 A very good evening aspirants. Welcome to daily newspaper analysis of Shankar IA's Academy. Today's date is 30th of January 2024. Displayed here are the list of news articles that we are going to discuss today. As you can see we have chosen different articles from different newspapers. We are trying it as a pilot project. You can give your suggestions in the comments. We have tried this to give a whole coverage of the UPSC syllabus. So without much delay, let us get into the first news article discussion. Take a look at this news article. This article, Populism Does Not Help Public Health is a critic on the various populist policies which are affecting our health architecture. So in our news article discussion today, first let us understand what does this populism mean? See generally populism is a political social ideology which emphasizes on the poor underprivileged people against the ruling allies of any society. See here the concept might be closely related to the welfare state, but it is a double edged sword which we will be seeing later in this discussion. Remember there are many different forms of populism which is common in both left wing and right wing politics. You would have had a common assumption that giving free bees, writing of loans or populism but they are the product of populism. Populism is actually beyond that. It is an ideology which leads to these kinds of policies. So with this basic understanding, now let us see the causes of a rise in populist culture in the society. First with respect to economic disparities, see the various Oxfam reports shows the inequalities in the society. Apart from this economic downturns and pandemics are affecting large section of people but the assets of elite are on the rise. This economic disparity is leading to popular discontent and the demand for populism. Secondly distrust in established systems. See lack of trust in traditional institutions and political establishments will lead to popular demands in the society for a change. For example in 2011 Anna Hazare acting as a vessel of BJP participated in the Satyagraha movement campaigning for a stronger anti-corruption Lokpal built in the Indian parliament. Thirdly perceived threat to national identity. See in our society there is a concern over immigration or cultural change and this can boost populist sentiments. This gets reflected in the form of demands like building wall across the borders and etc. Finally media influence can amplify populist messages and reach wider audience for their vested interest. Culturally backward elements also voice out popular opinions resisting modernity. So these are all the causes of a rise in populist culture in our society. Now let us see the characteristics of populism. See the first characteristic is that populism should have anti-establishment core in it. Why because it is often used to criticise political elites and institutions which are apathetic to the needs and concerns of commoners. So the populist ideas will have an anti-establishment core in it. Secondly it may cause harm for the society and economy in a longer run. For example policies like protectionism resistance to immigrants will damage the nation in a longer term. Thirdly there will be an emphasis on natural identity. Remember this idea is based on the assumption that the collective interest of the society is bigger than the individual. Finally it may lead to communalism and fundamentalism in the society. So these are all the characteristics of populism. So in this news article discussion we saw about what is populism. Then we saw what are all the causes of a rise in populist culture in our society. Then we saw about the characteristics of populism. So with these learnt points now let us move on to the next news article discussion. This Indian Express article talks about the interim budget which will be presented on Feb 1st of 2024. This budget will be the last budget of the current government before election. So in this news article discussion let us understand about interim budget and how it is different from a regular budget. According to article 112 of Indian constitution, budget or annual financial statement will estimate the receipts and expenditure of the government in a financial year. For example budget 2024 to 25 will have estimation from April 1, 2024 to 31st of March, 2025. Now this is the normal process that is carried out during the budget. But this won't work for 2024. This is mainly because this year is an election year. General elections for Lok Sabha are expected to be held in India between April and May 2024. So in the lead up to elections it becomes impractical for any government to present a comprehensive budget. Even if they provide a comprehensive budget after election they may or may not form the government. So for this reason only the current government introduces an interim budget. Like union budget, the interim budget will also consist of both expenditures and receipts for the entire financial year. But the interim budget aids in the transition period until the next government takes over. So this is the basics about interim budget. Now let us see how they are different from the regular budget. Firstly with constitutional requirement, see according to article 112 it is mandatory for a government to pass it. But there is no such compulsion for an interim budget. In fact a petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking to quash the interim budget as there is no constitutional provision for it. Secondly with respect to duration, see union budget is presented for the entire financial year. But the duration of the interim budget is for approximately 2-4 months of the fiscal year. So only after the election the newly elected government will pass the full budget. But remember even in the interim budget it will have all the details like the current status of the economy, planned and non-planned expenditures, changes in tax rates and etc. just like a full budget. But the difference is in the duration of their implementation. Thirdly with respect to the constraints, see in the union budget the government is free to announce any scheme policies and etc. But know that the interim budget is subject to various constraints imposed by the election commission. These constraints will prevent the government from implementing any populist policies that could unduly influence the public before elections. Finally let us conclude by seeing the similarities between the two. See like a full budget and interim budget will be discussed and passed in the Lokshava and an interim budget can propose changes in the tax regime of a country. So these are all certain points that you have to remember about the difference and similarities between an interim budget and an union budget. So with these learnt points now let us move on to the next news article discussion. This text and context article talks about improving battery technologies for speed EV adoption in India. So let us understand some of the important points mentioned in the news article. Firstly let us understand why EV vehicles are the future of India. See India has a great potential for electronic vehicles. In 2023 India registered a growth with sales reaching 50 percentage growth compared to 2020. While many critics argue that the actual value remains small that is 6 percentage of vehicles registered the industry is having potential for phenomenal growth which is expected to reach 100 billion dollars by 2030. So in this context it is very important to work on the batteries of EV vehicles. This is because they account for 40 percentage of the vehicle cost not only with the cost but the research on the batteries can enhance the user experience and provide many benefits like longer range faster charging and improved safety. Now let us look at the batteries used in EV vehicles. See almost all EV vehicles are using lithium ion batteries. Let us see the simple chemistry behind the working of lithium ion batteries. See the battery consists of two electrodes which is an anode and a cathode. They are separated by liquid electrolyte. As in the case of other electrochemical cells, lithium atoms in the anode gives up electrons which travels to the cathode through an external wire. In this process they provide the current to which powers the motor of the vehicle. Here in this process particularly lithium is used for many reasons. First reason is that it is lightest solid element with the highest propensity to give up electron. Secondly it is smaller in size. Remember this enables the lithium ion to efficiently travel between electrodes through the electrolyte. On the other hand there are many disadvantages associated with they are very slow to charge. Secondly they are not affordable and have less lifespan and there are also environmental issues associated with the mining of lithium. All these requires an urgent need for either improving their architecture or replacing it with another. This news article provides three approaches for it. Let us see them briefly. See the first approach is to retain the basic structure of the lithium ion battery but making changes to the electrode. Note that we should take into account that the ideal electrode should be lightweight, store a lot of lithium and provide sufficient pathway for lithium to easily enter and exit the electrode. For example, Tesla's cathodes are based on nickel, magnes, cobalt, NMC and lithium ion phosphate LFP in their batteries. This will benefit the consumers as NMC batteries have high energy density and provide longer range. Remember the LFP batteries have longer life, better stability and are less toxic and have faster charging time. The second approach is to improve the battery performance by deploying sensing and control infrastructure. See this will increase safety and extend battery life and speed of charging. For example, temperature sensor can be installed to monitor the parameters like internal temperature, old age and current and etc. This process uses advances in battery management and charging algorithms and they are generally easier to deploy since they do not involve any fundamental changes to the battery chemistry. Now the third approach is to invest in the solid state lithium battery SSB. This seeks to fix two common drawbacks in prevalent batteries. See the liquid electrolyte used in the EV batteries is highly flammable but the SSB replaces this with the heat resistant lightweight solid electrolyte. Apart from this the solid electrolyte in the SSB provides sufficient structural stability and good separation between the cathode and the anode. All these steps can significantly reduce the weight of the battery while also increase the charging speed. So with these steps we can effectively harness the potential of the EV market in India. This will also be useful for our sustainable development. That is all what the article is talking about. So in this news article discussion we saw about the potential of electric vehicles in India then we saw about the batteries used in the electric vehicles and then we saw about its advantages and disadvantages and finally we saw about how to improve the charging speed of the electric vehicles. So with these learnt points now let us move on to the next news article discussion. According to the news article the Indian economy is expected to grow around 7% in the fiscal year 2024-25. This data is based on a review by the finance ministry. The review said that this is the fourth consecutive year of post pandemic growth which is above 7%. This showcases Indian economy's resilience and potential. Remember the finance ministry's report titled the Indian economy review suggests a positive outlook for the future. The report is not the usual economic survey but it is a review and the economic survey will be presented after the Lok Sabha elections before the budget. The national's statistical officers first advance estimates also project a 7.3% growth for India's economy in fiscal year 2024. This surpasses the forecast from previous national and international agencies. So this is the cricks of the news article given here. So in this context let us understand about what is GDP or gross domestic product from the exam perspective. See GDP is the aggregate or the total value of goods and services which are produced within the domestic territory of a country. In other words GDP is the market value or monetary value of all the final goods and services produced within the boundary of a nation during one year. To understand it better let us understand each term in GDP. Here gross signifies that no detection has been made for the depreciation of machinery, buildings and other capital products used in the production that is it includes the total value. Domestic means that the production is by the resident institutional units of the country. So basically GDP includes all economic activities that are done inside the boundary of a country. Product refers to final goods and services. Here the term final means the stage of a product after which there is no change of value addition in it. So only final goods are added and intermediate goods are not added in the GDP calculation. Remember in GDP calculation income generation by foreigners in a country is included but income generated by nationals of a country outside the country is not included. Further GDP of a country is derived from the different sectors of the economy like agriculture, manufacturing, mining, construction and even the service sector. So GDP is the single most important indicator to capture economic activities since changes in the size of economies are usually measured by the change in the volume of GDP. These are all certain facts that you have to remember about GDP or the gross domestic product. So in this news article discussion we saw about what does the word gross domestic product or the GDP means. With these learnt points now let us move on to the next news article discussion. This article talks about the concept of Humboldt's enigma which is a modern interpretation of the relationship between biodiversity and mountains based on the observation and study of Alexander von Humboldt. So in this news article discussion let us understand about Humboldt's enigma. Firstly what is Humboldt's enigma? See it is a term used to describe the bustle of why some mountain regions especially in the tropics have exponentially high biodiversity contrary to the expected decrease in diversity away from the equator. It is named after Alexander von Humboldt. He is a 19th century naturalist who explored the relationship between climate, geography and species distribution. Humboldt's enigma challenges the conventional wisdom that the most biodiverse areas are the low land tropical forest but mountains have been an important exception which is the essence of Humboldt's enigma. So here comes the question why mountains have high biodiversity? See mountains play a key role in generating and maintaining diversity. The factors that drive biodiversity on mountains are climate, geology and evolutionary processes. Firstly geology upliftment of mountain results in new habitats where new species arise so the habitats are cradles. Different types of rocks and soils also influence plant diversity and adaptation. For example, Northern Andes in South America have diverse biomes and habitats supported by rich variety of species across elevation. Second thing is the climatic condition. See species on some climatologically stable mountains persist there for the long time. So these spots on museums that accumulate many such species over time. For example, Shola forest in western Ghats has diverse species of rare birds. Early evolutionary process. See mountains with more geological diversity tend to have more biodiversity. Eastern Himalayas have groups of birds which evolved elsewhere and dispersed to the Himalaya resulting in higher diversity there. So high geological heterogeneity often produces unique habitat patches on mountains within similar climate regime and promotes diversification. So these are the reasons why mountains especially near the equator have higher biodiversity compared to the diversity away from the equator. But still there is a need for more data on species distribution and evolution especially in understudied regions like the eastern Ghats. India has national programs like national mission on Himalayan studies and national mission on biodiversity and human well-being. This should be strengthened to support basic research on diversity. So these are certain facts that you have to remember about Humboldt's enigma. Since we are asked about terms like these in the UPSI problems examination we have chosen this article to explain it to you. So with these learnt points now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Take a look at this news article. According to the news article the government has decided to regulate the prices of non-uria fertilizers. See unlike URIA which has a fixed maximum retail price set by the government non-uria fertilizers were technically not under price control. The NBS or the nutrient-based subsidy scheme implemented on April 2010 allowed companies to set market determined prices for non-uria fertilizers but the recent decision of the government brings non-uria fertilizers under price control with the government fixing profit margin for these fertilizers. So in this context let us understand about the NBS scheme from the problem's perspective. See fertilizer subsidy plays an important role in the growth of agricultural productivity since they help in ensuring food security of our country. Remember there are two types of fertilizers in India. They are URIA-based fertilizers and non-uria-based fertilizers like DAP and MOP and etc. Here DAP is di ammonium phosphate and MOP is murate of potassium. Out of these URIA which is a nitrogen fertilizer is the only fertilizer whose price is regulated by the government. To put it simply they are provided to the farmers at a statutorily notified price by the government. Now let us see the non-uria-based fertilizers. See their prices are fixed by the companies. Now again this does not mean that the farmers will be burdened this is because they are regulated under nutrient-based subsidy or the NBS scheme. Now let us briefly see about the NBS scheme. See the NBS scheme is being implemented since 2010 by the Department of Fertilizers belonging to the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. Under the scheme fertilizers are given at subsidized rate based on the contained nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, potassium and sulphur. Remember it does not include URIA-based fertilizers. Also fertilizers which are fortified with the secondary and micronutrients like molybdenum, MO and zinc are given additional subsidy. So this is about the NBS scheme. Now let us see the significance of NBS scheme. See the first significance is its availability. This will enable smooth availability of all PNK fertilizers to the farmers during Rabi season at the subsidized prices of fertilizers and support the agriculture sector. Secondly observing the volatility. See the volatility in the international prices of fertilizers and raw materials have been primarily observed by the union government. This ensures that the input cost of the farmers is always lower. Thirdly it ensures supply. See the PNK that is the potassium and potash. Fertilizers are made available to farmers in adequate quantities and finally it helps in wider choice. More grades of PNK fertilizers have been brought under the purview of NBS scheme. This gives the farmer wider choice to use complex fertilizer grades. So these are all certain important facts that you have to remember about NBS. In this news article discussion we saw about the types of fertilizers in India. Then we saw about the NBS scheme and the significance of the NBS scheme. So with these learned points now let us move on to the next part of the news article discussion which is the preliminary practice question discussion. Now take a look at this first question. This question is about fame scheme. Three statements are given and you have to find how many statements given here is all correct. See the first statement given here is correct. It is a part of the national electric mobility mission plan. Second statement says it covers only electric vehicle. This statement is incorrect because it covers both electric and hybrid vehicles. Third statement says it is implemented by ministry of renewable energy. This statement is incorrect because it is implemented by ministry of heavy industries and public enterprises. So the correct answer for the question is option A only one because the first statement is only correct here. Moving on this question is about Oton account. Three statements are given and you have to find how many statements given here is all correct. See here the first statement is incorrect because the Oton account contains only the expenditure of the government. Here the second statement says it needs an approval of Lok Sabha. This statement is incorrect. It does not require the approval of Lok Sabha. Third statement says it is valid for the entire financial year. This statement is also incorrect. It is valid for two months until full budget is passed. So here the correct answer for the question is option D none of the above because all the parts regarding Oton account is incorrect. Moving on this question is asked you to find which of the following is excluded when calculating GDP using the income approach. Here the correct answer is transfer payment. See while using the income approach to calculate GDP transfer payments like social security payments or excluded because they do not represent payment for goods or services produced. For example if they were included it leads to double counting. For that purpose only it is not included while calculating the GDP. Moving on this question ask you to find which factor directly contribute to higher species richness in an ecosystem. The correct answer is option C. See ecological distribution can create opportunities for different species to colonize an area leading to an increase in species richness. Disturbances can break competitive dominance and allow new species to establish themselves. So here the correct answer for the question is option C ecological disturbance. Moving on under the nutrient based subsidy scheme subsidies are provided based on the content of which essential component in fertilizers. The correct answer here is option C macro nutrients. See under the regime subsidies are provided based on the content of macro nutrients that is primary nutrients required in relatively large amount in fertilizers like nitrogen phosphorus and potassium. So the correct answer here is option C. So the question displayed here is the mains practice question for you today. Just go through the question and try to answer it in the comment section. I hope you got a holistic perspective about different articles from different newspaper. You are free to give your suggestion in the comment section. We are waiting to read it. So if you like the video hit like, do comment and don't forget to subscribe to Shankar IAS Academy YouTube channel. Thank you for listening.