ................ 54 3.3 Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act .............. 18 12.3 Rising Water Scarcity ................................................ 55 3.4 Vehicle Scrappage Policy .......................................... 19 12.4 Biofuel - Lessons from Brazil ..................................... 56 12.5 Paris Climate Track & Decarbonisation ................... 58 4. SOCIAL JUSTICE .......................................... 20 12.6 Failure of First Inter-State Tiger Relocation Project 58 4.1 Supreme Court’s Unwelcome Remarks ..................... 20 4.2 Deficit in OBC, SC Positions Vacant at IIMs ............ 21 13. INTERNAL SECURITY ................................. 60 4.3 Women’s Unpaid Work ............................................. 22 13.1 Chinese state-backed Cyber Attack Attempts ............. 60 13.2 INS Karanj - Scorpene-class Submarine.................... 61 5. GOVERNANCE ............................................... 23 5.1 Spectrum Auctions ..................................................... 23 PRELIM BITS ......................................................... 63 5.2 No Back-Door Pact for Defaulting Promoters .......... 24 14. History, Art & Culture .................................... 63 5.3 Supreme Court on National Environmental Regulator Pagdi Sambhal Jatta ............................................................... 63 25 Bhaona .................................................................................... 63 6. INDIA & ITS NEIGHBORHOOD ................. 25 Etikoppaka Bommalu .............................................................. 63 6.1 Peace Process in Afghanistan ................................... 25 Channapatna Toys .................................................................. 63 6.2 Unacceptable Act of India ......................................... 27 Nirmal Art ............................................................................... 64 6.3 India-Taiwan ties ...................................................... 28 15. Geography ........................................................ 64 7. INTERNATIONAL ISSUES ........................... 29 Sangay Volcano ...................................................................... 64 7.1 Ending the War in Yemen .......................................... 29 Baralacha Pass ....................................................................... 64 7.2 Immigration conundrum - U.S.-Mexico border ......... 30 Nag River ................................................................................ 64 7.3 Suez Canal Blockage ................................................. 31 Rule Curve of Mullaperiyar Dam ........................................... 65 G.S PAPER III ......................................................... 32 Manas National Park .............................................................. 65 8. ECONOMY ...................................................... 32 Mahendragiri Biosphere Reserve ........................................... 65 8.1 Government Disinvestment Programme .................... 32 Dumping Inert Waste in Bhatti Mines ..................................... 66 8.2 SC Ruling on Taxation of Overseas Software ............ 33 Floating Solar Power Plant .................................................... 66 8.3 SEBI’s New AT1 Bond Norms ................................... 34 Ken-Betwa Link Project .......................................................... 66 8.4 State Budgets - Need for Government Spending ........ 36 Illegal Farming in Wenlock Downs ........................................ 67 8.5 SC Verdict on Loan Moratorium Case ...................... 37 Chilika Lake ............................................................................ 67 8.6 Archegos Share Dump ............................................... 38 Inner Line Permit .................................................................... 67 8.7 Bond Yield, GDP and GVA ....................................... 39 16. Polity ................................................................. 68 8.8 Independent Directors ............................................... 40 Bodo Peace Accord ................................................................. 68 3 Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 ................. 69 New Umbrella Entities ............................................................ 84 Medical Termination of Pregnancy Bill, 2020 ....................... 69 Green Bonds ........................................................................... 84 EPFO Act to Jammu & Kashmir ............................................ 70 Basic Customs Duty ................................................................ 84 Amendment to Insurance Ombudsman Rules ......................... 70 New Rules for Trusts and Non-profit Organisations ............... 85 Amendments to Forest Conservation Act................................ 70 20. Environment ..................................................... 85 Draft UGC Regulations .......................................................... 71 Purple Revolution ................................................................... 85 OBC Reservation .................................................................... 71 Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure ....................... 85 Land Ports Authority of India ................................................. 71 Miyawaki Technique ............................................................... 86 Amicus Curiae ........................................................................ 72 Flowering of Bamboo - A Threat ............................................ 86 Appointment of Regular CBI Director .................................... 72 3D-printed Clay Seabed .......................................................... 86 State Election Commissioners ................................................ 72 Inter-state Tiger Relocation Project ....................................... 87 Allotting Election Symbol ....................................................... 72 Black-browed Babbler ............................................................ 87 Census and NPR Updation ..................................................... 73 Himalayan Serow .................................................................... 87 17. Government Initiatives .................................... 73 Platypus .................................................................................. 87 Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi ............................ 73 Red Rice .................................................................................. 87 Jal Jeevan Mission ................................................................. 73 Cicadas ................................................................................... 88 Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana ............................................ 74 Seabuckthorn Plantations ....................................................... 88 Rural Circuit .......................................................................... 74 Butea monosperma ................................................................. 88 CSIR Floriculture Mission ..................................................... 75 New Red Algae Species ..........................................................