#latest current affairs questions and answers

[mariacallous]

When President Donald Trump’s aides and advisers relay concerns about Elon Musk's takeover of the federal government, they're often given what's intended to be a reassuring answer: Don't worry, Stephen and Katie Miller will take care of it.

As Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) task force dismantle key parts of the government and plan to cut the workforce at federal agencies by half or more, the Millers have become pivotal figures in Musk’s orbit, multiple sources tell WIRED. The couple has been tasked as intermediaries, bringing news about Musk’s latest targets and communications strategies to the rest of the White House, say members of Trump’s inner circle and people outside the administration who know them personally. Just over a month into the new administration, they have been privately projecting themselves as two pairs of steady hands at the till.

Stephen Miller is the White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser; two sources described his current role as that of a prime minister. His wife, Katie Miller, is a special government employee who functions as the top communications official at DOGE. She is also on the payroll of the firm P2 Public Affairs, The Wall Street Journal reported, which has ties to Musk and several alumni of Florida governor Ron DeSantis’ 2024 presidential campaign.

Stephen was a senior adviser in Trump’s first term, and an architect of the administration’s anti-immigration platform, including advocating for the policy of separating migrant children from their families. Katie served in the first Trump administration as deputy press secretary at the Department of Homeland Security during Kirstjen Nielsen’s tenure before ascending to the role of press secretary in 2019 and communications director in 2020 for then-vice president Mike Pence. The Millers were married in 2020.

Katie Miller, like many people associated with DOGE, is, as a special government employee, limited to working in the federal government for no more than 130 days in any given 365-day period and subject to less stringent ethics requirements than permanent employees. She was assigned to run communications for Musk prior to the transition, a White House official tells WIRED, beginning her journey with Musk as a “comms sherpa.” Now she has become the richest man in the world’s guide to life in Washington and integral to the high-velocity, high-volume barrage of cuts to the government’s workforce and spending—many of them being questioned in the courts as to their legality—that have come to dominate Trump’s first month back in office.

Her relationship with Musk, the White House official says, is central to DOGE’s interactions with the rest of the White House. She’s the key intermediary, delivering the DOGE message of the day to the rest of the administration. She’s also the one to deliver any sensitive or bad news to Musk, says the official.

The Republicans who spoke to WIRED for this story all requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. They are all generally supportive of the DOGE initiatives but share varying degrees of concern about Musk harming Trump’s image and felt compelled to speak up out of an urge to protect the boss. (Trump, meanwhile, has continued to back Musk publicly with enthusiastic praise for DOGE’s cuts, most recently with a flattering introduction before Musk held court at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.)

Meanwhile, Stephen Miller has, along with Project 2025 coauthor and Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought, became one of Musk’s closest allies in the administration, The New York Times reported earlier this month. WIRED has learned that the relationship is far closer, and more complicated, than has been previously known publicly.

In many ways, Musk’s targeting of federal agencies is perfectly in sync with the aims of Miller, who has championed DOGE’s work internally and even helped in making a lot of it possible. (In public, Miller has equated federal workers with “radical left Communists” and “criminal cartels.”) Still, sources tell WIRED that Trumpworld is more comfortable with Musk taking the heat for the recent federal cuts rather than the less famous—and, in their view, far less telegenic—Miller.

Yet through their actions so far, the Millers and Musk have developed a MAGA version of the Pet Shop Boys adage from the song “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)”: You’ve got the brawn / I’ve got the brains. Stephen Miller’s knowledge of the federal apparatus, Katie Miller’s contacts on Capitol Hill, and the couple’s good standing among Trump loyalists, coupled with Musk’s relentless ambition and effectively infinite resources, made the scale of the DOGE government takeover possible. Musk is not the independent actor he’s often portrayed as and taken to be, in other words, but is rather carrying out actions essentially in concert with the man to whom the president has delegated much of the day-to-day work of governance.

“Stephen is kind of the prime minister,” one of three Republicans close to Trump and familiar with the situation tells WIRED. Another Republican familiar with the dynamic also used the term “PM” to describe Miller, short for prime minister. The implication is that Miller is carrying out the daily work of governance while Trump serves as head of state, focusing on the fun parts of being president.

The White House did not answer questions about who reports to or outranks whom.

The Millers are seen inside Trumpworld as glorified babysitters for Musk, tasked with ensuring he stays within bounds, insofar as that’s possible. “He gets a lot of grace,” the first Republican said of Musk. “Many people aren’t nervous, because Stephen Miller is deeply involved. And Katie.” This Republican compared Musk to a preteen child.

The involvement of the Millers is also one of the many reasons why Trumpworld sources say they now don’t currently see an implosion between Trump and Musk happening anytime soon even though, as WIRED previously reported, rifts have already emerged within the president’s inner circle over the centibillionaire’s level of power.

Still, Musk’s relationship with the Millers has become a subject of great intrigue in Washington as DOGE continues to wreak havoc on the federal government. Little is known about how often they interact outside of work and how the relationship grew over the late stages of the campaign into the transition.

“If you can find out anything about Stephen Miller’s social life, I don’t wanna know the answer,” says a longtime Republican operative who knows the couple personally.

“Stephen and Katie are very attentive to [Musk],” the Republican who referred to Stephen as “prime minister” tells WIRED. There’s also only one audience which truly matters, they say: “He’s got a forgiving audience: the audience of one, and all of us around him.”

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New SpaceTime out Friday

SpaceTime 20250606 Series 28 Episode 68

Confirmation of Modified Newtonian Dynamics as a possible alternative to dark matter

A new study has provided more evidence that the hypothesis of Modified Newtonian Dynamics or MOND could provide a possible alternative to dark matter.

Earth's core contains vast hidden gold reserves

A new study has found that Earth's largest gold reserves are not kept inside Fort Knox but lie buried deep under 3,000 kilometres of solid rock.

Looking for the chemistry of life on Titan

NASA’s Dragonfly car-sized rotorcraft set to launch in 2028 to explore the frigid Saturnian moon of Titan to potentially answer one of science's biggest questions: How did life begin?

The Science Report

Study claims humans may have been making tools from whale bones up to 20,000 years ago.

Quantum computer used to simulate the chemical dynamics of real compounds for the first time.

A new study has found that biodiversity in Antarctic soils might be much greater than previously thought.

Skeptics guide to Winston Churchill and Britain's last witch.

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through your favourite podcast download provider or from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He was the dorky school kid who spent his weekends at the Australian Museum. Gary studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on a career in journalism and radio broadcasting. His radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. Gary’s first gigs were spent as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist, and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary was appointed Science Editor and quickly developed the StarStuff Astronomy shgw, which he wrote, produced, and hosted. The program proved extremely popular, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience -- based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. That compares to the ABC’s overall radio listenership of 5.6 per cent. The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times a week (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and it’s available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

[libellule-ao3]

Hello lovely, how are you? 🖤

Hope you had a good start into the year.

For the latest ask game can I have 1,4,16 and 28

Stay amazing ✨️

Hello,🖤

Thank you for your questions. I hope life is treating you well.

the last sentence you wrote:

"Evelyne doesn’t answer, knowing every word could become a weapon turned against her. " (Lullaby for Cursed Seeds)

4. A story idea you haven’t written yet:

Mathilda Weasley’s mission in Japan when she was still working for the Ministry. It’s during this mission that she meets Chiyo Kogawa. I imagine them having a romantic affair throughout their shared mission, as sincere as it is passionate, which ultimately comes to an end in the name of their respective duties. No, no, no, I don’t like angst.

Unfortunately, the plot ideas I currently have for this scenario feel too simplistic to do justice to their respective skills, beyond the romance I imagine for them. 🙂

16. Favorite place to write:

My terrace or the living room. But honestly, I’ll write anywhere.

28. Your least favourite part of the writing process:

Editing, without a doubt. 😅 I spend hours rereading, modifying, trying to refine, condense, and check the grammar & vocabulary. And yet, I always end up finding things that are wrong—verb tenses, pronouns, my dialogue. And I often feel very frustrated not being a native English speaker and having to search for the right idioms.

Thanks again for your asks. Take care of yourself, Queen!✨️🖤

[upschustler]

UPSC Preparation 2026: Smart Strategies & Latest Updates Every Aspirant Must Know

Preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2026? You’re at the right place! Cracking UPSC isn’t just about reading books — it’s about following a smart plan, staying updated, and choosing the Best IAS Academy in Delhi for the right mentorship. If you dream of becoming an IAS, IPS, or IFS officer, now is the perfect time to start preparing with clarity and confidence.

This blog covers smart strategies, latest updates, and how Baji Rao IAS Academy can help you lead this competitive journey with the right direction.

Latest UPSC 2026 Updates Every Aspirant Should Know

Before you start, here are the key updates for UPSC 2026:

Expected UPSC 2026 Timeline

Notification Release: Likely in February 2026

Prelims Exam Date: Expected in May/June 2026

Mains Exam: Likely in September 2026

Interview Round: Early 2027

Exam Pattern Highlights

The UPSC pattern is likely to remain the same:

Prelims: Objective-type (GS Paper I & CSAT)

Mains: Nine subjective papers including Essay, GS I–IV, and Optional subjects

Interview: Personality Test

However, based on recent trends, UPSC is giving more weight to:

Current Affairs & Government Policies

Climate Change & Environmental Issues

Ethics and Governance

Analytical Writing Skills

Smart Preparation Strategy for UPSC 2026

With almost a full year ahead, here’s how to build your preparation plan effectively:

1. Begin with NCERTs

Start with NCERT books from Class 6 to 12. Focus on History, Polity, Geography, and Economics. These build your foundation.

2. Move to Standard UPSC Books

Once basics are clear, refer to:

Polity: M. Laxmikanth

History: Spectrum for Modern India

Geography: GC Leong

Economy: Ramesh Singh

Environment: Shankar IAS

3. Make Current Affairs Your Daily Habit

Read The Hindu or Indian Express

Watch reliable YouTube analysis (like from Baji Rao IAS Academy)

Follow monthly current affairs magazines

Focus on government schemes, international relations, and editorials

4. Practice Answer Writing Early

Start writing answers at least 4–5 times a week. Use UPSC past year questions and model answers to practice structure, analysis, and conclusion.

5. Attempt Regular Mock Tests

Give weekly and full-length mock tests

Analyze your mistakes

Improve speed, accuracy, and content presentation

Why Baji Rao IAS is the Best IAS Academy in Delhi for 2026 Aspirants

When you’re preparing for one of India’s toughest exams, quality mentorship makes a massive difference. Baji Rao IAS Academy is ranked among the Best IAS Academies in Delhi — and for good reason:

Expert Faculty & Personal Mentorship

Classes are taught by subject experts with real UPSC experience, who focus on conceptual clarity and answer writing.

Comprehensive Courses

Prelims + Mains + Interview training, all under one roof. Flexible batches available for working professionals and students.

Current Affairs Mastery

Daily, weekly, and monthly current affairs sessions help you stay ahead of the curve, along with regular updates on government schemes and PIB.

Small Batch Size & Personalized Guidance

Get one-on-one mentoring, performance tracking, and doubt sessions. You are never left alone in your preparation.

Final Words: Your UPSC 2026 Journey Begins Today

Cracking UPSC is not just about working hard, but about working smart. Start early, stay consistent, and get the right guidance. If you’re serious about success, then joining the Best IAS Academy in Delhi — Baji Rao IAS Academy  will be your smartest move.

Let your dreams take flight with the right support, strategy, and preparation.  UPSC 2026 is your opportunity — grab it with both hands.

Stay connected with this blog for regular tips, strategy updates, motivational content, and all UPSC-related news.

All the best, future civil servants!

[brekkie-e]

Was doing an Aggie with some friends and it got out of hand. But! Now I have a line up of my current BG3 custom party. Girl squad supremacy.

A divorcee, a house wife, and a bottle of pepto bismal walk into a bar…. Oop I mean wake up on a nautiloid.

OC info under the cut.

Anathema is a high elf wizard. Well, she will be. She’s only scraping by because Wizard 101 was a mandatory class during her secondary school years. She’s about 350 years old, just discovered her scumbag politician husband has been covering up his affairs by trading his mistresses souls to a devil in exchange for political influence. Naturally, she found a contract with her name on it as well. The poor thing was running away when the Mindflayer’s caught her.

She’s an archivist who keeps plants as a hobby. Deathly afraid of any and all animals. 10/10 stands on chairs when she sees a mouse. Naturally she’s romancing Halsin.

Epione is a grown up street rat. Unbeknownst to her, she’s a cambion born from Mephistophole’s latest plot to overthrow Azmodeus. He’s trying to collect a whole bunch of divine soul sorcerer’s for some nefarious reasons, and ended up making an elite force of off spring in the process. There are 7, naturally based off the seven deadly sins. Epi’s oldest brother decided he didn’t want to participate in his dad’s messed up plans anymore, so when he was sent to collect her after her mother died in child birth… he delivered her to an orphanage instead. Her wings were cropped by the headmistress there for better or worse. She ran away when she was about 7 and lived on the streets of Baldur’s Gate ever since. She doesn’t know much about where she came from, but she’s trying her best. This is an insanely condensed version of the story XD. Chaotic little cinnamon roll, wild magic sorcerer who’s going to eventually get a few levels of bard so that she can have vicious mockery and cutting word.

Epi is about 226. She’s intended to be the chaotic good that balances out Astarion’s chaotic bad.

Neriah is the answer to the question “what if Molly Weasley were a dnd character.” She’s happily married, the mother of 8 children, and a crochet connoisseur. Legally adopting all the companions. Being kidnapped by Mindflayers has provided her the first day off she’s had in 26 years. She began looking at it like a bit of a vacation. Up until she realized she’d have her hands full just as badly with the companions, if not worse considering she raised her children with manners. She’s a paladin, and I’ve yet to decide if she’s going to be oath of devotion (with the oath being focused on her returning to her children) or oath of vengeance (with it being focused on ripping off the heads of those who thought they could separate her from her kids.)

Neriah is a half elf, and she’s about 85.

[kmomof4]

Krystal, I am so glad you reblogged this, because I loved this set of questions and wanted it to get circling. Apologies if I ask you several…

For the Bookish Asks: A, C, H, T, U, V, and Y

I’ll never forgive you for this, Marta 😜 kidding!! Thank you so much for the ask! This really did look fun so I’m thrilled to answer so many!!!

A Author You've Read The Most Books From

Probably Stephen King. I started reading him my freshman year in college and by the time our first was born in ‘97, I’d read pretty much everything he’d written up to that point.

C Currently Reading

Does fanfiction count? 😜 but seriously, I guess you could say I’m currently reading When He Was Wicked, Francesca Bridgerton’s book by Julia Quinn, since I’m adapting it to a CS fic…

H Hidden Gem Book

So, I went back to my homeschooling days for this one. In the Reign of Terror by G.A. Henty. We only read a few of his books when the kids were growing up and they were all wonderful, but this was our first one we read aloud and it was just phenomenal !!! All of his books followed a young person living during momentous times in human history. This one was set during, you guessed it, the French Revolution. HIGHLY recommend.

T Three Of Your All-Time Favorite Books

The first two are easy peasy… It and The Stand, both by Stephen King. From the first time I read them to when I started having kiddos and no time, I read them both at least once a year. It’s now been well over 2 decades since I read either one and I could probably give you a pretty detailed description of what happens in each and every chapter.

For the third, I really don’t know… but I’ll list several that I LOVE that jump immediately to mind.

The Horse and His Boy C.S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia Book 3, takes place during the reign of the Pevensies in Narnia.

The Lord of the Rings J.R.R. Tolkien yes, it counts as 1 book, sorry, not sorry…

The Viscount that Loved Me and An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn. Anthony and Benedict Bridgerton’s stories, respectively.

And finally, Nora Roberts O’Hurley’s series, that, as you know, inspired my A Family Affair fic series. I read the series, except Trace’s story (the older brother), before I was married, and when I found the last book, it rekindled my love for the entire series and it held a very special place in my heart all these years.

U Unapologetic Fangirl For

Bridgerton series

V Very Excited For This Release More Than Any Other

If you’d asked me that about 9mos ago, my VERY LOUD and EXCITED answer would have been the Special Edition release of the Bridgerton series in hardback that Chris ordered for me for Christmas, which also answers your last question. But, since you didn’t ask me that 9mos ago 😜 and it’s been so long since I’ve bought any real-hold-in-your-hand-book, I don’t really have an answer for you. Sorry?

Y Your Latest Book Purchase

See above.

Thank you again for all these, Marta!!!

Send me a bookish ask

[forlix]

hiik! idk what to actually type but i just feel really bad after reading your reply to the latest ask, it’s like ‘when one of the nicest person gets mad’ like you were sooo right for doing that!! i don‘t blame you for actually getting mad! you are human after all, but it‘s just . . i‘ve been following you & your works for a couple of months & i‘ve never actually noticed you acting like that &! again, i ain‘t trying to say that you‘re wrong or anything!! you were very right & you handled it well!! but really, are you okay? idk – like i mentioned, i‘m just worried, this recent thing with skz has me disappointed & angered as well & i really like how vocal you are abt it! but stillllll! yeah, that‘s what i wanted to say & alsooo!! i love you & your energy sm!! <3 hope you‘ve a great day!! ❤️✨

fbsndhsjdj thank you so much for saying all of this. i was a little nervous about my answer in hindsight but i kept reminding myself i wanted to respond that way at the time and i should trust my instinct. regardless it feels so nice to receive a lil external validation too, so thank you :’) it was very frustrating to read that ask, especially bc so much information about the current state of affairs is available not only all over social media but also. on my literal blog

to answer your question tho, i am okay? sort of. i’m neurodivergent so i can never love things a normal amount and just the idea of my relationship with skz undergoing any sort of negative change has made the last week feel so dreary and dark. i’ve been in one of the worst headspaces in a long time 😞 i miss them and shit fucking sucks but i think i am slowly and surely resurfacing now that things are starting to quiet down. thank you for checking on me; i hope you’re doing okay as well, in spite of your disappointment and anger. you’re certainly not alone in your feelings 🤍

seriously, thank you for this ask hehe u have no idea how much of a weight your words have lifted off of me. i love you too! have an amazing rest of your sunday.

[lizzygrantarchives]

British Vogue, March 2012

Lana Del Rey, pop’s newest seductress, overnight internet sensation – and fashion’s latest crush – has hypnotised with her melancholic songs of bruised hearts. Jess Cartner-Morley catches up with an enigmatic sweetheart.

Our hotel-room rendezvous was billed as an interview; it wasn’t until afterwards that I realised Lana Del Rey turned it into a seduction. She had given straight answers to almost none of my typed list of questions; at the time, I barely noticed and didn’t care. Her voice was rich and slow as treacle, and she sat close to me on the sofa, holding my gaze with eyes hooded and sad beneath those showgirl lashes, weaving a web of half-told stories, making every evasion feel like a heartfelt intimacy. She’s good, this girl, very good.

Lana Del Rey is a siren for the YouTube generation. Last May, when she was an unknown 24-year-old living in New York, singing in clubs in the East Village, she made a video montage on her laptop to accompany “Video Games”, a bruised, melancholy love song she had recorded. The video feels like a homage to American teenage summer love – jumping into swimming pools, a stars-and- stripes flag in the breeze, the view of trees you get when you’re lying on the grass – spliced with film of Lana herself, dolled-up and deadpan, singing into the camera. Within weeks, the video went viral; by the end of the summer, she was an internet sensation with a record deal. Before her album was finished, let alone released, she was selling out gigs and being analysed as a pop-cultural phenomenon in the broadsheets.

There is something very odd about Lana. It is as if a David Lynch character has walked into a music world mostly scripted by Simon Cowell. Her popularity flies in the face of the current accepted wisdom that showing the public how real and normal you are, Adele-style, is the key to success. Lana’s oddness – a sense that there is something spooky or unsettling about her – is what gives her star quality, more than the gorgeous voice, or the beautiful face. The china-doll veneer of her look combined with the sad, sad look in her eye, and her lyrics, which are about heartbreak – not the peppy, let’s-get-back-together-baby version which is the common currency of pop, but real heartbreak.

Lana answers the hotel-room door in Wrangler jeans, T-shirt and white Converse. She is wearing small pearl stud earrings and a silver chain around her neck. She is 25, but looks younger, and the effect of the outfit – combined with her girlish best-behaviour manners and a startling, honking laugh – is teenage-babysitter cute. Except, this being Lana Del Rey, the look is set slightly off- kilter by some extraordinarily vampish nail art and false lashes that look scaled for a Las Vegas nightclub stage. Oh, and the fact that rather than being paid a few dollars for an evening babysitting, she has just stepped off a flight from Beijing, where Dior flew her to sing at a party. (So busy is her schedule, they had to make a two-hour stopover in Heathrow, on her way home to New York, just for this interview.) She sips her soda through a straw, the better to preserve the richly glossed lips – which in the flesh are full but not as cartoonishly so as they appear in her videos, routinely sparking rumours of collagen (these she flatly denies). Her long hair, the colour of a fox’s tail, is set in her trademark Veronica Lake waves; on her left hand she has a tattoo of an M, for her grandmother Madeleine.

She sings about love. Not about flirting or having crushes or first kisses, but the grand amour type of affair that, in art, always ends badly. She wrote the just-released Born to Die album “because even though I can’t be with that person anymore, I still want to honour those memories. I felt like falling in love changed me, neurologically, and the record is about being faithful in my mind to the memory of a particular person.” I ask if it’s all about one specific past relationship, and she giggles and says, “Yeah, definitely.” So I ask if she’s still in contact with him, to which she replies, “Um, I’m in contact with his mother.” This is such an odd answer that I have to ask, is he still around? She fiddles with her hair and chain, and says, “Um, he’s somewhere else, but he’s, um, around, yes.” So of course now I am dying to ask: is he dead? In prison? But she is staring at me wide-eyed, and looks quite panic-stricken, and I have no idea now whether this line of questioning is going to make her cry or whether she’s playing me, but I don’t have the heart to pursue it.

I’d bet that Lana has some stories to tell, if and when she chooses. She has described the album as “a tribute to living life on the wild side”, but when I ask her about this, she says, “I’m sort of kidding, because I’m not that wild anymore.” When I ask how wild she used to be, she winces and says, “Um, pretty wild.” In what way? She winces again and laughs, and says, “Pretty much any way, I guess, but it was a long time ago.” OK, so how long have you been... not wild? “Seven years. I used to drink a lot. Too much. I haven’t had a drink for seven years now.”

Autobiography is never far from the Lana Del Rey story. She was born Lizzy Grant in Lake Placid, a quiet, half-forgotten mountain town at the outer edge of New York state. Her father is a real-estate broker. “It is cold, sub-zero cold, for nine months of the year,” she says. Not much happens in Lake Placid, by the sound of it, and Lana’s family didn’t have a television. At 14, she was sent to boarding school in Connecticut; as a teenager, she says her musical tastes revolved around “Eminem and current rap, and that was about it. I was singing in school, and writing things here and there, but music wasn’t a big part of my life.”

Her interest in music seems to have begun with falling in love with the characters that musicians can make for themselves, rather than in the chords-and-keys sense. One of Lana’s defining memories is seeing, aged 11, the Anton Corbijn-directed music video for Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box”. “I was just floored by it, by seeing Kurt Cobain as a person. I had never seen anything like it.” Aged 18, she moved to New York to study metaphysics at Fordham University and “that was when my musical experience began. I kind of found people for myself.” She made rent doing odd jobs on Craigslist: “Helping somebody move across town for a day, or appearing in NYU student B-movies for $100 cash, that sort of thing.”

Lana “loved Bob Dylan as a person before I heard his music. I liked that he was political, and I liked that he was kind of a bum. It made me feel better about the way I was living at the time, really day to day... the way you do live when you are young and in New York.” She was also influenced by Elvis because “he made me realise how beautiful the human voice could be. Him and Frank Sinatra.” The torch-song heritage is strong on Born to Die, but the bored teenage years listening to Eminem and Biggie Smalls weren’t wasted either. “That music taught me that it was OK to tell your story in a song,” she says.

There was a false start to Lana’s career five years ago. She signed a record deal, earning $10,000 dollars, which she spent on renting a trailer outside New York City for a year and a half. An album was released, then shelved, and the momentum faded away. Lana “shifted focus onto other things” – primarily working in community service. “Homeless outreach, drug and alcohol rehabilitation – that’s been my life for the past five years. My friends are a core group of girls I met through work, and they never really knew I was a singer, because nothing was ever happening. I consider myself coming out of retirement as a singer at this point. Until last year I hadn’t been on stage for three years.” Lost love, wild days, and an almost evangelical service ethic: there are a whole lot of tantalising elements to the Lana Del Rey back story, but she doesn’t ever give away quite enough to let you figure out how they fit together.

No one describes Lana’s look better than Lana herself. “Gangster Nancy Sinatra”, “Lolita got lost in the hood”, and “I live in Monaco but don’t fuck with me” are just a few of the lines she has used. Ferdy Unger-Hamilton, who signed Lana to his Polydor label and describes her as “scarily smart”, says, “It is rare to find an artist who can step out of themselves and visualise how they will be perceived.” The fashion world has fallen for Lana in a major way. After “Video Games” was the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack to Christopher Kane’s spring/summer 2012 London show, other labels followed. Just before the Dior gig in Beijing, she sang a set as the star of a Mulberry party at the Chateau Marmont. She tells me that when she and her sister came up with the name Lana Del Rey eight years ago, she conceived it as “the name for an art project that I could build a sonic world around”. But, in the next breath, she is adamant that the way she looks in the videos is just the way she naturally is, and that she doesn’t have a style. “If I’m going on television, I guess I should wear something nice, but that’s as far as it goes.” Asked who she thinks has great style, she says she can’t think of anyone. Pressed, she offers Grace Kelly. I get the impression that she is holding back on talking about her image because she knows that any soundbite she gives on how she looks will be the quote everyone remembers, and will be seized upon by the internet trolls who have it in for her.

Such is the breakneck speed of modern celebrity that Lana was the victim of an online backlash within weeks of having her first hit single, with detractors accusing her of being fake. The top line of internet gossip is whether she has had collagen in her lips, an obsession which seems to be her critics’ way of articulating a sense that Lana’s persona feels confected. Photos of her as a teenager looking pretty but less dazzlingly styled are posted as triumphant evidence that she is somehow inauthentic. It is puzzling, because no one goes online and tries to expose Lady Gaga as a fraud because she didn’t wear Philip Treacy lobster hats to school.

The difference, I think, is that Lady Gaga isn’t trying to be sexy. Lana’s combination of a theatrical persona and a flesh-and-blood sex appeal frightens or threatens people in some way. Lana seems genuinely disquieted by the vitriol she has experienced. I get halfway through a question about her lips and her hands fly up and cover her mouth, which is such an unexpected reaction that I break off and ask something else instead. She says what bothers her most is the prevalence of the idea that she doesn’t write her own music, and that she can’t sing. Success has been a bittersweet experience so far.

Now – ironically for the newly crowned queen of heartbreak pop – Lana has a boyfriend. This much she will tell me, but no more. Who is he? “Just a guy.” How long have you been seeing him? “Um, I don’t know. I guess the last couple of months.” Is he involved in music? “Um, I guess, no.” So when she writes another record, will it be a happier one? “Oh, I don’t think I’ll write another record. What would I say? I feel like everything I wanted to say, I’ve said already.”

Originally published in the March 2012 issue of British Vogue with the headline The Video Star.

[thesc00p]

Welcome to the Scoop

Hello, dear future followers, and welcome to The Scoop, your new favorite destination for news, knowledge, and all things informative. We're absolutely thrilled to have you embark on this exciting journey with us!

At The Scoop, we're all about keeping you informed and inspired. Whether it's the latest headlines, fascinating discoveries, cultural trends, or compelling stories, we've got it all right here. Our mission is to curate diverse and engaging news from across the spectrum, making sure you're always in the know.

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Stay tuned for a fantastic journey through the fascinating world of news and knowledge. Get ready for insightful posts, thought-provoking stories, and a lot more. We can't wait to share the latest updates with you and to hear your voices in the conversations to come. Welcome to The Scoop - where curiosity meets current affairs!

[zatdummesmadchen]

I didn’t say it’s only Israel, but they sure have been critiqued of pink washing a lot of times.

— Israel has been carpet bombing Gaza quite literally, MULTIPLE BLOODLINES HAVE BEEN KILLED OFF, THEIR ENTIRE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IS ABOUT TO GO EXTINCT, EVERY ARCHITECTURE IS BEING DESTROYED, HOSPITALS BOMBED, SCHOOLS BOMBED, UNIVERSITIES BOMBED. BAPTIST HOSPITALS BOMBED. UN HOSPITALS BOMBED. EVERYTHING IS BEING BOMBED TF!?

There are literally multiple WOMEN AMD MEN ON THE GROUND OF GAZA who have been reporting horrifying images of what’s going on, they are literally starving Gaza, you think these Palestinian reporters are lying and pulling evidences of bombed areas out of their asses?

CHILDREN ARE GETTING AMPUTATED WITHOUT ANY ANESTHESIA, WOMEN ARE GIVING BIRTH IN HORRIFIC CONDITIONS. PEOPLE ARE BEING SHOT AT FOR NO REASON.

Israel has been illegally building illegal settlements in Palestine, and occupying the place, IT HAS BEEN CRITIZED BY MANY INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATIONS.

TADA 💖💖💖💖. EVEN THE UN FUCKING AGREES.

This article shows the dire situation in Gaza and also condemns KHAMAZ good grief,

"Occupied Palestinian Territory", hmmmm that’s weird ?

And about the Blockade?

And let me guess, all the Muslim countries are horrible places for women :( they are so so oppressive and so mean and so barbaric.

Quick search= "Current estimates conclude that the number of Muslims in the world is around 1.8 billion. Muslims are the majority in 49 countries, they speak hundreds of languages and come from diverse ethnic backgrounds."

You think Muslim women can’t get educated in Palestine? Indonesia? Kuwait? Qatar? Pakistan? Malaysia? Saudi Arabia? Uae? Morocco? Egypt? Jordan? Lebanon? And so many other countries?

You think MUSLIM COUNTRIES DONT HAVE EDUCATION FOR WOMEN?! Maybe Afghans sure, but have you truly even meet Palestinian women? A Muslim woman?

Why tf would they go to Israel for that?

There are literally thousands of highly educated, intelligent, bravely working MUSLIM AND CHRISTIAN WOMEN IN PALESTINE AND GAZA WHO HAVE RAISED THEIR VOICED AGAINST THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION.

THERE ARE LITERALLY MUSLIM WOMEN REPORTERS, DOCTORS, HEALTH CARE WORKERS IN PALESTINE.

Good grief and the last line?

If it weren’t for Israeli occupation, Hamas wouldn’t exist.

Just block me man.

[mariacallous]

The Republican Party platform, released ahead of this week’s Republican National Convention, contained many capitalized words—“American Patriots,” “Migrant Invasion,” “God’s Good Grace”—but none of them were “Taiwan.” It was a striking departure from the party’s track record of support for the island and left many guessing where former U.S. President Donald Trump stands on Taiwan heading into a potential second term.

Trump filled in that blank on Tuesday with characteristically blunt comments published in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek.

In the interview, conducted in late June, he cast doubt on future U.S. support for Taiwan. Asked whether the United States would come to Taiwan’s defense in the event of a Chinese attack, he answered rather elliptically, saying, “Taiwan. I know the people very well, respect them greatly.” He then added, “They did take about 100% of our chip business,” referring to high-end semiconductors, the vast majority of which are currently made in Taiwan. 

Trump went on to suggest that the answer would be conditioned on whether defending Taiwan would be a good deal economically for the United States. “Taiwan should pay us for defense. You know, we’re no different than an insurance company,” he said. “Taiwan doesn’t give us anything.”

Taipei’s representative office in Washington defended the island’s own efforts in a statement to Foreign Policy, saying, “As the threat of military coercion increases, Taiwan is doing its part by actively strengthening deterrence capabilities with the support of the United States under the Taiwan Relations Act.”

Trump’s comments undoubtedly set off new concerns in Taipei, but he has made statements in a similar vein over the past two years. 

In an interview with Fox News last summer, he said, “Taiwan did take all of our chip business,” when asked whether the United States would protect the island. And in several interviews in recent months, he has stuck closer to the traditional U.S. position of “strategic ambiguity” on defending Taiwan (unlike U.S. President Joe Biden, whose administration maintains an official policy of strategic ambiguity but who has personally said on numerous occasions that the United States would defend Taiwan). 

Like his recent comments, Trump has framed strategic ambiguity in transactional terms. In an April interview with Time, when posed the typical question about defending Taiwan, he said, “I wouldn’t want to give away any negotiating abilities by giving information like that to any reporter.”

While Trump’s latest remarks aren’t new per se, as his poll numbers climb higher and the November presidential election draws nearer, they highlight a critical open question: What might Trump’s approach to Taiwan look like in a second term? The answer hinges on whether Trump’s own America First mentality would dominate over the agenda of the China hawks in his national security orbit who are staunch defenders of Taiwan.

Looking back to his presidency offers some clues. Trump was inconsistent on Taiwan—he famously took a call from then-Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen as president-elect, breaking long-standing U.S. norms. But then he quickly tacked back to the typical U.S. talking points, recognizing the so-called “One China” policy in a subsequent call with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Many of his top foreign-policy advisors were China hawks and Taiwan supporters, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; National Security Advisor John Bolton; Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger; Peter Navarro, the director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy; and Randall Schriver, the assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs. During the course of his administration, they successfully pushed for more support for Taiwan, including the sale of F-16 fighter jets to the island, previously deemed to be too controversial. And at the very end of Trump’s presidency, Pompeo went as far as to cancel the rules barring direct communication with Taiwan.

“I think in the first term, you had a lot of people around Trump who were friendly with Taiwan [and] very skeptical about China,” said Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. “It’s not clear, though, that that was Trump’s own personal view.”

Trump’s national security team in a second term would likely be more mixed on Taiwan, as several of those former key players have since distanced themselves from Trump, including Bolton and Pottinger. Voices such as Elbridge Colby, a principal at the Marathon Initiative and former Trump official who is thought to still be in Trump’s good graces, have called for a pivot from Ukraine to Taiwan, while others may fall closer in line with the Trump isolationist impulse. 

“I think that’s the core tension within the Trump circle,” Cooper said. Which direction the administration might swing depends on Trump himself and his level of involvement. Trump has already proposed launching a new trade war with China, and he is likely to be very involved in shaping economic policy toward China overall, but it is unclear how directly he would engage in Taiwan policymaking.

If Trump’s own views were to prevail in a second term, Taiwan would likely be in for a rocky four years trying to prove its worth to the president. “Contrary to what some analysts argue, there isn’t an Indo-Pacific exception in Trump’s version of ‘America first,’” Hal Brands, a political scientist at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, argued in a recent essay in Foreign Affairs.

Under the Trump-centric Taiwan foreign policy, several scenarios could unfold. On defense, Trump spoke critically of Taiwan treating the United States like an insurance company in his conversation with Businessweek, but his comment that Taiwan “should pay us for defense” suggests he may mostly be interested in securing a higher premium for U.S. support. 

What kind of payment would Trump be looking for? During his presidency, Trump called for South Korea and Japan to cover a much higher share of the costs for U.S. bases in both countries, but very few U.S. troops are stationed in Taiwan. Taipei already buys billions of dollars’ worth of weapons from Washington, but Trump might consider cutting off new foreign military aid to Taiwan approved under Biden. He would also likely push for Taiwan to increase its military spending, up from 2.6 percent of its GDP today, as his former National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien suggested recently. 

On chips, the Taiwanese government has pushed back on Trump’s claims of unfairness. In an interview with Foreign Policy this month, Alexander Yui, Taiwan’s representative to the United States, said, “Between Taiwan and the U.S., we’re partners in terms of that industry. … The United States is very good at chip design, and we’re very good at manufacturing.” He also referenced the three massive semiconductor factories that Taiwanese tech giant TSMC plans to build in Arizona.

However, Trump’s repeated comments begrudging Taiwan’s semiconductor dominance suggest that he is unsatisfied with the status quo and may push for more domestic chip manufacturing. “Trump has made it clear—he’s going after chips,” said Jason Hsu, a former Taiwanese legislator who is now an Edward Mason fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School. “TSMC could bear the consequences of Trump’s political rhetoric.”

A final scenario that some experts say could unfold if Trump were to dominate Taiwan policy and take it in the most transactional direction is that he could trade Taiwan’s future away in some kind of grand economic bargain with China. The terms of such a deal and its likelihood are far from clear, but experts point to Trump’s past remarks in private diminishing Taiwan’s significance as a sign that such a scenario might be possible.

But Taiwan has some ���aces up its sleeve” to head off worst-case scenarios under a Trump administration, argued Craig Singleton, the director of the China program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. 

“Taiwan’s major semiconductor investments in important battleground states, like Arizona, and its substantial military hardware purchases highlight the island’s strategic importance,” Singleton said. “Taiwan also enjoys steadfast bipartisan backing on Capitol Hill, which could prove helpful in navigating choppy diplomatic waters.”

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New SpaceTime out Friday

SpaceTime 20250530 Series 28 Episode 65

New theory of gravity brings the long-sought Theory of Everything closer

A quantum theory of gravity would clear the path to answering some of the biggest questions in physics.

Is there a hot side of the moon

A new study claims the Moon’s near or Earth facing side is hotter than its far side.

Discovery of white dwarf pulsars

A white dwarf and a red dwarf star have been discovered closely orbiting each other and emitting radio pulses every two hours.

SkyWatch June

The June Solstice, the constellation Sagittarius, and the Taurids meteor shower are among the highlights of the June night skies on Sky watch.

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through your favourite podcast download provider or from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He was the dorky school kid who spent his weekends at the Australian Museum. He studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on a career in journalism and radio broadcasting. Gary’s radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. His first gigs were spent as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist, and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary developed StarStuff which he wrote, produced and hosted, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. That compares to the ABC’s overall radio listenership of just 5.6 per cent. The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode being broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times weekly (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

[sharlthakur]

Test your knowledge of India's northeastern frontier with our Arunachal Pradesh Quiz: 100 Latest GK Questions and Answers! This comprehensive quiz covers a wide range of topics—from history, geography, and culture to politics, festivals, and current affairs—offering an engaging way to learn more about this vibrant and diverse state

[exam4naukri]

Competitive Exams Guide 2024: Practice Sets, Answer Keys, Religious History & Internships

India's competitive exam landscape in 2024 is buzzing with opportunities for aspirants targeting government jobs like BSSC CGL and RRB ALP. From effective practice sets and answer keys to the importance of subject knowledge like religious history and maths, let’s explore everything you need to crack these exams, along with new initiatives like the PM Internship Scheme and how to stay updated with job alerts like Naukri Exam.

BSSC CGL Practice Set

The Bihar Staff Selection Commission (BSSC) Combined Graduate Level (CGL) exam is one of the most awaited recruitment drives for graduate candidates in Bihar. A practice set for BSSC CGL includes subject-wise question papers on General Studies, General Science, Mathematics, Logical Reasoning, and current affairs. These sets help aspirants evaluate their preparation, improve time management, and identify weak areas. Many reputed publications provide mock tests aligned with the latest syllabus and previous year papers. Candidates should solve at least one full-length practice paper every day as the exam approaches.

RRB ALP Answer Key 2024

The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) answer key 2024 is a crucial document that helps candidates calculate their tentative scores and raise objections if needed. The answer key is released shortly after the exam on the official RRB websites. Candidates must log in using their registration number and password to download the answer key. It's important to cross-verify with the response sheet and file objections within the stipulated time if discrepancies are found. This transparency ensures fairness in evaluation and boosts candidate confidence.

BSSC CGL Practice Set Book

To strengthen preparation, students should rely on a high-quality BSSC CGL practice set book. Some of the recommended books include those by Kiran Publications, Arihant, and Lucent. These books offer chapter-wise solved questions, model test papers, and previous year papers. A good practice set book should include explanations in both English and Hindi to aid bilingual learners. Selecting a book that follows the latest BSSC syllabus is essential for effective preparation.

भारत में ईसाई धर्म का आगमन (Arrival of Christianity in India)

भारत में ईसाई धर्म का आगमन पहली शताब्दी ईस्वी में सेंट थॉमस (संत थॉमस) के माध्यम से हुआ था। यह माना जाता है कि वे 52 ईस्वी में केरल के मलाबार तट पर पहुंचे थे। प्रारंभ में ईसाई धर्म दक्षिण भारत के कुछ हिस्सों तक ही सीमित था, लेकिन बाद में यूरोपीय उपनिवेशों जैसे पुर्तगाल, डच और अंग्रेजों के आने के बाद इसकी पहुंच पूरे भारत में फैल गई। आज भारत में ईसाई समुदाय देश का तीसरा सबसे बड़ा धार्मिक समूह है। यह विषय सामान्य ज्ञान और इतिहास के लिए महत्वपूर्ण है, विशेष रूप से बिहार और रेलवे की परीक्षाओं में।

PM Internship Scheme 2024

The PM Internship Scheme 2024, also known as the Prime Minister’s Internship Yojana, is a government initiative aimed at providing real-time work experience to undergraduate and postgraduate students. Interns will work in various departments under central ministries, PSUs, and other government bodies. The scheme offers:

Monthly stipend

Work experience certificate

Exposure to public policy and administration

This initiative enhances employability and helps students understand how governance works at the grassroots level. Details and application forms can be accessed via the official MyGov portal.

Maths Books for Competitive Exams

Mathematics plays a vital role in exams like BSSC, RRB, SSC, and Banking. Some of the best books for preparation include:

Quantitative Aptitude by R.S. Aggarwal

Fast Track Objective Arithmetic by Rajesh Verma

Kiran SSC Mathematics Chapterwise Solutions

NCERT Maths (Class 6 to 10) for concept building

Regular practice of short tricks, formulas, and previous year questions is essential to score high in the quantitative aptitude section.

Exam4 Naukri and Job Alerts

 Exam4  Naukri  refers to various recruitment tests conducted across India for government and private jobs. To stay updated, candidates should:

Subscribe to job portals like Naukri.com, FreeJobAlert, SarkariResult

Follow official websites like SSC, UPSC, RRB, BPSC

Join Telegram channels and YouTube coaching platforms for real-time updates

Timely alerts help in applying before deadlines and preparing efficiently for upcoming vacancies.

Conclusion: Preparation for government exams in 2024 demands a strategic mix of practice, reliable study material, awareness of historical facts, and knowledge of employment schemes. Whether you're solving a BSSC CGL paper or reviewing the RRB ALP answer key, staying informed and consistent is the key to success.

[uniqueiasblog]

Is Online Coaching Effective for IAS Preparation in 2025?

With the rise of digital learning, many aspirants are now turning to IAS Online Coaching as their primary mode of preparation. But the big question remains — is online coaching really effective for cracking the highly competitive UPSC Civil Services Exam in 2025? The short answer is yes, if used wisely. Let’s break down why.

Flexibility That Fits Every Schedule

One of the biggest advantages of IAS Online Coaching is the flexibility it offers. Whether you're a full-time student, a working professional, or someone juggling personal responsibilities, online classes let you learn at your own pace. Recorded sessions, downloadable notes, and 24/7 access to study material ensure you don’t miss out on anything.

Access to Top Faculty Across India

Earlier, UPSC aspirants had to shift to cities like Delhi to access quality coaching. But now, with just a stable internet connection, you can learn from the best faculty in the country without leaving your home. This makes quality education more affordable and accessible.

Updated and Structured Content

Reputed IAS Online Coaching platforms provide well-structured courses designed by experts. They regularly update their material based on the latest UPSC trends, keeping students ahead of the curve. Daily current affairs analysis, mock tests, and mains answer writing practice are all available online.

Interactive Learning Tools

Modern online platforms come with doubt-clearing forums, live Q\&A sessions, performance tracking, and even mentorship programs. These features help replicate the interactive environment of a physical classroom, making the experience engaging and effective.

Self-Discipline is the Key

However, the success of IAS Online Coaching largely depends on the student’s discipline. Without the routine of an offline class, staying motivated and consistent can be challenging. Creating a structured study plan and sticking to it is crucial.

Conclusion

IAS Online Coaching in 2025 is not just a backup option—it has become a preferred choice for thousands of aspirants across India. With the right platform, dedication, and smart strategy, cracking the UPSC exam from the comfort of your home is more achievable than ever. If you're serious about your IAS journey, online coaching is definitely worth considering.

[careerera360]

Preparation Tips for SSC CHSL 2025

The Staff Selection Commission Combined Higher Secondary Level (SSC CHSL) exam is the gateway for aspirants to fulfill their aspirations of working in government jobs in various Ministries, Departments, and Organizations under the Government of India. With SSC CHSL 2025 staring at candidates, a strategy must be put and followed for disciplined preparation as this exam holds a hard competition. In this blog, we present a set of comprehensive tips to study well for the SSC CHSL 2025; this includes preparation methods, time management, and section-wise preparation.

Understanding the Exam Pattern of SSC CHSL

Before delving into the preparation, understand the pattern of the exam. The SSC CHSL 2025 exam has three stages:

Tier 1: A computer-based test (CBT), where the 100 objective-type questions (carrying 200 marks) are to be answered in 60 minutes. It comprises four sections General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Comprehension- with 25 questions in each section and carrying 50 marks each.

Tier 2: A descriptive test (Pen and Paper mode) is conducted for 100 marks within 60 minutes, having essay and letter/application-writing skills.

Tier 3: Skill test/Typing test for candidates qualifying Tier 1 and Tier 2, according to the post applied for.

Being aware of the syllabus and the pattern of the exam is the very first step toward the best way to prepare.

General Preparation Strategies:

1. Create a Reliastic Study Plan:

Having a well-structured study plan is the pillars on which rests your preparation. Somehow you must answer the question: Set x number of hours per day to study for each section, based upon your own strengths and weaknesses. Take Quantitative Aptitude for example, which can go for 2–3 hours if your math is on the weaker side, and perhaps 1–2 hours on General Awareness if you are quite confident in it. Your schedule must include:

Every day: 6–8 hours study time (or less if your schedule cannot afford more);

Weekly: Specific topics should be targeted to be covered;

Space for revision and mock tests;

Short breaks to keep away the burnout.

Try and follow the plan as strictly as possible, but stay flexible to making changes depending on how things go.

2. Gather Quality Study Material :

Reliable resources should serve as the foundation for your preparation. Recommended materials include:

Quantitative Aptitude: “Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations”.

General Intelligence and Reasoning: “A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning” .

English Comprehension: “Objective General English” .

General Awareness: Lucent’s General Knowledge, monthly current affairs magazines, and newspapers like The Hindu or Indian Express.

SSC CHSL candidates should combine SSC CHSL past papers and official government websites with reputable online mock tests and static GK resources.

3. Practice with Mock Tests and Previous Papers:

Taking mock tests prepares students for real exam conditions thus enabling them to handle time better while detecting their areas which need improvement. As the test approaches students should complete 2–3 mock tests each week. Review your results to recognize errors which leads to better precision. The practice of solving previous year papers lets students understand exam question structure and test complexity which increases their self-assurance.

4. Time Management:

The SSC CHSL examination demands efficient time management because Tier 1 consists of 100 questions to be answered in 60 minutes. The practice of answering questions within specific time frames will develop both speed and precise responses. Start with simple questions because this approach secures marks before addressing complicated ones. Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning require shortcuts and tricks to reduce time consumption.

5. Keep Yourself Updated with the Latest Currents Affairs:

General Awareness is a scoring section if well prepared. Read newspapers daily, concentrating on national and international news, government schemes, sports, awards, and economic updates; have an hour to cover all these. Make little notes of important occurrences and review them weekly. Follow some trustworthy online portals or apps for your daily updates of current affairs.

Section-Wise Tips for Preparation:

General Intelligence and Reasoning:

This section tests the candidate’s ability to logically and analytically analyze situations through analogy, coding-decoding, series, puzzle, and seating arrangement type questions. The tips for preparation are:

Practice Variety: Solve different types of reasoning questions every day so as to develop versatility.

High Weightage Topics: Syllogism, blood relations, and direction sense are some of the topics to focus more on as they are frequently asked.

Make Diagrams: For most puzzles and seating arrangements, draw diagrams to help visualize and solve faster.

Shortcuts to practise: Make best use of time learning techniques such as mirror images for non-verbal reasoning.

Give some time between 1-2 hours each day for reasoning, concentrating on really weak areas and occasionally reinforcing stronger ones.

Quantitative Aptitude:

With constant practice, quantitative aptitude might prove to be an interesting challenge. Some of the important sections include arithmetic (percentages, profit and loss, time and work, etc.), algebra, geometry, and data interpretation. Preparation tips:

Building the Basics: Cover the basic concepts such as percentage, ratio, and fraction.

Revise the Formulas: Prepare a formula sheet containing formulas for mensuration, trigonometry, etc.

Daily Practice: Aim at 20-30 questions per day and increase levels of difficulty gradually.

Shortcuts: Learn Vedic maths tricks or approximation techniques.

Focus on accuracy as the paper in Tier 1 has a negative marking scheme where a wrong answer is awarded a penalty of 0.50 marks.

English Comprehension:

This part of the question paper is basically for grammar, vocabulary, and understanding and will contain cloze tests, sentence correction, synonyms/antonyms, reading comprehension, etc. Tips are given below:

Improve Vocabulary: Learn 5–10 new words daily with their meanings and usages. The use of flashcards or any app would surely help to retain.

Master Grammar Rules: Concentrate on tenses, prepositions, subject-verb agreement, etc.

Practice Reading Comprehension: Read editorials and summarize them to help speed up and comprehend better.

Trying cloze tests: Solving cloze tests where one is supposed to fill in the blanks in a passage can help develop a better understanding of the context.

Reading English newspapers daily enhances vocabulary and comprehension.

General Awareness:

The section includes static GK elements such as history and geography alongside current affairs. The following preparation guidelines apply:

Static GK: Use concise resources such as Lucent’s GK to study Indian Constitution, important dates and scientific phenomena.

Current Affairs: Maintain a notebook for daily news highlights, focusing on events from the past 6–12 months.

Revise Regularly: Use quizzes or flashcards to retain facts.

Focus on Exam-Relevant Topics: Prioritize government schemes, international organizations, and recent appointments.

Allocate 1 hour daily to General Awareness, splitting time between static and current topics.

Tier 2 Preparation Candidates must write both essays and letters or applications for the Tier 2 examination which is a descriptive paper. To succeed:

Practice Writing: Candidates should dedicate time to composing one essay that contains 250 to 300 words and one letter that ranges between 150 to 200 words every week about government schemes social issues and environmental concerns.

Focus on Structure: Essay writing requires candidates to create an introduction followed by body paragraphs and a conclusion. Letters need to follow either formal or informal structural requirements based on their assignment.

Improve Speed: Candidates need to develop their writing speed through regular practice of writing within the 60-minute time frame.

Enhance Content: Your writing will become more compelling when you incorporate actual facts together with statistical data and current affairs examples.

Tier 3 Preparation The DEO position requires skill testing while the LDC/JSA positions require typing tests as part of the Tier 3 assessment. Tips include:

Typing Practice: Use online tools to improve typing speed (35 WPM for English, 30 WPM for Hindi).

Accuracy Matters: Typing accuracy plays a vital role because it determines whether candidates will achieve the required passing score.

Familiarize with Format: Applicants should train themselves on standard keyboards because this practice will replicate the actual examination setup.

Final Thoughts

The preparation for SSC CHSL 2025 demands both commitment alongside regular practice and strategic planning. Your chances of success will improve when you understand the exam pattern and make a customized study plan and perform regular practice. Direct your attention towards your weak areas while using your strong points and maintain current affairs knowledge updates. The right resources combined with disciplined effort will make SSC CHSL 2025 achievable for you. Early preparation combined with focused attention and your best efforts will lead to success.