u/Low_Lead_6735

The IAS was once called the ‘Steel Frame of India'. What are the views of the Twenties regarding the civil services in the country. Please give opinions on both the sides.

Odonata Species (Dragonfly, Damselfly) species missing in the Western Ghats : 

Context : A recent study revealed that around 35% of the previously documented odonata species could not be found in the Western Ghats. 

1. Odonata refers to an order of insects that includes Dragonflies and Damselflies
2. In India they are found mainly in Western Ghats and Western and Eastern Himalayas. 
3. A total of 175 species are believed to be  endemic to India.
4. Odonates provide valuable ecosystem service by feeding large numbers of harmful insects such as mosquitoes, termites, true flies, aphids, smaller moths, etc. and act as an important biocontrol agent. They also control the pest populations in the agro- ecosystem. 
5. They are also  highly sensitive to environmental changes as they depend on freshwater ecosystems for reproduction and are widely recognised as an “Indicator Taxa or Bioindicators” meaning their presence, or absence directly reflects the ecological health of water bodies. 
6. Note : Dragonflies and damselflies are not listed under any appendices of CITES.
7. Invasive alien species : No dragonflies and damselflies species are reported to be invasive in Indian waters.

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Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation Weapon ( TARA ) : 

Context : DRDO and Indian Air Force recently successfully conducted the first flight trial of Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation Weapon ( TARA ) off the coast of Odisha. 

1. Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation Weapon ( TARA ) is an indigenous  system that can transform an unguided missile into a guided one. It has been designed and developed by the Hyderabad based DRDO, Imarat. 
2. It is primarily a modular kit that can be attached to a conventional unguided missile helping it glide over long distances and accurately strike a target. 
3. Unguided bombs (aka Dumb Bombs or Gravity Bombs) can thus be upgraded to smart bombs or precision guided munitions, with relatively low effort reducing the need to develop entirely new missile systems. 
4. An on-board navigation and guidance system corrects the missile’s flight path to improve accuracy. It uses a combination of Inertial navigation and Satellite based positioning to steer the missile towards the target. Note : TARA system glides, rather than relying on a rocket motor. 
5. Strategically, TARA is significant because it enhances the IAF’s stand-off strike capability. This means an aircraft can hit  targets from a distance that puts it out of the reach of air defence systems.

CREDITS : Part of CSE Mulyankan CRUX Magazines.

Forum and Only IAS keys differed by 4 Questions. Insights answer keys were most useless - a difference of 10 questions.

Acc. to UPSC Official Answer key, C is the correct answer.

I am attaching the link of the AMA here - AMA Post . Feel free to ask your queries as comments in the post.