UKPSC Mains PYQs

Solar cells, otherwise known as photovoltaic cells, produce electricity from sunlight. They use semiconductor materials, most commonly silicon, which absorb photons. That absorption energizes electrons, flowing with their own inherent electric field to create an electrical current through the material.

Bio-fertilizers are the ones produced from living microorganisms which improve soil fertility and stimulus to plant growth as natural way. These are differentiated into three characteristic i.e. bacterial (Rhizobium, Azotobacter), fungal (mycorrhizae), and algal (green-blue algae). They fix atmospheric nitrogen, solubilize phosphates and decompose organic matter, making nutrients more accessible to plants. Bio-fertilizers can hold a number of advantages, including better soil health, higher crop productivity, and decrease in reliance on fertilizers that can have an adverse affect on the surrounding habitat. They help foster sustainable agriculture because they enhance soil biodiversity and resilience. Bio-fertilizers are inexpensive and can be produced at a local level and becliboe is available to small-scale farmers.

Rural vs Urban Planning: The Planning ProcessObjectives: Scale and Focus Urban planning focuses on land use, infrastructure, and services to support high populations density, also related with also traffic, pollution and economic growth. Rural planning stands in stark contrast with a focus on preserving natural environments, encouraging agricultural usage and maintaining small settlement structures. It covers dilemmas like sustainable resource management and the delivery of basic services across large, sparsely populated regions. Zoning laws and building codes in urban environments are sufficiently stricter compared to that of rural planning which generally focuses more on environmental sustainability and local bio transparencies. There are some differences, which aim based on the specific needs and characteristics of each setting, to assure an improvement of both environments of life.

Mahatma Gandhi countrywide Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) passed in 2005 has been a large legislation in India, it goals to offer at the least a hundred days of unskilled wage-employment in a economic 12 months to each rural household. This scheme is distinctive in its scope, that is pretty one of a kind from previous schemes that typically centered on coins transfers or subsidies. The program under MNREGA focuses on generating long lasting basis infrastructures and improvise economic and social basis infrastructures in rural areas to generate sustainable development.

Another significant move as compared to the earlier policies is that MNREGA was based on participatory governance and emphasized transparency and accountability. It makes gram sabhas (village councils) responsible for planning and monitoring, ensuring the local community’s needs and priorities are addressed. The scheme also incorporates social audit and grievance redressal mechanisms, which were lacking in previous programs.

A look at MNREGA’s impact in the state of Uttarakhand is mixed. Though the scheme has helped rural households find a way out of never-ending unemployment, it has not been without its share of challenges. Stalled fund disbursement and wage delays have inhibited participation, which is one of the main difficulties. Additionally, due to poor quality assets created under the scheme, that have limited long term benefits. Facilitating such participatory and transparent mechanisms as contemplated in the act has also been a trouble area with gram sabhas not being effectively engaged in the planning process.

Despite these challenges, MNREGA has made significant strides in Uttarakhand by providing a safety net for vulnerable populations and improving rural infrastructure (to an extent). To fully realize its objectives, however, the state must address administrative inefficiencies and enhance community participation and the quality of work to be done under the scheme.

It is a genetic engineering technique, and it falls in the field of biotechnology, which is defined as the manipulation of the genome of an organism, using biotechnologies. It enables genome editing, deletion or insertion of a gene into a living organism so that the end goals desired by the scientists can be achieved. From medicine to agriculture to industry, this technology is going to change so many fields. In medicine, it promotes the creation of insulin and other therapeutic proteins, allowing costs for treatment of diseases such as diabetes to be lowered. In agriculture, genetically modified crops are more resistant to disease and pest infestation, potentially increasing yield and decreasing the amount of chemicals needed. On an industrial scale, it is also utilized in biofuel and biodegradable plastic production, promoting sustainability in that way as well. Gene editing comes with many advantages; however, you must understand that it carries ethical and environmental implications that must be governed appropriately (Ting et al., 2023).