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Economic Indicators and Various Reports On It- GDP, FD, EODB, WIR etc

[15th November 2025] The Hindu Op-ED: Flexible inflation targeting, a good balance

op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Inclusive Growth & Issues

Mentor’s Comment

The debate on India’s Flexible Inflation Targeting (FIT) framework is central to macroeconomic stability, especially as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) undertakes the second quinquennial review after adopting FIT in 2016. This article decodes the logic, data trends, inflation-growth dynamics, concerns over inflation bands, and the evolving economic context, translated into UPSC-ready analysis with conceptual clarity.

Introduction

India adopted the Flexible Inflation Targeting (FIT) framework in 2016, giving statutory autonomy to the RBI for price stability. With the current inflation band of 4% ± 2% up for review in March 2026, economic debate has intensified on whether this band remains appropriate amid structural shifts, supply-side shocks, and the inflation-growth trade-off. The article evaluates India’s experience with FIT, evidence from inflation-growth relationships, and the question of acceptable inflation levels for sustained macroeconomic stability.

Why in the News?

The FIT framework is undergoing its second major review since its inception in 2016, making it a crucial moment for India’s monetary policy architecture. RBI has released a research discussion paper, its most comprehensive assessment yet, presenting long-term inflation-growth data, the first such empirical mapping since 1991. The debate is significant because India’s inflation has remained near the upper tolerance band, raising questions about whether 4% is still an appropriate central target or whether persistent supply shocks require rethinking the framework. The outcome of this review will shape India’s monetary autonomy, fiscal-monetary coordination, and growth stability over the coming decade.

What makes inflation control central to monetary policy?

  1. Inflation as a regressive tax: Disproportionately burdens poorer households whose incomes are not hedged; erodes purchasing power.
  2. High inflation leading to misallocation of resources: Leads to volatile investments and misdirected economic decisions.
  3. Acceptable inflation evolves with context: The Chakravarty Committee (1985) recommended 5% as acceptable, but economic conditions have since changed.
  4. Institutional strengthening since 1994: Post-automatic monetisation era gave RBI functional autonomy; FIT (2016) gave statutory backing for price stability.

How does India’s current FIT framework work?

  1. Inflation band of 4% ± 2%: Offers flexibility while anchoring expectations.
  2. Headline inflation as target: Encourages investment protection from supply shocks; aligns with international norms.
  3. Range-bound inflation despite shocks: India has broadly maintained inflation within the band, reflecting maturing policy credibility.
  4. Mechanism evolves with economic complexity: Framework still young, but institutional autonomy makes it robust.

What should India target-headline inflation or core inflation?

  1. Headline inflation captures supply shocks: Essential in an economy where food inflation significantly affects households.
  2. Misconception on price behaviour: General price level (inflation) differs from relative price changes (e.g., wages, food).
  3. Milton Friedman example: Excess money supply raises general prices; changing relative prices without liquidity expansion cannot cause inflation.
  4. No liquidity expansion leading to no general inflation: Relative price movement alone insufficient to generate sustained inflation.

What does long-term data reveal about inflation and growth?

  1. Quadratic inflation-growth curve (1991-2023): Presented in the article; first time excluding COVID years.
  2. Point of inflection = 3.98%: Growth rises with inflation to ~4%, then declines beyond it.
    1. Implication: India’s acceptable inflation level is just around 4%.
  3. Higher inflation hurts growth: Especially when supply constraints, fiscal stress, and external pressures coincide.

How flexible should the inflation band be

  1. FIT performance so far: Delivered flexibility; monetary authorities operate near upper limit due to shocks.
  2. Risk of staying at the upper band: May undermine framework credibility.
  3. Policy navigation matters: India earlier faced high inflation in the 1970s-80s; monetisation of the deficit made it worse.
  4. Present framework avoids past mistakes: Moves away from fiscal dominance; prevents automatic deficit monetisation.

What determines an acceptable level of inflation?

  1. Phillips Curve insights: Countries with higher income also see higher acceptable inflation levels.
  2. Empirical threshold near 4%: RBI paper’s curve suggests growth maximisation at around 4%.
  3. India-specific vulnerabilities: Supply shocks (food, fuel), climate variability, imported inflation, fiscal constraints.
  4. Need for robust expectations anchoring: Prevents wage-price spiral and demand misalignment.

Conclusion

India’s Flexible Inflation Targeting has broadly succeeded in stabilising inflation expectations while preserving monetary autonomy. Evidence from long-term inflation-growth dynamics reinforces that 4% remains an optimal central target, though India must build greater resilience to supply shocks and strengthen fiscal-monetary coordination. A credible, flexible, and data-driven FIT framework remains essential for India’s growth trajectory over the next decade.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2024] What are the causes of persistent high food inflation in India? Comment on the effectiveness of the monetary policy of the RBI to control this type of inflation.

Linkage: This PYQ  is highly relevant as food inflation heavily shapes headline inflation under the Flexible Inflation Targeting (FIT) framework, highlighting the limits of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) tools. It links to the review of the four-percent target and RBI’s role in managing supply-driven inflation.

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Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

On Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary, let’s celebrate his fight for dignity

Prelims Only | History | Mains Paper 1: Modern Indian History

Introduction

Birsa Munda and the larger Janjatiya movement occupy a central position in India’s social-political evolution. From colonial-era uprisings to modern state-led empowerment measures, tribal struggles reveal a continuous assertion of identity, land rights, cultural autonomy, and equitable development. The government’s recent initiatives, including the celebration of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, PM-Janman Mission, tribal-focused infrastructure schemes, and protection of cultural heritage, highlight a renewed emphasis on integrating tribal communities into mainstream governance without erasing their distinctiveness.

Why in the news?

Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary gains special significance as India concludes the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Janjatiya icons during Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh (2021-2024), a landmark recognition of tribal heritage at a national scale. For the first time, tribal leaders and movements are commemorated through a dedicated national day (Janjatiya Gaurav Divas), signalling a major shift from historical marginalisation to mainstream acknowledgment. This comes at a moment when tribal communities, once isolated, are transitioning toward empowered participation through new missions, infrastructure investments, and cultural revival measures highlighted in the article.

How has the tribal freedom movement shaped India’s socio-political fabric?

  1. Historical Resistance: Tribal communities led sustained struggles against British colonial rule, moneylenders, and local landlords. Example: Movements led by Tilka Manjhi, Rani Gaidinliu, Sidhu-Kanhu, Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh, Tantia Bhil.
  2. Collective Assertion: Demonstrated that tribal revolts were not isolated incidents but powerful collective responses to exploitation.
  3. Cultural Protection: Defended land, culture, and dignity from systemic oppression, shaping India’s early political consciousness.

Why is Birsa Munda a central figure in Janjatiya consciousness?

  1. Symbol of Dignity: Led the Ulgulan movement, highlighting tribal rights, cultural identity, and fight against colonial injustice.
  2. National Recognition: 2021 decision by the Prime Minister to commemorate his birth anniversary as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas.
    1. Significance: First national-level day dedicated to tribal heritage.
  3. Political Legacy: Birsa Munda’s region later inspired the creation of separate states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Uttarakhand, strengthening administrative representation for tribal communities.

How have recent government initiatives enhanced tribal empowerment?

  1. PM-JANMAN Mission:
    1. Holistic Development: Transforms marginalised tribal communities from welfare-oriented to empowerment-oriented.
    2. Targeted Delivery: Implemented across 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
    3. Infrastructure: Houses, roads, electricity, drinking water, health, and education.
  2. Dhani Aaba Janjatiya Gaurav Ashram Abhiyan:
    1. Community Spaces: Creates structured social and economic development hubs.
    2. Outcome: Strengthens village-level institutions.
  3. EMRS Expansion:
    1. Educational Access: 728 Eklavya Model Residential Schools sanctioned; 479 operational.
    2. Impact: Bridges educational inequities for tribal children.
  4. Tribal Business Conclave:
    1. Market Linkages: Enhances geotagging of tribal products and economic inclusion.

How has political leadership supported Janjatiya reforms?

  1. Representation in Governance: Continuous policy focus on tribal welfare
  2. Heritage Recognition:
    • Museums: Ten freedom fighter museums sanctioned; four inaugurated. These recognise tribal contributions to the freedom struggle.
  3. Prime Minister’s Visit to Ulihatu: First Prime Minister to visit Birsa Munda’s birthplace, underscoring symbolic national acknowledgment.

How are tribal communities moving from isolation to mainstream participation?

  1. Governance Inclusion: Tribal affairs institutionalised via a separate Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
  2. Economic Upliftment: PM-JANMAN and other schemes ensure roads, schools, livelihood support, and market integration.
  3. Cultural Revival: Celebration of Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh fosters awareness of tribal culture across generations.

Conclusion

Birsa Munda’s legacy is not confined to the past; it continues to shape India’s pursuit of justice, dignity, and equitable development for tribal communities. As the nation celebrates Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh and strengthens missions like PM-JANMAN, the shift from historic marginalisation to institutional empowerment marks a significant transformation in India’s democratic evolution.

Value Addition

Who was Birsa Munda?

Birsa Munda (1875-1900) was a revolutionary tribal leader, spiritual reformer, and social mobiliser belonging to the Munda tribe of the Chotanagpur plateau. Revered as Dharti Aba (Father of the Earth), he transformed scattered tribal discontent into a structured political uprising.

Which Rebellion Was He Part Of?

Ulgulan (The Great Tumult), 1899-1900

The Ulgulan was the Munda Rebellion led by Birsa Munda against British colonial rule, zamindari oppression, and missionary cultural domination.

Area of the Movement

  • Entire Chotanagpur region covering
    • Ranchi
    • Singhbhum
    • Gumla
    • Khunti
    • Tamar
    • Sarwada
  • Present-day Jharkhand

This area was historically inhabited by the Munda, Oraon, Ho, and Santhal tribes, but Birsa’s core following was from the Munda tribe.

Why did the Ulgulan Revolt Erupt? (Major Reasons)

  1. Land Alienation
    1. Zamindars, moneylenders, and British policies dispossessed Mundas from their traditional khuntkatti lands.
    2. Outsiders (dikus) seized land through taxation, debt, and fraudulent contracts.
  2. Exploitative Agrarian System
    1. Beth-begari (forced labour) imposed by landlords.
    2. High rent, illegal levies, and bonded labour.
  3. Colonial Forest Policies
    1. British restrictions on shifting cultivation, forest access, forest produce, and grazing rights.
  4. Cultural Domination
    1. Missionary influence attempted to alter tribal culture and traditional faith.
    2. Birsa’s movement demanded revival of tribal dharma.
  5. Social Reform and Purification
    1. Birsa preached reform against alcohol, superstition, and internal divisions.
  6. Political Awakening
    1. The community believed Birsa would restore a Golden Age (Sat-Yug) by driving away dikus.
    2. This turned Ulgulan into a millenarian and political movement

Nature and Features of Ulgulan

  1. Millenarian Movement: Promised liberation and restoration of Munda rule.
  2. Cultural Revival: Emphasised indigenous identity and autonomy.
  3. Armed Resistance: Attacked police stations, zamindars, and Christian mission institutions.
  4. Political Assertion: First organised tribal movement with a coherent ideology.
  5. Mass Mobilisation: Unified thousands of tribal households across Chotanagpur.

Demands of the Munda Rebellion

  1. Restoration of traditional khuntkatti land rights.
  2. End to forced labour and exploitative tenancy.
  3. Freedom from missionary domination.
  4. Recognition of tribal self-rule.
  5. Expulsion of dikus from tribal land.

Immediate Result of the Movement

  1. Birsa was arrested in March 1900, imprisoned, and died in Ranchi jail (June 1900).
  2. The rebellion was militarily suppressed by the British.

Long-Term Outcomes & Legacy

  1. CNT Act, 1908
    1. Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (1908) restricted transfer of tribal land to non-tribals.
    2. Institutionalised protection of tribal land rights.
  2. Rise of Tribal Political Consciousness: Ulgulan transformed tribal resistance from sporadic revolts to a structured political assertion.
  3. Cultural Assertion: Revived pride in tribal identity, customs, and autonomy.
  4. Administrative Reforms: Better regulation of zamindari and recognition of tribal customary laws.
  5. Modern Legacy:
    1. Birsa Munda remains a symbol of indigenous rights.
    2. His legacy contributed to the demand for Jharkhand statehood (2000).
    3. Celebrated annually as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas since 2021.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2023] How did colonial rule affect the tribals in India and what was the tribal response to colonial oppression?

Linkage: The PYQ is relevant as colonial exploitation of land, forests, and culture sparked major tribal revolts like Ulgulan. The article links directly by showing Birsa Munda’s movement as a prime example of tribal resistance to colonial oppression.

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Right To Privacy

Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules, 2025

Explained | Polity | Mains Paper 2: Indian Constitution - historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure

Why in the News?

The Centre has notified major provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 under the DPDP Rules, 2025, operationalising India’s first comprehensive digital privacy law. The notification is a major shift from years of unregulated data collection where companies faced minimal obligations for consent, breach reporting, or user rights.

Key Features of the DPDP Rules, 2025:

  • Phased Compliance: All entities receive 18 months; full compliance by May 2027 for large entities and SDFs.
  • Consent Management: Consent must be explicit, purpose-specific, and revocable, managed through licensed Consent Managers (Indian-registered entities).
  • Protection for Children & Persons with Disabilities: Requires verifiable parental consent for minors and lawful guardian consent for persons unable to provide consent.
  • Transparency Obligations: Data Fiduciaries must publish Data Protection Officer (DPO) details and respond to access/deletion requests within 90 days.
  • DPBI: Fully digital grievance-redressal and enforcement body monitoring compliance and imposing penalties.
  • Enhanced Oversight for SDFs: Includes regular audits, data protection impact assessments, and appointment of independent DPOs.
  • Exemptions: For activities related to national security, judiciary, law enforcement, and academic/statistical research.
  • Cross-Border Transfers: Allowed under approved conditions; data localisation can be required for national interest.

What Counts as Personal Data and Who Can Process It

  1. Digital Personal Data: Covers only digital data, including digitised versions of non-digital inputs.
  2. Specified Categories: Government will determine kinds of data that can be processed by “significant data fiduciaries”, entities requiring higher safeguards due to volume/sensitivity.
  3. Cross-border Transfer Rules: Transfers to certain jurisdictions may be restricted, with details notified separately.

Breach Reporting, Accountability and Penalties

  1. Breach Notification Requirement: Mandatory reporting of personal data breaches to individuals and the Data Protection Board of India (DPBI).
  2. Penalty Regime: Fines can go as high as ₹250 crore for inadequate safeguards, making the Act one of the strongest deterrent frameworks in India
  3. Government Exemptions: Certain exemptions apply to government agencies processing data for national security or other notified purposes.
  4. Past Controversies: Previous allegations involving the National Health Authority triggered scrutiny over exemptions, highlighting need for strong safeguards.

Key Concerns and Regulatory Gaps

  1. Narrow scope (digital-only coverage): Limits protection by excluding non-digital personal data.
  2. Broad government exemptions: Allows wide-ranging State access without strong necessity-proportionality safeguards.
  3. Lack of independent regulator: Data Protection Board remains executive-controlled, reducing autonomy and accountability.
  4. Vague “legitimate use” clauses: Enables processing without consent under broadly defined categories.
  5. Weak child data safeguards: No explicit bar on profiling or behavioural targeting despite mandatory parental consent.
  6. Uniform obligations for all fiduciaries: Absence of sensitive data classification under-protects high-risk sectors.
  7. Unclear cross-border data transfer norms: Pending notifications create uncertainty for global data operations.
  8. Delayed enforcement timeline: 12-18 month rollout slows effective protection and compliance.

Way Forward

  1. Independent oversight mechanism: Reform Board appointments to ensure autonomy similar to global regulators.
  2. Narrower exemptions with safeguards: Introduce necessity, proportionality, and audit requirements for government agencies.
  3. Clearer child protection standards: Explicitly prohibit profiling, targeted ads, and manipulative algorithms for minors.
  4. Higher safeguards for sensitive data: Introduce tiered protection for health, biometric, and financial data.
  5. Transparent cross-border criteria: Notify clear principles for permitted and restricted jurisdictions.
  6. Privacy-by-design compliance: Mandate encryption, data minimisation, and privacy impact assessments.
  7. Capacity-building and templates: Provide model compliance tools, especially for MSMEs and public agencies.
  8. Digital literacy and awareness: Enhance user understanding of consent rights and grievance mechanisms.

Precursor to the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023:

  • Constitutional Trigger: The Justice K.S. Puttaswamy vs Union of India (2017) judgment recognised the Right to Privacy as a Fundamental Right under Article 21, creating the constitutional basis for a dedicated data protection law.
  • Earlier Regime: India previously relied on the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011, which were limited and sector-specific.
  • Legislative Evolution: The 2023 Act was preceded by the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2018, the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019, and the Data Protection Bill, 2021.
  • Data Localisation Debate: Earlier drafts mandated strict localisation; later relaxed to enable interoperability and simplify compliance.
  • Final Outcome: The 2023 Act introduced a principle-based, simplified, globally aligned digital privacy framework.

What is the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023?

  • Overview: India’s first comprehensive digital data protection law, enacted on 11 August 2023, governing how personal data is collected, processed, and stored.
  • Seven Core Principles:
    1. Lawful Consent
    2. Purpose Limitation
    3. Data Minimisation
    4. Accuracy
    5. Storage Limitation
    6. Security Safeguards
    7. Accountability
  • Applicability: Applies to all digital personal data processed in India, and to processors abroad if they offer goods/services to people in India.
  • Rights of Data Principals (Individuals): Right to access, correct, update, erase, obtain grievance redressal, and nominate a representative for incapacity or death.
  • Obligations of Data Fiduciaries: Must ensure accuracy, prevent misuse, report breaches, erase data after purpose is fulfilled, and maintain security safeguards.
  • Significant Data Fiduciaries (SDFs): Must appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO), conduct independent audits, and prepare Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs).
  • Exemptions: For functions involving sovereignty, security of the state, public order, judicial activities, and statistical/research purposes.
  • Penalties: Fines up to ₹250 crore for major violations such as breach, unlawful processing, or failure to protect personal data.
  • Global Alignment: Creates an Indian framework aligned with global standards such as the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (EU-GDPR), while remaining simpler and business-friendly.
[UPSC 2024] Under which of the following Articles of the Constitution of India, has the Supreme Court of India placed the Right to Privacy?

Options: (a) Article 15 (b) Article 16 (c) Article 19 (d) Article 21*

[UPSC 2024] Describe the context and salient features of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

Linkage: The PYQ is directly relevant as the DPDP Act operationalises India’s first privacy law after the Supreme Court’s right-to-privacy ruling. Its recent rules on consent, fiduciary duties and breach reporting make it a high-priority current topic for UPSC.

 

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ISRO Missions and Discoveries

Study on Lithium-Rich Red Giant Stars and Helium Abundance

Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

Why in the News?

A recent study conducted by Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) has discovered a link between Lithium-rich red giant stars and their enhanced helium abundance.

What are Red Giant Stars?

  • Overview: Evolved stars that have exhausted core hydrogen, causing the core to contract and the outer layers to expand into a large, cool, reddish envelope.
  • Formation Process: Core contraction increases temperature while the outer shell expands and cools, triggering hydrogen shell burning.
  • Temperature and Luminosity: Surface temperature drops to 2,000–5,000 K, but luminosity rises sharply due to vastly increased radius.
  • Internal Fusion: Helium fusion begins in the core, producing heavier elements like carbon and oxygen.
  • Evolutionary Stage: Represents the late life cycle of medium-mass stars; the Sun will enter this phase in about 5 billion years.
  • End Stage: Outer layers are shed into a planetary nebula, leaving a white dwarf remnant that cools over time.

Key Findings of the Study:

  • New Discovery: IIA established the first spectroscopic link between helium enhancement and lithium enrichment in red giant stars.
  • Data Source: Based on Himalayan Chandra Telescope observations and archival global spectroscopic datasets.
  • Sample Profile: 20 cool giants studied- 18 red giants and 2 supergiants.
  • Helium-Enriched Stars: Six stars showed high helium-to-hydrogen ratios (He/H > 0.1).
  • Distribution: Five were red giants and one a supergiant, showing a trend toward helium enhancement in lithium-rich giants.
  • Scientific Insight: Offers direct evidence of deep internal mixing and nucleosynthesis shaping surface chemical composition.

What is the correlation between Lithium and Helium?

  • Coupled Enrichment: All helium-enhanced giants were lithium-rich, suggesting a shared internal mixing mechanism.
  • Asymmetry: Not all lithium-rich giants showed helium enhancement, implying lithium can rise without parallel helium increase.
  • Internal Mixing Role: Deep convection likely dredges up newly formed helium and lithium from the interior to the photosphere.
  • Photospheric Evidence: Confirms mixing-driven changes detectable on the stellar surface during the red giant stage.

Significance of the Findings:

  • First Measurement: Provides the first direct spectroscopic photospheric helium estimates for normal and lithium-rich red giants.
  • Astrophysical Value: Refines understanding of mixing, nucleosynthesis, and energy transport inside red giant branch (RGB) stars.
  • Galactic Evolution: Improves models of how stars contribute heavier elements to the interstellar medium.
  • Methodological Advance: Strengthens indirect helium-measurement techniques for cool stars where helium lines are not visible.
  • Evolutionary Insight: Shows helium enrichment is integral to changes in luminosity, temperature evolution, and mass-loss pathways.
[UPSC 2023] Consider the following pairs:

Objects in space: Description

1. Cepheids : Giant clouds of dust and gas in space

2. Nebulae : Stars which brighten and dim periodically

3. Pulsars : Neutron stars that are formed when massive stars run out of fuel and collapse

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Options: (a) Only one* (b) Only two (c) All three (d) None

 

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GI(Geographical Indicator) Tags

Recently awarded GI Tags

Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Intellectual Property Rights

Why in the News?

The Geographical Indications (GI) Registry under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry granted GI recognition to multiple traditional products across India, including Ambaji Marble (Gujarat), Panna Diamond (Madhya Pradesh), and Lepcha Instruments (Sikkim).

GI Tag/Product

Details
Ambaji White Marble (Gujarat)

 • Known for pure white color, high calcium content, and durability
• Sourced from Ambaji Shaktipeeth, Banaskantha
• Used in Dilwara Temples and Ayodhya Ram Temple
• Applied by Ambaji Marbles Quarry and Factory Association
• Contains calcium oxide and silicon oxide, enhancing strength
• Exported for temple use in USA, New Zealand, and UK
Panna Diamond (Madhya Pradesh)

 • Application by Collectorate (Diamond Branch), Panna
• Features a light green tint and weak carbon line
• Managed by NMDC’s Diamond Mining Project
• Supported by Padma Shri Rajni Kant (GI Man of India)
• Enhances traceability, authenticity, and export potential
Sikkim Lepcha Tungbuk

 • Traditional three-string musical instrument of Lepcha tribe
• Holds cultural and spiritual importance in Lepcha music
• GI granted on Nov 5, 2025 under Musical Instrument category
Sikkim Lepcha Pumtong Pulit

 • Bamboo flute central to Lepcha folk traditions
• Symbol of Lepcha cultural identity and heritage
• Preserves traditional instrument-making and youth cultural continuity
Kannadippaya (Kerala)

 • Traditional bamboo mat crafted by Kerala artisans
• Recognized for eco-friendly material and handwoven design
• Boosts rural cooperative income and craft heritage branding
Apatani Textile (Arunachal Pradesh)

 • Handwoven by Apatani tribe of Ziro Valley
• Features geometric motifs and natural dye usage
• Represents sustainable tribal textile craftsmanship
Marthandam Honey (Tamil Nadu)

 

 • Produced in Kanyakumari district
• Known for unique floral aroma, high medicinal value
• Supports local beekeeping and biodiversity-based livelihoods
Bodo Aronai (Assam)

 • Traditional handwoven scarf of the Bodo community
• Symbol of honor, identity, and ceremonial respect
• Made using handspun cotton/silk with tribal patterns
Bedu & Badri Cow Ghee (Uttarakhand)

 • Produced from indigenous hill cow breeds
• Known for nutritional richness and purity from high-altitude regions
• Promotes mountain organic economy and heritage dairy products

 

[UPSC 2018] Consider the following pairs:
Craft. Heritage of
1. Puthukkuli shawls Tamil Nadu
2. Sujni embroidery Maharashtra
3. Uppada Jamdani saris Karnataka
Which of the pairs given above is/are correct?
Options: (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 (c) 3 only (d) 2 and 3*

 

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ISRO Missions and Discoveries

NASA’s ESCAPADE Mission to Mars

Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

Why in the News?

NASA launched the ESCAPADE mission aboard the New Glenn rocket developed by Blue Origin.

About ESCAPADE Mission:

  • Mission Overview: ESCAPADE is a NASA Mars mission consisting of two identical orbiters (Blue and Gold) designed to study how the solar wind interacts with the Martian atmosphere and magnetosphere.
  • Launch: Launched aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, marking a major step for commercial heavy-lift launches.
  • Programme: Part of NASA’s SIMPLEx programme, which focuses on low-cost, small planetary missions using compact spacecraft.
  • Science Goal: To understand how Mars lost its ancient thick atmosphere by measuring plasma, magnetic fields, and ion escape processes driven by the solar wind.
  • Trajectory: Uses an innovative path via the Earth–Sun L2 point, loitering for nearly a year before heading to Mars due to an imperfect launch-window alignment; arrival expected in 2027.

Key Features of ESCAPADE:

  • Twin–Spacecraft Design: Two orbiters operate together to take simultaneous measurements, allowing scientists to separate time-varying vs space-varying phenomena around Mars.
  • Hybrid Magnetosphere Focus: Mars lacks a global magnetic field but has patchy crustal magnetisation; ESCAPADE will map how these regions interact with solar-wind plasma and how ions escape into space.
  • Low-Cost Architecture: Built on Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft bus, making ESCAPADE a model for frequent, affordable interplanetary missions (~200–500 kg class).
  • Advanced Instruments:
    1. EMAG (magnetometer) to measure magnetic fields.
    2. EESA (electrostatic analyzer) to analyse ions and electrons.
    3. ELP (Langmuir probe) to study plasma density and temperature.
  • Innovative Mission Timeline:
    • One year at Earth–Sun L2.
    • Transfer to Mars in 2027.
    • Science operations begin after Mars-orbit insertion.
  • Science Operations:
    • String-of-pearls formation: both orbiters on the same orbit, separated by minutes.
    • Divergent orbits: spacecraft split to sample different regions of Mars’s space environment.
  • Commercial Enabling: Demonstrates the role of commercial heavy rockets like New Glenn in future deep-space missions.
[UPSC 2018] What is the purpose of the US Space Agency’s Themis Mission, which was recently in the news?

Options: (a) To study the possibility of life on Mars

(b) To study the satellites of Saturn

(c) To study the colorful display of high latitude skies*

(d) To build a space laboratory to study stellar explosions

 

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Nuclear Diplomacy and Disarmament

[14th November 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: Donald Trump shakes up the global nuclear order

op-ed snap | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Effect Of Policies & Politics Of World On India'S Interests

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2021] The USA is facing an existential threat in the form of China, that is much more challenging than the erstwhile Soviet Union.  Explain.

Linkage: China’s denial of nuclear testing and its call for the U.S. to uphold the moratorium illustrate the sharper, more complex strategic rivalry between the two powers. This directly aligns with the PYQ’s theme that China poses a subtler and more challenging strategic threat to the U.S. than the Soviet Union.

Mentor’s Comment

This editorial examines how recent U.S. actions under Donald Trump have disrupted long-standing global nuclear norms, especially the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) framework. The article evaluates implications for global nuclear stability, India’s strategic environment, and emerging arms-race dynamics. It has been rewritten to suit UPSC Mains standards, with structured analysis, value addition, and exam-oriented elements.

INTRODUCTION

The global nuclear order, built since 1945 through treaties, moratoria, and non-proliferation norms, is undergoing significant strain. The U.S. announcement of resuming nuclear testing and redefining CTBT obligations marks a decisive departure from three decades of restraint. This shift impacts nuclear doctrines, arms control regimes, and the behaviour of declared and undeclared nuclear weapon states.

WHY IN THE NEWS 

The CTBT framework faces its sharpest crisis in 27 years after Donald Trump declared that the U.S. may resume nuclear explosive testing, reversing the long-standing global moratorium. This marks the first major deviation from post-Cold War consensus and directly challenges existing verification norms. With Russia abandoning CTBT ratification and China refusing explosive testing, the U.S. move risks triggering a new technological arms race, raising concerns for India’s regional security environment.

How the Nuclear Order Evolved

  1. Post-1945 restructuring: Nuclear stockpiles reduced from ~65,000 warheads in the 1970s to ~12,500 today; nine states now possess nuclear weapons.
  2. NPT framework: NPT created a hierarchy between five permanent nuclear powers and later entrants such as India, Pakistan, and North Korea.
  3. Moratorium period: CTBT negotiations from 1993-96 led to a global halt on explosive tests despite the treaty never entering into force.

Why the U.S. Nuclear Test Resumption Matters

  1. Resumption of explosive testing: President Trump instructed the U.S. DoE and DoD to prepare for renewed testing, reversing a voluntary halt maintained since 1992.
  2. Shift in doctrine: U.S. pursuit of low-yield warheads and submarine-launched cruise missiles signals a move to battlefield-oriented nuclear systems.
  3. Erosion of restraint: The U.S. argues Russia and China conduct “non-explosive yield tests,” challenging Washington’s previous compliance stance.

Why the CTBT Is Facing Breakdown

  1. Treaty not in force: CTBT requires ratification by 187 signatory states; key holdouts include the U.S., China, India, Pakistan, and North Korea.
  2. Russia’s reversal: Russia withdrew CTBT ratification in 2023, citing U.S. non-ratification.
  3. Competing interpretations: China and Russia continue “zero-yield” testing; the CTBT Organization’s monitoring system detects global activity through 300+ stations.

How New Technology Is Altering the Arms Race

  1. Low-yield weapons: U.S. development of W76-2 warheads creates escalation risks due to tactical usability.
  2. Unmanned and hypersonic systems: Renewed R&D on missile defence, high-tech cruise systems, and autonomous platforms challenges existing deterrence logic.
  3. Doctrinal changes: Nuclear powers pursue counterforce-oriented designs to survive adversary first strikes.

Implications for India

  1. Regional chain reaction: Testing by the U.S., Russia, or China is likely to push Pakistan to follow, widening the deterrence gap with India.
  2. China-Pakistan axis: Deepening technological cooperation complicates India’s security environment.
  3. NPT/CTBT dilemma: India may face pressure on whether to revisit explosive testing if others abandon restraint.

CONCLUSION

The breakdown of CTBT norms marks the most significant shift in the nuclear order since the 1990s. Renewed explosive testing by major powers could trigger competitive modernization cycles and weaken global arms control regimes. For India, the challenge lies in balancing credible deterrence with adherence to restraint-based global norms.

Value Addition

What is CTBT?

  • A multilateral arms-control treaty that bans all nuclear explosions, for both civilian and military purposes.
  • Aims to freeze qualitative nuclear arms race by preventing the development of new warhead designs.

When was it negotiated?

  • Negotiated at the Conference on Disarmament (CD) between 1993-1996.
  • Adopted by the UNGA on 10 September 1996.
  • Opened for signature on 24 September 1996.

Why is it not in force?

  • CTBT will enter into force only when all 44 Annex-II states (states with nuclear capabilities at the time) ratify it.
  • As of today, 8 Annex-II states have not ratified/signed:
    U.S., China, India, Pakistan, DPRK, Israel, Iran, Egypt.
  • Because of this, the treaty remains legally incomplete, though politically influential.

Key Provisions

  1. Total Prohibition
    • Bans all nuclear explosions, including:
      • High-yield tests
      • Low-yield tests
      • Subcritical tests (disputed)
    • Applies to all environments: underground, underwater, atmospheric, outer space.
  2. Verification Regime
    • International Monitoring System (IMS) with 300+ stations, using:
      • Seismic sensors
      • Hydroacoustic monitors
      • Infrasound detectors
      • Radionuclide sampling
    • International Data Centre (IDC) analyses global test signals.
    • On-site inspections permitted after treaty enters into force.
  3. Confidence-Building Measures
    • Exchange of information, calibration explosions, technical cooperation.

Institutional Mechanism

  • CTBTO Preparatory Commission (CTBTO-PrepCom) established in 1997.
  • Manages:
    • IMS network construction
    • Data analysis
    • Training and inspection readiness
  • Works despite treaty not being in force.

Significance

  • Creates the strongest global norm against nuclear testing since 1998.
  • Slows modernization of nuclear arsenals.
  • Provides scientific verification for early detection of clandestine tests.
  • Complements Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and FMCT debates.

 

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Innovations in Biotechnology and Medical Sciences

Holding up GLASS to India: securing stewardship to tackle AMR

Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

INTRODUCTION

AMR in India is now labelled a “serious and escalating threat”, with the latest WHO GLASS report (2025) confirming extraordinarily high resistance levels across commonly used antibiotics. Nearly one in five severe infections in India mirrored or exceeded South and East Asian trends, and one in six confirmed infections was resistant. India’s high infectious disease burden, misuse of antibiotics, weak surveillance, and gaps in healthcare infrastructure continue to aggravate the problem. The article highlights incomplete data, insufficient funding, fragmented stewardship, and the urgent need for rational antibiotic use, surveillance strengthening, and affordable new-generation antibiotics.

WHY IN THE NEWS? 

India features prominently in the WHO’s October 2025 GLASS report, which confirms that the country now records some of the highest antibiotic resistance rates globally, particularly for gram-negative pathogens. For the first time, GLASS shows significant data gaps, reflected in India uploading surveillance results from only tertiary hospitals, leaving rural and peripheral areas undocumented. The report highlights a sharp contrast with global progress, exposing India’s limited surveillance expansion, weak stewardship, and slow adoption of newer effective antibiotics, despite AMR being among the country’s gravest public-health threats.

Understanding the Scale of AMR in India

  1. High Resistance Rates: India shows disproportionately high resistance to commonly used antibiotics, especially in infections caused by E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and pathogens causing sepsis in ICUs.
  2. Escalating Threat Category: WHO labels AMR in India as a “serious and escalating threat,” placing India among the highest global burden countries.
  3. Gram-Negative Pathogens: Severe risks emanate from resistance trends in gram-negative bacteria which limit treatment options in hospitals.
  4. Community-Hospital Gap: Surveillance primarily reflects tertiary hospital data, leaving a large rural and primary-care void, producing incomplete national estimates.

Why Current Surveillance is Insufficient

  1. Incomplete Data Representation: GLASS data reflects only a segment of India’s population; peripheral, rural, and primary-care levels remain unrepresented, leading to erroneous conclusions.
  2. Fragmented Networks: Laboratories under NCDC’s AMR and AMRRSN networks provide data, but coverage is inadequate for a country of India’s scale.
  3. Operational Challenges: Shortage of trained microbiologists, inconsistent reporting, and infrastructure deficits weaken surveillance reliability.
  4. Underestimation of Burden: Without wider surveillance, actual AMR spread across different geographies or demographic groups remains unknown.

Kerala’s State-Led Model of AMR Management

  1. State Action Plan Success: Kerala’s progress stems from early adoption of the State Action Plan aligned with India’s National Action Plan (NAP-AMR).
  2. Whole-of-System Approach: Kerala integrates veterinary, human health, and environmental data, demonstrating One Health operationalisation.
  3. Institutional Leadership: Dedicated stewardship committees and infection-control protocols ensure sustained monitoring and policy continuity.

Antibiotic Stewardship and Public Awareness Challenges

  1. Unregulated Antibiotic Use: Easy over-the-counter access, self-medication, and incomplete courses contribute to rising resistance.
  2. Hospital Overuse: Lack of stewardship committees and infection-control practices deepen resistance in ICUs and emergency departments.
  3. Limited Community Awareness: Behavioural change campaigns remain inadequate, leading to misconceptions about antibiotic effectiveness.
  4. Inappropriate Prescriptions: Physicians often prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics without culture sensitivity results due to delays or lack of labs.

Innovation, R&D Pipelines and the Crisis of New Antibiotics

  1. Weak Domestic Innovation: Only 2 of the 32 antibiotics under global development meet WHO innovation criteria.
  2. Positive Trend: India’s CDSCO approved two new antibiotic candidates recently, while six others received global approval.
  3. Global Gap: Out of 97 candidates in preclinical pipelines (2022), few target WHO’s priority pathogens.
  4. High Barriers: Costly R&D, limited incentives, and delayed regulatory approvals weaken India’s innovation environment.

Global and National Funding Gaps

  1. Insufficient Domestic Funding: India’s AMR response suffers from limited financial allocations, affecting surveillance expansion and lab capacity building.
  2. Gaps in Multilateral Support: Despite WHO’s Global AMR Challenge, LMICs like India lack sustained funding for new antibiotics and diagnostics.
  3. Need for Collaborative Platforms: Strengthened partnerships with bodies like the AMR Industry Alliance and CARB-X can accelerate innovation pipelines.

Why Solutions Must Prioritise Stewardship, Surveillance, and Affordability

  1. Urgency of Behaviour Change: Stewardship requires both medical and community engagement to reduce irresponsible antibiotic use.
  2. Strengthening Peripheral Health Systems: Decentralised surveillance networks are essential to capture India’s actual AMR burden.
  3. Making New Antibiotics Accessible: India must prioritise affordability and availability given rising MDR (multi-drug resistant) infections in LMICs.
  4. Integrating One Health: Coordinated animal-human-environmental monitoring is indispensable for durable AMR containment.

CONCLUSION

India stands at a critical juncture where AMR has outpaced existing stewardship, surveillance, and innovation capabilities. The GLASS 2025 report acts as a mirror reflecting the country’s systemic gaps, from incomplete data and misuse of antibiotics to insufficient funding and slow R&D advancement. A robust national response must integrate strong stewardship, affordable innovation, decentralised surveillance, and a One Health framework to prevent AMR from becoming an unmanageable public-health catastrophe.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2014] Can overuse and free availability of antibiotics without Doctor’s prescription be contributors to the emergence of drug-resistant diseases in India? What are the available mechanisms for monitoring and control? Critically discuss the various issues involved.

Linkage: Because AMR is a recurring public-health crisis with direct links to governance, regulation, and science-tech, making it a favourite UPSC theme. The article shows rampant antibiotic misuse and OTC access driving India’s high resistance rates. This exactly reflects the PYQ’s focus on irrational use, weak monitoring, and stewardship gaps.

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Economic Indicators and Various Reports On It- GDP, FD, EODB, WIR etc

Urgent update: India needs to revise its CPI urgently

Explained | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

Introduction

The October retail inflation data exposed severe inaccuracies in India’s Consumer Price Index (CPI). While headline inflation appeared to fall to just 0.25%, the lowest since January 2012, the decline stemmed from a statistical anomaly, not real deflation. A collapse of 3.7% in the food and beverages index, driven largely by errors in price tracking during a month of actual food inflation (9.7%), dragged the entire CPI downwards. With outdated 2012 weights, GST-era distortions, and wide gaps between measured and perceived inflation, the CPI no longer mirrors reality. The article argues for urgent revision because the index now affects interest rate decisions, welfare planning, and fiscal strategy.

Why in the news 

Retail inflation for October collapsed to 0.25%, a 13-year low, appearing at first as a major success. But this fall was driven not by cheaper food but by a historic 3.7% contraction in the food and beverages category, despite actual food inflation touching 9.7%, the highest of the year. This sharp disconnect, caused by outdated weights and flawed price capture, marks one of the most serious statistical discrepancies in India’s CPI since its creation. With RBI’s interest rate decisions tied to CPI, this mismatch between measured inflation and lived inflation has become a significant policy challenge.

What triggered the inflation anomaly in October 2025?

  1. Historic contraction in food index: The food and beverages category fell 3.7%, the largest drop since the 2012 CPI basket was created.
  2. Actual food inflation 9.7%: Prices in October rose steeply, showing complete divergence between data and reality.
  3. High weightage (46%): Because food accounts for nearly half of CPI, the flawed contraction pulled the entire index downward.
  4. Vegetable prices rising: The fall did not reflect market behaviour; vegetables had been getting costlier.
  5. Statistical anomaly: Not a reflection of cheaper food but a reflection of outdated measurement methods.

Why is India’s CPI no longer accurate or representative?

  1. Outdated base year (2012): Consumption patterns, e-commerce, GST era changes, lifestyle shifts, none are captured.
  2. Misaligned weights: Household spending patterns have transformed; food no longer holds the same share.
  3. GST impact shows inconsistently: Only clothing and footwear showed inflation lower than last year due to GST cuts, not genuine price movement.
  4. Inconsistent category behaviour: Fuel, housing, tobacco, and miscellaneous inflation was higher than last year, contradicting the headline figure.
  5. Price capture errors: Data is often collected from markets that do not reflect actual consumer behaviour.

What is the policy significance of this mismatch between CPI and real inflation?

  1. RBI’s rate decisions distorted: RBI surveyed households and found perceived inflation at 7.4%, far above the official CPI.
  2. Risk of wrong interest-rate moves: The RBI Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) uses CPI as its benchmark; incorrect CPI can lead to wrong rate cuts/holds.
  3. Poor signalling to markets: Bond markets, banks, and investors rely on accurate inflation forecasting.
  4. Impact on welfare schemes: Index-linked subsidies, pensions, and poverty estimates become inaccurate.
  5. Misleading economic narrative: Inflation is reported as low while households experience severe price stress.

Why is a new CPI series urgently required

  1. Mismatch with GST regime: The GST tax cuts have altered category prices but CPI weights do not capture this.
  2. Structural change in Indian consumption: Electronics, services, digital expenses, mobility, none adequately represented.
  3. Incorrect urban-rural representation: Spending patterns in rural India have changed substantially.
  4. Temporary factors skewing data: GST rate cuts temporarily depress inflation readings, masking real trends.
  5. Government acknowledgment: Ministry of Statistics has confirmed work on a new CPI series.

What is expected from the upcoming CPI revision?

  1. Greater accuracy: The new index will reduce the gap between statistical inflation and lived inflation.
  2. Improved weightages: Food weight may be reduced; services weight may rise.
  3. Better policy coordination: More accurate inflation data for monetary and fiscal decisions.
  4. Alignment with global practices: Frequent re-basing, digital data capture, and dynamic weighting.
  5. Timeline: Expected from the next financial year, improving CPI reliability.

Conclusion

India’s inflation measurement system is now at a breaking point. The October anomaly exposes the urgent need to modernize the CPI to reflect contemporary consumption and inflation realities. With monetary policy, welfare spending, and economic narratives relying on CPI, statistical distortions can lead to severe policy missteps. A revised CPI, updated, accurate, and GST-aligned, is essential for credible macroeconomic governance.

Value Addition

Consumer Price Index (CPI)

  • Definition: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by consumers for a representative basket of consumer goods and services. The CPI measures inflation as experienced by consumers in their day-to-day living expenses.
  • Released by: National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
  • Frequency of release: Monthly, usually around the 12th of every month for the previous month.
  • What is included in the CPI basket:
    • Food & Beverages, Housing, Fuel & Light, Clothing & Footwear, and Miscellaneous services (education, health, transport, communication, recreation, personal care, etc.).
  • Weightage (CPI Combined, 2012 base year):
    • Food & Beverages: ~46%
    • Housing: ~10%
    • Fuel & Light: ~7%
    • Clothing & Footwear: ~6%
    • Miscellaneous: ~31%.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2024] What are the causes of persistent high food inflation in India? Comment on the effectiveness of the monetary policy of the RBI to control this type of inflation.

Linkage: This PYQ is relevant because food inflation, CPI accuracy, and monetary policy are core GS-III themes repeatedly tested by UPSC. The article shows how flawed CPI weights hid real food inflation, directly weakening RBI’s ability to target inflation.

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Seeds, Pesticides and Mechanization – HYV, Indian Seed Congress, etc.

Centre releases draft Seeds Bill, 2025

Bills/Act/Laws | Agriculture | Mains Paper 3: Agriculture and related issues

Why in the News?

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has released the Draft Seeds Bill, 2025 for public consultation before its introduction in Parliament.

Precursor to the Draft Seeds Bill, 2025:

  • Seeds Act, 1966: Regulated seed production, certification, sale, and import/export through central and state seed committees and certification agencies.
  • Seeds (Control) Order, 1983: Added licensing requirements for dealers and expanded oversight of notified seeds.
  • Why Reform? Old laws could not address modern hybrids, biotechnology, private R&D, global seed trade, or digital traceability – creating the need for an updated, technology-ready statute.

About the Draft Seeds Bill, 2025:

  • Objective: Ensure farmers get affordable, high-quality seeds while improving transparency and ease of doing business in the seed value chain.
  • Purpose: Replaces the Seeds Act, 1966 and Seeds (Control) Order, 1983 to regulate seed quality, curb spurious seeds, strengthen traceability, and modernise India’s seed sector.
  • Scope: Covers seed production, registration, import, sale, quality control, penalties, farmer rights, and digital monitoring.

Key Provisions of the Draft Bill:

  • Farmer Rights: Farmers may grow, sow, save, use, exchange, share, or sell seeds of any registered variety from their own holdings, except when sold under a brand name.
  • Mandatory Registration of Varieties: All seed varieties meant for commercial sale must be registered (export-only and farmers’ own-use varieties exempt).
  • Registration of Seed Businesses: Producers (non-farmers), processing units, dealers, distributors, and nurseries must register with the designated authority.
  • Digital Traceability: Introduces a Central Seed Traceability Portal; seed packets must carry QR codes to monitor provenance and quality.
  • Graded Penalties: Trivial-to-major offences defined. Minor offences may get warnings; moderate offences attract fines up to ₹2 lakh; major offences (spurious/unregistered seeds) attract fines up to ₹30 lakh and/or imprisonment up to 3 years.
  • Seed Testing & Enforcement: Central and state seed labs can be established/recognised. Inspectors may sample, seize, inspect premises, and verify records.
  • Import Regulation: Imported seeds must meet germination and purity standards; trial and research imports require permits.
  • Ease of Doing Business: Minor offences decriminalised; compliance simplified while retaining strict penalties for serious violations.

Key Differences: Seeds Act 1966 vs Draft Seeds Bill 2025

Seeds Act, 1966 / Seeds (Control) Order, 1983 Draft Seeds Bill, 2025
Farmer Rights Implicit, not clearly articulated Explicit protection to save, use, exchange, share, sell non-branded seeds
Variety Registration Only notified varieties regulated Mandatory registration for all commercial varieties
Business Registration Focus on producers/dealers Mandatory for producers, processors, dealers, distributors, nurseries
Traceability No digital tracking provisions QR-based seed traceability via Central Seed Portal
Penalties Limited, less structured Graded penalties; major offences up to ₹30 lakh + imprisonment
Imports Narrow regulation; limited trial mechanisms Structured system for import, research, and trial evaluations
Ease of Doing Business More regulatory rigidity Decriminalisation of minor offences and reduced compliance burden
Technological Fit Pre-hybrid, pre-biotech era framework Aligned with modern hybrids, biotech seeds, global seed trade

 

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Mother and Child Health – Immunization Program, BPBB, PMJSY, PMMSY, etc.

Why Hepatitis A deserves a place in India’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP)?

Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

Why in the News?

Health authorities are debating whether Hepatitis A vaccine should have higher priority for inclusion in Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) compared to Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV).

About Hepatitis A:

  • Overview: Viral infection caused by Hepatitis A Virus (HAV), spreading through contaminated food, water, or close contact with an infected person.
  • Nature of Disease: Leads to acute liver inflammation with fever, jaundice, nausea, abdominal pain, and fatigue.
  • Treatment: No antiviral therapy; illness is self-limiting and recovery occurs within six months with supportive care.
  • Vaccine: Highly effective (90 to 95 percent), long-lasting immunity for 15 to 20 years or lifelong; prevents symptomatic infection.
  • Current Trend: Improved sanitation lowers childhood exposure, but adult susceptibility is rising, increasing disease severity.

What is Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP)?

  • Launch and Evolution: Started in 1985; later integrated with Child Survival and Safe Motherhood Programme (1992) and National Rural Health Mission (2005).
  • Coverage: Provides free vaccines against 12 diseases–  9 nationally (Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Measles, Rubella, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, Hib) and 3 in selected states (Rotavirus, Pneumococcal Pneumonia, Japanese Encephalitis).
  • Achievements: Played a central role in polio eradication, reducing measles deaths, and improving child survival indicators.

Why Hepatitis A deserves priority?

  • Greater Adult Severity: Shift from childhood to adult infections results in higher rates of acute liver failure.
  • Recent Outbreaks: Reported surges in Kerala, Maharashtra, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh signal a widening public-health risk.
  • Falling Immunity: Seroprevalence has declined from around 90 percent to under 60 percent in many cities, leaving millions unprotected.
  • Indigenous Vaccine: Biovac-A (Biological E Ltd.) is safe, affordable, and effective, with single-dose protection simplifying rollout.
  • No Resistance Concerns: Viral disease with no antibiotic use eliminates resistance challenges.
  • Cost Advantage: More economical and operationally easier than multi-dose vaccines like typhoid conjugate vaccine.
  • Policy Relevance: Inclusion in the national programme could curb outbreaks and reduce adult liver-failure cases.

Back2Basics: Hepatitis

  • What is it: Liver inflammation from viruses, alcohol, toxins, drugs, autoimmune disorders, or metabolic issues.
  • Viral Types:
    • A – Fecal-oral; acute; vaccine available.
    • B – Blood/body fluids; chronic risk; vaccine available.
    • C – Blood-to-blood; often chronic; no vaccine; treatable with antivirals.
    • D – Discussed above.
    • E – Fecal-oral; usually acute.
  • Chronic B, C, D: Major drivers of cirrhosis and liver cancer.
  • Prevention: Vaccination (A, B), safe injections, screened blood, safe sex, good hygiene.

 

[UPSC 2019] Which one of the following statements is not correct?

(a) Hepatitis B virus is transmitted much like HIV.

(b) Hepatitis B, unlike Hepatitis C, does not have a vaccine. *

(c) Globally, the number of people infected with Hepatitis B and C viruses are several times more than those infected with HIV.

(d) Some of those infected with Hepatitis B and C viruses do not show the symptoms for many years.

 

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Air Pollution

India’s CO₂ Emission Trends as per Global Carbon Budget, 2025

Prelims Only | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia

​Why in the News?

The Global Carbon Budget 2025 shows India’s fossil fuel emissions barely rising (3.19 to 3.22 billion tonnes) with growth slowing to 1.4 per cent, hinting at early stabilisation.

India’s CO₂ Emission Trends:

  • Annual Growth: Fossil fuel CO₂ emissions rose from 3.19 billion tonnes (2024) to 3.22 billion tonnes (2025) a 1.4% increase, significantly slower than the 4% rise seen in 2024.
  • Decadal Trend: Average annual growth fell to 3.6% (2015–2024) from 6.4% (2005–2014), indicating efficiency gains and rapid renewable energy deployment.
  • Sectoral Profile: Roughly 90% of emissions originate from power generation, transport, industry, and buildings; 10% from land-use factors like deforestation.
  • Drivers of 2025 Slowdown: An early monsoon in 2024 reduced electricity demand for cooling; renewable energy growth reduced reliance on coal.
  • Electricity Sector Shift: CREA reported that India’s power-sector CO₂ emissions declined in early 2025 for the first time, due to strong solar and wind generation.
  • Global Context: India is the third-largest CO₂ emitter, yet its per capita emissions (~2.3 tonnes) remain far below the global average and major emitters like the U.S. (14.4 t) and China (8.7 t).
  • Outlook: Global fossil CO₂ emissions expected to rise 1.1% to 38.1 Gt, with total emissions (including land use) stabilising near 42 Gt.

India’s CO₂ Emission Trends as per Global Carbon Budget, 2025

What is the Global Carbon Budget?

  • Overview: It is an annual scientific assessment by Global Carbon Project (GCP) that quantifies global CO₂ sources and sinks across fossil fuels, land use, and oceans, forming the most authoritative dataset on global carbon trends.
  • GCP Origins: Established in 2001 under Future Earth and the World Climate Research Programme as a global consortium of climate scientists.
  • Mandate: To measure, monitor, and explain the global carbon cycle and its influence on the climate system.
  • Purpose of the Global Carbon Budget:
    • Quantifies CO₂ sources and sinks globally.
    • Tracks emission trends, carbon sequestration, and atmospheric CO₂ levels.
    • Provides authoritative data for COP negotiations and national climate assessments.
  • Scope and Methodology
    • Covers CO₂, methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) using global datasets.
    • Combines national inventories, satellite data, and earth system models.
    • Uses the Global Carbon Atlas to visualise national and sector-wise emissions.
  • Significance:
    • Produces transparent, peer-reviewed carbon accounting.
    • Helps evaluate national performance under Paris Agreement targets.
    • Supports policy design on energy transition, carbon removal, and land use.
  • Key Collaborations: Works with major climate bodies including: IPCC, UNFCCC, WMO.
[UPSC 2024] Consider the following statements:

I. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in India are less than 0.5 t CO2/capita.

II. In terms of CO2 emissions from fuel combustion, India ranks second in Asia-Pacific region.

III. Electricity and heat producers are the largest sources of CO2 emissions in India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) I and III only (b) II only (c) II and III only * (d) I, II and III

 

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Govt to begin year-long National Migration Survey from July 2026

Prelims Only | Indian Society | Mains Paper 1: Population & Associated Issues

Why in the News?

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), through the National Statistics Office (NSO), will conduct the National Migration Survey 2026–27 from July 2026 to June 2027.

About the National Migration Survey (2026–27):

  • Overview: A nationwide MoSPI–NSO survey conducted from July 2026 to June 2027 to measure India’s migration rates, patterns, and impacts.
  • Scope: Covers rural–urban and inter-state migration, including short-term, long-term, and return migration.
  • Coverage: Includes all states and UTs except inaccessible parts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
  • Focus Area: Captures individual migration, which forms the bulk of movements in India.
  • Data Collected: Records income changes, employment status, health, education, housing, and remittance patterns.
  • Technology Use: Relies on digital handheld devices for accurate, real-time data entry.
  • Return Migration: Examines pandemic-driven and cyclical return flows as a separate category.
  • Policy Use: Enables evidence-based planning for jobs, welfare delivery, and urban development.
  • Historical Context:
    • Earlier Rounds: Dedicated migration surveys conducted in 1955, 1963–64, and 2007–08.
    • Data Gap: After 2007–08, migration information came only partially through PLFS 2020–21.
    • Gender Trend: Female migration mainly due to marriage; male migration largely employment-driven.
    • Need for Survey: First comprehensive national migration study in 17 years.

Revised Definitions and Methodological Updates:

  • Short-Term Migrant: Updated to include stays of 15 days to less than 6 months for work or job search.
  • Broader Causes: Includes employment, education, marriage, displacement, climate stress, and economic distress.
  • Well-Being Indicators: Adds measures on post-migration stability, access to services, and living conditions.
  • Digital Verification: Uses GPS-enabled handheld devices for real-time validation.
  • Return Migration Category: Formalised to assess cyclical and post-pandemic movements.
[UPSC 2024] Which one of the following statements is correct as per the Constitution of India?

(a) Inter-State trade and commerce is a State subject under the State List.

(b) Inter-State migration is a State subject under the State List.

(c) Inter-State quarantine is a Union subject under the Union List.

(d) Corporation tax is a State subject under the State List.

 

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Innovations in Sciences, IT, Computers, Robotics and Nanotechnology

‘DRISHTI’ System for AI Freight Wagon Safety

Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

Why in the News?

Indian Railways is deploying an AI system called DRISHTI (AI-Based Freight Wagon Locking Monitoring System) to spot unlocked or tampered freight wagon doors in motion, developed with IIT Guwahati to improve freight safety.

About the DRISHTI System:

  • Overview: It is an Artificial Intelligence system developed by the Northeast Frontier Railway with IIT Guwahati TIDF to monitor wagon door-locking integrity.
  • Primary Objective: Detects unlocked, tampered, or improperly sealed wagon doors automatically during train movement to improve freight security.
  • Technology Framework: Uses AI-enabled cameras, computer vision, and machine-learning algorithms to analyse door-locking mechanisms in real time.
  • Operational Value: Ensures cargo safety without halting trains, addressing pilferage, tampering, and human-error-based sealing failures.
  • Current Status: Undergoing successful trials for nearly ten months on selected freight rakes, with high anomaly-detection accuracy.

Key Features:

  • Real-Time Monitoring: Continuously tracks door position and locking condition using AI-powered imaging units.
  • Anomaly Detection: Flags tampering, loose locks, or improper sealing; sends immediate alerts to control rooms.
  • Non-Intrusive Operation: Functions during full-speed train movement, avoiding delays or stoppages.
  • Automated Alerts: Provides instant notifications for rapid operator response and incident verification.
  • Reduced Manual Checks: Minimises reliance on manual sealing inspections, improving safety and resource efficiency.
  • Data Integration: Compatible with freight-management platforms for audit trails, analytics, and tracking transparency.
  • Scalable Architecture: Designed for phased expansion across national freight routes after successful field validation.
  • Indigenous Innovation: Fully developed in India, supporting the Atmanirbhar Bharat goal in transport and logistics technology.
  • Safety and Efficiency Gains: Enhances wagon security, reduces theft, supports predictive maintenance, and improves overall freight reliability.
[UPSC 2025] Consider the following statements:

I. Indian Railways have prepared a National Rail Plan (NRP) to create a future-ready railway system by 2028.

II. ‘Kavach’ is an Automatic Train Protection system developed in collaboration with Germany.

III. ‘Kavach’ system consists of RFID tags fitted on track in station section.

Which of the statements given above are not correct?

(a) I and II only * (b) II and III only (c) I and III only (d) I, II and III

 

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[13th November 2025] The Hindu Op-ED: Inter-State rivalry that is fuelling India’s growth

op-ed snap | Polity | Mains Paper 2: Federalism

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2020] How far do you think cooperation, competition and confrontation have shaped the nature of federation in India? Cite some recent examples to validate your answer.

Linkage: The article highlights how State-level competition for investment is reshaping India’s federal structure into a more dynamic, State-driven model. This directly reflects the PYQ’s focus on competition and its role in shaping Indian federalism.

Mentor’s Comment

Inter-State competition in India, once viewed as divisive, is now emerging as one of the strongest drivers of economic growth, investment attraction, administrative efficiency, and innovation. This article breaks down why this shift is historically significant, how it is unfolding across States, and what it means for federalism and India’s long-term development trajectory. 

Why In The News

India is witnessing an unprecedented rise in competitive federalism, where States actively race to attract global and domestic investments, from Google’s new AI centre to semiconductor plants and EV manufacturing. For the first time in decades, State governments, not Delhi’s ministries, are driving India’s economic location decisions. States now pitch aggressively to CEOs, negotiate incentives, and showcase governance models. This marks a sharp contrast with pre-1991 India’s centralised industrial licensing regime, where Delhi decided who could produce, how much, and where. Today, State-led rivalry has matured into a credible, stable, rules-based competition that is fuelling India’s growth story.

Introduction

India’s economic geography is being reshaped by a transformation from centrally orchestrated industrial policy to a system where States compete for investment based on infrastructure, governance quality, policy stability, and business confidence. This shift is strengthening India’s federal structure, enhancing innovation, and raising the overall quality of economic outcomes. Inter-State rivalry, far from fragmenting the Union, is forming a mosaic of distinct strengths that collectively widens national opportunities.

How has India moved from central patronage to competitive federalism?

  1. Command-economy restrictions: Earlier, industrial licences, permits, and quotas concentrated power in Delhi; the Centre decided production, capacity, and investment location.
  2. Dismantling of industrial licensing (1991): Reforms shifted economic decisions from Delhi to States, enabling States to attract investors by improving infrastructure, governance, and policy stability.
  3. Decline of political patronage: States now court industries directly instead of relying on Central ministries; competition incentivises better reforms.
  4. Rise of State-led economic diplomacy: States engage corporate boards and CEOs with confidence, signalling maturity in India’s federal design.

What is driving the new wave of inter-State competition?

  1. Investment race for global tech mandates: Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka compete for Google’s AI centre, semiconductor units like Micron, and other high-tech industries.
  2. Policy predictability: States offer faster clearances, stable taxation, and improved land/utility arrangements that improve investor confidence.
  3. Infrastructure differentiation: Gujarat’s infrastructure, Maharashtra’s port ecosystem, and Jharkhand’s mineral base reflect unique competitive edges.
  4. Branding and entrepreneurship cultures: Punjab’s business culture, Tamil Nadu’s skilled workforce, and Bengaluru’s innovation ecosystem attract capital.
  5. Healthy rivalry: States emulate each other’s best practices, improving ease of doing business holistically.

How do States showcase competitive strengths to attract global investors?

  1. Clearances and governance: Andhra’s faster approvals and “predictable governance” models attract industries.
  2. Industrial clusters: Noida’s semiconductor parks, Tamil Nadu’s EV manufacturing corridors, and Karnataka’s global capability centres create ecosystems.
  3. Strategic subsidies: Concessional utilities, land pricing, and tax benefits remain tools, but the article emphasises that strength now lies in governance and capability, not only subsidies.
  4. Narrative-building: States brand themselves:
    1. “The Shenzhen of India” for Noida,
    2. “India in the abstract; India in Bengaluru; India in Bhubaneswar” reflects competitive positioning.
  5. Multiple entry points: India’s mosaic of distinct State strengths creates a wide front of opportunities for global investors.

How does inter-State rivalry improve national economic outcomes?

  1. Enhanced innovation: Competition fosters experimentation and adoption of best practices.
  2. Reduced dependency on Centre: States take responsibility for attracting investment rather than waiting for Central allocations.
  3. Better infrastructure standards: Rivalry pushes States to upgrade logistics, industrial parks, and digital infrastructure.
  4. Industry diversification: Multiple states develop high-tech clusters, reducing geographic concentration risks.
  5. Federal solidarity: The article stresses that competition is healthy, credible, and rooted in a shared pursuit of national development.

Why is the new federal compact significant for India’s future?

  1. States pitching confidently: States engage investors directly with clear plans, showing a shift to persuasion-based federalism.
  2. Attracting sunrise sectors: Semiconductor manufacturing, EV production, and advanced electronics are expanding beyond traditional hubs.
  3. Cross-State synergies: Supply chains, manufacturing networks, and services ecosystems now span across borders.
  4. Mature economic federalism: The article argues this is not desperate bidding, but a rational, capability-driven economic design.
  5. Rise of State-led growth poles: Competitive strengths in different States collectively strengthen India’s global economic position.

Conclusion

India’s evolving economic federalism represents a deeper structural shift where States act as active economic agents rather than passive recipients of Central policy. This inter-State rivalry, credible, stable, and innovation-driven, is pushing India toward higher-quality investments, diversified regional growth, and improved governance. It is a long-term transformation that reinforces India’s economic resilience and strengthens the Union through productive competition.

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How grassroots movements and campaigns are shaping India

| Indian Society | Mains Paper 2: NGO, SHG & Civil Society

INTRODUCTION

India’s development story is incomplete without recognising the individuals, communities and voluntary organisations working at the grassroots who transform adversity into resilience. Through examples from Subroto Bagchi, Bela Bhatia, and other chroniclers of grassroots India, the article illustrates how local aspirations, bottom-up leadership, and rights-based activism challenge structural inequalities and drive social transformation. These experiences expose gaps in State capacity while showcasing how community-driven initiatives produce sustainable, inclusive models of development.

WHY IN THE NEWS

Grassroots movements are in focus because recent literature, from Subroto Bagchi’s The Day the Chariot Moved to Bela Bhatia’s India’s Forgotten Country and Jayapadma R.V.’s Anchoring Change, documents the lived realities of India’s marginalised communities with unprecedented detail. These books reveal striking facts: India’s 96% unorganised workforce, only 2% formally skilled youth under 30, and deepening wage disparities despite economic growth. The narratives demonstrate how individuals like Nunaram Hansda and Muni Tigga overcome systemic barriers, and how activists expose entrenched caste, gender, and tribal injustices. The scale of these challenges, combined with inspiring micro-successes, makes the current wave of grassroots documentation a critical moment for rethinking India’s development model.

What drives grassroots transformation in India?

  1. Human Stories as Development Indicators: Lived experiences of individuals reveal how opportunity and support systems create upward mobility.
  2. Persistent Structural Barriers: Stereotypes, bureaucratic sloth, corruption, and political inertia undermine access to education, health, and employment.
  3. People-Led Leadership: Many government servants and community workers defy systemic limitations to deliver results, becoming catalysts of local change.

How does Odisha’s grassroots skilling experience illustrate systemic change?

  1. Scale of Engagement: Bagchi travelled 3,000 km across 30 districts in 30 days to assess ground realities, highlighting the importance of proximity to people for effective policy.
  2. Skill Crisis in India: With 96% of India’s workforce in the unorganised sector, and only 2% formally skilled youth, grassroots skilling becomes central to development.
  3. Personal Transformation as Social Capital: Stories like Muni Tigga, who travelled 37 km daily for wages before becoming an ITI-trained loco pilot, show skilling as empowerment.
  4. Nano-Unicorns: Bagchi’s concept of “nano unicorns” captures how individuals with basic resources but strong intent can transform their lives through new skills.

How do grassroots narratives expose inequalities and violence?

  1. Caste and Tribal Oppression: Bela Bhatia’s work reveals untouchability, caste massacres, bonded labour, and routine violence against Dalits and Adivasis across States.
  2. Conflict and Displacement: Her documentation of Maoist-State conflict in Bastar exposes how communities face both insurgent and State excesses.
  3. Gendered Violence and Social Vulnerability: Widows, bonded labourers, and women in tribal regions face routine brutality, which grassroots activism brings to attention.
  4. Invisible Suffering: These accounts highlight the “real India”, hunger, widowhood, communal discrimination and armed oppression that rarely enters mainstream policy narratives.

How do civil society organisations shape alternative models of development?

  1. Voluntary Organisations as Drivers: Works like Grassroots Development Initiatives in India show how NGOs empower marginalised communities through rights-based frameworks.
  2. Reframing Development: Civil society corrects narrative asymmetry by shifting discourse from failure to micro-successes and replicable design principles.
  3. Community-Based Innovations: Grassroots Innovation Movements shows diverse local innovations emerging across India, South America, and Europe.
  4. Alternative Governance: These movements challenge centralised, technocratic models and emphasise participation, dignity, and sustainability.

What lessons do 75 years of grassroots interventions offer?

  1. Micro-Successes Matter: Anchoring Change argues that hidden successes across sectors demonstrate scalable principles for future development.
  2. Civic Action as Corrective Force: Grassroots interventions often succeed where State mechanisms fail, especially in reaching the marginalised.
  3. Sustainable Development Principles: Design principles such as local participation, contextual solutions, and trust-building emerge repeatedly.
  4. Relevance for India’s Future: These examples underline the need to integrate grassroots wisdom into policy design and leadership structures.

CONCLUSION

The collective narratives of grassroots India reveal a profound truth: systemic change does not always originate in government offices or corporate boardrooms. It emerges from forests, hamlets, slums, and skill centres where individuals confront injustice, inequality, and adversity every day. By documenting these experiences, writers and activists show that India’s development depends not just on economic indicators but on human dignity, justice, and opportunity. These stories emphasise that a resilient, equitable future for India must recognise and elevate grassroots leadership.

Defining Grassroots Movements (Scholarly Grounding)Charles Tilly (Scholar of Social Movements)

  • “Grassroots activism involves sustained, organised public efforts that emerge from ordinary people rather than elites or formal institutions.”
  • Relevance: Highlights movements in Odisha, Bastar, Dalit-Adivasi regions driven by ordinary citizens.

Paulo Freire-Pedagogy of the Oppressed

  • He describes grassroots mobilisation as the process through which the oppressed develop critical consciousness and challenge unjust systems.
  • Relevance: Bela Bhatia’s work with oppressed communities mirrors Freire’s idea of conscientisation.

Partha Chatterjee-“Politics of the Governed”

  • Grassroots activism represents the “politics of the governed,” where marginalised groups negotiate with or resist State power.
  • Relevance: Movements against caste atrocities, displacement, bonded labour.

Rajni Kothari-People’s Movement

  • Grassroots movements arise when institutions fail to address social justice.
  • Relevance: Odisha’s skilling push, Maoist conflict areas, Adivasi rights struggles

Andre Béteille-Inequality and Social Structure

  • Grassroots actions are essential because institutions reflect the inequalities they are meant to correct.
  • Relevance: The article’s reflections on caste discrimination, tribal exploitation, gendered violence.

Examples of Grassroots Movements & Campaigns in India

These examples strengthen UPSC answers while complementing the themes in the article.

  1. Chipko Movement (Uttarakhand)
    1. Women-led forest protection campaign
    2. Classic example of community ownership, ecological consciousness
  2. Narmada Bachao Andolan (MP-Gujarat-Maharashtra)
    1. Medha Patkar leading displaced communities
    2. Connects with Bela Bhatia’s narratives on displacement & state-people conflict
  3. Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), Rajasthan
    1. Led to the creation of RTI Act
    2. True example of local transparency movement and aligns with themes of accountability in article
  4. Kudumbashree (Kerala)
    1. Women SHG-based poverty alleviation network
    2. More than 40 lakh women empowered and parallels female empowerment stories in article
  5. Tribal Movements in Bastar & Niyamgiri
    1. Dongria Kondh agitation
    2. Protecting land rights, forests, identity  connects directly to Bela Bhatia’s activism
  6. Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)
    1. Informal sector women organising for rights
    2. Links to the article’s data: 96% of India’s workforce is unorganised
  7. The Right to Food Campaign (Rajasthan-Jharkhand)
    1. Led to legal recognition of the Right to Food (NFSA 2013)
    2. Resonates with themes of hunger, vulnerability, and social security
  8. Swachhagrahis under Swachh Bharat
    1. Local foot-soldiers transformed sanitation at the community level
    2. Example of modern grassroots mobilisation within state systems
  9. Pani Panchayats (Maharashtra)
    1. Community-led water management
    2. Echoes idea of “nano unicorns” where local solutions lead to large impact
  10. Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF)
    1. Works in digitally dark villages
    2. Links to article’s emphasis on digital divide & skilling

Why Grassroots Movements Matter 

  1. They resolve governance gaps: Where bureaucracy fails, community institutions fill the vacuum.
  2. They build social capital: According to Putnam: “Networks of civic engagement improve societal efficiency.” Grassroots campaigns strengthen trust, cooperation, and shared goals.
  3. They decentralise democracy: True meaning of 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments.
  4. They reveal the “invisible India”: Tribal women, bonded labourers, landless farmers 
  5. They catalyse policy innovation: Many national laws (RTI, FRA 2006, NFSA) emerged from grassroots struggles.
  6. They humanise development: Bagchi’s writing makes abstractions like skilling or growth felt through human narratives.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2021] Can Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organizations present an alternative model of public service delivery to benefit the common citizen? Discuss the challenges of this alternative model.

Linkage: Grassroots movements in the article show how civil society delivers services where the State falls short, making this PYQ directly relevant. The topic is important because India’s governance gaps increasingly require community-led, bottom-up models to ensure inclusion and accountability.

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Tuberculosis Elimination Strategy

Tuberculosis incidence falling in India by 21% a year: WHO report

Prelims Only | Indian Society | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education

Why in the News?

The World Health Organization’s Global TB Report 2025 says India’s TB incidence dropped 21% from 237 to 187 per lakh between 2015 and 2024, almost twice the global decline rate of 12%.

Tuberculosis incidence falling in India by 21% a year: WHO report

About Global TB Report 2025:

  • Publisher: Released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in November 2025.
  • India’s TB Incidence Decline: Fell 21 percent from 237 to 187 cases per lakh (2015–2024), nearly double the global decline of 12 percent.
  • Treatment Coverage: Reached 92 percent, with 26 lakh cases diagnosed in 2024.
  • Mortality Reduction: Dropped from 28 to 21 deaths per lakh between 2015–2024.
  • Key Drivers: Community-based screening, molecular diagnostics (CBNAAT / Truenat), Ni-kshay digital tracking, and TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.

About Tuberculosis (TB):

  • What is it: Bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis mainly affecting the lungs; spreads through air via coughing/sneezing.
  • Types of TB:
    • Pulmonary TB: Affects lungs, highly contagious.
    • Extrapulmonary TB: Affects organs like spine, kidneys, brain, or lymph nodes.
    • Latent TB: Dormant infection, asymptomatic but may reactivate.
    • Active TB: Symptomatic and infectious stage.
    • Drug-resistant TB (DR-TB): Resistant to standard drugs due to incomplete or improper treatment.
  • Medicine Regimens:
    • Drug-sensitive TB: 6-month course- 2 months of HRZE (Isoniazid, Rifampicin, Pyrazinamide, Ethambutol) + 4 months of HR.
    • MDR-TB: Resistant to Isoniazid and Rifampicin; treated with 18–24-month regimen using Bedaquiline, Linezolid, Levofloxacin, Clofazimine, and Cycloserine.
    • Preventive Therapy: Isoniazid Preventive Therapy (IPT) for HIV-positive persons and close contacts of TB patients.

Various Government Interventions for TB Prevention:

  • National TB Programme (NTP), 1962: India’s first structured TB-control effort; introduced BCG vaccination and district-level treatment services.
  • Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP), 1993: Adopted the DOTS strategy; achieved nationwide coverage by 2006, improving standardized treatment and cure rates.
  • Ni-kshay Portal, 2012: Launched as a national digital platform for TB case notification, tracking, and treatment monitoring across public and private sectors.
  • Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana, 2018: Introduced nutritional support of ₹500 per month to all notified TB patients through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
  • National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination (2017–2025): Implemented in phased manner; structured around Detect, Treat, Prevent, Build, promoting CBNAAT/Truenat and decentralised care.
  • National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP), 2020: Renamed and upgraded from RNTCP; targets TB elimination by 2025 with universal free diagnostics, treatment, and surveillance.
  • Ni-kshay Sampark Helpline, 2023: Launched as a nationwide toll-free platform for patient counselling, treatment support, and follow-up.
  • Ni-kshay Mitra Initiative, 2022: Enabled individuals, NGOs, corporates to adopt TB patients for nutritional and diagnostic support under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan framework.
  • TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, 2024: Large-scale screening campaign covering 19 crore individuals; detected 24.5 lakh TB cases, including asymptomatic infections.

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Ricin: the new Bio-Weapon

Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

Why in the News?

Recent investigations after the Delhi Bomb Blast revealed a plot to use ricin, a deadly biological toxin, for large-scale terror attacks.

About Ricin:

  • Origin: Ricin is a highly toxic protein derived from the mash left after processing castor beans (Ricinus communis) for castor oil.
  • Discovery: First isolated in 1888 by German scientist Peter Hermann Stillmark, who documented its lethal, cell-destroying properties.
  • Mechanism of Action: Ricin enters human cells and blocks protein synthesis, causing rapid cell death, tissue damage, and multi-organ failure. Even a few micrograms can be fatal.
  • Routes of Exposure: Can cause poisoning through inhalation, ingestion, or injection, each producing sudden symptoms like respiratory collapse, gastrointestinal bleeding, seizures, and circulatory failure.
  • Treatment: No antidote exists; medical management involves supportive care such as oxygen therapy, IV fluids, activated charcoal (if ingested early), and mechanical ventilation.
  • Weaponisation Risk: Due to easy availability from an agricultural by-product and high lethality, ricin is classified globally as a potential bioterrorism agent.

Legal Classification and Security Implications:

  • International Status: Listed under Schedule 1 of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and controlled under the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).
  • Indian Legal Framework: Criminalised under the Chemical Weapons Convention Act, 2000, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), with offences being non-bailable.
  • Penalties: Violations involving ricin can result in life imprisonment under Indian law.
  • WMD Classification: Covered under the Weapons of Mass Destruction and Delivery Systems Act, 2005, placing it within the legal category of weapons of mass destruction.
  • Dual-Use Concern: Castor is an industrial crop, making ricin a dual-use substance requiring strict monitoring of castor by-products.

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Trade Sector Updates – Falling Exports, TIES, MEIS, Foreign Trade Policy, etc.

Low taxes spur buying but jobs and incomes will have to grow

Explained | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

Introduction

India’s economy is witnessing strong domestic demand supported by lower income tax and GST rates, easing inflation, a healthy monsoon, and lower interest rates. However, external uncertainties, high U.S. tariffs on Indian exports, and weak goods-export momentum pose headwinds. While consumption, services exports, and government capital expenditure show strength, India’s long-term growth will depend on sustained job creation and rising household incomes.

Why in the News? 

India’s domestic demand is rebounding strongly due to lower income taxes, GST rationalisation, easing inflation, and a good monsoon, marking a sharp contrast to earlier quarters of weak consumption. The IMF upgrading India’s GDP projection for FY25-26 from 6.4% to 6.6% signals strong resilience despite external headwinds. However, goods exports face pressure from U.S. reciprocal tariffs, and income growth has not kept pace with consumption, making it crucial to assess how India can sustain growth without widening inequalities.

What is driving the current revival in domestic demand?

  1. Lower income tax & GST rates: Supported domestic demand as rationalisation reduced consumer burden.
  2. Good monsoon: Enabled agricultural stability, boosting rural purchasing power.
  3. Lower inflation & interest rates: Created favourable consumption conditions in the first half of the year.
  4. Higher government capital expenditure: Surged by 40%, strengthening infrastructure demand and pushing growth.
  5. Higher disbursements by Food & Public Distribution: Supported rural consumption and safety nets.

How is India’s export performance shaping up?

  1. Non-oil goods exports grew 7% in the first half of the year, with overall goods exports rising 10%.
  2. Electronics exports increased 10% in the same period, indicating success of PLI-supported segments.
  3. Items like gems & jewellery, carpets, leather slowed due to global weak demand.
  4. High U.S. tariffs: India’s exports to the U.S. are facing pressure, especially textiles and electronics.
  5. Risk of global consolidation: Export growth may moderate due to volatility in global capital flows.

What is the role of India’s services exports?

  1. Services remain the big buffer: Annual growth projected at around 10%, providing stability.
  2. IT services: Still robust despite global slowdown.
  3. Travel, transport, logistics, professional services: Showing strong expansion post-pandemic.
  4. CAGR of services exports (FY20-FY25): Strong performance contributed substantially to overall GDP.

Why is investment activity picking up?

  1. Government capital expenditure +40%: Major driver of infrastructure formation.
  2. Private sector investment: Modest but improving, with pickup in power, cement, construction, pharma, and logistics.
  3. Lower interest rates: Created enabling conditions for investment in the second half of the year.
  4. High forex reserve ($690 billion): A comfort factor for foreign investors.

Why must jobs and household incomes grow now?

  1. Strong consumption without matching income growth is unsustainable.
  2. Sticky unemployment risks weakening domestic demand.
  3. Labour-intensive sectors (textiles, leather, small manufacturing) face export pressure due to high U.S. tariffs.
  4. Structural reform need: India requires higher household income growth, MSME support, and labour-market reforms to sustain growth.
  5. Long-term challenge: Services-led growth creates fewer jobs, while global slowdown limits export-driven job creation.

Conclusion

India’s growth momentum is increasingly anchored in strong domestic demand supported by rationalised taxes, a good monsoon and inflation moderation. However, sustaining this trajectory requires broad-based income growth, job creation, and resilience in export sectors affected by global uncertainty. Without strengthening labour-intensive sectors and expanding household purchasing power, India’s growth revival may lose steam.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2015] The nature of economic growth in India in recent times is often described as jobless growth. Do you agree? Give arguments in favour of your answer.

Linkage: Such articles recur because growth-jobs imbalance is a persistent structural issue in India, making it a favorite UPSC theme. The article directly reflects the GS-3 question on “jobless growth” as consumption rises but employment and incomes lag. It helps analyze why India’s recent growth remains demand-led but not job-led, a core UPSC economic concern.

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Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

Row over National Anthem

Prelims Only | History | Mains Paper 1: Modern Indian History

Why in the News?

A Karnataka MP has claimed that Rabindranath Tagore composed ‘Jana Gana Mana’ as a welcome song for British officials, reigniting an old debate about its intent.

About the National Anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’:

  • Composition: Written by Rabindranath Tagore on December 11, 1911, in Sanskritised Bengali, as part of the five-stanza hymn Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata.
  • First Performance: Sung on December 27, 1911, at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress, led by Sarala Devi Chowdhurani and Brahmo Samaj students.
  • Controversy: Misinterpreted as a tribute to King George V at the Delhi Durbar (1911).
  • Tagore’s Clarification: In a 1937 letter to Pulin Behari Sen, Tagore stated the song praised the “Dispenser of India’s destiny”, not any monarch.
  • Freedom Movement Role: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose adopted it as the anthem of the Free India Centre (Berlin, 1941); it was performed with an orchestra in Hamburg (1942).
  • Official Adoption: Declared National Anthem by the Constituent Assembly on January 24, 1950, alongside Vande Mataram as National Song.
  • Duration & Language: Full version lasts 52 seconds; a 20-second short version is also authorized; the Hindi rendering preserves Tagore’s poetic rhythm.

Legal and Constitutional Framework:

  • Constitutional Basis: Protected under Article 51A(a) and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
  • Penalties: Intentional disrespect punishable with up to 3 years’ imprisonment, fine, or both.
  • Protocol: Must be sung unaltered, with standing at attention during performance; use for commercial or satirical purposes is banned.
  • Judicial Rulings:
    • Bijoe Emmanuel v. State of Kerala (1986) – Students refusing to sing for religious reasons but standing respectfully are protected under Article 25.
    • Shyam Narayan Chouksey v. Union of India (2016–2018) – Court made anthem in cinemas optional, emphasizing voluntary respect.
  • Occasions: Played at official, educational, and diplomatic events, maintaining decorum and unity.

Comparison with the National Song ‘Vande Mataram’:

  • Authorship: Written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1870, featured in Anandamath (1882).
  • First Sung: At the 1896 INC session, also by Rabindranath Tagore.
  • Adoption: On January 24, 1950, the Constituent Assembly gave equal honour to Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana.
  • Meaning: Vande Mataram glorifies Mother India; Jana Gana Mana praises the divine ruler of destiny, uniting diverse communities.
  • Symbolism: Together, they embody India’s patriotic spirit and spiritual harmony, Vande Mataram as the voice of reverence and revolution, Jana Gana Mana as the hymn of collective peace and identity.
  • Presidential Declaration: Dr. Rajendra Prasad (1950) affirmed both songs have equal status and honour, representing India’s composite national soul.
[UPSC 2003] Which one of the following statements is NOT correct? 

Options: (a) The National Song Vande Mataram was composed by Bankimchandra Chatterji originally in Bengali *

(b) The National Calendar of India based on Saka era has its 1st Chaitra on 22nd March normally and 21st March in a leap year 

(c) The design of the National Flag of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 22nd July, 1947 

(d) The song ‘Jana-gana-mana’, composed originally in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly on 24th January, 1950 as the national anthem of India

 

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