TypingMitra.

in - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 1

Mixing history, tradition and commerce, the old city neighbourhoods of India's
metropolises have a unique vibrancy, colour and feel. Some of the hardiest
entrepreneurs, talented craftsmen and canny businesspeople have set shop
there, along with the working classes, that help turn the wheels of the economy.
These neighbourhoods are home to narrow lanes, crumbling commercial
structures, and pigeon holes that serve as residences. Packed with people, these
bustling neighbourhoods create well-knit communities too. Built well before
modern fire safety norms evolved, most of these buildings are also major fire
hazards. A stone's throw away from the Charminar in Hyderabad, a building in
Gulzar Houz housed a large joint family engaged in the jewellery business

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from the time of the Nizam, as well as several shops. As is common in old

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cities, a tunnel-like entrance near the shops led to a passage and then a
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courtyard around which there were shops on the ground floor and living areas
above. A skylight above the courtyard permitted light, but no air. On Sunday
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morning, a fire devastated the family killing 17, eight of them children. There
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was only one staircase to the living areas, a common feature in such accidents.
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A few seconds of inhaling smoke can trigger panic. Brain death happens in a
few minutes. The dead had literally no means of escape once the fire took over
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the narrow passage. Photographs taken hours after the blaze was put out still
showed smoke obscuring the insides. Gulzar Houz-type buildings are a
common sight across India's inner cities, and are standing fire hazards. In
Hyderabad, the street was wide enough for firefighters to access but that is not
the case elsewhere. A fire safety audit would establish key deficiencies of each
building and perhaps suggest solutions. But there are millions of such buildings
and this would be a humongous task. Communities can be engaged by city
planners to create awareness and promote safety. Too often, a building is built
for a certain electric load, and over time, the load increases multi-fold with
air-conditioners becoming must-haves.

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BSF HCM Passage 2

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first Independence Day speech in his third
term in office - the eleventh since 2014 - sought to signal continuity and
authority, particularly in the context of the fact that he is now leading a
coalition government. He called for a uniform civil code, terming it a secular
measure agnostic of religious faiths, 'one nation, one election,' and increased
safety of women against the backdrop of the sexual assault and murder of an
on-duty doctor in Kolkata recently. Mr. Modi said there were attempts to
destabilise the economy of the country, echoing the BJP's view on a recent
report by U.S.-based short seller Hindenburg Research that has accused the
head of stock market regulator SEBI of conflict of interest. Mr. Modi criticised

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the continuing trend of dynastic politics and suggested that one lakh first

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generation young leaders should enter electoral politics at various levels, and
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also expressed hope for peace being restored in Bangladesh. Reviewing his two
terms in power, he claimed that India has made great strides in manufacturing,
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and in fighting corruption, and vowed to stay the course regardless of obstacles.
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The desirability of a uniform civil code, or more youngsters in politics or

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fighting corruption is not in question. But unfortunately, all these remain

contentious issues, largely due to the government's partisan approach. That
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Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was seated in a back row of the
audience at Red Fort where Mr. Modi delivered his customary address is
instructive. The government's explanation for this breach of precedent, that the
seats in the front rows were given to members of this year's Olympic team, is
hardly a reasonable one. The government needs to be less unilate Independence
Day should be a good occasion as any other to remember that the nation is not
the government, and certainly not synonymous with the party in power. The
freedom is for keeping the government of the day accountable to the people
through a political process.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 3

On August 16, a 120-tonne rocket, about five times smaller than India's largest
satellite launch vehicle, took off from ISRO's Satish Dhawan Centre in
Sriharikota, heralding a major milestone in the country's space research. The
Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) can carry payloads weighing up to 500
kg. These space capsules had to earlier wait for months, even years, to hitch a
ride on vehicles designed for large satellites. But in the past decade, the
miniaturisation of satellites has enabled the entry of universities, corporates and
even individual innovators in a field once dominated by large enterprises and
state institutions such as ISRO and NASA. The SSLV can prove to be a game
changer for these micro and nano space stations. The launch vehicle can be

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assembled in less than a week by a much smaller team. With ISRO planning to

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transfer technology to private players, the country's space sector is poised for a
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significant expansion. The utility of small satellites is increasingly expanding
in a variety of sectors, including weather forecasting, communications,
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defence, urban planning and disaster management. They are also crucial
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enablers in the growing Internet of Things. There is near unanimity that the
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market for space tech is set to increase in the next five years. US and EU
companies are currently the biggest players, while China, Australia and Russia
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are beginning to expand their footprint. China plans to launch more than
13,000 satellites by 2030 to establish a network supporting high-speed 6G
communications. India currently is a relatively smaller participant its current
share in the space economy is about 2 per cent. With the SSLV and related
endeavours, the government aims at a four-fold scale-up in the The challenge
now is to frame a regulatory mechanism that complements ISRO's work,
enables manufacturers of small satellites and rockets to unlock their potential
while also making sure that the country's welfare imperatives are not crowded
out. The SSLV's launch should be a prelude to conversations on such a
mechanism.

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BSF HCM Passage 4

Six weeks after his visit to Moscow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to
Kyiv and meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday
(August 23, 2024) was largely seen as an exercise in balancing India's position
on the Russia-Ukraine war. Since Russia first invaded Ukraine in February
2022, India has maintained a uniquely distant position from the war: abstaining
from all resolutions at the United Nations that dealt with the conflict and were
critical of Russia. India also ignored western sanctions, particularly on
payments for oil imports and defence hardware from Russia, and did not accept
Mr. Zelenskyy's requests to include Ukraine in the G-20 summit last year or to
send a high-level political participation to the Swiss peace summit in June this

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year. India's disapproval of Russia's actions was instead couched in the

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language of peace, all of cold comfort for Ukraine, which was seeking a clear
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alignment with its cause, and deeply critical of Mr. Modi's Moscow visit. That
Mr. Modi made the visit at all, the first by any Indian Prime Minister since
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Ukraine's independence in 1991, is significant, and is being watched for signals

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of any major change in India's policy on the war. During his short visit, the two
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leaders discussed the conflict, and later visited a memorial for children killed in
the war. Unlike other international leaders visiting Kyiv since 2022, Mr. Modi
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did not meet with any war casualties or injured soldiers and civilians. The two
sides signed agreements on cooperation in agriculture, culture, medical
products and assistance for community development projects. The leaders did
not, however, speak of progress on other outlooked issues, including a strategic
partnership, or supplies of telecom The broader question around the visit was
whether India would now play a larger role in resolving the conflict which
includes an idea propounded by Kyiv for another summit in November. Mr.
Modi has also become one of a handful of world leaders.

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BSF HCM Passage 5

In what can only be a case of muddying the waters, the Union government is
reportedly mulling the expansion of data collection in the long-delayed Census
to include caste enumeration. That caste may be one of the variables in the
Census could be an outcome of the strident demand for a caste census by
several political parties. But considering the incomplete and poorly constructed
nature of the Socio-Economic and Caste Census of 2011, which resulted in data
that were unwieldy, inaccurate, and hence unusable, the government must not
hurry into utilising the office of the Registrar General and other agencies to
tabulate caste. There must first be a definite time frame to conduct the Census
on a war footing. If the delay is deliberate, in order to allow for delimitation to

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be conducted first in 2026, this will be harmful not just to public policy but

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also to relations with States. As of June 2024, out of 233 countries, India was
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one of 44 not to have conducted the Census this decade. The ostensible reason
provided by the Union Home Ministry was delay due to the COVID-19
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pandemic, but 143 other countries conducted the Census after March 2020,
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which marked the onset of the pandemic. India shares this dubious distinction
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of not having a Census with countries affected by conflict, economic crises or

turmoil such as Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Ukraine, Sri Lanka and
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in sub-Saharan Africa. There remains little excuse to continually delay the

decennial Census, an exercise that has been conducted without fail from 1881
to 2011. Yet, the deadline to freeze administrative boundaries of districts,
tehsils, towns and municipal bodies — a prerequisite before the conduct of the
Census lapsed on June 30 this year. This deadline has The reliance on a bevy of
sample surveys to fill in the gap is only resulting in debates over methodology
and conclusions based on cherry-picking according to one's political choice.
Clearly, the Union government must stop being derelict in its duties and should
proceed with the Census quickly.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 6

That unity in diversity is India's strength might sound cliched, but it is as true
as ever. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking at the Rising North
East Investors Summit 2025 last week, cited the diversity of India's
northeastern region to underscore the vast diversity of the country. The
northeast is rich in its cultural diversity and natural resources, and its location,
topography and complex histories make it a unique space. But its numerous
linguistic, tribal and cultural affinities can be a source of conflict within the
Indian state. At times, these conflicts can be violent as the one in Manipur,
which erupted on May 3, 2023, and is still simmering between the Kuki and
Meiti communities. The Modi government and State governments in the region

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have sought to turn the region into an attractive destination for investors and

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tourists. The Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh, the Bhupen Hazarika bridge in
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Assam, the construction of 11,000 kilometres of highways, extensive new rail
lines, more airports, the development of waterways on the Brahmaputra and
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Barak rivers, the expansion of mobile telephony, and a 1,600-km-long

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Northeast Gas Grid are examples of the new dynamism of the region. The
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Modi government has built on the initiatives of its predecessor United

Progressive Alliance governments. Mr. Modi has also sought to settle many a
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conflict in the region in the last decade. The Framework Agreement with the
NSCN (Isak-Muivah) in August 2015, although nebulous now, the Bodo Peace
Accord and the Bru refugee settlement (both in January 2020), and the rollback
of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from a larger part of the region have
been some of the steps signalling the Centre's intent. The change in perception.
Unless that understanding of India’s interest changes, it would seem Mr.
Modi’s visit followed form, but did not fundamentally move the needle on the
global peace effort. Nor did the substance greatly outweigh the symbolism of
the much-awaited visit.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 7

In the cyclical nature of cricket, India is stepping into a new era in Tests. The
appointment of Shubman Gill as captain in the game's longest format hints at a
break from the past and new beginnings. At 25, Gill is part of the young turks
within the squad, while K.L. Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah, at ages 33 and 31
respectively, remain the senior duo with previous captaincy stints. But in
picking Gill as the leader, the selectors, especially chairman Ajit Agarkar, have
loudly proclaimed that they are looking at the long road into the future, and not
a short-term replacement. The retirements of regular skipper Rohit Sharma and
talisman Virat Kohli in quick succession meant that big gaps had to be filled
both in terms of leadership chutzpah and batting acumen. Gill, with all the high

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potential through which he stepped into the game at all levels, be it under-19,

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Punjab and later the national unit, seems a good fit. He is also leading Gujarat
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Titans in the Indian Premier League and is clued into the art of captaincy. Men
younger than him have led India in the past, notably Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi,
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and Gill, with Rishabh Pant as his deputy, will learn more on the job starting
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with the five Tests commencing in England in June. He will have the freedom
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and responsibility to shape the team he leads. Besides Rahul and Bumrah, Gill
has to contend with other seniors, including Ravindra Jadeja, who, at 36, is
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closer to the finish line. It is what Mohammad Azharuddin dealt with while
having Kapil Dev, Dilip Vengsarkar, K. Srikkanth and Ravi Shastri in the
ranks. M.S. Dhoni too had a similar task as Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly,
Rahul Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman and Virender Sehwag reported to him. Gill has
the respect of the dressing room. Unless that understanding of India’s interest
changes, it would seem Mr. Modi’s visit followed form, but did not
fundamentally move the needle on the global peace effort. Nor did the
substance greatly outweigh the symbolism of the much-awaited visit.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 8

Gardening is a wonderful hobby that brings joy and peace to many people.
Working in a garden lets us connect with nature and watch plants grow from
tiny seeds to beautiful flowers or tasty fruits and vegetables. It teaches us
patience and care, as each plant has its own needs and takes time to grow.
Starting a garden can be simple. A small patch of soil in the backyard or a few
pots on a balcony can become a place full of life. First, you need to choose
what you want to grow. Some people love bright flowers like sunflowers or
marigolds. Others like to grow fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, or
lettuce. Herbs like mint and basil are also easy to grow and add a fresh taste to
food. Once you have chosen your plants, it's time to prepare the soil. Plants

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need rich soil to grow strong and healthy. You can mix in compost or organic

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matter to give the soil more nutrients. After that, planting seeds or small plants
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is a joyful step. It feels like you're giving a little bit of yourself to nature.
Watering is very important in gardening. Plants need water to stay alive, but
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too much water can hurt them. It's important to water them gently, especially
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on hot days. Watching the small green shoots push up through the soil is one of
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the happiest sights for any gardener. Gardening also helps us feel calm and
peaceful. When we spend time with plants, we leave behind the busy world.
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The sound of the breeze in the leaves and the sight of colorful blooms help us
relax. Gardening can be a form of exercise, too. Digging, planting, and
weeding help keep our bodies active and healthy. Gardening is not just about
growing food or flowers. It's also about taking care of the earth. Plants help
clean the air and create homes for birds and insects. By planting more flowers
and vegetables, we make the world a greener and healthier place.

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BSF HCM Passage 9

Education is one of the most important parts of our lives. It shapes how we
think, how we learn, and how we grow. A good education does more than just
teach facts-it helps us build confidence, understand the world around us, and
prepare for the future. From the moment we start school, we begin a journey of
learning. In early years, we learn the basics: reading, writing, and numbers.
These skills are the foundation for everything that comes later. As we grow, we
learn about science, history, art, and more. Each subject helps us see the world
in a different way. Teachers play a big role in this journey. A great teacher does
more than give lessons; they inspire us to ask questions, think deeply, and keep
trying even when things are hard. They show us that mistakes are not failures,

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but steps on the way to understanding. In today's world, technology has

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changed how we learn. Computers and the internet give us access to
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information from around the world. We can watch videos, join online classes,
and learn about any topic that interests us. This makes learning more fun and
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exciting. Education also helps us become better people. We learn about respect,
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kindness, and working with others. We discover that everyone has different
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strengths and ideas, and that's something to celebrate. These lessons help us
build strong friendships and become caring members of our communities. For
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many, education opens doors to new opportunities. It can lead to a good job, a
chance to travel, or even to start a new business. But education is not just about
work-it also makes life richer and more interesting. When we read books,
explore new ideas, or learn a new skill, we grow as people. A good education
never really ends. Even after school, we can keep learning. Every day brings
new things to discover and new skills to practice. Life itself is a classroom, and
every experience can teach us something important. As we look to the future,
education will be more important than ever. It will help us find solutions to the
world's big problems and help us live together with understanding and respect.
By working hard and staying curious, we can make the most of every chance to
learn.

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BSF HCM Passage 10

The morning was bright and fresh. The sun rose above the trees, casting a
warm light on the path ahead. Birds chirped in the branches, and a gentle
breeze carried the scent of flowers in the air. The sound of leaves rustling was
calming, and each step forward felt light and easy. I walked along the path,
enjoying the peaceful moment. The sky was clear and blue, with only a few
soft clouds drifting by. A butterfly fluttered past, its delicate wings shimmering
in the light. I paused for a moment to watch it dance before it disappeared into
the forest. The grass was soft under my feet, and the trees offered shade from
the bright sun. I could hear the distant sound of a stream, its cool water flowing
over smooth stones. I followed the path until I reached the water's edge and

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knelt down to feel the coolness on my hands. The water was crystal clear, and

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small fish darted in the shallows. I watched them for a while, letting the cool
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breeze wash over me. Time seemed to slow down, and I took a deep breath,
feeling the calmness of the morning. A gentle rustle in the bushes caught my
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attention. A small rabbit peeked out, its nose twitching as it sniffed the air. It
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looked at me for a moment, then hopped away, disappearing into the

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undergrowth. I smiled, feeling a connection to the quiet life of the forest. As I

walked back along the path, the sun climbed higher, filling the world with light
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and warmth. I felt a sense of wonder at the simple beauty around me. Each step
brought me closer to home, and I carried the memory of the morning with me,
a small treasure to hold in my heart. When I finally reached the end of the path,
I paused and looked back one last time. The trees stood tall and green, and the
gentle breeze carried the scent of flowers still. I felt thankful for this peaceful
morning, for the chance to slow down and see the world in a softer light. With
a light step and a happy heart, I turned and headed home, knowing that every
morning brings new beauty to be found.

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BSF HCM Passage 11

There is no greater betrayal than when a sanctuary turns into a death trap. Fire
accidents in hospitals that kill the vulnerable would fall squarely in this
category. A massive fire that broke out at City Hospital, an orthopaedic
specialty unit in Dindigul in south Tamil Nadu, last week caused the death of
six people, including a child and two women. All the victims were trapped in
the hospital lift and initial reports suggested they died of suffocation. Only one
of the six persons, who was on a wheelchair, was an in-patient at the hospital;
all the others were visitors. They were trapped, over half an hour, in the lift as
the smoke poured in through the vents, all escape routes sealed. The fire, which
reportedly started as a short circuit in the ground floor, swept up to the first

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floor, and smoke soon curled up to all the floors in the four-storey building,

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affecting patients. Initially, smoke was noticed in the outpatient department,
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after patient files caught fire. In response, the power supply was shut down, but
six persons still entered the lift at the ground floor. In the melee that ensued, no
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one paid any attention to the lift, stuck in between two floors. Meanwhile,
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patients on the higher floors struggled to breathe, but for many, because of
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mobility issues, there was no opportunity to escape. Thirty-two patients were

shifted to the nearby Dindigul government hospital for further treatment and
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three of them needed ventilator support. The rash of fire accidents in hospitals
in India, in recent times, and the lives lost are uncanny reminders that hospital
infrastructure upkeep, in the private or public health-care sector, is
astonishingly low priority across the country. all equipment in hospitals and the
hospitals themselves are ready to act and limit damage if, and when, a
mechanical fault was to cause a fire.

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BSF HCM Passage 12

There are stories all around us. All that is required is a little empathy on our
part to patiently listen to people around us Each one of us lives through stories
in life. What is each incident, each event, if not a story in itself? And, when
there are stories, then there is an urge to narrate, and an urge to be heard. It
could be the silent wail of desperation seeking help; or it could be the desire to
be appreciated, to be accepted. The Internet is an interesting place to be at.
However, if someone had told me even at the turn of the century the
remarkable changes that this virtual entite would bring into our lives, I would
have laughed. My story is not about the internet though; but the way it has
helped us cope. I read somewhere on the virtual world recently that there are

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libraries in Denmark, and in 50-odd other countries, where you rent humans for

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30 minutes to recount their stories. A quick search on the net revealed that
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there are at least three human library groups in India on Facebook. I too started
writing on social media a few years back. The sporadic writing turned into a
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passion so strong that now I must write something each day. It was my way of
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overcoming introverted nature. I could express my feelings and emotions

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without fear of being judged. I was returning home by train recently after
attending a literature festival at a university in Gujarat, where I also interacted
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with young adults during a creative writing workshop on storytelling conducted

by me. Almost all the students were from small towns in India. Without
exception, all of them had been inspired by someone close. More importantly, I
could sense an urge in these young creative minds to write these stories that
had motivated them so much.

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BSF HCM Passage 13

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has confirmed that there is an ongoing
programme in the United States to revoke the visas of foreign students who are
"taking activities that are counter to our national interest, to our foreign policy".
Reports suggest that several hundred visas have been revoked, which include
those held by Indian students. These reports also indicate that the U.S.
government is using surveillance of social media activity as a basis for these
revocations. Mr. Rubio also referenced the more troubling aspects of the Gaza
war protests-Jewish students were reportedly harassed or university buildings
were occupied. In his view, if an action would justify denying a visa at the
application stage, it is grounds for revocation after issuance. However, this

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development raises concerns about the U.S. government's stance on the free

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speech rights of foreign nationals who reside in the country legally. Not all
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those affected by these visa revocations have been disruptive. The right to free
speech is enshrined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Although
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the amendment explicitly restricts Congress from curtailing speech, it has long
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been interpreted broadly. It protects "people", not just citizens-though the

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distinction may have been less defined at the time of its writing. Whether this
right extends to foreign nationals legally present in the U.S. remains a grey
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area. Various laws-from those of the late 18th century to more recent
regulations concerning the impact on U.S. foreign policy -have placed limits on
such expression. Yet, historically, foreign students have often been vocal critics
of U.S. domestic and foreign policies without facing punitive action. And,
university administrations have generally defended the free speech rights of
students and academics. Despite its imperfections -both historic, such as the
internment of Japanese Americans during the Second World War, and ongoing,
such as systemic racial inequalities-the U.S. has been a beacon of liberal values
and due process. These are principles admired around the world, often more
than its material wealth or professional opportunities. For many, it is the
commitment to values such as free speech that makes the U.S. exceptional.
That commitment now appears to be at risk. The U.S. system of checks and
balances, which guards against the abuse of power, should assert itself-perhaps
through judicial intervention-to rein in the overreach by the Trump
administration and preserve the freedoms that define American democracy and
inspire large parts of the world.

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BSF HCM Passage 14

Last week, the Supreme Court of India finally struck down as "illegal" two
notifications by the Union Environment Ministry that allowed industrial units
to set up, expand operations or change their manufacturing practices without
following the due process of taking government permission beforehand. Taking
‘prior' approval is a sacrosanct principle at the heart of the Environment Impact
Assessment (Notification) of 2006. On the surface it appeared that the Centre,
or the Union Environment Ministry, had instituted a system that made a
mockery of this principle, but there was a rationale, even if it was flawed to
some extent. In March 2017, the body issued a notification providing a
"one-time" six-month window for industries that did not have the right

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environmental clearances, to apply for one. In 2021, it instituted a 'standard

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operating procedure' that in effect allowed projects in violation of the laws, but
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which could not avail of the six-month window, to apply-albeit at the cost of
heavy fines-for regularisation. Moreover, all these significant changes were
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being issued through executive orders, rather than any attempt at amending the
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underlying Environment Protection Act (EIA), 2006, through Parliament. The

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Centre's reasoning was three-fold. First, the process for regularising projects
had already been initiated by the United Progressive Alliance government in
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2012 and 2013. These were, however, struck down by the Jharkhand High
Court and the National Green Tribunal on procedural grounds, and not that
these projects were irredeemably violative. Second, demolishing functioning
plants that were contributing to the economy and employment could exacerbate
pollution and be disruptive. The Centre cited examples of various disputes
involving copper mines to pharmaceutical companies where the courts had
agreed that a "balanced" approach was necessary in cases involving violations.
Finally, it argued that it had put in place a system whereby the industrial units
seeking to be regularised would have to pay fines for the period that they had
functioned in violation. The Court in its final verdict has rightly, as previous
courts have, emphasised the principle of "prior" clearance, though its action
may be a little late as it has clarified that companies that had regularised
themselves under the 2017 and 2021 orders would be "unaffected" by the
judgment.

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BSF HCM Passage 15

The joint statement by the leaders of Canada, France and the United Kingdom,
and announcements by the U.K. and the EU to pause trade talks with Israel are
proof that the Netanyahu government is growing more isolated over its brutal
campaign on Gaza. Since the ceasefire ended on March 18, over 3,000
residents have been killed in the enclave, according to the Gaza Health
Ministry. Israel's chokehold on aid and humanitarian supplies has pushed
thousands to the brink of starvation, a fact that even Donald Trump, President
of Israel's all-time ally, the U.S., referred to during a trip to West Asia last
week. Mr. Trump's decision to skip Israel was seen as a mark of his displeasure
with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policy on the issue. Despite the

n
rebukes, Mr. Netanyahu has said Israeli Defence Forces needed to continue to

a.i
target Hamas operatives in the area, and added that Israel would now re-take
itr
full "military control" of the Gaza strip, which the IDF had vacated in 2005.
The comments provoked an angry response from the leaders of Canada (Mark
M

Carney), France (Emmanuel Macron), and the U.K. (Keir Starmer), all of
ng

whom had pledged their support to Israeli actions in response to the October 7,
pi

2023 terror attacks. They called the level of human suffering in Gaza
"intolerable" and Israel's escalation of bombardment a "disproportionate"
Ty

response, condemned the Israeli leadership for threatening to evict all

Palestinians forcibly from the strip, and recommitted to a "two-state solution"
for Israel and Palestine, to be discussed at a United Nations conference in June.
Significantly, the three countries even threatened sanctions against Israel. Mr.
Netanyahu's response, to accuse the three leaders of handing Hamas a "huge
prize", and vowing not to stop "until total victory is achieved", indicates that he
still believes that he can continue without being checked. It is time for the
international community to speak up so that Mr. Netanyahu does not think he
can get away with what international agencies are calling genocide. New Delhi
has notably thus far not issued any statement. This silence may be because of
its own preoccupation with Pakistan and due to Israel's unequivocal support
over Operation Sindoor. There is no link or equivalence between the two
situations, however.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 16

In the 16th century, an age of great marine and terrestrial exploration,
Ferdinand Magellan led the first expedition to sail around the world. As a
young Portuguese noble, he served the king of Portugal, but he became
involved in the quagmire of political intrigue at court and lost the king's favor.
After he was dismissed from service by the king of Portugal, he offered to
serve the future Emperor Charles V of Spain. A papal decree of 1493 had
assigned all land in the New World west of 50 degrees W longitude to Spain
and all the land east of that line to Portugal. Magellan offered to prove that the
East Indies fell under Spanish authority. On September 20, 1519, Magellan set
sail from Spain with five ships. More than a year later, one of these ships was

n
exploring the topography of South America in search of a water route across

a.i
the continent. This ship sank, but the remaining four ships searched along the
itr
southern peninsula of South America. Finally they found the passage they
sought near 50 degrees S latitude. Magellan named this passage the Strait of
M

All Saints, but today it is known as the Strait of Magellan. One ship deserted
ng

while in this passage and returned to Spain, so fewer sailors were privileged to
pi

gaze at that first panorama of the Pacific Ocean. Those who remained crossed
the meridian now known as the International Date Line in the early spring of
Ty

1521 after 98 days on the Pacific Ocean. During those long days at sea, many
of Magellan's men died of starvation and disease. Later, Magellan became
involved in an insular conflict in the Philippines and was killed in a tribal
battle. Only one ship and 17 sailors under the command of the Basque
navigator Elcano survived to complete the westward journey to Spain and thus
prove once and for all that the world is round, with no precipice at the edge.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 17

India carried out precision military strikes across nine locations in Pakistan and
Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir early on Wednesday (May 7, 2025). Targets
included Bahawalpur, the headquarters of the Jaish-e-Mohammed, and
Muridke, a nerve centre of the Lashkar-e-Taiba-terrorist outfits bred by
Pakistan to target India. India said the strikes were to destroy the camps used to
train terrorists and to "pre-empt as well as deter" more such cross-border
attacks following the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025 in which 26
people were killed by terrorists who identified the targets by their religion.
India's military strikes were "measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and
responsible", the government said. In 2019, India had carried out surgical

n
strikes in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in north Pakistan, after the Pulwama

a.i
terrorist attack. The response this time has been sharper and more resolute.
itr
Muridke and Bahawalpur are in Punjab, the heartland of Pakistan's ruling elite,
that has been playing the double game on terrorism. Pakistan has, for decades,
M

used terrorism as a low-cost instrument of war against India, under an umbrella

ng

of nuclear blackmail. India has been trying to figure out an appropriate

pi

response to this. With Balakot, and now Operation Sindoor, the point is
clear-India can have an overt military response in the event of a terrorist attack
Ty

against it, apart from economic and diplomatic measures. India has also
underscored the point that there were no civilian, economic or military targets
on Wednesday. Overt military action in response to Pakistan-sponsored
terrorism marks a change in India's strategy under Prime Minister Narendra
Modi. How this will change Pakistan's behaviour remains uncertain. The
strikes destroyed terrorist bases, but that setback may not be long term,
considering the perennial supply of radicalised youths in Pakistan. Pakistan has
not only raised terrorists who target India but also harboured Osama bin Laden,
the most wanted terrorist for the West, even while it was claiming to be an ally
in the war on terror. Pakistan's character will have to change if it is to behave
differently. India has reached out to other countries, and world powers must use
their considerable leverage to coerce Pakistan to act responsibly. The
retaliatory strikes apart, the investigation into Pahalgam should continue in full
vigour and be taken to its logical conclusion. India should also watch out for
escalatory moves by Pakistan and be prepared to respond militarily and
diplomatically. The Centre on Wednesday pointed out that the terrorists wanted
to disturb normalcy in Kashmir and create communal rift in the country. All
political parties have supported the military operation. While strengthening the
domestic political consensus on the issue, the Centre should also ensure that
elements who try to create communal strife and play into the hands of Pakistan
are restrained. Any missteps will carry a great risk.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 18

Once New Zealand clean-swept India in the Test series in October, the first
team to achieve the feat on home soil, Rohit Sharma's days as captain in the
format seemed numbered. A loss of personal form hastened his goodbye from
the format. He is an undisputed genius in the shorter version, a king of the
50-over format, a nawab of T20s, but in red ball, he was a commoner. 4,301
runs in 110 outings, an average of 40.57 and 12 hundreds - for someone with
his dazzling gifts, determination and commitment, the figures capture the
fits-and-starts nature of his long-form career. When he burst forth onto the
global stage, in white-ball cricket, he was touted as the new torchbearer of the
Mumbai school of batting, the inheritor of a heritage polished by Vijay

n
Merchant and Vijay Manjrekar, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. But he

a.i
fell short of embellishing their lineage. There was always a semi-tragic streak
itr
to his Test career, from a much-deferred debut owing to injuries. Had he
utilised his breaks after his sensational entry into Tests, he could have ended up
M

with far more glittering numbers and enriched batsmanship in the format, as he
ng

had in the white-ball arena. He possessed the most classic of strokes, a

pi

repertoire that most batsmen could only dream of, serenity that is the hallmark
of legendary players, a bonus second to judge the length of the delivery, and
Ty

the capacity to transcend playing conditions. A late dazzle did redeem his
career to an extent, but his talents largely remained unfulfilled. Similar was his
captaincy record in Tests. Whereas he would be hailed as one of the greatest in
the white-ball sphere - he moulded the team into an exhilarating bunch that
reclaimed the T20 crown after 27 years and reached the 2023 World Cup final
without losing a game - his leadership in Tests had its flaws. He won exactly
half of the 24 Tests he led - the twin peaks being the series wins over England
and Australia in India - but couldn't inspire his team to overseas series wins,
like his predecessor Virat Kohli. The brand of captaincy was different - Kohli
was all raging fire, Rohit had ice in his veins, the former wore his emotions on
his sleeve, the latter resorted to one-liners and disenchanted shrugs. The Kohli
comparisons were inevitable, and nowhere is the chasm deeper than in Test
cricket. Whereas Kohli gritted his teeth and made his way to scale the peaks of
batting, Rohit retreated to the foothills midway through the trek.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 21

Since the imposition of President's Rule in Manipur on February 13, the state
assembly has remained in suspended animation, following the BJP's failure to
reach a consensus on a successor to former chief minister N Biren Singh. As
the assembly has not been dissolved, it retains the possibility of being revived
when the prevailing conditions allow for the formation of a government.
Reflecting growing discontent with the present standstill, a group of 10 NDA
MLAs met Governor Ajay Bhalla at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday, urging the
formation of a popular government in the state. They claimed the support of 44
legislators in the 60-member Assembly (one seat currently lies vacant).
However, the revocation of President's Rule appears unlikely in the near future-

n
almost 25 months into the ethnic conflict, it is telling that peace remains the

a.i
immediate priority, not government formation. On April 29, the same 10
itr
MLAs, along with 11 other NDA legislators, had written to the Centre with a
similar demand. Their push for a return to a popular government is
M

understandable-after all, the BJP won a mandate in the 2022 Assembly

ng

election. The difficulty, however, lies in the nature of the proposed

pi

arrangement, which does not include representation for the Kuki-Zo

communities. By their own admission, those who claim the support of 44
Ty

MLAs have not included the 10 Kuki-Zomi MLAs-seven of whom were

elected on BJP tickets. The supposed consensus behind the push for a return of
popular government, thus, reflects a consensus among the Meiteis, but not
between the Meiteis and Kukis. The Centre's hesitation to revoke President's
Rule acknowledges the persisting instability in the state-illustrated by the
unrest in Imphal less than two weeks ago between protesters and security
forces, over the alleged instructions to cover the word Manipur on a state-run
transport bus (Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh has expressed regret and
announced an inquiry into the incident). While there is some consolation in the
fact that there has been no violent standoff between the two communities in
recent weeks, significant challenges remain-of rebuilding trust, addressing
grievances, and tackling the structural issues that lie at the heart of the conflict.
An estimated 3,000 looted weapons remain un-recovered. Thousands of
displaced persons remain in relief camps. Kukis and Meiteis continue to be
segregated between hill and valley. Only an inclusive political process that
brings all stakeholders to the table can offer a path to lasting peace. Without
such a process, even a well-intentioned return to a popular government risks
another cycle of violence.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 22

The Indian economy grew at a robust 7.4 per cent in the fourth quarter of
2024-25, surpassing most expectations. Growth for the full year has now been
pegged at 6.5 per cent by the National Statistics Office. This is in line with the
office's earlier estimates. Strip away net taxes on products and value added by
the economy grew by 6.8 per cent in the fourth quarter. Moreover,
notwithstanding the sharp pick-up in growth in the second half of the year the
momentum slowed down sharply in the second quarter when growth collapsed
to just 5.6 per cent the Indian economy has actually slowed down significantly
in 2024-25. Nominal GDP has also come in at less than 10 per cent. And
forecasts for next year aren't much brighter. The sector-wise disaggregated data

n
shows that agriculture continued to expand at a healthy pace, driven by

a.i
favourable weather conditions and remunerative prices, which induced farmers
itr
to sow more area. Growth of 5.4 per cent in the fourth quarter has put the
sector's growth for the full year at 4.6 per cent higher than its long-term
M

average. This bodes well for rural consumption. The industrial sector, though,
ng

slowed sharply, weighed down by manufacturing. The sector grew at just 4.5
pi

per cent in 2024-25, down from 12.3 per cent the year before. Construction,
however, continued to witness steady growth, expanding at 9.4 per cent in
Ty

2024-25, after growing by 10.4 per cent the year before. The services sector
also witnessed a slight deceleration, with trade, hotels, transport and
communication as well as the financial, real estate and professional services
segments growing at a slower pace than before. The GDP data also show that
private consumption grew at 7.2 per cent last year. This is difficult to reconcile
with some of the commentary from India Inc, which, through the last year,
voiced concerns over a softness in demand and a shrinking middle segment.
There are also questions over the sustainability of the sharp pick-up in
investments in the fourth quarter - gross fixed capital formation grew at 9.4 per
cent as per the latest data.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 23

IIT Delhi's decision to revamp its undergraduate curriculum marks a
much-needed shift in Indian higher education - from relentless academic
pressure to thoughtful, student-centric reform. By reducing credit loads,
introducing smaller class sizes, and embedding interdisciplinary flexibility into
the learning experience, the institution is acknowledging an uncomfortable
truth - excellence cannot come from rote learning or at the cost of mental or
physical well-being. The revised curriculum, to be introduced from this
academic session, has made pivotal changes: It emphasises hands-on learning
to ensure students gain practical experience alongside theoretical knowledge.
Smaller classroom sizes - especially critical in the first year for those

n
transitioning from vastly different educational environments - offers the

a.i
promise of stronger faculty-student engagement. It will also offer integrated
itr
courses and options to change branches after year one, based on merit. The
integration of sustainability modules across various disciplines reflects a
M

forward-thinking approach, aligning education with environmental concerns.

ng

Additionally, the incorporation of emerging technologies like AI and machine

pi

learning into the curriculum ensures that students are equipped to navigate and
contribute to the evolving technological landscape. The revamp, which comes
Ty

after 12 years, is more than administrative housekeeping - it's a response to a

crisis that elite Indian institutions have struggled to confront. In 2023–24, six
students at IIT Delhi died by suicide, part of a grim national pattern. Behind
these numbers are stories of young minds buckling under pressure in an
academic system that too often conflates merit with endurance. Years of
grinding at coaching centres, rigid curricula, hyper-competitive environments,
and an assembly-line model of education create a perfect cocktail of burnout
and mental-health crises. An internal committee set up by IIT Delhi last year
identified key structural stressors, that include post-coaching fatigue,
unforgiving grading systems and persistent caste- and gender-based
discrimination, especially for first-generation learners and students from
marginalised backgrounds.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 24

The monsoon arrived in Kerala on Sunday, more than a week before schedule.
It took a day to advance towards Maharashtra, and reached Mumbai on
Monday, 16 days before its expected arrival - the earliest onset of the season in
at least 75 years. Normal life in the city, which has experienced its wettest May
in the past 107 years, was thrown off gear. Its low-lying areas were inundated,
public transport was badly hit, and uprooted trees aggravated traffic snarls.
Much of the disruption was admittedly because the downpour was
unanticipated. The city's municipality had set a deadline of June 7 to complete
the desilting of drains. It was able to undertake a little more than 70 per cent of
this task before the rains arrived. Since the catastrophic floods of 2005, steps

n
taken by the BMC widening stormwater drains and adding pumping stations,

a.i
for instance - have reduced the monsoon-related problems of Mumbaikars to an
itr
extent. However, the BRIMSTOWAD project, initiated to overhaul the city's
drainage system after 2005 tragedy, remains incomplete. Designed more than
M

150 years ago to deal with 25 mm of rainfall per hour, spread out through the
ng

monsoon season, the city's drainage system is ill-equipped to deal with the
pi

recent changes in weather patterns relatively short but intense downpours. On

Monday, for instance, several parts of Mumbai received 170 mm to 250 mm
Ty

rain. The problem gets compounded because the catchment areas of some of
the natural water bodies the Mithi River, for instance have been taken over by
real estate. Reclaiming this land might be difficult. However, stopping garbage
dumping into water bodies could substantially improve their health and ability
to absorb the rains. Several parts of the country have experienced an unusually
wet summer this year. Last week, Bengaluru was battered by rainfall. Like
Mumbai, Karnataka's capital, too, hasn't invested much in drainage overhaul,
and the city has lost most of its lakes. Similarly, Delhi, which has received nine
times the normal rainfall in May, hasn't revamped its drainage system since
1976. The crisis speaks of a governance crisis, even though the municipalities
of Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru are amongst the country's richest. It's time
they and their counterparts in other parts of the country recognised that dealing
with weather vagaries is a key part of their mandate. Flooding and
waterlogging incidents are not irritants these hurt the economy, affect people's
livelihoods and claim lives.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 25

A study by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has sounded a
warning on an escalating health emergency among school children in the
national capital. Of nearly 4,000 students in the six-19 years age group
surveyed across Delhi's public and private schools, 13.4 per cent were found to
be obese, and 7.4 per cent suffering from hypertension. The data draws an even
more sobering contrast when viewed through the lens of socioeconomic status -
24 per cent private-school students were classified as obese, compared to 4.5
per cent in government schools. Students in private-school were also found to
be twice as likely to have elevated blood sugar and three times more likely to
exhibit metabolic syndrome - a dangerous cluster of conditions that includes

n
hypertension, abnormal cholesterol, and insulin resistance. Left unchecked,

a.i
these significantly increase the risk of early-onset cardiovascular diseases,
itr
musculoskeletal disorders, psychological stress, and Type 2 diabetes. The
Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (2016-18) had already shown that
M

15.35 per cent of school-age children and 16.18 per cent of adolescents in India
ng

are pre-diabetic. Together with the AIIMS study, the implications are troubling.
pi

Once grappling with malnutrition, India now faces a dual burden: For urban
and affluent children, prosperity has paradoxically become a vector of poor
Ty

health. Lancet's 2024 Global Burden of Disease Study reported that the number
of obese children in India has ballooned from 0.4 million in 1990 to 12.5
million in 2022. This staggering increase is a fallout of rapid urbanisation, the
ubiquity of high-calorie, nutrient-poor diet - often involving ultra-processed
foods and sugary drinks masquerading as child friendly and healthy - surging
screen time, and diminishing physical activity. The AIIMS report signals that
student health needs equal and immediate attention alongside academics. The
CBSE's recent directive to set up sugar boards in affiliated schools to reinforce
the dangers of excessive sugar consumption is a welcome move in that
direction. Physical education must be made non-negotiable and junk food
driven out of school canteens with the same urgency that was once reserved for
tobacco. Parents must re-evaluate lifestyle choices at home. Policy, too, has a
vital role. National guidelines on childhood obesity must move from paper to
practice. A concerted public-health push that combines regulation, education,
and community action to steer children toward healthier futures is vital to stem
the crisis. Otherwise, India's demographic dividend stands to carry with it a
long and costly health burden.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 26

The lessons of the past should serve as a good guide, especially the learnings
from three years of COVID-19. The country's COVID-19 dashboard has seen
some activity in recent weeks, and the total number (since January 2025) of
COVID cases is currently at 3961 (as on June 2, 2025, 8 a.m.), and the number
of deaths recorded as 32. While a figure in 1000s seems a bit alarming, it is still
a small number in a country with a population of over 1.4 billion. It is also
important to take a look at the full picture. Not all States have had a day-on-day
hike in numbers testing positive for COVID, and all hikes are still in the single
or low double digits. Also, 2,188 people have been discharged since,
underlining what experts have been saying as the curve rose this year: that the

n
variants causing infection now are Omicron subvariants and that they are

a.i
neither more transmissible nor do they cause worse disease than in the past.
itr
The lessons of the past should serve as a good guide, especially the learnings
from three years of COVID-19. The country's COVID-19 dashboard has seen
M

some activity in recent weeks, and the total number (since January 2025) of
ng

COVID cases is currently at 3961 and the number of deaths recorded as 32.
pi

While a figure in 1000s seems a bit alarming, it is still a small number in a

country with a population of over 1.4 billion. It is also important to take a look
Ty

at the full picture. Not all States have had a day-on-day hike in numbers testing
positive for COVID, and all hikes are still in the single or low double digits.
Also, 2,188 people have been discharged since, underlining what experts have
been saying as the curve rose this year: that the variants causing infection now
are Omicron subvariants and that they are neither more transmissible nor do
they cause worse disease than in the past. While panic and anxiety might be
unwarranted, a sense of caution and precautionary approach are advisable,
particularly for those with vulnerabilities and co-morbid conditions. Experience
from the pandemic is that people with other pre-existing co-morbidities are
disproportionately affected by COVID-19 infection. Common comorbidities
include hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and kidney
diseases, and advancing age (post 60 years). People with these conditions must
start masking up in public places, and hand wash regularly.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 27

In the wake of the brutal terrorist attack on Pahalgam, the government has done
the right thing by heightening security across the country. It has intensified
operations against terrorists and given greater urgency to increasing
surveillance along the borders. Last month, the Union Ministry of Home
Affairs issued an order asking states and Union Territories to detect and deport
foreigners, especially people from Bangladesh and Myanmar, living illicitly in
the country. The Centre's instructions have prompted several states to intensify
their ongoing operations against suspected illegal immigrants. From the West
Bengal government's allegation, earlier this year, of BSF's laxity against
Bangladeshi 'infiltrators' to Delhi's erstwhile AAP government's drive against

n
'illegal Bangladeshi' students to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's

a.i
frequent diatribes against immigrants from India's eastern neighbour, the issue
itr
of illegal immigration has raised its head time and again in the heat and dust of
Indian politics. The Centre and state governments must understand that the
M

current moment has a far more compelling imperative than polarising politics -
ng

the two should be kept scrupulously apart. However, reports in this newspaper
pi

shine a light on the disquieting tendency among authorities to ignore court

proceedings - and take the short cut bypassing due process. Among the people
Ty

caught in the no man's land between India and Bangladesh is an Assam school
teacher whose citizenship case is being heard by the Supreme Court. And, days
ago, a 50-year-old woman was pushed into Bangladesh and then brought back
after her lawyer flagged that she was legally in the clear. In Assam and several
other regions of the Northeast, the movement of people across the mostly
porous border across Bangladesh is an immensely sensitive and fraught issue.
On the one hand, the movement of people across regions has a long history that
predates Partition. On the other hand, the anti-outsider sentiment was the major
trigger for the Assam agitation and has often led to violence in the state. In
recent years, the state's BJP government has stoked anxieties around identity
and demography by framing the narrative in communal terms. The state
government's aggressive use of the Foreigner's Tribunal – it sets March 25,
1971, as the cut-off date for citizenship in Assam – has left thousands with an
uncertain future. The onus is almost always on the accused to prove their
citizenship. Assam CM Himanta

[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test
[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 28

In the wake of the brutal terrorist attack on Pahalgam, the government has done
the right thing by heightening security across the country. It has intensified
operations against terrorists and given greater urgency to increasing
surveillance along the borders. Last month, the Union Ministry of Home
Affairs issued an order asking states and Union Territories to detect and deport
foreigners, especially people from Bangladesh and Myanmar, living illicitly in
the country. The Centre's instructions have prompted several states to intensify
their ongoing operations against suspected illegal immigrants. From the West
Bengal government's allegation, earlier this year, of BSF's laxity against
Bangladeshi 'infiltrators' to Delhi's erstwhile AAP government's drive against

n
'illegal Bangladeshi' students to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's

a.i
frequent diatribes against immigrants from India's eastern neighbour, the issue
itr
of illegal immigration has raised its head time and again in the heat and dust of
Indian politics. The Centre and state governments must understand that the
M

current moment has a far more compelling imperative than polarising politics -
ng

the two should be kept scrupulously apart. However, reports in this newspaper
pi

shine a light on the disquieting tendency among authorities to ignore court

proceedings - and take the short cut bypassing due process. Among the people
Ty

caught in the no man's land between India and Bangladesh is an Assam school
teacher whose citizenship case is being heard by the Supreme Court. And, days
ago, a 50-year-old woman was pushed into Bangladesh and then brought back
after her lawyer flagged that she was legally in the clear. In Assam and several
other regions of the Northeast, the movement of people across the mostly
porous border across Bangladesh is an immensely sensitive and fraught issue.
On the one hand, the movement of people across regions has a long history that
predates Partition. On the other hand, the anti-outsider sentiment was the major
trigger for the Assam agitation and has often led to violence in the state. In
recent years, the state's BJP government has stoked anxieties around identity
and demography by framing the narrative in communal terms. The state
government's aggressive use of the Foreigner's Tribunal – it sets March 25,
1971, as the cut-off date for citizenship in Assam – has left thousands with an
uncertain future. The onus is almost always on the accused to prove their
citizenship. Assam CM Himanta

[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test
[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 29

There is no greater betrayal than when a sanctuary turns into a death trap. Fire
accidents in hospitals that kill the vulnerable would fall squarely in this
category. A massive fire that broke out at City Hospital, an orthopaedic
specialty unit in Dindigul in south Tamil Nadu, last week caused the death of
six people, including a child and two women. All the victims were trapped in
the hospital lift and initial reports suggested they died of suffocation. Only one
of the six persons, who was on a wheelchair, was an in-patient at the hospital;
all the others were visitors. They were trapped, over half an hour, in the lift as
the smoke poured in through the vents, all escape routes sealed. The fire, which
reportedly started as a short circuit in the ground floor, swept up to the first

n
floor, and smoke soon curled up to all the floors in the four-storey building,

a.i
affecting patients. Initially, smoke was noticed in the outpatient department,
itr
after patient files caught fire. In response, the power supply was shut down, but
six persons still entered the lift at the ground floor. In the melee that ensued, no
M

one paid any attention to the lift, stuck in between two floors. Meanwhile,
ng

patients on the higher floors struggled to breathe, but for many, because of
pi

mobility issues, there was no opportunity to escape. Thirty-two patients were

shifted to the nearby Dindigul government hospital for further treatment and
Ty

three of them needed ventilator support. The rash of fire accidents in hospitals
in India, in recent times, and the lives lost are uncanny reminders that hospital
infrastructure upkeep, in the private or public health-care sector, is
astonishingly low priority across the country. all equipment in hospitals and the
hospitals themselves are ready to act and limit damage if, and when, a
mechanical fault was to cause a fire.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 30

When the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, the immediate priority of
United States President Joe Biden was to prevent the conflict from widening
into a regional war involving Israel and its rivals. Mr. Biden adopted a two-fold
strategy. He offered unconditional support for Israel's war on Gaza, launched
after Hamas's attack on October 7, in which at least 1,200 people were killed,
and unleashed a diplomatic effort to keep tensions low between Tel Aviv and
its neighbours. But when the war raged on for months, with huge civilian
casualties in Gaza, the Biden policy started falling apart. Today, as the war is
set to enter its eighth month, Mr. Biden looks increasingly vulnerable to its
regional and domestic consequences. Over 34,000 people, a vast majority of

n
them women and children, have been killed by the Israeli Defense Forces in

a.i
Gaza; Israel vows to invade Rafah, the southernmost town in Gaza where more
itr
than 1.4 million Palestinians have taken refuge, despite Mr. Biden's warning
against such a move; with Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and strikes
M

and counterstrikes between Israel and Iran, the conflict has already spread
ng

beyond the borders of Palestinian territories and Israel, though a full-scale

pi

regional war has been avoided so far; the conflict has triggered massive
protests by university students in the U.S., piling up pressure on Mr. Biden to
Ty

reconsider his policy towards Israel. To their credit, Biden officials have been
working relentlessly to achieve a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and
Hamas. Mr. Biden's timely response to shoot down the drones and missiles
fired by Iran against Israel and his warning to the Prime Minister of Israel,
Benjamin Netanyahu, that the U.S. would not join Israel's retaliation against
Iran, helped ease regional tensions. But his overall approach towards the crisis
is flawed. The way Israel is carrying out its war on Gaza is against all the
values America preaches about wars and human rights. The U.S. kept
supplying weapons to the Jewish nation even amid mounting allegations and
evidence that Israel was indiscriminately bombing and destroying Gaza.

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BSF HCM Passage 31

It's a cliche in cricket: Numbers are not everything. But they could turn out to
be everything if the cricket board ratifies the proposed performance-based pay
structure, which was floated in the review meeting after India's defeat in
Australia. The number of zeroes on players' cheques could correspond to the
number of wickets they pick up, or the runs they score. If they don't meet the
expected standards, they could potentially face a pay cut. The implied logic is
that the uncertainty of pay keeps players on their toes, sustains their motivation
levels, and staves off mid-career stagnation. But the variable-pay idea is a
non-cricketing solution to a cricketing problem. It is antithetical to collective
endeavour and spirit, the soul of team sports. The hour's need is ideas to reroute

n
Indian cricket back to its glory days, not to formulate algebraic equations for

a.i
performance metrics. Unlike in the corporate world, there are no set-in-stone
itr
targets to judge a performance. It's the fascinating complexity of the game that
the same statistic could be interpreted in multiple ways. A century in the
M

second innings on a flat deck against tiring bowlers could be inferior to a fourth
ng

innings forty on a rank turner. A three-wicket burst by a pacer on a dead pitch

pi

could be more valuable than a six-for on a green-top. How would an umpiring

howler leading to a low-score dismissal be tabulated on the accounts sheet?
Ty

The game is bound by too many variables to be imprisoned by numbers. If the

recommendation is accepted, the board might end up hiring a retinue of
performance analysts - the sacred 5Ws and 1H framework - to dissect and
grade every performance. Red-ball cricket could become a reality show - the
obsession with the self could consume the ideals of the team. It risks more
cricketers slipping out of the red-ball galaxy and leaping into the franchise
universe. For flexible pay to work, boards will have to sell it by focusing on the
greater amount a player could earn if his team

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BSF HCM Passage 32

Chances are that most outside the modest Indian hockey universe would not
have heard of Pratima Barwa. Perhaps she preferred it that way. Barwa, who
passed away on Sunday aged 44 due to a brain haemorrhage, dedicated her life
to hockey. She did what few could = identify and nurture young talents in one
of the sport's biggest catchment areas, Jharkhand's Simdega. Because of her
efforts, Indian hockey is in a better place = three players, including captain
Salima Tete, are currently part of the national team that is in Europe for the
FIH Pro League. Grassroots coaching is one of the most unglamorous parts of
sport because of the lack of incentive. Yet, without such coaches, the sporting
ecosystem would be a non-starter. Selfless coaches like Barwa, who was from

n
Khunti, have kept Indian hockey running. Her academy was rudimentary, and

a.i
some of the coaching methods were, possibly, archaic. But Barwa, described as
itr
a 'mother figure” by her wards, did something far more impactful - she got
children hooked to hockey and gave wings to their dreams. Barwa's own
M

aspirations to play for India were unfulfilled. She played for Bihar in the early
ng

1990s. However, a left knee ligament injury in 1995 cut short her playing
pi

career. She then promised herself that she would help young players from the
region. Barwa's journey as a coach began in 2008 after she completed a
Ty

diploma from the National Institute of Sport in Patiala. A job with the
Jharkhand government as a coach took her to Simdega, and the hard yards
began. From sunrise to sunset, she would travel to schools and villages where
there was the slightest promise of talent, convince the families to let their child
play hockey and then groom them into world-class talents. Barwa never got the
recognition she deserved. Her legacy will, however, be there for all to see each
time the Indian team steps onto the hockey field.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 33

Since 2012, the only neighbours I have known are my landlords. Landlords,
those most dreaded of acquaintances. Like many others, I have often bemoaned
this species, willing them to be banished to an exclusive land of their own,
from where they can operate their business of exploiting their tenants - if they
find any, that is. I have heard of tenant-landlord relationships in big cities. I am
informed that there are papers to be signed by both parties after which a
property is let out. In smaller places, like the one where I come from and the
places where I have worked, especially in cases of one- or two-room tenements
where a professional, especially one in a transferable job and a government one
at that, can stay, such accommodation is easier to move into, if not easier to

n
find. No paperwork is involved and the shondhaan - search - occurs through a

a.i
chain of acquaintances. It usually happens that the landlord turns out to be a
itr
relative of a person who works in the same office as the person looking for a
house. I suppose it is a perk of living in a small place. Everything operates on
M

word of mouth. However, this arrangement comes with its own riders. These
ng

usually have to do with what time the front gate will be locked at night, how
pi

many times and for how long the water pump will be switched on in a day and
what food can be cooked in the house, etc. Since my days in Pakur to my
Ty

current life in Chandil, it has become a ritual to call my landlord at 08.30 pm

sharp and tell him to keep the front gate open as I'll be home late. Work in a
government health centre in a small town extends well beyond the 9-5 routine
but there is something about landlords and that magic hour between 8.30 and 9
pm that makes them rush to bolt their front gates. There have been instances
when I forgot to inform my landlord and paid the price for it. On one occasion
in Chandil, after repeatedly banging on the gate and trying to reach my landlord
over the phone, I got my staff from the health centre to climb the wall to open
the front gate. When I finally entered and knocked on the door of the house.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 34

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) played the Indian Premier League's (IPL)
inaugural game on April 18, 2008. It was a night that, however, belonged to
rival Kolkata Knight Riders with Brendon McCullum's unbeaten 158 putting
the match well beyond the host in its backyard at the M. Chinnaswamy
Stadium. In the subsequent editions, the franchise with a fiercely loyal fan
base, promised much, delivered little and had three runner-up finishes to show.
Finally, the ghosts of the past were laid to rest when Rajat Patidar's men
claimed the title with a six-run victory over Punjab Kings in the summit clash
at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday night (June 3, 2025).
RCB's triumph in the IPL's 18th edition was also a tribute to Virat Kohli's

n
longevity. He has been with the squad since its first game in 2008. In a unit that

a.i
featured stars such as Rahul Dravid, AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle and Ross
itr
Taylor in the past, Kohli has been the forever spine. The young lad has grown
into a patriarch, and he has achieved enough and more with the Indian team,
M

both as player and captain, but a missing IPL trophy, always rankled him.
ng

Finally that aberration has been corrected and there was no mistaking the relief
pi

and joy that coursed through him on a surreal June night. Patidar's assurance,
Kohli's experience, spinner Krunal Pandya's choking spells, and Josh
Ty

Hazlewood's sharp pace, all combined well while many others dished out
cameos to keep RCB in the hunt through the latest IPL. Even if the cup proved
elusive, Punjab Kings did remarkably well, especially its captain Shreyas Iyer;
he will have a larger role with the Indian ODI team whenever Rohit Sharma
and Kohli bid adieu to that format. Among the rest, Mumbai Indians, after a
lukewarm start, surged back and found a berth in the play-offs, one that also
featured Gujarat Titans. If the IPL was all about RCB's redemption song and
Punjab Kings' chutzpah, equally, it mirrored the decline of a pedigreed outfit,
the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), which finished last. An ageing M.S. Dhoni
could not stem the rot and former

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 35

By now it will probably bore you to hear that there is no such thing as a boring
presidential election in Iran. But I submit that this is true,” Laura Secor writes
in her stirring 2016 book, Children of Paradise: The Struggle for the Soul of
Iran. Given the ease, in hindsight, with which Hassan Rouhani won re-election
on Saturday as President, it may appear that we finally have an exception to her
assertion. Rouhani took 57% of the vote, to his nearest opponent, Ebrahim
Raisi's 38.5%, thus averting the need for a run-off. This was so obviously
Rouhani's election to lose, that it would have needed a spectacular mistake on
his campaign's part, or an intervention of the sort effected in 2009 to deny Mir
Hossein Mousavi the presidency, for him to be denied continuance in office.

n
Rouhani is too experienced a hand, and the Supreme Leader a lot more cautious

a.i
about provoking protests than Iran's 'deep state” was eight years ago, so
itr
everything went as per expectation - without the edginess usually associated
with Iranian elections, such as when the reformist Mohammad Khatami won
M

the vote in 1997 and 2001, or when the populist Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
ng

defeated the grand old man of Iranian politics, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, in
pi

2005 or when he in fact went on to reportedly steal the vote in 2009. Yet, for all
its predictability and lack of drama, the 2017 election could be far more crucial
Ty

than those in the past. For one, speculation is growing about who may succeed
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Supreme Leader, the most powerful position in the
Islamic Republic. In the time since he took over from Ruhollah Khomeini in
1989, Khamenei has presided over a deepening web of security, political and
electoral arrangements, so that it is difficult for even the most avid among Iran
watchers to precisely locate where exactly power and decision-making rest. It
is unclear how much of a role Khamenei may himself play in the near future to
identify, if not groom, a successor. It's interesting that Raisi has often been
mentioned as a possible contender; and so has been Rouhani.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 36

British Prime Minister Theresa May has landed herself in a political soup just
as her predecessor did. For the second year running, the British Conservative
Party has plucked defeat from the jaws of victory. Having won a comfortable
election victory, David Cameron called for a referendum on Britain's
membership in the European Union (EU) last year and had to resign when the
British public voted to leave the union. May replaced him. She called for a
national election in April hoping to win a strengthened mandate for her to
negotiate with the EU. She had earlier triggered the process for leaving the EU.
She ran a lacklustre campaign. In particular, her decision to remove some
old-age pension entitlements did not go down well with her party's main vote

n
bank-the elderly. The youth had sided with the agenda of multiculturalism,

a.i
pro-immigration, pro-welfare and pro-national ownership of infrastructure
itr
industries put forward by the Labour Party. On 9 June, when the election
results were announced, the Conservative Party found out that it had lost
M

whatever little majority it had in the House of Commons. Now, it is about or

ng

eight seats short of the 326 required to form a government of its own. The
pi

Labour Party had gained 30 seats to increase its tally to 261 seats. May has
staked her claim to form the government as the leader of the single-largest
Ty

party. But her authority has been weakened considerably. EU leaders were
playing hardball with Britain even before the election results. Now, they would
be even less inclined to be accommodative. Further, the eurozone has become a
region of economic stability, at least superficially. German Chancellor Angela
Merkel, for better or worse, has regained her poise and composure after facing
some domestic political backlash for her refugee policy in 2016. Although
news continues to dribble out of Germany that violent crimes in its small towns
and villages has gone up, recent local election results in the country have gone
in her favour. Further, the election of Emmanuel Macron as French president
has boosted morale in the eurozone. Between them, they appear poised to move
towards closer European integration in the years ahead.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 37

There was a time when Pete Sampras's tally of 14 Grand Slam singles titles -
the last of which came at the U.S. Open in 2002 - seemed like the acme of
sporting achievement in men's tennis. Little did anybody expect that in the next
16 years, across 64 Majors, not one or two but three players would stand
shoulder to shoulder with the American great. On Sunday, Novak Djokovic
became that third man, defeating Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, for his third
U.S. Open title at Flushing Meadows. The 31-year-old Serb has never been
considered a once-in-a-generation talent, as have Roger Federer and Rafael
Nadal, the ones above him in the trophy count. But nobody represents the
modern-day game as well as Djokovic. He is the ultimate practitioner of the

n
attrition-based baseline tennis, and at his best, with his supremely efficient

a.i
patrolling of the court, is near invincible. Over two weeks in New York he hit
itr
this high many times over. In fact, the 95-minute second set in the final was a
microcosm of Djokovic's last two years. It was long and weary as fortunes
M

swung back and forth. But adversity energised him, and he found a level which
ng

his opponent couldn't match. Coming after his triumphant return at Wimbledon
pi

in July, the latest success is evidence enough that technically, tactically and
physically Djokovic is back to his best. If it was about the restoration of the old
Ty

order on the men's side, it was the continuation of the new in the women's
section. There has been a first-time winner in four of the past six Grand Slam
tournaments, and 20-year-old Naomi Osaka added to the eclectic mix by
becoming the first Japanese to win a Major. In Serena Williams, the winner of
23 singles Slams, the most by any player in the Open Era, Osaka faced the
ultimate challenge. It was also an inter-generational battle like none other. The
16-year age gap between Williams and Osaka was the second biggest in the
Open Era for a women's final, next only to Monica Seles (17) vs. Martina
Navratilova (34) at the 1991 U.S. Open. To her immense credit, Osaka wasn't
awed by the stage. While growing up, she had revered Williams.

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BSF HCM Passage 38

Kangaroo mother care (KMC) or the intervention where babies are placed in
skin-to-skin contact with their mothers and exclusively breast fed has been
recommended worldwide for stable low-birthweight newborns. Stable babies
are defined as babies who do not need respiratory support or intravenous fluids
and can accept oral feeds. Though previous studies have shown that keeping
the baby in contact with the mother improves survival in babies (less than 2 kg
weight at birth) when compared to standard hospital care, global data show that
barely 5% receive such care. Also, there is no much evidence on kangaroo
mother care impact when initiated at homes in India. To understand this, a team
of researchers carried out a study in Haryana. The results recently published in

n
The Lancet show that kangaroo mother care improved survival by 30% and

a.i
25%, in babies till 28 days and six months of age, respectively. The paper adds
itr
that such care for all infants with low birthweight could substantially reduce
neonatal and infant mortality. About 97% of the world's low-weight babies are
M

born in developing countries, and India accounts for about 40% of this,
ng

implying an urgent need of effective interventions. Sarmila Mazumder, lead

pi

author of the study says, 'In developing countries, even today, babies are born
at home or even if born in hospitals, are discharged too soon without kangaroo
Ty

mother care initiation. It is imperative therefore that such care is initiated at

home.” For the study, over 8,000 stable low-birthweight babies weighing less
than 2.25 kg, were enrolled from two districts in Haryana, during 2015-2018
and randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Kangaroo mother
care intervention was initiated at home, at an average age of 33 hours and
delivered during the first month of life, through home visits. The enrolled
babies were followed up at one, three and six months of age. Dr. Mazumder
adds that kangaroo mother care benefits are much beyond preventing
hypothermia. 'The care improves exclusive breast feeding, duration of breast
feeding

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 39

For an economy that is tottering, a big bang announcement from the
government can sometimes work to turn around sentiment. The unveiling by
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday of a mega push to
infrastructure investment adding up to 102 lakh crore over the next five years
belongs in this category. Projects in energy, roads, railways and urban
infrastructure under the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) have been
identified by a task force. About 42% of such identified projects are already
under implementation, 19% are under development and 31% are at the
conceptual stage. The NIP task force appears to have gone project-by-project,
assessing each for viability and relevance in consultation with the States.

n
Considering that the NIP will be like a window to the future, a constant review

a.i
becomes paramount if this is not to degenerate into a mere collation and listing
itr
of projects. A periodic review, as promised by the Finance Ministry, is
necessary. The government's push on infrastructure development will not only
M

enable ease of living - such as metro trains in cities and towns - but also create
ng

jobs and increase demand for primary commodities such as cement and steel.
pi

From this perspective, this push to invest in infrastructure is welcome.

Identifying the projects to be put on the pipeline is the easy part. Implementing
Ty

and commissioning them will be the more difficult one. There are a few hurdles
that the NIP task force needs to watch out for. First, the financing plan assumes
that the Centre and the States will fund 39% each while the private sector will
chip in with 22% of the outlay. Going by the present fiscal situation, it will be
no small challenge for the Centre to raise 39 lakh crore, even if it is over the
next five years. The financial position of States is even more perilous. Second,
the 22 lakh crore expected from private investment also looks steep considering
the lack of appetite for fresh investment by the private sector in the last few
years. In fact, this factor has been a major drag on economic growth. Given the
scale of investment, debt will play an important role and it remains to be seen if
banks have gotten over their apprehensions on infrastructure financing as a
major part of their bad loans originated there.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 40

E-pharmacies, which operate through websites or smartphone apps on the
Internet, offer medicines for sale at a discount of at least 20% when compared
to traditional pharmacists, with the added convenience of home delivery of
medicines to one's doorstep. For scheduled drugs, patients can submit
photographs of prescriptions while placing orders. Despite operating in India
for at least four years now, the legal status of these e-pharmacies is not clear
because the government is yet to notify into law draft rules that it published in
2018. The fiercest opponents of e-pharmacies are trade associations of existing
pharmacists and chemists. They argue that their livelihoods are threatened by
venture capital backed e-pharmacies and that jobs of thousands are on the line.

n
Apart from these obvious arguments, these trade associations also spin

a.i
imaginary tales of how e-pharmacies will open the door to drug abuse and also
itr
the sale of sub-standard or counterfeit drugs, thereby threatening public health.
There is enough evidence on record to demonstrate how existing pharmacies
M

contribute generously to drug abuse and sale of sub-standard medicine. There is

ng

no reason to suspect that e-pharmacies are going to worsen the situation in

pi

anyway. The more prudent way of looking at the entry of e-pharmacies is

competition and the resultant effect it will have on lowering the price of
Ty

medicine for Indian patients. Viewed from this perspective, there is virtually no
doubt that e-pharmacies should be allowed to operate because the history of
India's trade associations of pharmacists is one of rampant, unabashed
cartelisation that has resulted in an artificial inflation of medicine prices. This
practice of two competitors colluding to fix the sale price and area of operation
is called cartelisation, and is illegal under India's Competition Act. The premise
of this law is that a free market is efficient only if all sellers are competing with
each other to offer the lowest price to the customer.

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BSF HCM Passage 46

The Indian pharma industry is flourishing overseas, touching almost every part
of the world. With low cost, speed and high quality advantage, India is gearing
up to become the hub for contract research and manufacturing. Having a
competitive edge is, one thing and maintaining it is another. Canada provides
tax benefits up to 6 percent for research carried out within the country. Others
like Korea and China without a large pool of scientists make up by facilitating
foreign research in every conceivable way. India does not do any of this and
faces many hurdles - diseases that it has been inflicted with since independence
like Malaria and TB while Indian companies have only focused on reverse
engineering blockbuster drugs from MNCs, overseas scientists have displayed

n
little interest in researching sub-contiment specific diseases as there are more

a.i
profits and public interest in lifestyle drugs such as obesity which in turn fund
itr
their research. In the interest of Indian research industry a decision must be
taken quickly on the implementation of data protection laws. India is one of the
M

few countries where data exclusivity provisions are not prevalent. Data
ng

protection is a contentious issue, wholly debated by the government and the

pi

industry. A pharma company wishing to market a drug is required to submit

data to the drug controller to show that the drug is both effective and safe. The
Ty

first (originator) company that makes the application for marketing approval
has to submit its data relating to the clinical trials to the drug controller, who
once satisfied that the drug is safe and effective will register it. Another drug
company wishing to market the same drug only requires to show a
bioequivalence company. Thus, as per the prevailing laws, the regulator in
India can rely on an innovator's data to approve the competitor's product. While
the system in general is responsible for maintaining the necessary secrecy, it is
not accountable for the same-the competitor gets an unfair advantage over the
innovator even when he is clandestinely abusing an innovator's intellectual
property.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 41

Cancer drugs need to be powerfully toxic to kill tumor cells. But they also can
kill healthy cells, sometimes with brutal side effects. Now, scientists have
designed a way to seal cancer drugs inside tiny capsules so the drugs won't
harm the healthy cells while traveling through the bloodstream. They hold that
medicine securely until they reach a tumor and a remote control 'switch” finally
triggers the drug's release. Smaller than bacteria, the capsules are called
nanoparticles because their size is measured in nanometers. A magnetic field is
the invisible force generated by a magnet. Researchers use a magnetic field to
work as that remote control switch. Focusing that field on the cancer site
ensures that the medicine is released only where it's needed. The nanoparticles

n
don't seek tumors out. They do, however, tend to collect at tumor sites. Tumors

a.i
tend to grow so fast that the blood vessels inside them can't keep up. This
itr
causes holes to form in the blood vessels. For a nano-package carrying the
medicine, those leaky spots become a doorway from the bloodstream into the
M

tumor. The nanoparticles slip in through those leaks, then accumulate in the
ng

tumor. Nanoparticles also can pile up in unwanted places. One such unhelpful
pi

collection point is the liver. This organ acts as a filter, snagging poisons out of
the blood. It will also net some nanoparticles. Those caught in the liver could
Ty

damage that organ if they shed too much of an anti-cancer drug. For many
years, researchers have studied how to make nanoparticles that won't drop their
drug cargo at such unwanted sites. Sometimes they relied on a chemical trait of
the tumor - or the enzymes it produces - to unlock the particles. But not all
cancers have the same chemistry. So the medicine might still leak out to poison
cells outside the tumor. The new innovation by Rinaldi's team is the creation of
a nanoparticle that won't release its medicine anywhere until it gets very warm.
And that warming occurs when the particle is exposed to a magnetic field.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 42

For an economy that is undeniably in slowdown mode, it does come as a
surprise that the first Budget of the Modi 2.0 government has eschewed any
sort of pump priming, instead preferring to leave the job of stepping up
investment to the private sector. The template for a growth process driven by
monetary accommodation and fiscal prudence was spelt out rather clearly in
the Economic Survey, tabled in Parliament on Thursday. If one were to
compare this growth slide with the post-GFC period, it is clear that the Centre
has consciously chosen not to go down the path laid out by the then finance
minister Pranab Mukherjee. It is believed, and not without reason, that the
fiscal stimulus then administered led to both deficit and inflation going out of

n
gear. Expenditures were poorly managed, with corruption in delivery processes

a.i
no doubt playing a role in the double digit inflation rates of the UPA-2 years.
itr
Yet, from there, it seems a tad excessive to altogether shut out the fiscal option
to get the economy moving, particularly when there are better technological
M

processes in place to ensure quality spending. An increase of Rs. 3.3 lakh crore
ng

in the projected expenditure of the Centre in 2019-20 over the revised estimates
pi

of 2018-19 is insignificant when seen against the Rs. 3.15 lakh crore increase
in 2018-19 over the actuals of 2017-18 - given inflation and nominal GDP
Ty

growth of 12 per cent projected in 2019-20. The fiscal squeeze is underscored

in relation to capital expenditure: it has been slashed to Rs. 8.7 lakh crore in
2019-20 from Rs. 9.2 lakh crore in the revised estimates for 2018- 19, with
Railways bearing the brunt. It would appear that uncertain revenue collections
on both the direct taxes and GST fronts have prompted this fiscal conservatism.
While the tax revenue estimates for 2019-20 are conservative in relation to the
interim Budget, they seem ambitious when seen against the revisions made by
the Controller General of Accounts for 2018-19. The Centre has budgeted a
disinvestment mop-up of Rs. 1.06 lakh crore to plug this gap.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 43

Once upon a time there was a royal elephant which used to reside in the
premises of the king's palace. Elephant was very dear to the king, so he was
well-fed and well-treated. There was also a dog who lived near the elephant's
shed. He was very weak and skinny. He was always fascinated by the smell of
rich sweet rice being fed to the royal elephant. One day, the dog could no
longer resist the aroma of the rice and somehow managed to sneak into the
elephant's mouth. He linked the rice so much, that he started going there daily
to eat the rice. For days, the huge elephant didn't notice the small dog as he was
busy enjoying the delicious food. Gradually, the dog grew bigger and stronger
eating such rich food. Finally the elephant noticed him and allowed him access

n
to the food. The elephant enjoyed the company of the dog and started sharing

a.i
his food with him. They also started spending time with each other and soon
itr
became good friends. They ate together, slept together and played together.
While playing, the elephant would hold the dog in his trunk and swing him
M

back and forth. Soon neither of them was happy without the other. They
ng

became great friends and didn't want to be separated from each other. Then one
pi

day, a man saw the dog and asked the elephant-keeper, I want to buy this dog.
What price do you want for it? The elephant-keeper didn't own the dog but sold
Ty

it and extracted a sum of money from this deal. The man took the dog to his
home village, which was far away. The king's elephant became very sad after
this incident. He missed his friend a lot and started neglecting everything. He
didn't want to do anything without his dear friend, so he stopped eating,
drinking and even bathing. Finally, the elephant-keeper reported this to the
king; however he didn't mention anything about the dog. The king had a wise
minister, who was known for his keen understanding of animals. The king
ordered the minister, Go to the elephant's shed and find out the reason for the
elephant's condition

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 44

The University Grant Commission's directive to college and University
lecturers to spend a minimum of 22 hours a week in direct teaching is the
product of budgetary cutbacks rather than pedagogik wisdom. It may seem odd,
at first blush, that teachers should protest about teaching a mere 22 hours.
However, if one considers the amount of time academics require to prepare to
lectures of good quality as well as the time they need to spend doing research,
it is clear that most conscientious teachers work more than 40 hours a week. In
University system around the world lecturers rarely spend more than 12 to 15
hours in directing teaching activities a week. The average college lecturer in
India does not have any office space. If computers are available, internet

n
connectivity is unlikely. Libraries are poorly stocked. Now the UGC says

a.i
universities must implement a complete freeze on all permanent recruitment,
itr
abolish all posts which have been vacant for more than a year, and cut staff
strength by 10 per cent. And it is an order to ensure that these cutbacks do not
M

affect the quantum of teaching that existing lecturers are being asked to work
ng

longer. Obviously, the quality of teaching and academic work in general will
pi

decline. While it is true that in some college teachers do not take their classes
regularly, the UGC and the institution concerned must find a proper way to
Ty

hold them accountable. An absentee teacher will continue to play truant even if
the number of hours he is required to teach goes up. All of us are well aware of
the unsound state that the Indian higher education system is in today. Thanks to
years of sustained financial neglect, most Indian universities and colleges do no
research worth the name. Even as the number of students entering colleges has
increased dramatically, public investment in higher education has actually
declined in relative terms. Between 1985 and 1997, when public expenditure
on higher education as percentage of outlays on all levels of education grew by
more than 60 per cent in Malaysia and 20 per cent in Thailand, India showed a
decline of more than 10 percent.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 45

The wife of the headman of a village died soon after giving birth to a baby boy.
The headman was inconsolable but was persuaded by his family and friends to
marry again so that the child would have someone to look after him.
Fortunately, his second wife turned out to be a large-hearted and sensible
woman who gave the child all the love and care he would have received from
his own mother. In the course of the years she presented the headman with two
more sons, but her affection for the oldest never diminished. She treated all
three boys alike and the two younger ones never realised they had a
step-brother. When the headman passed away, the widow entrusted the
responsibilities of the household and the fields to the eldest son and he

n
managed them so well that the family prospered. This made the neighbours

a.i
envious. One day, one of them told the widow's sons the truth about their eldest
itr
brother and advised them to drive him away from the house lest he should
deprive them of their share of their father's property. The boys shocked at the
M

revelation and felt frightened by the prospect of losing their share of the
ng

property, decided to murder him. When they told their mother about what they
pi

planned to do, she said to them - 'Don't dirty your hands, I will get rid of him
for you. That night when everybody was asleep, she suddenly jumped out of
Ty

bed and started shouting; 'Snake! Snake!” 'Where? Where did you see it,
mother?” asked the eldest son, getting up from his mat. 'Alas”, said the widow.
'I saw it disappearing into your stomach.” The young man turned pale. From
that day on, he lost all appetite for food and would lie on his mat the whole day
long. Soon he became so weak that he could not even sit up on his mat. The
neighbours rejoiced and took advantage of the situation. They built a wall
across the widow's courtyard and claimed a part of the house as their own. In
the fields they shifted their boundaries to enclose large portions of the widow's
lands.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 47

Recently, in a court case, lawyers argued that the deity in a temple is a legal
entity and therefore, the deity's legal rights have to be protected. The deity's
legal rights and desires and wishes, are expressed through the hereditary priests
who manage the temple and who have been doing so for several generations.
This draws our attention to a very important but overlooked theme in Indian
society where gods play significant role in establishing society. Deities have
always played an important role in social engineering and we have to think
about it carefully. In ancient tribes how did you bind people together?
Everybody had a different opinion, this could have led to tensions between
members over resource allocation, job allocation. One of the ways in which the

n
tribe was kept together was by establishing an impersonal deity, to whom all

a.i
are beholden and this deity's wishes were expressed through the dreams of
itr
shamans and everybody submitted to this dream. The shamans, by staying
away from the main tribal settlement, declared they had no vested interests. By
M

submitting to this deity's dreams members remained part of the tribe. By

ng

rejecting the deity's dreams, you would be out of the tribe. Hence the deity or
pi

the God of the tribe played a key role in binding the tribe together, which is
why every tribe had its own totemic god as the anchor of its identity. The deity,
Ty

in effect, expressed the will of the tribe. Modern institutions are essentially
impersonal entities that are treated by law, as a person and, therefore with
rights and responsibilities. In ancient times, this role of an institution was
played by a tribal god or village god (grama devata) or the clan god (kula
devata). The earliest idea of institution comes from the Roman Empire, where
the senators owed allegiance not to the king or Caesar but to the city of Rome.
Later, Rome was replaced by the Church and the priestly class functioned in
the name of the church. Authority came from a supernatural force. The
assumption here was that supernatural and impersonal entities are fairer.
However, life is never so simple as the gods cannot speak, just as an institution
cannot speak.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 48

Once upon a time, there lived a farmer who had a little land. His name was
Tuan and he was a very kind and good-natured person. He lived in a hut on his
land with his wife and children and earned by selling whatever crops he could
produce on his small land. Tuan loved to help others. Whenever someone fell
ill or needed something badly, Tuan was there to help that person. If someone
died in the village, Tuan assisted the family members of the deceased person in
whichever way he could. If anyone fell ill at night, Tuan was right beside the
village doctor to help him prepare the medicines and tend to the sick. There
seemed to be none who hated this man. He appeared to be loved by one and all.
But there was one person who hated Tuan with all his heart. He was Juan, a

n
neighbour of Tuan, who lived in the land next to him. A lazy person by nature,

a.i
Juan hardly put in as much effort to cultivate his land as Tuan did to produce
itr
crops in his own. So when the harvest season arrived every year, Juan found
that he had very few crops to sell. Tuan on the other hand, earned a handsome
M

profit through the selling of his produces. One year, Juan could no longer
ng

contain his jealousy. Just days before Tuan was to reap his harvest, Juan set fire
pi

to his crops at night. Tuan was asleep at this time and it was only the alertness
of one of his other neighbors that saved much of his crops from being perished
Ty

in the deadly flames of the fire that Juan had lighted. When the flames were
doused, Tuan saw which direction the fire had started from. Juan's animosity
towards him was unknown to Tuan. But he let the matters rest and decided to
take action only if he saw Juan repeating his dastardly act once again. That
year, Tuan managed to sell the rest of his crops at a good price but he could not
make much profit for a good part of his produces had been burnt. He had a
heavy heart but he did not like to tell anyone about it.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 49

President Donald Trump's decision to ban citizens from 12 countries from
entering the United States, citing national security concerns, is yet another
attempt by his five-month-old administration to tear down legal migration. Mr.
Trump's decision in 2017, during his first term, to ban citizens from seven
Muslim-majority countries had triggered chaos and protests at America's
airports, evoked criticism of the unstated racism and xenophobia, and led to
legal challenges. This time, Mr. Trump has focused on mostly West Asia and
Africa. Citizens from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo,
Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen
would be banned, while people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo,

n
Turkmenistan and Venezuela will face restrictions. The ban applies only to

a.i
people outside the U.S. but those with active visas who leave the country could
itr
face difficulty during re-entry. Mr. Trump argued that the ban, which came
days after the arrest of an Egyptian man for carrying out an attack on a group
M

honouring the Gaza hostages, would help prevent terrorist attacks and keep out
ng

those who overstay their visas. Egypt, a close American ally, and Spain, which
pi

saw 20,000 of its citizens overstay their visas in 2023, are not on the list, but
Chad, whose visa overstay number is as low as 400, [Link] his swearing-in as
Ty

the President, in January, for the second time, Mr. Trump has taken a series of
measures to crack down on migration. He has suspended the asylum system at
the southern border and ended temporary legal residency for Haitians,
Venezuelans and Cubans. He has also removed the legal status of thousands of
foreign students and instructed U.S. diplomatic missions to pause scheduling
new visa interviews as his administration prepares to vet the social media
handles of students and scholars. His policies targeting international students
have already spread chaos and uncertainty across America's universities.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 50

In the 16th century, an age of great marine and terrestrial exploration,
Ferdinand Magellan led the first expedition to sail around the world. As a
young Portuguese noble, he served the king of Portugal, but he became
involved in the quagmire of political intrigue at court and lost the king's favor.
After he was dismissed from service by the king of Portugal, he offered to
serve the future Emperor Charles V of Spain. A papal decree of 1493 had
assigned all land in the New World west of 50 degrees W longitude to Spain
and all the land east of that line to Portugal. Magellan offered to prove that the
East Indies fell under Spanish authority. On September 20, 1519, Magellan set
sail from Spain with five ships. More than a year later, one of these ships was

n
exploring the topography of South America in search of a water route across

a.i
the continent. This ship sank, but the remaining four ships searched along the
itr
southern peninsula of South America. Finally they found the passage they
sought near 50 degrees S latitude. Magellan named this passage the Strait of
M

All Saints, but today it is known as the Strait of Magellan. One ship deserted
ng

while in this passage and returned to Spain, so fewer sailors were privileged to
pi

gaze at that first panorama of the Pacific Ocean. Those who remained crossed
the meridian now known as the International Date Line in the early spring of
Ty

1521 after 98 days on the Pacific Ocean. During those long days at sea, many
of Magellan's men died of starvation and disease. Later, Magellan became
involved in an insular conflict in the Philippines and was killed in a tribal
battle. Only one ship and 17 sailors under the command of the Basque
navigator Elcano survived to complete the westward journey to Spain and thus
prove once and for all that the world is round, with no precipice at the edge.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 61

It is the relative weight which we give to each of these reasons that decides
what sort of discipline we have. And that can vary from the pure self discipline
of the of the Sermon on the Mount to the discipline of the concentration camp
the enforced discipline of fear. Inspite of all our squabbles the British are
united when it comes to most of the things that mater and liberty is one them.
We believe in freedom to think what we like say what we like work at what we
like and go where we like. Discipline is restraint on liberty so many of us have
a very natural inclination to avoid it. But we cannot. Man ever since the dim
prehistoric past has had no option but to accept the discipline of some kind For
a modern man living in complex communities is more than even unavoidable.

n
All history teaches that when through either idleness weakness or faction the

a.i
sense of fades in a nation its economic life sinks into decay then as its standard
itr
of living falls and security vanishes one of two things happens. Either some
more virile militant power steps in to impose its own brand of discipline or a
M

dictator arises and clamps down the iron control of the police state. Somehow
ng

eventually discipline is again enforced. Shall it be imposed by physical

pi

violence and fear by grim economic necessity accepted by consent and

understanding? Shall it come from without or from within? The word discipline
Ty

for some flashes on to the screen of the mind a jack-booted commissar bawling
commands across the barrack square at tramping squads. But that is
dictatorship not discipline. The voluntary reasoned discipline accepted by free,
intelligent men and women is another thing. It is binding on all, from top to
bottom. One morning long ago as a brand new second-lieutenant, I was
walking on to parade. A private soldier passed me and saluted. I acknowledged
his salute with an airy wave of the hand. Suddenly behind me, a voice rasped
out my name. I spun round and there was my Colonel, for whom I had a most
wholesome respect and with him the Regimental Sergeant Major of whom also
I stood in some awe.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 51

Marie Curie was one of the most accomplished scientists in history. Together
with her husband, Pierre, she discovered radium, an element widely used for
treating cancer, and studied uranium and other radioactive substances. Pierre
and Marie's amicable collaboration later helped to unlock the secrets of the
atom. Marie was born in 1867 in Warsaw, Poland, where her father was a
professor of physics. At an early age, she displayed a brilliant mind and a blithe
personality. Her great exuberance for learning prompted her to continue with
her studies after high school. She became disgruntled, however, when she
learned that the university in Warsaw was closed to women. Determined to
receive a higher education, she defiantly left Poland and in 1891 entered the

n
Sorbonne, a French university, where she earned her master's degree and

a.i
doctorate in physics. Marie was fortunate to have studied at the Sorbonne with
itr
some of the greatest scientists of her day, one of whom was Pierre Curie. Marie
and Pierre were married in 1895 and spent many productive years working
M

together in the physics laboratory. A short time after they discovered radium,
ng

Pierre was killed by a horse-drawn wagon in 1906. Marie was stunned by this
pi

horrible misfortune and endured heartbreaking anguish. Despondently she

recalled their close relationship and the joy that they had shared in scientific
Ty

research. The fact that she had two young daughters to raise by herself greatly
increased her distress. Curie's feeling of desolation finally began to fade when
she was asked to succeed her husband as a physics professor at the Sorbonne.
She was the first woman to be given a professorship at the world-famous
university. In 1911 she received the Nobel Prize in chemistry for isolating
radium. Although Marie Curie eventually suffered a fatal illness from her long
exposure to radium, she never became disillusioned about her work. Regardless
of the consequences, she had dedicated herself to science and to revealing the
mysteries of the physical world.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 52

Quantum computing represents a revolutionary leap in technology, harnessing
quantum mechanics to process information. Unlike classical computers, which
use bits (0s or 1s), quantum computers use qubits that exist in superpositions,
enabling simultaneous processing of multiple states. This allows quantum
computers to solve complex problems-like factoring large numbers or
simulating molecular interactions-exponentially faster than classical systems.
Companies like IBM, Google, and D-Wave are advancing quantum hardware,
with Google's Sycamore achieving quantum supremacy in 2019 by performing
a calculation in 200 seconds that would take a supercomputer 10,000 years.
Applications are vast. In cryptography, quantum computers could break current

n
encryption, necessitating quantum-resistant algorithms. In medicine, they could

a.i
accelerate drug discovery by simulating molecular interactions with
itr
unprecedented precision. Climate science benefits from optimized models for
weather prediction and carbon capture. However, challenges remain: quantum
M

systems are fragile, requiring extreme conditions to maintain qubit stability,

ng

and error rates are high. Scalability is another hurdle, with current systems
pi

limited to hundreds of qubits, far from the millions needed for practical
applications. Global investment is surging, with nations like China and the U.S.
Ty

committing billions to quantum research. Ethical concerns arise, particularly

around data security and the potential for quantum technology to widen
technological disparities. Public-private partnerships are crucial to democratize
access and ensure equitable benefits. As research progresses, quantum
computing could redefine industries, but it's not a silver bullet-decades of
development are still needed. The promise of quantum computing lies in its
potential to tackle problems beyond classical reach. By fostering collaboration
and addressing technical challenges, humanity can unlock a new era of
innovation, transforming science, medicine, and beyond

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 53

The Industrial Revolution, spanning the late 18th to early 19th centuries,
transformed human society. Originating in Britain, it introduced mechanized
production, powered by steam engines and later electricity. Factories replaced
cottage industries, with innovations like the spinning jenny and Watt's steam
engine boosting textile and transportation sectors. By 1850, Britain produced
half the world's cotton cloth, and railways revolutionized global trade and
mobility. Urbanization surged, with cities like London swelling as rural
workers sought factory jobs. This era reshaped economies, creating a capitalist
framework that fueled global commerce. However, it had dark sides: child
labor, dangerous working conditions, and environmental degradation.

n
Coal-powered factories polluted air and rivers, while workers faced 14-hour

a.i
days in hazardous conditions. Social reforms, like the Factory Acts, emerged to
itr
address these issues, laying groundwork for modern labor laws. The revolution
also spurred scientific advances, from chemistry to engineering, driving further
M

innovation. Its legacy endures. Industrialization spread globally, shaping

ng

modern economies and urban landscapes. It introduced mass production,

pi

enabling consumer goods accessibility, but also sparked inequality, as wealth

concentrated among industrialists. Environmentally, it marked the start of
Ty

significant carbon emissions, contributing to today's climate crisis. Socially, it

birthed the middle class and labor movements, influencing democratic reforms.
Today, we grapple with its consequences-balancing economic growth with
sustainability and equity. The Industrial Revolution's lessons remind us to
innovate responsibly, ensuring technology serves humanity without repeating
past mistakes.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 54

Ethnic conflicts, unlike other variants of strife, are more difficult to end
because of the nature and the level of grievances of the communities hostile to
each other. This persecution complex is fed by those who drive passions to
such an extent that taking a position on reconciliation through mutual
compromises and peace-building becomes difficult even if a silent majority are
in favour of it. Using threats by brandishing arms, chauvinist sections try to
drown out voices of reason by drilling in fear and ideas of further vengeance.
That seems to be the case with Manipur too, where, after months of
dilly-dallying over taking on the patrons of violence, the Bharatiya Janata
Party-led Union government has finally decided to isolate such elements and

n
subject them to the long arm of the law. That the Imphal valley has again

a.i
erupted in protest over the arrest of leaders of the extremist identitarian outfit,
itr
Arambai Tenggol, highlights the necessity and the difficulty of implementing
law enforcement measures in an ethnic conflict. This group had engaged in acts
M

of wanton lawlessness with impunity, targeting those who did not agree with
ng

its militant agenda with violence and threats. It had also coerced MLAs into
pi

signing pledges for its chauvinist cause. Shockingly, the then BJP-led State
government looked the other way - a consequence of Chief Minister N. Biren
Ty

Singh's inability to rise above his partisanship. The security forces were also
unable to act because of public protection for the violent offenders. Soon, such
groups went to become a major threat to peace and it was only after
implementing President’s Rule that the government managed to get the group,
among others, to return most of the weapons looted from police constabularies
The arrests have coincided with similar actions against other militant
volunteers in the hills who were allegedly involved in violence against law
enforcement officers. The government of Manipur, which is currently under
President's Rule, must make a clear case of the involvement of those arrested in
crimes and bring them to justice. It should not give in to the threats made by
those stoking communal passions, and must convince the people – across
ethnic lines – that these are lawful actions against malefactors. It must
simultaneously engage in talks with other stakeholders, also asserting that such
steps will coincide with peace-building and rehabilitation measures. It must use
devices such as convening all-party meetings and involving civil society
representatives from across all ethnic lines to reinforce this message, and must
not give in to pressure to reverse the legal steps taken against the offenders.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 55

I am a tree, tall and imposing, standing all alone near the campus of a temple.
My life is ever so interesting as, I see a huge spectrum of society, funny
gestures of people, and hear all kinds of conversation of the devotees who pass
by me. I was not always so huge. As is true of all living beings I was also a
long time back, a young sapling with this huge tree within me. At that time I
looked fresh and beautiful as all other beings who are young, but, at that time I
was of course not so imposing. This is what I have seen about life that, every
stage has something good about it. I understand that, I am a peepal tree which
just grows anywhere and everywhere. Ever since I was young, I remember
several people coming to my root and worshipping me. They would light an

n
earthenware lamp, and put it near my root, say their prayers and go away. This

a.i
was a daily ritual which scores of people followed at my root ever since I can
itr
remember. As I started growing up bigger and bigger, the temple authorities
put a two feet wall like boundary around my trunk. This was done to protect
M

me from being destroyed by crowds who thronged to me. Since I am near a

ng

temple, I have always had the pleasure of a lot of company daily and, the great
pi

honour of being worshipped by scores of believers every day. Now, I am a full

grown tree, and that two feet wall has been converted into a broad platform all
Ty

around me, with my root out of sight, and the trunk also somewhat covered
from vision. Here on the platform people sit and say their prayers and relax. At
times they also consume their temple prasad while sitting on this platform. Oh,
what a wonderful feeling it is to be so loved and cared for and, above all, being
so honoured and respected. This honour is given to me as, I understand now
that, a section of the Indian society considered me a holy tree to be worshipped.
This is why there is so much hype about me and my kin.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 56

Money stashed abroad is not always the money, which has been evaded from
payment of taxes. Drug lords, terrorists groups, gangsters all over the world,
along with International Syndicates also keep their money in safe heavens,
where they can lay their hands on it in times of need for their operational
purposes. There is no mechanism with the Government to determine and say
with cent per cent surety that the money hoarded abroad is only the one that has
been evaded from payment of taxes and not the other crime linked cash. The
Revenue Department and other agencies of the Government like the RAW and
State Trading Organisations have their offices abroad. There is no common
mandate to them to report any suspicious transactions by the Indians either

n
visiting or staying abroad. The stark truth is that the black money is the result

a.i
of high level corruption prevailing in our country. The schemes meant for the
itr
poor, even as per the Government reports, are not implemented and the money
siphoned off. Even laws permit every criminal whether in jail or on bail to hide
M

their names and crimes and create false alibis. But, here the Government is
ng

creating alibis for those people whose names have been received and disclosed
pi

as the persons who are having cash, which is got illegally and is not from any
known legal sources. They have stashed this cash in safe tax heavens abroad.
Ty

Even the Supreme Court, the Apex Court of India, says that nothing moves
without bribery in India. A good and alert cop even on a tourist visa can spot
Indians roaming about and visiting these safe tax heavens on Swiss banks. The
rest of the job of tracing the flight of black money from India can be done
locally provided the Government has the will. So far, the Government has been
making excuses, some tenable and some untenable. Unfortunately, no
Government irrespective of the party in power has taken even a genuine small
step to stop the generation and flight of black money from India, forget about
getting the black money back.

[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test
[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 57

The forester was very excited and immediately went up to the King and told
him about the white elephant that he had seen on Mount Candorana. He told
him that he had marked the way and would require the help of the elephant
trainers in order to catch this fantastic elephant. The King was quite pleased
with the information and immediately dispatched a number of soldiers and
elephant trainers along with the forester. After travelling for many days, the
group reached the lake besides which the elephants resided. They slowly
moved down to the edge of the lake and hid behind the bushes. The white
elephant was collecting lotus shoots for his mother’s meal and could sense the
presence of humans. When he looked up, he spotted the forester and realized

n
that it was he who had led the King’s men to him. He was very upset at the

a.i
ingratitude but decided that if he put up a struggle many of the men would be
itr
killed. And he was just too kind to hurt anyone. So he decided to go along with
them to Banaras and then request the benevolent King to be set free. That night
M

when the white elephant did not return home, his mother was very worried. She
ng

had heard all the commotion outside and had guessed that the King’s men had
pi

taken away her son. She was scared that the King would ride him in to battle
and her son would definitely be killed. She was also worried that there would
Ty

be no one to look after her or even feed her, as she could not see. She just lay
down and cried bitterly. Meanwhile her son was led in to the beautiful city of
Banaras where he was given a grand reception. The whole city was decorated
and his own stable was gaily painted and covered with garlands of fragrant
flowers. The trainers laid out a feast for their new state elephant that refused to
touch a morsel. He did not respond to any kind of stimuli, be it the fragrant
flowers or the beautiful and comfortable stable. He just sat there looking
completely despondent. The worried trainers went straight to report the
situation to their King, as they were scared that the elephant would just waste
away without any food or water.

[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test
[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 58

The railways have proposed automatic sliding doors with ventilation louvres in
all Mumbai suburban trains by next year in response to the Mumbra train
tragedy on Monday (June 9, 2025) - four people died and nearly a dozen others
were injured. Sliding doors could potentially force people inside and prevent
footboard travel, a factor in the accident. They could ensure that passengers do
not get down at unscheduled stops and put themselves in danger of being
mowed down by passing trains. The proposed vestibules connecting the
coaches may also help to evenly distribute the crowds. As in Japan, each
station may then need a few enforcers who could shove the crowds in so that
the doors could shut and the trains move. While footboard travel is indeed a

n
dangerous safety issue, it is only an outcome of the dangerous overcrowding in

a.i
Mumbai trains. For vast numbers of people, the trains offer the least expensive
itr
travel option. Not too long ago, the dangers of overcrowding resulted in the
infamous stampede at the Elphinstone Road station bridge in 2017. Multiple
M

deaths are common along the three arteries that are the lifelines of Mumbai -
ng

the Central, Harbour and Western railway lines. Many are hit by trains while
pi

crossing tracks instead of using roads or bridges. While rail safety is an

immediate issue that needs to be addressed, it is also time city leaders engineer
Ty

inexpensive, alternative travel options to the trains. Mumbai’s trains have been
seen as an inevitable part of the extreme urbanisation that the city represents
and romanticised by literature. But they are simply not humane modes of
transport. The suburban train system has undergone little change over the
decades though the city has boosted its roads and enabled more vehicular
traffic. Two-wheelers that were a rarity a few decades ago are now common.
While the Metro promises to decongest the city to an extent, these services
price out the lower classes.

[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test
[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 59

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on
it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors who have
been good friends, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other
recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more
powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite
sides of the island. The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning,
the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to
eat its fruit. The other man’s parcel of land remained barren. After a week, the
first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another
ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of

n
the land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing. Soon the first man

a.i
prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these
itr
were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing. Finally, the first
man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the
M

morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man
ng

boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the
pi

island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God’s blessings since
none of his prayers had been answered. As the ship was about to leave, the first
Ty

man heard a voice from heaven booming Why are you leaving your companion
on the island? My blessings are mine alone since I was the one who prayed for
them, the first man answered. His prayers were all unanswered and so he does
not deserve anything. You are mistaken! the voice rebuked him. He had only
one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any
of my blessings. Tell me, the first man asked the voice, What did he pray for
that I should owe him anything? He prayed that all your prayers be answered
For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those
of another praying for us (Congregational Prayer). Value your friends, don’t
leave your loved ones behind.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 60

Ten years after he last visited Canada, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will
travel to Kananaskis, Alberta, as a special invitee to the G-7 summit outreach
(June 15-17), with some hopes that the invitation from Prime Minister Mark
Carney will give the two countries a chance to reset bilateral ties. Mr. Carney’s
call to Mr. Modi last Friday took many by surprise, as it appeared to come at
the last-minute, and possibly after some back-channel calls to ensure neither
side would be embarrassed by the outcome. Under fire for the invitation despite
a pending trial against Indian government agents in Canada, Mr. Carney said,
quite rightly, that India, as a major world economic force, deserves to be part of
the G-7 outreach deliberations. Regardless of the reasoning, both the invitation

n
and its acceptance indicate a desire on both sides to take India-Canada ties out

a.i
of the present lows. In the past two years, after former Canadian Prime Minister
itr
Justin Trudeau went public with thus far unsubstantiated allegations that India
was behind the assassination of Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and
M

was targeting other Canadian nationals, and RCMP officials even named Home
ng

Minister Amit Shah in the conspiracy, both countries have cut mission
pi

strengths down to a third. Canada suspended talks for a free trade agreement,
while India temporarily stopped issuing visas to Canadians, citing persistent
Ty

threats to Indian diplomats. Apart from considerable trade and investment,

India and Canada are inextricably bound by their people - over 1.86 million are
settled in Canada, but remain connected to India. Given the tough task ahead,
teams preparing for the Carney-Modi meeting must work with the utmost
sensitivity. While ties have nosedived since 2023, they have had a history of
bad blood dating back to the 1970s, primarily over the Khalistan issue. It would
be naive to imagine that these issues can be resolved in a summit, but a
considered decision by both leaders to publicly show respect for each other’s
positions is necessary. Returning the high commissioners and other diplomats
to their posts is an imperative, along with a possible timeline for the restoration
of trade talks.

[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test
[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 62

The e-ticketing system of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism
Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC) is one of India’s most widely used e-commerce
platforms. Crores of Indian rail commuters and passengers use it to book their
tickets, which makes it imperative that the system is run robustly. The scale of
the operation is revealing - on May 22, 2025, the IRCTC processed a
staggering 31,814 tickets in 60 seconds to set a new record. Yet, the popular
e-ticketing system, especially the Tatkal booking part, is plagued by issues.
Extremely high demand during peak hours, particularly during the designated
Tatkal booking window period, often leads to crashes and slow performance. A
major concern is that the system is exploited by ticketing agents who use unfair

n
automated tools (or bots), leading to rapidly dwindling ticket availability for

a.i
passengers. These issues are what prompted the IRCTC to announce two major
itr
steps. The first was a major digital overhaul of the ticketing infrastructure using
anti-bot systems to prevent unauthorised automated bookings - a measure that
M

led to the de-activation of a whopping 2.5 crore suspect user IDs.

ng

Implementation of a content delivery network also helped improve website

pi

performance. In addition, Aadhaar verification is necessary immediately after a

ticket is booked. The IRCTC has also mandated Aadhaar authentication for all
Ty

Tatkal bookings, from July 1, along with OTP-based authentication. Authorised

agents have been restricted from booking Tatkal tickets during the first 30
minutes of the booking window period. The idea behind an e-ticketing platform
and the provision of Tatkal booking of tickets are to provide equitable chances
for passengers to travel. Despite more train services having been introduced
over the years by the Indian Railways, which is a state monopoly, demand far
outstrips supply, and passengers have to rely on advanced booking and Tatkal
tickets for their travel. When agents use bots to game the system, it kills the
purpose of equity.

[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test
[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 63

Leaders switching parties and parties recruiting turncoats are not unheard of in
Indian politics. A shrinking party would lose leaders while an expanding party
would gain them. The talent acquisition strategy of the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) goes far beyond such familiar opportunism. In the recent years of its
growth, it has built entire electoral strategies around leaders who crossed over
from other parties. In Assam, its two consecutive Chief Ministers were in other
parties not long ago; the current incumbent, Himanta Biswa Sarma, was not
just any other Congress leader but a decision maker in the 15-year-long tenure
of the party until 2016. Perhaps encouraged by the success in Assam, the party
launched a similar strategy in West Bengal. It recruited dozens of leaders from

n
other parties, particularly the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Not surprisingly, a

a.i
good number of the leaders who crossed over to the BJP due to its lure or fear
itr
of the central agencies investigating scams and irregularities, are now flocking
back to the TMC. Even as it continued to induct defectors from the Congress
M

and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi this week, Mukul Roy left the BJP to return
ng

to the comfort of his old party, the TMC. Several others may follow suit. The
pi

TMC itself is a haven of defectors - dozens of leaders from the Congress and
the Left Front have joined it since it won power in 2011. The political flux is
Ty

unlikely to end soon. The BJP has achieved significant growth in West Bengal
in a short span of time. Had it relied more on leaders who had organically
grown with it, the BJP would not have been in such an embarrassing position.
Its hurry to be in power even in places where it has not established itself as a
viable party is harming it. It is also coarsening the political debate and harming
democracy itself, simultaneously. If the reverse migration of TMC leaders is
rattling the BJP in West Bengal, in Kerala, another State where it tried to punch
far above its weight, it is caught in a vortex of corruption allegations.
Allegations range from bringing money from Karnataka for the campaign in
Kerala through hawala routes and bribing an ally.

[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test
[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 64

IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad's censure of Twitter, after it temporarily
blocked his account upon receiving a notice for copyright violation last week,
is valid, but only to an extent. Mr. Prasad was right in calling out Twitter, as he
did over a series of tweets, for not giving him prior notice of the blocking, as
required by India’s IT Act rules. The blocking was triggered because Twitter
had reportedly received a notice for violations under the Digital Millennium
Copyright Act (DMCA), filed by the International Federation of the
Phonographic Industry, the content in question being A.R. Rahman’s song
'Maa Tujhe Salaam'. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is also the Chairman
of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, replied

n
to Mr. Prasad, saying he had a similar experience. "Locking is a foolish

a.i
response to a DMCA notice; disabling the video (which they've now done)
itr
should be enough," Mr. Tharoor wrote. Having raised the issue, however, Mr.
Prasad went on a needless attempt to make the issue look more than what it
M

really is. One of his tweets in this regard was this: "It is apparent that my
ng

statements calling out the high handedness and arbitrary actions of Twitter,
pi

particularly sharing the clips of my interviews to TV channels and its powerful

impact, have clearly ruffled its feathers."It is quite likely that this is just a case
Ty

of a global platform struggling to adhere to the laws of multiple jurisdictions

where it has substantial interests. Mr. Tharoor's point in this regard needs
highlighting. He tweeted, 'But getting a notice from a UK-based organisation,
citing Twitter's role as a ‘service provider' under a US law, points to the
challenges of TwitterIndia's operations in India." Nothing more needs to be
read into it. Mr. Prasad's outburst is a pointer to the level of deterioration in the
relationship between Twitter and the Indian Government. Their already strained
relationship has worsened further after Twitter’s defiance in not accepting all of
the Government’s takedown requests from time to time.

[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test
[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 65

The sedition case against Lakshadweep film-maker Aisha Sultana has all the
undesirable indicators of the misuse of the penal provision: intolerance towards
any strident criticism of policy, tendency to discern non-existent threats to the
state and deliberate resort to it despite the absence of any ingredient of the
offence. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the Kerala High Court has
granted her anticipatory bail mainly on the ground that neither Section 124A,
which penalises seditious speech or writing, nor Section 153B, which seeks to
punish imputations against national integration, is attracted. There may be
some cause for those in the Lakshadweep administration to feel aggrieved that
the film-maker, in the course of a heated discussion on the policy changes

n
sought to be brought about by the Administrator, accused the authorities of

a.i
unleashing a "bioweapon" against the people by relaxing quarantine rules for
itr
those entering Lakshadweep. However, as the court has rightly pointed out,
there is nothing in use of the term that tended to create disaffection against the
M

government or incite the people against it. It ought to have been clear to
ng

everyone except the administration, its police and the BJP functionary who
pi

complained against her speech that there was no malice or motive to subvert
the government established by law. Of course, it is noteworthy that the police
Ty

did not rush to arrest her, but only issued a notice to her to appear before the
police to explain her remarks, indicating that there may not have been a threat
of arrest. Yet, the very institution of the case is questionable. It is disconcerting
that courts are repeatedly called upon to reiterate that strong speech or writing
against government policy is not enough to book someone for sedition, and that
only incitement to violence or an inclination to cause public disorder amounts
to such an offence. The court considered the political context in which the
vehement criticism of the administration has come about.

[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test
[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 66

Film-makers around the world have often made extraordinary efforts to keep
cinema alive. Under a repressive regime in Iran, directors such as Abbas
Kiarostami, Mohsen Makhmalbaf and Majid Majidi fought for art as a basic
social need with films like Where Is the Friend’s Home?, The Cyclist and
Children of Heaven. In India, during the Emergency when the government
apparatus came down heavily on any criticism, the prints of Amrit Nahata's
political satire Kissa Kursi Ka, filmed in 1975, were destroyed. Even though a
revised version was released in 1978, it invited several cuts from the Central
Board of Film Certification. For the past few years, the CBFC has objected to
the content of several films, ordering cuts. Now, a proposed amendment to the

n
Cinematograph Act, 1952, will make it even more difficult for film-makers to

a.i
work on thorny or controversial subjects. The draft Cinematograph
itr
(Amendment) Bill 2021, which has been put out for public comments, has a
provision that allows the Government to order re-certification of a film already
M

certified by the CBFC. Film-makers argue that the new provision adds one
ng

more layer of censorship to the existing process. Already in April, the

pi

Government took the ordinance route to scrap the Film Certificate Appellate
Tribunal (FCAT), a statutory body set up to hear appeals of film-makers against
Ty

decisions of the CBFC. In 2000, the Supreme Court had upheld the verdict of
the Karnataka High Court in the K.M. Shankarappa vs Union of India case that
the Union government cannot exercise revisional powers in respect of films
that are already certified by the CBFC. The draft acknowledges the existing
apex court order but has added a new clause: that on receipt of any references
by the Central government in respect of a film certified for public exhibition,
on account of violation of Section 5B(1) of the Act, the Central government
may, if it considers it necessary so to do, direct the chairman of the board to
re-examine the film.

[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test
[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 67

The relationship between dogs and their place in society opens up vexing
dilemmas in India. On one hand there is the problem of street dogs. Citizens all
over the country may complain about their residential colonies being under
attack by roving canines but this has not yet spurred any significant political
response to enforce existing municipal laws to contain their numbers. On the
other hand, it seems that even pet dogs too have managed to raise an entirely
different class of concerns meriting the attention of a central government
ministry and two High Courts. Among the questions being deliberated upon is
whether certain breeds of dogs are inherently more "ferocious" than others. An
expert committee constituted by the Department of Animal Welfare and

n
Husbandry, Ministry of Agriculture, has recommended that certain breeds of

a.i
"ferocious dogs" be prohibited from being kept as pets. Such a committee was
itr
constituted after citizen groups complained of attacks on people - sometimes
fatal - by these dogs, which prompted a petition in the Delhi High Court
M

requesting it to ban certain breeds. These include mixed and crossbreeds such
ng

as Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Fila Brasileiro, Dogo

pi

Argentino, American Bulldog, Boerboel, Kangal, Central Asian Shepherd Dog,

among others. These rules are expected to be implemented by local authorities.
Ty

Dogs that have already been kept as pets must be sterilised to ensure that
further breeding does not happen. The Karnataka High Court recently stayed
the government order after some petitioners objected that the government
department move was unilateral and did not encompass a wide enough
spectrum of expert bodies. The Kennel Club of India, a body that deals with
registering purebreeds, could stand to be at a disadvantage by this decision.
Years of observation and insight into the temperament of dogs have shown that
ferocity and aggressiveness are a result of both environmental and behavioural
factors. Thus, the age, sex, size, familiarity with other dogs, the way it is
trained, and the circumstances that provoke aggression all contribute to
ferocity.

[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test
[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 68

The first hull loss of the 'Dreamliner', one of aviation’s most advanced
twin-aisle aircraft, is one that is unsettling, more so when there have been
recent examples of survivability in modern widebody jets. The tragic end to Air
India flight AI171, on June 12, 2025 - there was one surviving passenger - just
minutes after its liftoff from Ahmedabad for London Gatwick, and it touched a
recorded barometric altitude of 625 feet, will be under much global scrutiny.
That the crew were faced with a sudden and sharp turn of events on the
11-plus-year-old Boeing 787-8, a plane with ample avionics redundancy, and
reliable twin engines - the GEnx-1B67, rated at 67,000 lbs of thrust each - has
led to much speculation about the cause. Experts have suggested reasons such

n
as issues with load planning, ambient air temperature and engine performance,

a.i
wing surface settings, and even a bird hit. Inducted by Air India during its
itr
government-owned days, as part of a 68-aircraft deal signed with Boeing in
2006, the subfleet of 787-8s has played a role in its medium to long-haul
M

network expansion to Europe, the Far East and Australia. The plane's global
ng

safety record has been strong in general, but it has also been an aircraft type
pi

that has raised some concerns. These have included assembly-line quality
control, 'whistle-blower' statements, engine icing problems that resulted in a
Ty

safety directive, a lithium aerospace battery-related electrical system issue that

led to extensive world-wide groundings, an emergency locator transmitter
battery fire that caused heat damage, and, in 2024, an in-flight upset that was
linked to a feature in the flight deck crew seat. All eyes will be on how the
airline’s new owner, Tata Sons (with a 25.1% shareholding by Singapore
Airlines Limited), steers its operations and addresses safety concerns after an
'unprecedented' four-airline merger. The group is in the middle of executing
[Link], the airline's ‘transformational roadmap over five years', with the
appointment of a 'head of group safety, security and quality' integral to this.

[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test
[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 69

The Indian coast needs to be protected against three types of major peacetime
maritime accidents involving merchant ships: sinking of merchant ships,
causing the loss of cargo, disruption of maritime traffic, and environmental
damage; fire onboard merchant vessels that can seriously threaten not just the
environment but also life and property on the coast; and oil spills. The recent
fire onboard MV Wan Hai 503, that started with explosions when the ship was
some 44 nautical miles off the Azhikkal coast in Kannur, Kerala, on June 9, has
been successfully controlled now. Photographs of the ship showed a cocktail of
smoke of brown, white, grey and black colours billowing out, indicating that
many substances were burning. The cargo manifest showed that more than 140

n
of the 1,754 containers had various types of hazardous cargo. Coast Guard

a.i
officials report that the raging Wan Hai had started drifting dangerously
itr
towards the coast even as firefighting was on and the sea remained rough under
monsoon conditions. A tow rope was passed onto the ship but it snapped. An
M

Indian Navy helicopter flew in to airdrop a salvage team and pass a wire rope
ng

that was made of steel, which was then used to tow the ship 45 nautical miles
pi

away from the coast where the depth is nearly one kilometre. The owner of the
vessel pitched in by commandeering tugs through their agents. Wan Hai does
Ty

not pose an immediate danger to the Indian coast now. Smoke is still seen from
the ship and there are hot spots, but it is now up to the ship owner to salvage
the vessel after completely putting out the fire. Most of the patrol vessels, the
workhorse of the Coast Guard, are now fitted with firefighting equipment since
firefighting is a key mandate of the agency. While hazardous cargo on
containers are indeed a major fire hazard, a more severe fire hazard is oil.
Gas-carrying merchant ships are perhaps the greatest fire and explosion
hazards. Nightmare scenarios that can bring the world to its knees involve gas
carrier accidents at choke points such as the Suez Canal or the Strait of Malacca
off Singapore. In 2020, the Indian Coast Guard and Navy successfully put out a
massive fire that broke out off Colombo on the Very Large Crude Carrier
(VLCC), New Diamond, chartered by the Indian Oil Corporation.

[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test
[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 70

At 50, the G-7 - a grouping of the most advanced economies - should appear
robust, cohesive and experienced in managing global conflict. Instead, the G-7
Summit and Outreach session in Kananaskis, Canada presented a disunited and
ineffective force in the face of some of the most testing conflicts including an
escalating Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Iran strife and Israel’s ceaseless
bombardment of Gaza. In addition, it has been unable to deal with the biggest
disruptor in global trade - that of the U.S. Trump administration’s reciprocal
tariffs worldwide. This year’s G-7 was rocky from the start as host Canada saw
an unexpected election just months before the summit. The government of
Mark Carney was still finding its feet, which meant leaders such as Prime

n
Minister Modi were invited just days before the summit. Upheavals in U.S.

a.i
foreign and trade policy have also caught the grouping off-guard: U.S.
itr
President Donald Trump’s pivot to Russia on the Ukraine crisis, and
ambiguous approach to China have been particularly noted. In Kananaskis Mr.
M

Trump even suggested that the G-7 become the “G9, including Russia and
ng

China”, much to the chagrin of other leaders, including the Ukraine President,
pi

who was a special invitee. Mr. Trump’s volte face from proclaiming to be a
"Peace-time President" to actively supporting Israel’s aggression was another
Ty

issue. The U.S. refused to sign on to a draft statement by G-7 members that
called for a de-escalation or any criticism of Israel, and pushed for a statement
that condemned Iran. Mr. Trump’s early exit dealt another blow. Eventually,
the G-7 was unable to issue a joint statement on key issues, and a Chair’s
Summary was issued to deal with the crises at hand, along with statements on
less divisive issues such as AI and quantum computing, critical minerals supply
chains, wildfire and prevention, and transnational repression, but not on
terrorism, as India had hoped.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 71

The Sixteenth Finance Commission (SFC), whose recommendations on
financial devolution will be valid from April 1, 2026, faces a piquant situation.
Its chairman Arvind Panagariya had noted last week that 22 out of 28 States,
including many ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had asked for a
larger share of the divisible pool of tax collections, from 41% to 50% - a
legitimate demand. The Union government has effectively shrunk the divisible
pool by disproportionately increasing its revenue through non-shareable cesses
and surcharges, whose share of the Centre's gross tax revenue soared from
12.8% between 2015-16 to 2019-20 (pre-pandemic years) to 18.5% between
2020-21 and 2023-24 (Budget expenditure). Thus, the effective share of States

n
in the Centre's gross tax revenues averaged close to 31% in the 2020-21 to

a.i
2023-24 period - it was 35% in the previous corresponding period.
itr
Compounding this is the post-GST reality, where limited avenues for States to
raise their revenue, make them critically dependent on central transfers. While
M

GST collections have been fairly good in recent years, this has still not
ng

addressed the issue of the reduced avenues for States to increase their revenue.
pi

Further, the existing formula for horizontal devolution, with a heavy weightage
given to population and income distance, is seen by economically progressive
Ty

States (the South), as a penalty for performance and responsible governance.

Keeping the status quo would go against the grain and the idea of cooperative
federalism that the BJP-led government has emphasised. Mr. Panagariya also
remarked that a sudden nine-point jump to 50% would "[upset] too many
carts", indicating that the Centre would be loath to lessen its share because of
rising expenditure on defence and other capital-intensive projects. This means
that the Finance Commission would be less inclined to engage with States'
demands, also explaining why it might keep the devolution share unchanged at
41%. Yet, doing so would be a missed opportunity to forge a new federal
compact. A modest

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 72

Eighty years after the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
and 40 years after the US and Soviet Union pledged to reduce their arsenals,
the threat of nuclear war has resurged with a vengeance. The age of
disarmament is over, a prominent thinktank warned this week: "We see a clear
trend of growing nuclear arsenals, sharpened nuclear rhetoric and the
abandonment of arms control agreements," said Hans M Kristensen of the
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The world's nine
nuclear-armed states have amassed the equivalent of 145,000 Hiroshima
bombs. Israel’s illegal attack upon Iran is purportedly a last-ditch attempt to
prevent it joining this club - as Israel did long ago, though does not admit it.

n
While Tehran possesses the capacity to develop a nuclear weapon if it chose to,

a.i
US intelligence believes it has not made that decision - and would still need up
itr
to three years to build and deploy one. Israel does not appear to be striking Iran
because US nuclear diplomacy has failed, but because it fears it might succeed.
M

Many of its targets are unrelated to the nuclear programme, and some even to
ng

Iran's military. Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly invoked regime change:

pi

more honestly, regime collapse. Few believe Israel can destroy Iran’s nuclear
programme without the US. The Israeli prime minister seeks to bait Donald
Ty

Trump into joining this assault: if he can't get one of the peace deals he wants,
how about taking a military triumph? Mr Trump's shifting rhetoric has
suggested he is being dragged along, to the alarm of Maga isolationists and
others who recognise the folly of seeing an easy win. But he may still hope to
threaten Iran into a deal. The bigger threat is nuclear proliferation globally. The
remaining US-Russian nuclear arms control treaty, New Start, is due to lapse in
February - leaving them without limits on their arsenals for the first time in half
a century. Both are already pursuing extensive modernisation programmes.
China is still far behind, but its armoury is growing fastest, at around 100
warheads a year. This month's strategic defence review commits the UK to
spending 15bn euro on new submarine-launched warheads and opens the door
to the reintroduction of air-launched nuclear weapons.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 73

Donald Trump is no peacemaker. While out of power, he railed against
America's "forever wars". He claimed that if he were the President, the Ukraine
war would never have started. The Trump base blamed America's globalists for
its forever wars. Yet, on Mr. Trump's watch, Israel, Washington's closest ally,
began attacking Iran on June 13, 2025, even as the U.S. and Iran were still in
talks. At first, Mr. Trump and his Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that
America was not involved in the war, and warned Iran against targeting U.S.
soldiers or bases in West Asia. Iran did not. Tehran's response was directed
solely at Israel, the aggressor. But a week later, when Israel was struggling to
intercept Iranian ballistic missiles, American B2 bombers dropped

n
bunker-busting bombs at Fordow, Iran's most heavily fortified nuclear facility,

a.i
while U.S. submarines fired Tomahawk missiles at the Natanz and Isfahan
itr
nuclear plants. This is now unmistakably Mr. Trump's war. He came to power
promising peace. And in just six months, he has become a warmonger and a
M

globalist aggressor. Donald Trump is no peacemaker. While out of power, he

ng

railed against America's "forever wars". He claimed that if he were the

pi

President, the Ukraine war would never have started. The Trump base blamed
America's globalists for its forever wars. Yet, on Mr. Trump's watch, Israel,
Ty

Washington's closest ally, began attacking Iran on June 13, 2025, even as the
U.S. and Iran were still in talks. At first, Mr. Trump and his Secretary of State
Marco Rubio stated that America was not involved in the war, and warned Iran
against targeting U.S. soldiers or bases in West Asia. Iran did not. Tehran's
response was directed solely at Israel, the aggressor. But a week later, when
Israel was struggling to intercept Iranian ballistic missiles, American B2
bombers dropped.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 74

The global pursuit of quantum computing supremacy is intensifying, marking a
pivotal shift in the technological landscape with profound implications for
various sectors. Unlike classical computers that store information as bits (0s or
1s), quantum computers leverage the principles of quantum mechanics,
utilizing qubits that can exist in multiple states simultaneously (superposition)
and interact through entanglement. This allows them to process vast amounts
of data and solve complex problems far beyond the capabilities of even the
most powerful supercomputers, promising breakthroughs in fields like drug
discovery, materials science, cryptography, and artificial intelligence. Major
tech giants such as Google, IBM, Microsoft, and Amazon, along with

n
numerous startups and national governments including the US, China, and the

a.i
EU, are investing heavily in research and development, striving to build stable,
itr
scalable quantum processors. While significant hurdles remain, including qubit
decoherence, error correction, and the sheer complexity of engineering these
M

systems, impressive progress is being made. Companies are already offering

ng

cloud-based access to prototype quantum computers for research, and early

pi

applications are being explored in areas like financial modeling, logistics

optimization, and the simulation of molecular structures for new drug
Ty

development. The potential for quantum computing to break current encryption

standards also necessitates a parallel race in developing quantum-resistant
cryptography. This accelerating competition is not just about technological
prowess; it's about gaining a strategic advantage in a future where quantum
capabilities could redefine national security, economic competitiveness, and the
very limits of scientific discovery, making it a critical area of focus for
innovation and policy worldwide.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 75

The future of work is undergoing a fundamental transformation, driven
primarily by the accelerating integration of automation, artificial intelligence
(AI), and advanced robotics into various industries, prompting a re-evaluation
of traditional employment models and skill requirements. While these
technologies promise increased productivity, efficiency, and the ability to
automate routine and repetitive tasks, they also raise significant questions about
job displacement and the need for workforce reskilling on an unprecedented
scale. Experts predict a bifurcation of the job market, with increasing demand
for highly skilled roles in AI development, data science, and complex
problem-solving, alongside a continued need for roles requiring uniquely

n
human attributes like creativity, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and

a.i
interpersonal communication. Gig work and flexible employment models are
itr
also becoming more prevalent, necessitating new social safety nets and benefits
structures. Companies are increasingly focusing on "human-AI collaboration,"
M

where technology augments human capabilities rather than simply replacing

ng

them, enabling employees to focus on higher-value tasks. Governments and

pi

educational institutions face the urgent challenge of reforming education

systems to foster lifelong learning, digital literacy, and adaptive skills that
Ty

prepare individuals for a dynamic job market. Policies around universal basic
income, worker retraining programs, and ethical AI deployment are being
discussed as potential solutions to mitigate negative impacts and ensure a just
transition. Ultimately, the future of work hinges on proactive adaptation,
fostering a culture of continuous learning, and strategically leveraging
technology to create more engaging, productive, and equitable work
environments that benefit both individuals and society at large.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 76

Global efforts to combat plastic pollution are intensifying, moving beyond
traditional recycling initiatives to embrace a more comprehensive circular
economy approach aimed at eliminating waste and pollution by design. The
sheer volume of plastic waste, particularly single-use plastics, accumulating in
oceans, landfills, and ecosystems, poses an existential threat to biodiversity and
human health, releasing microplastics into food chains and water sources.
International agreements, national bans on certain plastic items, and corporate
commitments are signaling a significant shift in how plastics are produced,
consumed, and managed. Innovation is focusing on developing sustainable
alternatives, such as biodegradable materials and bio-based plastics, though

n
their scalability and true environmental impact remain areas of ongoing

a.i
research. Crucially, the emphasis is now on reducing plastic consumption at the
itr
source, redesigning products for longevity and recyclability, and establishing
robust collection and sorting infrastructures. Extended Producer Responsibility
M

(EPR) schemes are gaining traction, holding manufacturers accountable for the
ng

entire lifecycle of their products. Furthermore, advancements in chemical

pi

recycling and waste-to-energy technologies are being explored to process

hard-to-recycle plastics. Public awareness campaigns are also vital in driving
Ty

behavioral change among consumers. The goal is to transition from a linear

"take-make-dispose" model to a circular one where plastics are kept in use for
as long as possible, their value retained, and their environmental footprint
minimized, requiring coordinated action across governments, industries,
scientists, and civil society to mitigate one of the planet's most pervasive
environmental crises.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 78

The security of critical infrastructure, encompassing essential systems like
energy grids, water treatment facilities, transportation networks,
communication systems, and healthcare services, has emerged as a paramount
national and international security concern, intensifying due to the increasing
sophistication of modern threats. Beyond traditional physical attacks, the most
significant and rapidly evolving danger comes from cyberattacks, often
perpetrated by state-sponsored actors, organized criminal groups, or
ideologically motivated individuals. These digital assaults can range from
ransomware crippling hospital systems and data breaches impacting financial
institutions to targeted attacks capable of disrupting power grids or water

n
supplies, causing widespread societal chaos and even loss of life. The growing

a.i
interconnectedness and digitization of operational technology (OT) systems
itr
within critical infrastructure, combined with the proliferation of the Internet of
Things (IoT) devices, have vastly expanded the attack surface, creating new
M

vulnerabilities. Consequently, governments and private sector operators are

ng

investing heavily in multi-layered cybersecurity defenses, including advanced

pi

threat detection systems, incident response planning, and rigorous vulnerability

assessments. There's also a significant push for enhancing physical security
Ty

measures and bolstering resilience against natural disasters and climate change
impacts. International cooperation, intelligence sharing among nations, and
public-private partnerships are crucial for sharing threat intelligence,
developing common standards, and coordinating responses to cross-border
attacks. Furthermore, regulatory frameworks are evolving to mandate stricter
security protocols and reporting requirements for critical infrastructure
operators. The continuous adaptation of security strategies to counter
ever-evolving threats is essential to safeguard these vital systems, ensuring
their reliable functioning and protecting the well-being and economic stability
of nations in an increasingly complex and digitally intertwined world.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 79

The global supply chain landscape is currently undergoing a profound and
unprecedented transformation, largely driven by a confluence of recent
disruptions including the COVID-19 pandemic, escalating geopolitical
tensions, and the growing imperative of climate change resilience. For decades,
the dominant model prioritized efficiency and cost optimization, leading to
highly complex, interconnected, and often geographically concentrated
"just-in-time" systems. However, repeated shocks have exposed the inherent
fragility of this approach, compelling businesses and governments worldwide
to fundamentally rethink their strategies. A primary trend is the significant
push towards reshoring or nearshoring of critical manufacturing and

n
production, aiming to reduce reliance on distant, single-source suppliers and

a.i
shorten lead times. This geographical diversification is often complemented by
itr
a shift towards establishing multiple, redundant supply routes and regional
production hubs, thereby building greater resilience against future unforeseen
M

events. Furthermore, the integration of advanced digital technologies like

ng

Artificial Intelligence, blockchain, and predictive analytics is becoming

pi

paramount. These tools enhance supply chain visibility from raw materials to
final delivery, enable real-time tracking, optimize inventory management, and
Ty

facilitate faster, more informed decision-making in response to disruptions.

Companies are also placing a greater emphasis on sustainability and ethical
sourcing, driven by consumer demand and regulatory pressures, leading to
more transparent and environmentally responsible supply chains. The drive for
circular economy principles within supply networks is also gaining momentum,
focusing on waste reduction and resource recovery. This pivot towards
robustness, adaptability, and sustainability, rather than just raw cost efficiency,
is a long-term strategic shift that will continue to redefine international trade
and manufacturing for years to come, fundamentally altering global economic
dependencies and securing the flow of essential goods and services.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 80

The field of education is experiencing a significant paradigm shift driven by
advancements in personalized learning and adaptive learning technologies,
promising to revolutionize how students acquire knowledge and skills. Moving
away from a "one-size-fits-all" classroom model, personalized education
leverages data analytics, artificial intelligence, and sophisticated algorithms to
tailor learning content, pace, and instructional methods to each individual
student's unique needs, strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles. This
approach allows for differentiated instruction on a mass scale, providing
targeted support where students struggle and accelerating progress where they
excel. Key innovations include AI-powered tutoring systems that offer

n
immediate feedback and customized exercises, intelligent content delivery

a.i
platforms that adjust based on student performance, and virtual reality (VR)
itr
and augmented reality (AR) applications that create immersive and engaging
learning environments. The aim is to foster deeper understanding, improve
M

retention, and cultivate a sense of agency and motivation in learners. While the
ng

potential benefits are immense – including greater equity in educational

pi

outcomes, improved engagement, and more efficient learning paths –

challenges remain. These include ensuring equitable access to technology and
Ty

high-quality digital resources, addressing concerns about data privacy and the
ethical use of student data, and providing adequate training for educators to
effectively integrate these tools into their pedagogy. Furthermore, balancing
personalized learning with the development of social skills and collaborative
learning experiences is crucial. Ultimately, the successful implementation of
personalized and adaptive learning holds the promise of transforming education
into a more student-centric, effective, and inclusive experience, preparing
future generations with the skills and knowledge necessary for an
ever-evolving world.

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[Link] - SSC CGL, CHSL, DSSSB, NTPC, CSIR, HCM Typing Test

BSF HCM Passage 81

The world is confronting an unprecedented intersection of rapid urbanization
and the escalating impacts of climate change, posing immense challenges to the
sustainability and habitability of cities, but also driving innovative approaches
towards building resilient urban environments. Over half of the global
population now resides in urban areas, a proportion expected to rise
significantly, concentrating both economic activity and vulnerability to
climate-induced shocks. Cities are major contributors to greenhouse gas
emissions but are also on the front lines of climate impacts, facing increased
risks from rising sea levels, more frequent and intense heatwaves, extreme
precipitation leading to flooding, and resource scarcity. This dual challenge

n
necessitates a holistic approach to urban planning and governance. Key

a.i
strategies for building resilient cities include investing in green infrastructure
itr
like urban forests, permeable surfaces, and green roofs to mitigate heat island
effects, improve air quality, and manage stormwater runoff naturally.
M

Developing climate-adaptive infrastructure, such as seawalls, elevated

ng

buildings, and improved drainage systems, is crucial for coastal cities.

pi

Promoting sustainable transportation systems (public transit, cycling, walking)

reduces emissions and congestion. Furthermore, fostering social equity and
Ty

inclusivity is paramount, as vulnerable populations are often disproportionately

affected by climate impacts. This involves ensuring access to cooling centers,
affordable housing in safe areas, and community-based disaster preparedness
programs. Smart city technologies, leveraging data analytics and IoT, play a
vital role in optimizing resource management, early warning systems, and
emergency response. The shift towards circular economy principles in urban
waste management and resource use also contributes to overall resilience.
Ultimately, creating cities that are not only economically vibrant but also
environmentally sustainable, socially just, and capable of adapting to future
climate realities is a complex, continuous endeavor requiring integrated
planning, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and long-term vision.

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