đŸ’„UPSC 2026, 2027 UAP Mentorship November Batch
Talk to Mentor

Type: Explained

These Newscards correspond to the explained section of various newspapers. They become immensely important for both prelims and mains and special attention needs to be paid to them

Bills/Act/LawsDOMREthicsExplainedHistorical SitesIndia MappingIOCRop-ed snapPIBPrelims OnlySC JudgementsSchemesSpeciesStatesWorld Mapping

Monsoon Updates

How do monsoons affect Tamil Nadu?

Explained | Geography | Mains Paper 1: Geographical Features & Their Location

Introduction

Tamil Nadu’s northeast monsoon, traditionally spanning October to December, has arrived early for the second consecutive year, bringing intense and localized rainfall. While excess rainfall was once viewed as a boon for agriculture and water storage, climate change has made “excess” a liability, causing flash floods, crop destruction, and structural damage. The situation is compounded by simultaneous inflows from Kerala via the Mullaperiyar Dam, creating a dual-flood scenario that tests the resilience of Tamil Nadu’s urban systems, infrastructure, and disaster governance.

Urban Flooding: A Consequence of Unsustainable Development

  1. Impervious surfaces: Extensive concretization and asphalt paving prevent rainwater infiltration, resulting in rapid surface runoff that overwhelms drainage systems.
  2. Inadequate drainage networks: Poor maintenance and blockage of stormwater drains lead to flash floods and prolonged inundation in low-lying areas.
  3. Infrastructure shutdowns: Power authorities resort to preventive power cuts to avoid electrocution risks, compounding public inconvenience and economic losses.
  4. Sewage overflows: Heavy rainfall triggers untreated wastewater discharge into streets and waterbodies, leading to public health crises and water contamination.

Agricultural Distress and Soil Degradation

  1. Waterlogging and root suffocation: Excess moisture damages crop roots, washes away seeds, and erodes nutrient-rich topsoil, reducing long-term fertility.
  2. Fungal and pest proliferation: Moist environments facilitate fungal infections and pest outbreaks, lowering crop yields.
  3. Nutrient runoff: Heavy rain carries fertilizers and pesticides into reservoirs, degrading water quality and aquatic ecosystems.
  4. Economic losses: Repeated crop failure translates into financial vulnerability for farmers and food supply disruptions.

Health and Environmental Risks of Prolonged Rainfall

  1. Vector-borne diseases: Stagnant water acts as a breeding ground for mosquitoes, leading to malaria, dengue, and Japanese encephalitis outbreaks.
  2. Zoonotic transmission: Flooded environments increase exposure to leptospirosis and scrub typhus.
  3. Infrastructure corrosion: High humidity and seepage promote mold growth and building decay, undermining structural integrity.
  4. Water contamination: Overflowing sewage and agricultural runoff mix into drinking sources, causing gastrointestinal and waterborne diseases.

Rising Flood Risk: The Mullaperiyar–Vaigai Connection

  1. Dual monsoon exposure: Kerala receives rainfall from the southwest monsoon, while Tamil Nadu depends on the northeast monsoon. Overlapping patterns cause simultaneous water inflows.
  2. Mullaperiyar Dam’s critical role: Located in Kerala’s Idukki district but operated by Tamil Nadu, the dam diverts water to Tamil Nadu’s Vaigai basin.
  3. Catchment saturation: Heavy rains in Kerala rapidly fill the reservoir, forcing Tamil Nadu to open shutters to ensure dam safety.
  4. Two-directional flooding: Released water flows both toward Kerala’s Periyar basin and Tamil Nadu’s Vaigai, creating cross-border flood pressure.
  5. Ground situation: With all 13 shutters open, Theni district faces submergence even as local rains intensify, turning “shared water” into a shared crisis.

Infrastructure and Economic Impact

  1. Rising water tables: Continuous rainfall elevates the groundwater level, weakening building foundations and road structures.
  2. Loss of load-bearing capacity: Saturated soil causes foundation shifting, cracks, and collapses in the long term.
  3. Economic burden: Damage repair, relocation, and agricultural losses lead to high fiscal costs for the State exchequer.
  4. Social impact: Displacement, psychological distress, and livelihood loss add a human dimension to the flood crisis.

Reassessing the “Excess is Good” Paradigm

  1. Changing monsoon patterns: Climate change is causing shorter, more intense bursts rather than steady rainfall, overwhelming absorptive capacity.
  2. Policy recalibration: Tamil Nadu must prioritize water storage optimization, urban resilience, and inter-State coordination.
  3. Adaptive planning: Future strategies must integrate real time dam management, rainwater harvesting, and climate resilient agriculture.

Conclusion

Tamil Nadu’s monsoon experience underscores that climate resilience is not merely about rainfall volumes but about water management capacity. Balancing inter-State water sharing, strengthening urban drainage systems, and adopting adaptive agricultural practices are crucial. The Mullaperiyar conundrum reflects the urgent need for cooperative federalism in climate adaptation, a lesson not just for Tamil Nadu but for all monsoon-dependent states in India.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2023] Why is the South-West Monsoon called ‘Purvaiya’ (easterly) in the Bhojpur region? How has this directional seasonal wind system influenced the cultural ethos of the region?

Linkage: The monsoon is a recurring UPSC theme. Tamil Nadu’s experience, where the northeast monsoon defines urban life, agriculture, and inter-State dynamics, parallels Bhojpur’s example. This shows how regional monsoon variations influence both ecological realities and local ethos across India.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

Oil and Gas Sector – HELP, Open Acreage Policy, etc.

The Tailwinds from Lower Global Oil Prices

Explained | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways Etc.

Why in the News

Global oil prices have fallen by nearly 16% since the beginning of the year, with Brent crude now around $61 per barrel. This decline comes despite geopolitical disruptions such as Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russian energy assets and ongoing U.S.–China tariff frictions.
The fall signals a major shift in global oil dynamics, driven by technological advances, demand stagnation in OECD economies, and a surge in production from both OPEC+ and non-OPEC countries. For India, this could translate into substantial fiscal gains and macroeconomic stability, but the relief may be short-lived given the cyclical volatility of the oil market.

Introduction

Crude oil remains the world’s most traded and influential commodity, impacting not just transportation and industry but also fiscal and foreign policy. With over 100 million barrels produced daily, the oil market’s direction affects the global economy’s heartbeat.
In recent months, a fascinating shift has occurred — a supply-driven decline in prices, contradicting traditional geopolitical expectations. For India, this moment offers both an opportunity for economic strengthening and a reminder of the need for strategic resilience in energy planning.

Shifting Dynamics in the Global Oil Market

What is Driving the Decline in Global Oil Prices?

  1. Technological disruptions: Innovations like shale extraction, horizontal drilling, and deep-sea exploration have boosted supply, lowering dependency on traditional producers.
  2. Stagnant demand in OECD economies: Due to slow post-COVID recovery, climate action, and EV adoption, demand growth has flattened.
  3. Emerging market growth plateau: Even China’s demand is tapering, with electric vehicles forming 50% of all new car sales.
  4. Supply overhang — Global production rose by 5.6 mbpd, outpacing demand growth of 1.3 mbpd, creating a glut that pushed prices down.

How Have Global Producers and Consumers Reacted?

  1. OPEC+ internal friction: Saudi Arabia wants to restore full production to regain market share, while Russia seeks gradual output increases amid sanctions.
  2. Consumer advantage: Many countries have used this moment to replenish strategic petroleum reserves, stabilizing short-term demand.
  3. Floating stockpiles: Over 100 million barrels of unsold crude remain on tankers at sea, an indicator of market saturation.

What Are the Contradictory Forecasts from Key Agencies?

  1. OPEC’s projection: Expects a slight supply deficit by 2026 (~50,000 bpd short).
  2. IEA’s projection: Predicts an unprecedented oversupply of 4 mbpd, aligning with think-tank estimates of Brent falling to $50/barrel.
  3. Divergence significance: Reflects deep uncertainty and potential volatility, crucial for policy planners like India.

What Is the Broader Economic Context Influencing Oil Prices?

  1. IMF’s World Economic Outlook (2025): Describes global economy as “in flux, prospects remain dim.”
  2. Global growth slowdown: Projected at 3.2% in 2025 and 3.1% in 2026, with trade expansion slowing to 2.9%, down from 3.5% in 2024.
  3. Geopolitical wildcards: Any relaxation of sanctions on Russia, Iran, or Venezuela, or renewed West Asian tensions, could again disrupt supply-demand balance.

What Does It Mean for India’s Economy?

  1. Import advantage: India’s oil import bill was $137 billion in 2024-25; every $1 decline in prices improves the current account deficit by $1.6 billion.
  2. Fiscal gains: Lower prices reduce subsidies and inflation, improving fiscal space and boosting public capital expenditure.
  3. Diplomatic breathing room: Reduced reliance on discounted Russian crude may ease U.S. trade frictions.
  4. Risk of remittance slowdown: A weaker West Asian economy may hit Indian remittances, exports, and investments.
  5. Cyclical caution: The oil market’s volatility means current relief could be short-lived, underscoring the need for energy diversification.

Conclusion

The decline in global oil prices provides India a strategic tailwind: strengthening fiscal health, reducing inflation, and supporting growth. Yet, this momentary advantage must not breed complacency. The future demands long-term energy resilience, investment in renewables, and strategic petroleum reserves. In an interconnected world, India must use this window to transition towards sustainable and self-reliant energy security before the next price cycle strikes.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2013] It is said the India has substantial reserves of shale oil and gas, which can feed the needs of country for quarter century. However, tapping of the resources doesn’t appear to be high on the agenda. Discuss critically the availability and issues involved.

Linkage: The 2013 question on India’s untapped shale reserves links to the article’s theme of global oversupply driven by the shale revolution; India’s limited shale development has kept it import-dependent, making lower global oil prices a temporary boon rather than true energy security.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

Solar Energy – JNNSM, Solar Cities, Solar Pumps, etc.

Tapping the Shine: India must step in as a supplier of solar power to sustain its industry

Explained | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways Etc.

Why in the News

India’s solar energy sector has achieved a historic milestone — generating 1,08,494 GWh in 2024–25, overtaking Japan and becoming the third-largest producer globally. This achievement mirrors India’s rapid growth in renewable capacity — solar module manufacturing expanded from 2 GW in 2014 to a projected 100 GW in 2025. However, beneath this success lies a dilemma: despite its potential, Indian-made solar modules are 1.5–2 times costlier than Chinese ones, and without robust export markets, the new manufacturing capacity may struggle. Hence, India’s push to emerge as a solar supplier to Africa under the International Solar Alliance represents not just climate diplomacy but a crucial economic strategy.

Introduction

India’s solar revolution is a remarkable blend of climate responsibility, industrial policy, and global ambition. The cost of solar power fell below coal in 2017 — a landmark that catalyzed private and public investment alike. Yet, with China’s dominance in module exports and India’s limited domestic absorption, the future of India’s solar manufacturing depends on securing new markets and deepening its international role as a sustainable energy leader.

India’s Solar Power Success Story

  1. Massive Growth: India’s solar generation reached 1,08,494 GWh in 2024–25, overtaking Japan (96,459 GWh).
  2. Manufacturing Leap: Module manufacturing capacity expanded from 2 GW (2014) to 100 GW (2025 projection), a fiftyfold jump.
  3. Installed Capacity: India’s current installed solar capacity stands at 117 GW (as of September 2025).
  4. Comparative Rise: India now ranks 3rd globally, behind only China and the US, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IREA).

What are India’s Solar Targets for 2030?

  1. Climate Commitments: India aims to source 50% of its power from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.
  2. Solar Share: Around 250–280 GW of this will come from solar energy.
  3. Annual Addition Needed: India must add 30 GW/year until 2030, but has managed 17–23 GW/year in recent years.
  4. Challenge: This gap reflects issues in scaling production, costs, and grid integration.

Why is Indian Solar Manufacturing Still Costlier?

  1. Higher Costs: Indian modules are 1.5–2x costlier than Chinese ones.
  2. Reasons:
    • China’s control over raw materials and solar supply chains.
    • Superior production lines and economies of scale.
    • India’s fragmented ecosystem and dependency on imported inputs.
  3. Export Comparison:
    • India exported 4 GW of modules to the US in 2024 (a temporary gain due to US restrictions on China).
    • China exported 236 GW the same year, a staggering 59x lead.

How Can India Sustain Its Solar Manufacturing Boom?

  1. Need for New Markets: Without external demand, India’s large new capacity may remain underutilized.
  2. Africa as Opportunity:
    • Africa uses only 4% of its arable land for irrigation due to lack of rural power.
    • India can leverage this gap with solar-powered pumpsets, modeled on its PM Kusum Scheme.
  3. Diplomatic Leverage: India can push its solar expertise through the International Solar Alliance (ISA), showcasing schemes like PM Surya Ghar (urban rooftop) and PM Kusum (rural solar).
  4. Strategic Goal: To become a credible second supplier after China in emerging markets like Africa.

Domestic Solar Initiatives as Models for Export

  1. PM Kusum Scheme: Promotes solar irrigation pumps for farmers, ideal for replication in Africa’s rural power-deficient regions.
  2. PM Surya Ghar Scheme: Encourages rooftop solar adoption in urban India, demonstrating scalable, decentralized power solutions.
  3. Outcome So Far: Adoption is moderate, but the models offer policy templates for developing nations.

Conclusion

India’s solar journey is a story of ambition and transition, from an energy importer to a renewable exporter. Yet, sustaining this momentum requires vision beyond borders. Becoming a solar supplier to Africa can ensure India’s manufacturing viability, strengthen climate diplomacy, and cement its place in the global green order. As the world tilts toward decarbonization, India’s light must not just illuminate its homes, but the developing world.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

Rural Distress, Farmer Suicides, Drought Measures

Can rural education stop youth migration?

Explained | Indian Society | Mains Paper 1: Social Empowerment

Why in the News

India stands at a demographic crossroads. According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2020–21, nearly 29% of India’s population are migrants, with 89% hailing from rural areas. Over half of these migrants are aged 15–25, indicating that the nation’s most productive youth are leaving villages in search of livelihood. This is a turning point in India’s development trajectory, education, once seen as a ladder out of poverty, has lost its power to insulate youth from migration pressures. The mismatch between education and employment, coupled with the pandemic-driven reverse migration, has sparked urgent questions: Can India reimagine rural education and economies to retain its young talent?

Introduction

Migration has long shaped India’s economic and social fabric. But what was once seen as a path to progress is now exposing deep cracks in India’s development model. The migration of rural youth to urban centres reflects unmet aspirations, inadequate rural opportunities, and disillusionment with the promise of education.

The Covid-19 pandemic acted as a brutal reminder, as nearly 40 million workers were forced to return home during the first lockdown. It exposed the vulnerability of India’s informal urban workforce and, simultaneously, revealed the untapped potential of rural revitalization.

Rethinking the Roots of Migration

  1. Structural Imbalance: Migration is not purely about aspiration; it arises from rural distress and uneven regional development.
  2. Labour Force Data: PLFS data shows rural India continues to be the main supplier of labour, not a site of dignified livelihood.
  3. Educational Mismatch: Graduates are increasingly unemployed, revealing a disconnect between degrees and employable skills.

Why is Education Failing to Prevent Migration?

  1. Broken Linkage: Education no longer guarantees employment. Youth with degrees often find no dignified jobs in their hometowns.
  2. Graduate Unemployment: India’s expansion of higher education hasn’t translated into job creation, instead, it has produced educated unemployment.
  3. Informal Urban Absorption: About 49% of youth migrants work as daily wage labourers and 39% as industrial workers, mostly on temporary contracts.
  4. Gender Disparity: While 86.8% of women migrate for marriage, most men migrate for work, reflecting limited female labour participation despite mobility.

Pandemic: A Mirror to Rural Vulnerabilities

  1. Mass Exodus: Nearly 40 million workers returned home in 2020 (RBI, 2020), exposing the fragility of India’s urban informal economy.
  2. Urban Fragility: Cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru struggle with slums, pollution, waste, and overcrowding.
  3. Gendered Impact: Young women were more likely to lose jobs and slower to regain them (ILO, 2021), deepening gender inequality.

Reverse Migration: Stories of Hope and Resilience

  1. Agricultural Revival: Agriculture showed unexpected resilience, with a 39% increase in sown area in 2020 as returning workers revived farmlands.
  2. Success Stories:
    • Balaram Mahadev Bandagale (Raigad, Maharashtra) diversified into mango orchards using irrigation schemes, now earning higher income.
    • Chandrakant Pawar, once a migrant worker, returned to dairy farming and became Sarpanch, a symbol of empowered reverse migration.
  3. These examples highlight the potential of self-reliant rural ecosystems driven by local enterprise and education.

How Can Rural India Retain Its Youth?

  1. Diversified Rural Employment: Beyond agriculture, India needs to expand into dairy, poultry, food processing, handicrafts, rural logistics, renewable energy, and tourism.
  2. Rural Entrepreneurship: Government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, Start-Up India, and FPO expansion can empower youth — but need integration and youth-focused redesign.
  3. Digital & Renewable Energy Jobs:
    • Solar panel maintenance, microgrid operations, and biofuel units can create decentralized jobs.
    • Digital infrastructure is essential to bridge divides and enable e-commerce, telemedicine, and remote work.
  4. Agri & Eco-Tourism: Leveraging local ecology and culture can create sustainable livelihoods rooted in community pride.

Changing the Narrative: Migration as a Choice, Not Compulsion

  1. Breaking Stigma: Returning to villages must not be equated with failure. Reverse migrants should be portrayed as innovators, not dropouts.
  2. Portable Social Protection: Schemes for health, education, and pensions should be location-independent, following the worker wherever they go.
  3. Balanced Urban–Rural Growth: Development must prioritize equitable access to education, digital infrastructure, and markets in rural India.

Conclusion

India’s youth migration crisis is not merely about movement, it’s about meaning. It questions what development truly offers and whether education still promises empowerment. The path forward lies in integrating rural education with employable skills, expanding decentralized job ecosystems, and redefining success beyond cities. If India invests in its rural potential, migration will no longer be a story of escape, it will become a story of choice, dignity, and empowerment.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2024] Why do large cities tend to attract more migrants than smaller towns? Discuss in the light of conditions in developing countries.

Linkage: This PYQ directly links with the article’s theme by highlighting how rural distress, weak educational–employment linkages, and uneven regional development push youth towards cities. It reflects the same structural imbalance where urban centres appear as opportunity hubs while villages remain economically stagnant.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

Foreign Policy Watch: India-Afghanistan

Turning Tides: Pakistan-Afghanistan Tensions

Explained | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: India & Its Neighborhood - Relations

Introduction

When the Taliban recaptured Kabul in August 2021, Pakistan perceived it as a strategic victory after two decades of covert support to the insurgents. However, the celebration was short-lived. Four years later, Pakistan faces an unprecedented internal security crisis, with over 2,400 people killed in militancy-related violence in 2025 alone. The rise of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and recent Pakistani airstrikes on Kabul (October 2025) signal a dangerous escalation — and a stark reversal of the country’s long-standing policy of using non-state actors as strategic assets.

Why in the News?

For the first time, Pakistan bombed Kabul, directly targeting militants across the Afghan border. This marks a major policy shift, as Islamabad traditionally treated the Taliban as an ally and buffer against India. The strikes came while Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was visiting India, adding a symbolic twist to regional alignments. The scale of violence, with over 2,414 deaths this year, underscores the depth of Pakistan’s internal crisis and its failure to control militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This development has drawn comparisons to India’s own doctrine of cross-border strikes, raising questions about whether Pakistan is now borrowing from a playbook it once condemned.

The Illusion of Strategic Depth

  1. Taliban Patronage: Pakistan’s military establishment nurtured the Afghan Taliban for decades, offering refuge and logistical support during their insurgency against the U.S.-backed Afghan government.
  2. Strategic Depth Doctrine: Islamabad’s rationale was to create a friendly regime in Kabul that could serve as a buffer against India and offer “strategic depth” in case of war.
  3. Backfiring Reality: Instead, the Taliban’s rise empowered the TTP, an ideologically aligned but operationally separate entity, turning Pakistan’s proxy into its nemesis.

How the Taliban’s Return Changed the Equation

  1. End of Patron-Client Relationship: Once in power, the Taliban sought state-to-state relations, not subservience to Pakistan’s military agenda.
  2. Durand Line Dispute: Kabul never recognized the Durand Line, reigniting border tensions that colonial history had left unresolved.
  3. TTP Empowerment: Inspired by the Afghan Taliban’s triumph, the TTP now demands enforcement of strict Islamic law and reversal of the merger of tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
  4. Refugee Crisis: Pakistan’s decision to deport thousands of Afghan refugees further worsened ties, adding a humanitarian dimension to political hostility.

Pakistan’s New Doctrine: Borrowing from India?

  1. Airstrikes as Deterrence: By bombing Kabul, Pakistan appears to be testing a new counter-terrorism strategy, directly holding Afghanistan responsible for cross-border militant attacks.
  2. India Parallel: The move is reminiscent of India’s 2016 and 2019 strikes on Pakistani territory after terror attacks in Uri and Pulwama.
  3. Diplomatic Irony: The timing, coinciding with the Afghan FM’s India visit, highlights shifting regional equations where India engages diplomatically, and Pakistan responds militarily.

The Security Crisis within Pakistan

  1. Rising Violence: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has become the epicenter of TTP-led insurgency.
  2. Contradictory Policy: Pakistan’s dual policy of fighting terrorism while nurturing militants targeting its neighbors has eroded domestic stability.
  3. Blowback Effect: Militancy now threatens Pakistan’s political order, economic recovery, and regional credibility.
  4. Qatar-Brokered Ceasefire: A fragile truce mediated by Qatar hints at the international community’s anxiety over a new South Asian flashpoint.

Why Pakistan’s Strategy is Self-Defeating

  1. Cycle of Violence: Airstrikes may offer short-term political gains but deepen long-term instability.
  2. Internal vs External Conflict: Pakistan’s greatest threat now emanates from within its borders, not across them.
  3. Loss of Moral Credibility: Its past of backing non-state actors undercuts its legitimacy when accusing others of the same.
  4. Strategic Isolation: Continued conflict risks alienating even traditional allies like China and Gulf states, who seek regional stability.

Conclusion

Pakistan’s experiment with militant patronage has collapsed under its own contradictions. The strategic depth doctrine that once defined its Afghan policy has morphed into a strategic liability. Peace in Pakistan cannot be achieved through bombs over Kabul, but through a coherent internal reform of its security, political, and ideological ecosystem. As the editorial aptly concludes, “Pakistan cannot ensure internal security by bombing Afghanistan.”

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2013] The proposed withdrawal of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) from Afghanistan in 2014 is fraught with major security implications for the countries of the region. Examine in light of the fact that India is faced with a plethora of challenges and needs to safeguard its own strategic interests.

Linkage: The 2013 PYQ and this 2025 editorial both explore the Afghan theatre as a pivot of regional security, then, in anticipation of instability; now, in its full manifestation. Both are invaluable for analysing India’s neighbourhood policy, counter-terror strategy, and regional diplomacy in the post-US Afghanistan order.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

Internal Security Architecture Shortcomings – Key Forces, NIA, IB, CCTNS, etc.

Gorkhaland statehood, Government names ex-DY NSA as interlocutor

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

Introduction

India’s federal architecture is unique: it allows the creation of new states to accommodate cultural, linguistic, administrative, or developmental aspirations under Article 3 of the Constitution. Yet, every statehood movement also reflects deeper struggles over identity, representation, and development.

The Gorkhaland issue, revived by the Centre’s recent move to appoint an interlocutor, is one of the oldest and most persistent among these. While it directly concerns the Darjeeling hills and adjoining areas of West Bengal, it mirrors similar aspirations voiced across India, from Vidarbha to Bodoland, Harit Pradesh, and Kukiland.

The Gorkhaland Appointment: Why is this news significant?

The Centre’s decision to name ex-Dy NSA Pankaj Kumar Singh as interlocutor for Gorkha talks is a politically charged step:

  1. First formal engagement in years: It revives official talks after a long hiatus, moving beyond ad hoc arrangements like the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
  2. High-level signalling: The appointment of a senior security expert signals that the government sees the issue as sensitive, with implications for internal security and electoral politics.
  3. Identity at stake: It concerns recognition of the Gorkha community’s distinct identity, and a permanent political solution to decades of protests and autonomy struggles.
  4. Pre-election dimension: With West Bengal Assembly elections approaching, the move is seen as an attempt to politically engage the hill electorate, which has historically swung between national and regional parties.
  5. Potential precedent: Success in structured dialogue may offer a model for addressing other regional aspirations through negotiation instead of agitation.

Understanding the Gorkhaland Issue

Historical Context

  1. Origins: The demand for Gorkhaland dates back to 1907, when the Hillmen’s Association first sought a separate administrative unit for the Nepali-speaking people of Darjeeling under British rule.
  2. Post-Independence Phase: With linguistic reorganisation (1950s), Nepali-speaking Gorkhas felt their identity was inadequately represented in Bengali-dominated West Bengal.
  3. 1980s Uprising: The movement, led by Subhash Ghising’s Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), turned violent; it led to the creation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) in 1988 as a compromise.
  4. Second Wave: In 2007, Bimal Gurung formed the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), renewing the demand; this led to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) in 2011, but unrest persisted.
  5. Present Phase: The latest talks under an interlocutor aim to find a “permanent political solution” and recognition of 11 sub-tribes as Scheduled Tribes.

Key Demands

  1. Separate Gorkhaland State: Carved out of Darjeeling and parts of Kalimpong, to ensure administrative autonomy and cultural recognition.
  2. Scheduled Tribe Status: For 11 Gorkha sub-tribes to ensure constitutional protections and socio-economic inclusion.
  3. Constitutional Recognition: Safeguards for the political identity and rights of the Gorkha people under the Indian Constitution.

Statehood Demands in India: The Bigger Picture

India has witnessed over 30 major statehood demands since Independence. While the Constitution empowers Parliament to reorganize states under Article 3, these movements have tested the balance between administrative efficiency, cultural autonomy, and political representation.

Why Do Statehood Demands Arise?

  • Cultural & Linguistic Identity:
      1. Key reason: Desire for recognition of unique language, ethnicity, or cultural practices.
      2. Examples: Gorkhaland (Nepali-speaking identity), Bodoland (Bodo tribes), Vidarbha (Marathi dialect and identity).
  • Developmental Disparities:
      1. Economic neglect and poor resource distribution often drive demands.
      2. Example: Telangana’s movement was anchored in perceived neglect by Andhra’s political elite.
  • Administrative Efficiency:
      1. Smaller states are believed to ensure better governance and resource management.
      2. Example: Creation of Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand in 2000.
  • Political Representation & Power-sharing:
      1. Regional elites demand greater political space or autonomy to reflect local aspirations.
  • Ethnic Security and Integration:
    1. Fear of cultural assimilation or discrimination by dominant groups drives ethnic-based mobilisation (e.g., Bodoland, Kukiland, Karbi Anglong).
Year Movement Outcome
1953 Andhra State (Potti Sriramulu movement) First linguistic state formed
1960 Maharashtra & Gujarat Bombay Reorganisation Act
1972 Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura New northeastern states created
1987 Mizoram & Arunachal Pradesh Granted full statehood
2000 Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand Created for administrative and developmental reasons
2014 Telangana Result of sustained agitation
Ongoing Gorkhaland, Bodoland, Vidarbha, Bundelkhand Unresolved, periodic agitations

Constitutional Mechanism for Creating New States

Article 3 empowers Parliament to form new states by altering the boundaries or names of existing ones.

Procedure:

  1. Process: Bill introduced in Parliament → Referred to State Legislature for views (not consent) Passed by simple majority.
  2. Centre’s Discretion: State opinion is advisory, not binding — ensuring national flexibility but sometimes triggering discontent.
  3. Examples:
    • Telangana was created despite Andhra Pradesh’s legislature opposing it.
    • Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar through a parliamentary process.

Challenges and Implications of Statehood Movements

  1. Political Fragmentation: Multiplying small states may weaken national coherence and increase Centre-State friction.
  2. Administrative Burden: Creating new bureaucratic structures increases fiscal costs.
  3. Resource Distribution Issues: Conflicts over rivers, minerals, and forest resources (e.g., Telangana-Andhra).
  4. Ethnic Competition: One community’s recognition can fuel new demands from others.
  5. Positive Outcomes: Improved local governance, targeted development, and better representation when well-implemented (e.g., Chhattisgarh’s success in rural health and PDS).

Lessons from Gorkhaland and Other Movements

  1. Need for Institutional Dialogue: Interlocutors and commissions reduce the risk of violent agitation by creating formal channels for negotiation.
  2. Multi-stakeholder Approach: Engagement should include Centre, State, local bodies, and civil society, not just political parties.
  3. Development-Based Solutions: Autonomy and identity must align with socio-economic development for long-term peace.
  4. Model for Others: If successful, the Gorkhaland dialogue could serve as a precedent for resolving other autonomy demands peacefully.

Conclusion

The Gorkhaland issue is not merely a regional agitation; it is part of India’s broader story of balancing unity with diversity, integration with autonomy, and identity with development. The Centre’s interlocutor initiative provides a constitutional, consultative path forward, one that aligns with India’s ethos of resolving internal aspirations democratically.

As India continues to evolve, the challenge will be to ensure that new demands for statehood or autonomy are addressed through dialogue, data, and development, not through division or delay.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2013] Creation of a large number of smaller States would bring in effective governance at the State level. Discuss.

Linkage: This PYQ links directly with Gorkhaland and other statehood demands, testing ideas of better governance and federal balance. The article helps students with examples, chronology, and constitutional context to write precise GS II answers.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

Air Pollution

Rising carbon dioxide levels

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

Introduction

The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO₂), the most significant greenhouse gas responsible for climate change, has increased by a record amount between 2023 and 2024, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The global average CO₂ concentration reached 423.9 parts per million (ppm) in 2024, 3.5 ppm higher than in 2023, representing the steepest one-year increase since records began.

This unprecedented rise coincides with 2024 being the hottest year on record, with average global temperatures 1.55°C higher than pre-industrial levels, breaching the 1.5°C limit scientists consider critical to prevent irreversible impacts.

Why This Is a Big Deal

This spike is unprecedented in modern climate history. Never before have CO₂ levels risen so sharply in a single year. It not only breaks the trend of relative stability observed over the last decade but also exposes the collapse of the global climate response despite the Paris Agreement. The rate of increase (3.5 ppm) is more than four times the average annual increase recorded between 2011 and 2020.

What makes this even more concerning is that both human-induced emissions (from fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial activity) and natural feedback loops (like reduced ocean absorption and forest diebacks) are now amplifying each other, creating a self-perpetuating climate crisis.

What Is Driving the Surge in CO₂ Concentrations?

  1. Record-breaking increase: Global average CO₂ near Earth’s surface reached 423.9 ppm in 2024, marking a 3.5 ppm rise, the largest annual jump ever.
  2. Failure of climate frameworks: Despite international efforts under the Paris Agreement, emissions continue to climb, reflecting inadequate implementation and weak compliance.
  3. Global warming feedback: Higher temperatures reduce oceans’ capacity to absorb CO₂ and increase droughts and wildfires, releasing more carbon into the atmosphere.
  4. Burning of fossil fuels: Continued dependence on coal, oil, and gas remains the primary driver, responsible for more than 90% of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions.

How Are Natural Sinks Losing Their Absorptive Power?

  1. Reduced ocean absorption: Warmer oceans have absorbed less CO₂ in 2024 due to decreased solubility of gases in higher temperatures.
  2. Forest fires and droughts: A spike in wildfires and prolonged dry spells reduced the CO₂-absorbing capacity of trees and grasslands.
  3. Feedback loops: The decline of natural sinks worsens CO₂ imbalance, which in turn leads to even greater heat trapping and further degradation of these ecosystems.

How Do Other Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) Compare?

  1. Methane (CH₄): Second-most potent GHG, rose by 8 parts per billion in 2024 to reach 1,924 ppb, slightly below last decade’s average but still historically high.
  2. Nitrous oxide (N₂O): Increased by 1 ppb to 338 ppb in 2024, contributing to long-term warming effects due to its 270-year lifespan.
  3. Relative potency: While CH₄ and N₂O are more heat-trapping per molecule, CO₂ dominates because of its sheer volume and persistence in the atmosphere for thousands of years.

Why Is This Rise Unprecedented?

  1. Historical contrast: From the 1960s to 2010, CO₂ levels rose by 0.8 ppm per year; between 2011–2020, it increased by 2.4 ppm annually, far below the 2023–24 jump of 3.5 ppm.
  2. Crossing planetary limits: This rise pushed Earth past the 1.5°C warming threshold, previously considered a safe boundary.
  3. Interlinked causes: WMO attributes this to a mix of human emissions and natural CO₂ variability, indicating global climate systems are destabilizing.

Challenges for Global Climate Action

  1. WMO warning: The new data underscores the difficulty in curbing GHG accumulation in the atmosphere.
  2. Failure of control mechanisms: Despite decades of negotiations, anthropogenic activities continue unchecked.
  3. Feedback intensification: Natural processes, once climate stabilizers, are now acting as amplifiers of warming.
  4. Paris Agreement setback: The emission reduction targets for 2030 are unlikely to be met, while global temperatures already breached the 1.5°C mark.

Conclusion

The record-breaking surge in CO₂ levels between 2023 and 2024 is not just a statistical anomaly, it’s a planetary red alert. The intertwining of human actions and natural feedback loops signifies that climate change has entered a runaway phase unless drastic global mitigation is undertaken. The failure to meet emission targets and the collapse of natural carbon sinks highlight that the climate crisis is no longer a distant threat, it’s a present emergency demanding immediate collective action.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2022] Discuss global warming and mention its effects on the global climate. Explain the control measures to bring down the level of greenhouse gases which cause global warming, in the light of the Kyoto Protocol, 1997.

Linkage: The article is important as it highlights the sharpest-ever rise in global CO₂ levels, signalling a critical climate tipping point and the failure of existing global frameworks like the Kyoto and Paris Agreements to curb emissions. It links directly with the question by showing how unchecked greenhouse gases are intensifying global warming and threatening climate stability.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

Finance Commission – Issues related to devolution of resources

Restoring fiscal space for the states

Explained | Polity | Mains Paper 2: Federalism

Introduction

India’s fiscal federalism has long been guided by the principle of cooperative balance, where both the Centre and States share resources, responsibilities, and accountability. However, the post-GST era has altered this equilibrium. The recent merger of the GST compensation cess with regular tax marks a watershed moment, ending an era of fiscal cushioning for States and raising pressing questions about States’ financial independence.

With rising public aspirations, widening service delivery gaps, and increased welfare commitments, States are grappling with constrained fiscal space. The centralisation of taxation powers, growing dependence on Central transfers, and the limited flexibility to raise revenue are redefining India’s fiscal federalism.

Why in the News?

The abolition of the GST compensation cess, after five years of implementation, marks a turning point in India’s fiscal framework. For the first time since GST’s rollout in 2017, the compensation mechanism, which assured States 14% annual revenue growth, has ended.

This is significant because:

  • The cess previously cushioned States from revenue shortfalls during GST transition.
  • Its removal exposes the true fiscal capacity of States, revealing wide disparities in revenue generation.
  • The Centre’s growing use of cesses and surcharges, which are not shareable with States, has further squeezed State finances.
  • The resulting imbalance has rekindled the debate on “fiscal autonomy versus fiscal efficiency.”

Evolving Fiscal Architecture

How has GST altered India’s tax landscape?

  1. Shift from origin-based to destination-based taxation: GST replaced multiple State taxes with a unified structure, eroding the States’ control over indirect taxes.
  2. Shared tax base: Both Centre and States levy GST, but decision-making lies with the GST Council, where the Centre has a dominant role.
  3. Erosion of fiscal autonomy: States lost independent authority to adjust tax rates or design fiscal responses tailored to their economies.
  4. Cess and surcharge dominance: These have become a parallel fiscal instrument for the Centre, bypassing the divisible tax pool.

Changing Centre–State Financial Relations

How have constitutional mechanisms evolved over time?

  1. Articles 268–293 define the fiscal relationship between Centre and States.
  2. The Finance Commission (Article 280) determines devolution, but several States allege that the criteria penalise progressive, industrial States.
  3. With the abolition of the Planning Commission in 2014, only two main transfer channels remain, Finance Commission grants and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS).
  4. Article 282 allows discretionary Central grants, often perceived as politically influenced, affecting opposition-ruled States disproportionately.

Declining Devolution and Fiscal Dependence

How serious is the resource imbalance between Centre and States?

  1. Despite recommendations of 42% devolution (14th Finance Commission), actual transfers as a share of gross tax revenue have declined.
  2. Cesses and surcharges, which are non-shareable, reached â‚č3.86 lakh crore (RE 2024–25) and are projected at â‚č4.23 lakh crore (BE 2025–26).
  3. Central transfers still account for 44% of States’ revenue receipts, ranging from 72% for Bihar to 20% for Haryana, highlighting the uneven dependency landscape.
  4. The Centre collects 67% of total tax revenue, while States handle over 52% of total expenditure, particularly in health, education, and agriculture.
  5. This structural mismatch constrains States’ fiscal flexibility and deepens intergovernmental friction.

Emerging Demands for Fiscal Reforms

What are States and experts proposing for fiscal autonomy?

  1. Restructuring tax-sharing principles: Revisiting Finance Commission formulas to reflect true expenditure needs and reward performance equitably.
  2. Personal Income Tax sharing: Proposal to share or allow States to “top up” the personal income tax base to reduce fiscal dependence.
  3. Learning from Canada: Canadian provinces collect 54% of taxes and spend 60%, offering a model of greater subnational flexibility.
  4. Transparent devolution: Merging cesses and surcharges into the divisible pool could enhance transparency and equity.
  5. Independent fiscal oversight: Establishing a permanent intergovernmental fiscal council for mediation and coordination.

The Way Forward: Towards Cooperative Fiscal Federalism

How can fiscal space be restored to States?

  1. Revisit GST architecture: Grant States limited powers to vary tax rates within a band for specific commodities or services.
  2. Rationalise CSS schemes: Allow greater flexibility for States to design locally suited welfare interventions.
  3. Enhance fiscal responsibility: Encourage States to improve tax compliance, widen base, and adopt technology-driven revenue administration.
  4. Periodic fiscal reviews: Institutionalise data-based monitoring to balance efficiency with equity.
  5. Political cooperation: Encourage a non-partisan GST Council model where fiscal debates remain guided by economic logic, not politics.

Conclusion

India’s growth story is fundamentally federal. The vitality of its States determines the resilience of its economy. As the GST compensation era ends and States’ expenditure responsibilities rise, restoring their fiscal autonomy is essential for sustainable growth. True cooperative federalism demands not just consultation but real power-sharing in fiscal decision-making. Empowering States fiscally is not a concession — it is a constitutional necessity for a balanced and vibrant India.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2024] What changes has the Union Government recently introduced in the domain of Centre-State relations? Suggest measures to be adopted to build the trust between the Centre and the States and for strengthening federalism.

Linkage: The phasing out of the GST compensation cess and rising use of non-shareable cesses and surcharges reflect the Centre’s growing fiscal dominance, compelling States to seek reforms in tax devolution to rebuild trust and uphold true cooperative federalism.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

Empower ASI to do its job

Explained | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Governance, Transparency & Accountability, Citizens Charters

Introduction 

The government’s move to allow private oversight of protected monuments is a watershed moment. For decades, ASI has been the statutory guardian of India’s tangible past, born in the colonial era and burdened by bureaucracy, underfunding and a shrinking sense of mission. Simultaneously, private actors and civic organisations have shown how resources, managerial skill and community energy can revive museums and sites. The question is not whether to choose one side; it is how to combine ASI’s technical authority with the creativity, funds and operational capability that partnerships bring, without commodifying culture.

The Human Cost of Institutional Drift

The shrinking imagination of public stewardship

  1. Institutional fatigue: ASI carries a legacy of scholarship but suffers from low morale and an inward-looking culture that treats conservation as paperwork rather than cultural care.
  2. Loss of interpretive vision: When custodians stop telling stories, monuments become inert props rather than living places of memory and identity.
  3. Urban neglect: Historic neighbourhoods, bazaars and ritual spaces around monuments decay when site management ignores everyday people.

The emotional stakes for communities

  1. Cultural dislocation: For villagers, priests and artisans, monuments are part of life, losing access or ritual meaning severs social ties.
  2. Livelihoods at risk: When heritage is mismanaged, local guides, craftspeople and small vendors lose incomes tied to respectful tourism.

The Promise of Partnerships and PPPs

Partnerships as custodianship boosters

  1. Financial rescue: PPPs can create endowments and recurring funding streams for long-term maintenance, freeing conservation from short political cycles.
  2. Example: Museum restorations in Mumbai combined corporate funding, municipal support and conservation expertise to revive institutions.
  3. Operational professionalism: Private sector expertise in project management, visitor services and marketing improves site upkeep and interpretive programming.
  4. New experiences, same respect: Thoughtful PPPs design museum displays, lighting, interpretation centres and guided routes that invite learning, not spectacle.

PPPs and local empowerment

  1. Livelihood integration: PPP projects that hire local artisans and vendors create shared incentives for conservation.
  2. Example: Community-run craft stalls and guided-walk programs increase earnings and local ownership.
  3. Skill-building: Partnerships can fund training for conservators, guides, and site managers, expanding the conservation workforce.

When PPPs get it right: conditions of success

  1. ASI oversight: Technical conservation plans must be approved and monitored by ASI or accredited conservation experts.
  2. Community clauses: Contracts should guarantee access, rituals and a share of revenue for local stakeholders.
  3. Transparent accountability: Public dashboards, audited accounts and sunset clauses prevent permanent privatization.

The Risks of Commercialisation and How to Guard Against Them

Commodification and loss of sacredness

  1. Over-entertainment danger: Turning a temple or tomb into a stage for events can strip its sanctity and alienate devotees.
  2. Tourist-first trap: If revenue becomes the sole metric, conservation values degrade.
  3. Equity and access concerns
  4. Paywall problem: Higher fees and exclusive events can exclude local communities; safeguards must keep access affordable and meaningful.

Technical and ethical lapses

  1. Skill imbalance: Corporates without heritage expertise may favour cosmetic changes over reversible, scientifically sound conservation.
  2. Short-termism: Event-driven models can fund repairs but not create long-term technical capacity for conservation.

A Practical, Human-Centred Roadmap

Reinventing ASI as knowledge steward and regulator

  1. Autonomy with accountability: Grant ASI managerial freedom and stable budgets while insisting on transparency and citizen oversight.
  2. Specialist cadres: Create conservation architect and urban heritage cadres, fellowships and cross-disciplinary teams (historians, anthropologists, conservators).

Designing PPPs for people and preservation

  1. Model MoU essentials: ASI-approved conservation plan, community benefit clause, revenue-sharing mechanism, independent monitoring, exit/sunset clause.
  2. Performance metrics: Conservation integrity, community welfare indicators, visitor-impact thresholds, financial sustainability.
  3. Phased pilots: Start with clearly defined pilot projects (museums, small sites) before scaling to larger or sacred monuments.

Community as co-custodians

  1. Local governance: Empower panchayats, municipal trusts and temple committees in day-to-day stewardship with technical backup from ASI.
  2. Benefit linking: Ensure training, employment and revenue-sharing for local craftspeople and service providers.

Modern tools for timeless care

  1. Digital records: 3D scans, GIS mapping and condition-monitoring dashboards to track deterioration and plan interventions.
  2. Public access to data: Open reports and accessible interpretive material strengthen democratic stewardship.

Conclusion — A human promise, not a transaction

Heritage is ethical work: it asks us to keep memory alive while serving the living. The ASI must be renewed into a vibrant, expert body that sets standards and guarantees access. PPPs — when framed by clear agreements, community rights and technical oversight — can supply funds, skills and fresh ideas. The aim is not to monetise memory but to steward it: to ensure that stones continue to tell stories, and that those stories remain deeply, unmistakably, Indian.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2024] Public charitable trusts have the potential to make India’s development more inclusive as they relate to certain vital public issues. Comment.

Linkage: This PYQ highlights how non-state actors and philanthropic trusts can complement government efforts in addressing public issues. It is linked to the article as PPPs and heritage trusts similarly expand conservation beyond ASI’s limited capacity, ensuring inclusive and sustainable preservation of cultural assets.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

The Crisis In The Middle East

The future of the IMEC

Explained | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and agreements involving India

Introduction

In an era where connectivity defines power, the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) emerged as a visionary project connecting India’s western ports with Europe via the Arabian Peninsula. Envisaged as a multi-modal corridor encompassing maritime, rail, energy, and digital infrastructure, IMEC sought to integrate economies across continents while promoting peace and prosperity in a historically volatile region.

However, the optimism that surrounded IMEC’s launch quickly met the harsh reality of geopolitics. The October 7 Hamas attacks and subsequent Israel–Gaza war exposed the fragility of West Asian stability, placing IMEC’s implementation in question. Yet, beyond the uncertainty lies an opportunity for India to reshape its connectivity vision, adapting routes and partnerships to new global dynamics.

Why in the News

The IMEC has resurfaced in policy discussions as its viability faces uncertainty amid the deteriorating West Asian security environment. The October 7 Hamas–Israel conflict disrupted regional optimism nurtured by the Abraham Accords and slowed progress on IMEC’s proposed transnational links. At the same time, climate-driven Arctic trade routes and Red Sea disruptions by the Houthis are redrawing global shipping patterns, forcing India and its partners to reconsider IMEC’s configuration. The issue is critical as the corridor represents both an economic and strategic counterweight to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The Strategic Vision Behind IMEC:

  1. Comprehensive Connectivity: IMEC aims to upgrade maritime routes between India and the Arabian Peninsula and establish high-speed rail links from UAE ports to Haifa, Israel, via Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
  2. Integration with Europe: From Haifa, goods would be shipped to Europe’s Mediterranean ports, ensuring faster, secure, and sustainable trade connectivity.
  3. Beyond Transport: The corridor also includes plans for a clean hydrogen pipeline, electricity cable, and high-speed undersea digital cable, linking energy and digital ecosystems across three continents.
  4. Strategic Objective: IMEC provides a non-Chinese, rules-based alternative to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), enhancing India’s strategic outreach and economic influence.

The Geopolitical Context of 2023:

  1. Favourable Climate: The Abraham Accords (2020) created optimism for regional peace, bringing Israel and several Arab states closer. This atmosphere facilitated multilateral cooperation frameworks such as I2U2 (India, Israel, UAE, U.S.), paving the way for IMEC.
  2. India’s Upward Trajectory: India’s improving ties with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, coupled with strong U.S. relations, allowed it to play a central role in IMEC’s conception.
  3. Global Endorsement: The corridor was launched at the G-20 Summit in Delhi, with support from the EU, France, Germany, Italy, and Saudi Arabia, underscoring India’s emergence as a trusted global partner.

The Security Setback and Regional Volatility

  1. Conflict Shock: Within weeks of IMEC’s announcement, the Hamas–Israel conflict erupted, reversing the post-Abraham optimism.
  2. Regional Fallout: Israel’s military operations strained ties with Arab countries, undermining cross-border infrastructure cooperation.
  3. Red Sea Disruptions: The Houthi attacks on cargo ships forced rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope, increasing transit time and cost.
  4. Lesson: The events underscore that geopolitical stability remains the cornerstone of connectivity, and corridors like IMEC must remain adaptable to shifting realities.

Europe’s Changing Maritime Interests

  1. Arctic Openings: Climate change has opened new northern sea routes, shortening Asia–Europe shipping times. Beneficiaries include Russia, the U.S., China, and northern European nations.
  2. Mediterranean Anxiety: Countries like Italy, dependent solely on the Mediterranean, fear economic marginalisation if Arctic routes dominate trade.
  3. Strategic Importance of IMEC: Hence, Mediterranean states see IMEC as a means to sustain their maritime relevance and diversify trade partnerships.
  4. India’s Role: For India, the Mediterranean remains vital, as Arctic routes offer no immediate logistical advantage.

Why IMEC Still Matters for India

  1. Economic Scale: With $136 billion in annual trade, the EU remains India’s largest trading partner, highlighting the need for resilient connectivity.
  2. Supply Chain Resilience: IMEC offers a secure, shorter route connecting India to Europe while reducing dependence on the Red Sea–Suez chokepoint.
  3. Strategic Leverage: Enhanced engagement with Arab economies can dilute Pakistan’s influence and integrate India deeper into West Asia’s economic architecture.
  4. Innovation Space: As a multi-member initiative, IMEC allows India to propose new routes via Saudi Arabia and Egypt, adapting to political flux.

Challenges and the Way Forward

  1. Security Dependencies: Ongoing instability in Gaza and Israel poses a persistent threat.
  2. Financial and Political Coordination: Multi-country infrastructure projects face coordination delays, regulatory inconsistencies, and funding constraints.
  3. Need for Parallel Efforts: India must also upgrade domestic ports and logistics infrastructure, including Sagarmala and Dedicated Freight Corridors, to complement IMEC.
  4. Diplomatic Continuity: Sustaining dialogue through I2U2 and G-20 cooperation can help preserve IMEC’s spirit even if its routes evolve.

Conclusion

The IMEC’s future will depend not merely on the pacification of West Asia but on the political agility and diplomatic imagination of its members. While the corridor’s physical routes may shift, its strategic essence remains intact, to build resilient, diversified, and sustainable connectivity between India and Europe. For India, IMEC is more than an infrastructure project; it is a statement of intent, to be at the centre of global supply chains and a stabilising power in a fractured world.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2018] The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is viewed as a cardinal subset of China’s larger ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative. Give a brief description of CPEC and enumerate the reasons why India has distanced itself from the same.

Linkage: While China’s CPEC runs through disputed territory, making India wary, the IMEC shows how India is building its own clean, safe, and cooperative route to connect with Europe. It’s India’s way of staying in the global connectivity game—on its own terms.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

Renewable Energy – Wind, Tidal, Geothermal, etc.

The critical factor in India’s clean energy ambition

Explained | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways Etc.

Introduction

India’s ambition to achieve 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2070 depends not just on sunlight and wind but on minerals buried beneath the earth’s surface. Lithium, cobalt, and REEs form the backbone of technologies driving the clean energy revolution. However, India imports almost all of these minerals, exposing its renewable future to external shocks. The article explores how India is gearing up to build a resilient supply chain, promote domestic mining, and move toward a circular economy, turning its green dreams into a self-reliant reality.

India’s Clean Energy Journey and the Mineral Imperative

  1. Critical minerals as enablers: They power EV batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines, the pillars of the green transition.
  2. Explosive market growth: India’s EV market is projected to grow at a 49% CAGR from 2023 to 2030, driven by the Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme (EMPS) 2024.
  3. Battery boom: The battery storage market, valued at $2.8 billion in 2023, is set to surge with renewable energy integration.
  4. Import dependency: India currently imports nearly 100% of lithium, cobalt, and nickel, and over 90% of REEs, creating severe strategic vulnerabilities.

Why Dependence is Dangerous: Global Supply Chain Vulnerabilities

  1. China’s dominance: Controls 60% of global REE production and 85% of processing capacity, giving it massive leverage.
  2. Geopolitical risks: Trade restrictions, conflicts, and supply disruptions can derail India’s energy transition plans.
  3. National security angle: Critical minerals are not just about clean energy,  they are strategic assets influencing defence, technology, and economic sovereignty.

India’s Domestic Potential: A Hidden Treasure Beneath the Soil

  1. New discoveries: The Geological Survey of India (GSI) identified 5.9 million tonnes of inferred lithium in Jammu & Kashmir in 2023, a major breakthrough.
  2. Policy push: The National Mineral Exploration Policy (NMEP), 2016, and amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 2021, opened up exploration to private players.
  3. Auctions driving interest: In 2023 alone, 20 critical mineral blocks (lithium, graphite, REEs) were auctioned, attracting domestic and multinational bidders.
  4. Potential-rich states: Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan (lithium), Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh (REEs) have emerged as mineral hotspots.

From Discovery to Refinement: The Missing Link

  1. Production bottleneck: India contributes less than 1% of global REE production due to weak refining and processing infrastructure.
  2. Need for partnerships: Public-private collaborations can bring in advanced processing technologies and recycling systems.
  3. Government incentives: Subsidies, tax breaks, and R&D grants are critical to scale domestic lithium and cobalt pilot projects.

Investment and Policy Momentum: Building the Foundation

  1. Regulatory reforms: The Mines and Minerals (Amendment) Act, 2023 allows private exploration but the sector faces high costs and environmental concerns.
  2. Economic potential: Mining contributes only 2.5% to India’s GDP, compared to 13.6% in Australia — signalling untapped opportunity.
  3. National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM): With an outlay of â‚č34,300 crore, it aims to strengthen the value chain — from exploration to recycling.

Institutional efforts:

  1. NMDC diversifying through its Australian arm.
  2. IREL (India) Ltd. extracting REEs like neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium.
  3. KABIL (Khanij Bidesh India Ltd.), formed in 2019, tasked with overseas acquisitions of mineral assets.

Moving Towards a Circular Economy

  1. E-waste as opportunity: India produces 4 million metric tonnes of e-waste annually, yet only 10% is formally recycled.
  2. Recycling policies: The Battery Waste Management Rules (2022) and E-Waste Management Rules (2022) aim to improve recovery of critical minerals.
  3. Challenges: Weak enforcement, poor infrastructure, and lack of awareness hinder progress.
  4. Way forward: Public-private recycling hubs can boost technology access, cut costs, and reduce environmental footprint, paving the way for a circular economy.

Conclusion

Critical minerals are the backbone of India’s clean energy transformation. Securing them is not just about green growth, but about economic independence and strategic security. India’s policy thrust through the National Critical Mineral Mission, domestic auctions, and recycling reforms signal intent, but execution remains key. A coherent strategy involving private investment, state backing, and global partnerships can ensure India does not just consume green technology, it creates it. The success of this mission will determine whether India emerges as a leader in the global clean energy race or remains dependent on others for its green dreams.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2022] Do you think India will meet 50 percent of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2030? Justify your answer. How will the shift of subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables help achieve the above objective?

Linkage: India’s ability to meet 50% of its energy needs from renewables by 2030 hinges on securing critical minerals like lithium and REEs that power solar, wind, and EV technologies. A shift of subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables will accelerate domestic mining, recycling, and innovation—building the self-reliant green infrastructure essential for achieving this target.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

Nobel and other Prizes

How innovation drives economic growth

Explained | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Issues relating growth and development, employment

Introduction

The 2025 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded to Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion, and Peter Howitt for “explaining innovation-driven economic growth.” Their research collectively answers one of the most fundamental economic puzzles — how nations sustain growth over centuries, not decades.

Why in the News

The Nobel Committee’s decision is significant because it celebrates innovation as the engine of sustained prosperity at a time when economies face stagnation despite technological abundance. It also marks a historical synthesis, combining Mokyr’s economic history with Aghion and Howitt’s modern growth models, to offer a unified vision of why the last two centuries broke free from millennia of stagnation. This award underscores that knowledge creation and openness to change are as critical to a nation’s future as natural resources or fiscal policy.

Understanding the Foundations of Innovation-Driven Growth

What did Joel Mokyr’s research reveal about sustained growth?

  1. Useful Knowledge: Mokyr argued that long-term growth depends on a constant flow of useful knowledge, divided into propositional (theoretical understanding) and prescriptive (practical implementation) forms.
  2. Before Industrial Revolution: Innovators understood why things worked (propositional) but lacked the technical ability to make them work (prescriptive).
  3. Scientific Revolution Impact: The 16th–17th centuries brought controlled experiments and reproducibility — transforming knowledge from abstract to applicable.
  4. Policy Implication: Nations must ensure technical education and skill development, as ideas alone cannot yield growth without implementation.

How did Mokyr link innovation to social openness?

  1. Openness to Change: Innovation often disrupts existing systems and creates losers; societies resistant to change stifle progress.
  2. Historical Example: Britain’s sustained growth stemmed from skilled artisans and engineers who translated scientific ideas into industrial applications.
  3. Policy Lesson: Governments must create inclusive ecosystems that accept change, retrain workers, and redistribute gains from innovation.

What is the Theory of Creative Destruction?

  1. Conceptual Core: Originally introduced by Schumpeter, “creative destruction” describes how innovation replaces older technologies and firms, creating both winners and losers.
  2. Aghion & Howitt’s Contribution: They formalized this process mathematically, showing how technological progress leads to sustained long-term growth.
  3. Dynamic Equilibrium: Innovation raises productivity but simultaneously displaces outdated industries — a perpetual cycle that fuels development.

How much should a country invest in Research and Development (R&D)?

  1. Balancing Act: Aghion and Howitt’s model shows two opposing trends:
    1. Trend 1 — Underinvestment: Since society benefits from outdated technologies even after firms lose profits, R&D should be subsidized to ensure social spillovers.
    2. Trend 2 — Overinvestment: When incremental innovations capture disproportionate profits, R&D may be excessive and distort competition.
  2. Optimal Level: There is no universal ideal investment, but the model provides tools to identify an economy-specific optimum that maximizes welfare without creating monopolistic inefficiencies.

Why does this Nobel matter for developing economies like India?

  1. Knowledge Ecosystem: The laureates’ findings emphasise that growth requires not just innovation, but translation — turning ideas into scalable realities through skills, entrepreneurship, and openness.
  2. India’s Imperative: Investments in R&D (currently ~0.7% of GDP), vocational skilling, and ease of doing business are crucial to realize the demographic dividend.
  3. Policy Relevance: The Economic Survey and NITI Aayog’s “Innovation Index” already underline similar principles — this Nobel reinforces India’s need to build a “knowledge economy.”

Conclusion

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences reaffirms that innovation, knowledge, and societal openness are the real engines of prosperity. Economic success is no longer a product of mere capital or labor, but of the synergy between imagination and execution. For India and other developing nations, the message is clear: sustained growth depends on nurturing human capital, research ecosystems, and tolerance for disruption. As Mokyr’s and Aghion–Howitt’s work shows, societies that embrace change, skill their people, and invest in ideas will lead the next chapter of human progress.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2015] What are the areas of prohibitive labour that can be sustainably managed by robots? Discuss the initiatives that can propel the research in premier research institutes for substantive and gainful innovation.

Linkage: This PYQ aligns with the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences as both emphasize how technological innovation transforms labour structures—echoing Aghion and Howitt’s theory of creative destruction, where automation replaces old forms of work while driving new productivity.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

Foreign Policy Watch: India-Afghanistan

Complacity not diplomacy-India’s engagement with Taliban

Explained | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: India & Its Neighborhood - Relations

Introduction

The exclusion of women journalists from Taliban press conferences in New Delhi was not an accident, it was symbolic of a deeper issue: legitimizing a regime whose ideology is built on the deliberate erasure of women’s existence. As Afghan women face persecution, violence, and disappearance from every public sphere, the silence of democratic nations like India risks validating gender apartheid.

Why is this issue in the news?

The controversy erupted when India hosted two Taliban press conferences in New Delhi, where female journalists were initially excluded. The event coincided with a People’s Tribunal on the Women of Afghanistan in Madrid, where survivors testified to the Taliban’s gender-based persecution, recognized as a crime against humanity. The contrast between India’s engagement and the global condemnation of Taliban policies underscores a moral and diplomatic crisis.

How has the Taliban institutionalized the erasure of women?

  1. Systematic exclusion: Since their 2021 return, the Taliban banned women from most public-sector jobs, secondary schools, and universities.
  2. Legalized oppression: The 2024 Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Law formally declared women’s voices “forbidden” in public.
  3. Economic silencing: A 2025 Afghanistan Media Support Organisation survey found that 93% of women journalists lost their jobs, with more than 42% leaving journalism altogether.
  4. Violence and fear: Women activists are detained, beaten, and their husbands tortured, part of a deliberate campaign to erase their visibility and livelihood.

Why is India’s stance seen as complicit rather than diplomatic?

  1. Normalization of misogyny: Hosting Taliban officials while Afghan women pleaded for recognition signals tacit acceptance of their regime.
  2. Moral inconsistency: While democracies like Spain and Canada host tribunals condemning Taliban atrocities, India’s diplomatic outreach stands in stark contrast.
  3. Diplomatic short-sightedness: By engaging the Taliban without human rights conditionalities, India risks legitimizing gender apartheid as a form of governance.

What does this reveal about the global response to women’s rights?

  1. Erosion of feminist diplomacy: Nations increasingly prioritize geopolitical pragmatism over gender justice.
  2. Media complicity: Even in New Delhi, the Taliban’s media interaction mirrored their exclusionary ethos, showing that patriarchal silencing transcends borders.
  3. Selective outrage: While Western nations condemn the Taliban, many still negotiate covertly for strategic or security reasons, diluting international accountability.

What lessons does this hold for India’s foreign policy and democracy?

  1. Moral leadership deficit: India’s silence undermines its self-image as the voice of the Global South and defender of democratic rights.
  2. Gender and diplomacy linkage: True diplomacy must integrate gender-sensitive ethics, ensuring no engagement legitimizes systemic violence.
  3. Internal reflection: A democracy’s foreign policy mirrors its domestic respect for women’s agency. India’s global credibility depends on aligning words with action.

Conclusion 

India’s engagement with the Taliban marks a dangerous shift from moral diplomacy to moral compromise. As Afghan women’s rights are being erased, India’s silence echoes complicity, not neutrality. True diplomacy must speak truth to power, not share its platform. Democracies cannot afford to normalize gender apartheid; silence here is not strategy, it is surrender.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2013] The proposed withdrawal of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) from Afghanistan in 2014 is fraught with major security implications for the countries of the region. Examine in light of the fact that India is faced with a plethora of challenges and needs to safeguard its own strategic interests.

Linkage: India’s current engagement with the Taliban reflects the security vacuum created after the ISAF withdrawal, forcing New Delhi to balance strategic interests with moral responsibility. As the article shows, this has turned India’s Afghan policy from cautious realism into a test of its ethical diplomacy and regional credibility.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

Foreign Policy Watch: India-Afghanistan

With new Great Game, India must engage with the Taliban and Kabul

Explained | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: India & Its Neighborhood - Relations

Introduction

Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi arrived in New Delhi on an official visit, his first since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.

The visit represents a major recalibration in India’s Afghanistan policy, as New Delhi cautiously engages the Taliban regime without formal recognition. India’s approach blends strategic pragmatism and regional security concerns, focusing on maintaining influence in Afghanistan’s evolving geopolitical environment while avoiding premature diplomatic endorsement.

India-Taliban Ties: A Quick Recap

  1. India never formally recognized the Taliban regime prior to or after 2021.
  2. Initial contacts date back to the late 1990s (e.g., during the IC-814 hijacking), but India’s engagement remained limited due to Pakistan’s dominance over the Taliban.
  3. Post-2021, India has maintained pragmatic engagement of humanitarian aid, infrastructure projects, and limited diplomatic outreach without providing de jure recognition.

India’s Post-2021 Approach- Diplomatic Balancing and Western Response:

  1. India adopted a “cautious engagement” policy: restoring a technical mission in Kabul, resuming aid delivery, and holding diplomatic contacts.
  2. In 2025, India announced plans to reopen its embassy in Kabul, initially with a ChargĂ© d’affaires, avoiding formal recognition.
  3. India’s silence on human rights and women’s issues during diplomatic talks reflects strategic restraint, balancing ideological concerns with geopolitical necessity.
  4. The Western response is ambivalent. India’s engagement is scrutinized to ensure it does not inadvertently legitimize the Taliban or dilute India’s democratic credentials.

Taliban and Its Geopolitical Realignments (2024–2025):

  1. China: First major power to exchange ambassadors with the Taliban (2024); deepening economic, mining, and infrastructure ties.
  2. Russia: Moving to delist Taliban as a terrorist group; promoting counterterror cooperation.
  3. Iran: Accepts Taliban rule pragmatically, balancing internal crises with regional influence.
  4. Pakistan: Relations strained — Taliban criticism of Pakistani interference; cross-border tensions with TTP.
  5. United States: Under Trump 2.0, US policy is transactionally disengaged; leaves India more space to engage diplomatically.

India’s Strategic Objectives in Engaging the Taliban:

  1. Maintain influence in Afghanistan to protect long-term investments (infrastructure, education, healthcare).
  2. Prevent Afghan territory from being used for anti-India terrorism.
  3. Counter Pakistan–China influence by remaining a relevant actor in Afghan affairs.
  4. Enable connectivity and trade, via Chabahar port and regional transit routes.
  5. Promote soft power through development cooperation, scholarships, and cultural engagement.

Challenges and Diplomatic Constraints:

  1. Non-recognition dilemma: Engagement without recognition may be seen as de facto endorsement by critics.
  2. Human rights dissonance: Taliban’s restrictions on women’s rights conflict with India’s democratic values.
  3. Visa and mobility barriers: Lack of operational consular services hampers people-to-people ties and educational exchanges.
  4. Aid delivery limitations: Security, monitoring, and distribution bottlenecks constrain effective humanitarian impact.
  5. Geopolitical competition: Pakistan and China retain deeper leverage in Afghan affairs; India must navigate their influence.

Way Forward:

  1. Engagement without endorsement: Maintain diplomatic contact while tying cooperation to counterterror assurances.
  2. Humanitarian focus: Channel aid for women and children through UN/trusted NGOs to avoid legitimizing Taliban governance.
  3. Regional coalition building: Leverage multilateral forums (SAARC, SCO, QUAD) to strengthen India’s Afghan policy.
  4. Expand economic roles: Prioritize mining, power, and infrastructure projects to anchor Indian presence.
  5. Broaden diplomatic contacts: Engage Afghan civil society, minorities, and regional stakeholders for balanced outreach.

PYQ Relevance:

[UPSC 2013] The proposed withdrawal of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) from Afghanistan in 2014 is fraught with major security implications for the countries of the region. Examine in light of the fact that India is faced with a plethora of challenges and needs to safeguard its own strategic interests.

Linkage: The instability in Kabul, coupled with the influence of external state and non-state actors, directly impacts India’s internal security landscape, especially concerning terrorism, border security challenges, and the potential linkage between organized crime and drug trafficking. Therefore, questions may assess India’s strategic autonomy, humanitarian diplomacy, connectivity projects (like Chabahar), and counter-terrorism strategies, requiring candidates to demonstrate applied knowledge linking foreign policy decisions with internal stability.

 

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

India’s long history of resistance to economic domination

Explained | Economics | Mains Paper 3: issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources

Why in the News?

Trade negotiations between India and the United States remain stalled after President Trump’s administration doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% and imposed an additional 25% duty on Russian oil imports by India.

Introduction

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasised that while understanding with the US, “the world’s largest market” is essential, India’s economic sovereignty and red lines must be respected.

This impasse reflects the global shift from free trade to protectionism, echoing earlier eras when India resisted externally imposed economic dominance, first under colonial exploitation, and later through planned economic reconstruction after independence.

Colonial Economic Exploitation and India’s Resistance:

  1. Transformation of Economy: The British colonial system dismantled India’s self-sufficient agrarian and artisanal base, converting the country into a supplier of raw materials and a market for British-manufactured goods.
  2. Drain Theory and Fiscal Exploitation: Dadabhai Naoroji, in Poverty and Un-British Rule in India (1901), argued that India’s wealth was drained to Britain, financing its prosperity: “The British Indian Empire is formed and maintained entirely by Indian money and mainly by Indian blood.”
  3. Phases of Colonial Capitalism:
    • Mercantile Capitalism (EIC Era): Extraction through monopoly trade and taxation.
    • Industrial Capitalism (19th Century): India reduced to an exporter of raw cotton and importer of textiles.
    • Finance Capitalism (Early 20th Century): British private capital dominated infrastructure, plantations, and banking, reinforcing dependency.
  4. Economic Consequences: The structure produced de-industrialisation, agrarian stagnation, excessive taxation, and recurring famines, resulting in widespread impoverishment.

Intellectual Critiques of the Colonial Economy:

  1. R. C. Dutt – Industrial Destruction: In The Economic History of India (1901–02), he demonstrated how colonial policies deliberately destroyed indigenous industries to protect British manufacturers.
  2. M. G. Ranade – Economic Dependency: Criticised colonial economic dependence and advocated industrial regeneration through Indian entrepreneurship.
  3. R. Palme Dutt – Stages of Imperialism: In India To-day (1940), identified three stages of capitalist domination , mercantile, industrial, and finance , highlighting the evolution of imperial control.
  4. G. V. Joshi , an Economist, aptly described railway expenditure as an “Indian subsidy to British industry.”

Economic Reconstruction After Independence:

  1. Inherited Structural Weakness: At independence in 1947, India faced an agrarian, impoverished, and unequal economy drained of capital and industrial base.
  2. Ideological Synthesis: Rejecting Cold War binaries, India adopted a non-aligned mixed economy, blending socialist planning with capitalist pragmatism to ensure self-reliance and equity.
  3. Intellectual Precursors to Planning:
    • Visvesvaraya Plan (1934) – advocated industrialisation and state coordination.
    • National Planning Committee (1938) – set the foundation for state-directed development.
    • Bombay Plan (1944) – proposed large-scale industrialisation with public–private cooperation.
    • Gandhian and People’s Plans (1944–45) – emphasised decentralisation and rural self-sufficiency.
  4. First and Second Five-Year Plans:
    • First Plan (1951–56): Focused on agriculture, irrigation, and rural reconstruction.
    • Second Plan (1956–61): Based on P. C. Mahalanobis model, prioritising heavy industries, capital goods, and import substitution.

Planned Economy and Centralisation of Authority:

  1. Institutional Creation: The Planning Commission (1950), chaired by the Prime Minister, institutionalised centralised planning and target allocation.
  2. Fiscal Centralisation: The Finance Commission (Article 280), though constitutionally mandated for fiscal transfers, became secondary to plan-based resource allocation.
  3. Limited Federal Consultation: The National Development Council (1952) was created to involve states but lacked independent financial powers.
  4. Command Economy Features: India’s planning structure mirrored Soviet-style central control, aiming for rapid industrialisation, public sector expansion, and poverty eradication, yet it consolidated central dominance in economic governance.

Transition to Federal Economic Governance:

  1. Liberalisation Era (1991): The balance-of-payments crisis triggered wide-ranging reforms , ending the Licence–Permit–Quota Raj, deregulating industries, reducing tariffs, and inviting foreign investment.
  2. Market Orientation: The 1991 reforms replaced the state-led model with market-driven growth and integration into the global economy.
  3. Institutional Transformation:
    • Abolition of the Planning Commission (2014) reflected a shift from central command to federal cooperation.
    • Creation of NITI Aayog (2015) introduced cooperative and competitive federalism, emphasising state innovation and evidence-based policymaking.
  4. Fiscal Federal Tensions: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) exemplifies fiscal unity but has also constrained state autonomy, fuelling debates on vertical imbalance and fiscal equity.

India–US Trade Divergences in the Contemporary Context:

  1. Tariff Dispute Dynamics: The Trump tariff regime, justified on grounds of national security and domestic job protection, contradicted WTO’s comparative advantage principle, undermining global free-trade norms.
  2. India’s Strategic Response: Rooted in historical awareness, India’s trade policy seeks to balance self-reliance with pragmatic global engagement, defending domestic interests while avoiding isolationism.
  3. Philosophical Continuity: Jaishankar’s remark, “If trade becomes tariffs, where is competitiveness?”, encapsulates India’s enduring critique of externally imposed asymmetry, echoing nationalist economic thought since the colonial period.

Legacy of India’s Economic Resistance:

  1. Continuum of Policy Evolution: From colonial subjugation through planned reconstruction to liberal federalism, India’s economic trajectory reflects a consistent assertion of sovereignty and self-determination.
  2. Recurrent Themes: The pursuit of self-reliance, equitable growth, and resistance to external control runs through every policy phase from Naoroji’s drain theory to NITI Aayog’s cooperative model.
  3. Contemporary Relevance: The present India–US trade friction is not merely a tactical disagreement but a symbolic reaffirmation of India’s historical resolve to resist economic subordination and preserve strategic autonomy.

Way Forward:

  1. Strategic Engagement: Pursue trade negotiations with the US grounded in reciprocity, not submission.
  2. Institutional Resilience: Strengthen WTO-aligned frameworks for dispute resolution to safeguard multilateralism.
  3. Domestic Competitiveness: Expand manufacturing and exports through PLI schemes and innovation-driven incentives.
  4. Federal Balance: Reinforce fiscal autonomy of states to sustain broad-based economic growth.
  5. Economic Diplomacy: Integrate trade with technology partnerships, digital cooperation, and sustainable supply chains to mitigate external shocks.

PYQ Relevance:

[UPSC 2014] Examine critically the various facets of economic policies of the British in India from mid-eighteenth century till independence.

Linkage: This topic is critical because India’s historical experience of economic domination, marked by policies such as the Drain of Wealth and de-industrialisation during the colonial era, profoundly shapes its present-day foreign policy and economic decision-making.

 

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

Women empowerment issues – Jobs,Reservation and education

Are Women deciding Assembly Elections?

Explained | Indian Society | Mains Paper 1: Role Of Women & Women Organization

Introduction

Ahead of the 2025 Bihar elections, parties are intensifying women-focused welfare schemes involving cash transfers. Similar strategies in Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and West Bengal mark a national trend of targeting women voters through direct benefits.

Also the gender gap in voter turnout has narrowed significantly, with female participation matching or surpassing male turnout in several states, prompting political recognition of women as a distinct electoral constituency.

Women as a Political Category:

  1. Shift in Political Focus: Women have emerged as a distinct political category, prompting parties to design targeted welfare schemes like Ladli Behna Yojana, Urimai Thogai, and Lakshmir Bhandar aimed exclusively at female voters.
  2. Economic Empowerment through Welfare: Direct cash transfers have provided limited but visible economic agency, allowing women some control over finances within households traditionally dominated by men.
  3. Beneficiary Framing: The portrayal of women primarily as labharthis (beneficiaries) reinforces dependency on state-led welfare rather than promoting them as independent political actors.
  4. Symbolic Inclusion vs. Structural Change: Women’s growing electoral visibility has not necessarily translated into greater representation or leadership, keeping them largely outside decision-making hierarchies.

How have Political Parties harnessed the Gender Gap in Voter Turnout?

  1. Rise in Female Turnout: Over the last two decades, the gender gap in voter participation has steadily narrowed, with female turnout surpassing male turnout in several states, notably in Bihar and Odisha.
  2. Targeted Welfare Mobilisation: Political parties have strategically used welfare schemes and direct benefit transfers to consolidate women as a reliable voter base, focusing on cash assistance, LPG subsidies, and maternal benefits.
  3. Micro-Targeting: Manifestos and election campaigns increasingly feature women-focused promises, indicating recognition of their collective electoral strength.
  4. Narrative of Care Politics: Political rhetoric frames women as symbols of social welfare and household well-being, enabling parties to blend economic populism with gender outreach.

Significance of Women’s Voting Behaviour:

  1. Indicator of Political Maturity: The steady rise in women’s participation marks a structural shift in India’s democratic engagement, highlighting growing awareness of rights and entitlements.
  2. Independent Electoral Agency: Increasing evidence shows that women are voting independently of male family influence, prioritising welfare delivery, safety, education, and dignity.
  3. Policy Feedback Mechanism: Women’s responses to welfare schemes serve as a direct feedback loop influencing governance priorities and re-election strategies.
  4. Catalyst for Inclusive Politics: The evolving behaviour of women voters has encouraged parties to incorporate gender equity into mainstream political discourse, beyond token representation.

Issues of Gendered Voter Turnout:

  1. Documentation Barriers: Women face systemic exclusion from electoral rolls due to inadequate documentation, name changes after marriage, and migration-related bureaucratic lapses.
  2. Procedural Exclusion: Administrative exercises like Special Intensive Revision (SIR) have disproportionately omitted women, reflecting institutional insensitivity to gendered realities.
  3. Intersectional Marginalisation: Women’s political inclusion remains fragmented by caste, class, and religion, preventing the emergence of a cohesive gender-based voting bloc.
  4. Symbolic Empowerment: While parties celebrate women as voters and beneficiaries, practical empowerment remains limited, with persistent underrepresentation in legislatures and party leaderships.

Way Forward:

  1. Institutional Strengthening: Ensure gender-sensitive voter registration and simplify documentation norms to eliminate procedural exclusions.
  2. Beyond Welfare Politics: Transition from cash-based welfare populism to policies promoting education, employment, and political representation.
  3. Data-Driven Governance: Use disaggregated gender data to assess welfare effectiveness and refine electoral outreach grounded in socio-economic realities.
  4. Leadership and Representation: Expand women’s participation in party structures, local governance, and Parliament, ensuring parity in decision-making roles.
  5. Civic and Political Literacy: Invest in sustained grassroots voter education, enabling women to act as autonomous political citizens rather than electoral dependents.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

Does India have a cough syrup problem? 

Explained | Ethics | Mains Paper 4: Ethics

Introduction:

India’s pharmaceutical industry, long known as the “pharmacy of the world,” is again under scrutiny after toxic cough syrups were linked to child deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Laboratory tests revealed dangerously high levels of diethylene glycol (DEG), an industrial chemical used in antifreeze, in syrups. The incident has triggered state bans, factory inspections, and renewed debate over the safety and accountability of India’s drug manufacturing system.

This follows earlier international tragedies in The Gambia, Uzbekistan, and Iraq, all involving India-made syrups.

Pattern of Recurring Cough Syrup Tragedies:

India has repeatedly faced incidents of DEG contamination in pharmaceuticals over the past century, reflecting systemic failure rather than isolated error.

  1. Historical incidents: Major poisoning events were reported in Chennai (1973), Bihar (1986), Gurugram (2020), Jammu (2019), and internationally in The Gambia (2022) and Uzbekistan (2022), leading to hundreds of deaths, most of them children.
  2. Common pattern: In each case, toxic solvents were substituted for pharmaceutical-grade compounds to cut costs, exposing the absence of strict supplier verification and testing.
  3. Regulatory aftermath: Investigations typically result in temporary bans and arrests but rarely in structural reform, allowing recurrence.
  4. Root cause: Weak coordination between central and state regulators, underfunded laboratories, and an enforcement system that reacts after fatalities rather than preventing them.

Toxic Component: Diethylene Glycol (DEG)

  1. Nature: A clear, sweet-tasting industrial solvent used in brake fluids, antifreeze, and plastics manufacturing.
  2. Why it appears in medicines: It is sometimes misused as a low-cost substitute for propylene glycol or glycerine in pharmaceutical syrups.
  3. Toxicity: Even small doses can cause severe abdominal pain, vomiting, metabolic acidosis, kidney failure, and death.
  4. Permissible limit: Only 0.1% is allowed in drugs; recent tests found over 46%, indicating gross manufacturing negligence.
  5. Historical precedent: Global awareness of DEG poisoning dates back to the 1937 U.S. “Elixir Sulfanilamide” disaster, which killed over 100 people and led to the creation of the U.S. FDA’s modern drug laws.

How are Medicines regulated in India?

  • Legal framework: Governed primarily by the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.
  • Authority structure:
    • The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) under the Ministry of Health regulates imports, new drugs, and quality standards.
    • State Drug Control Authorities license manufacturing units and monitor local sales.
  • Implementation challenge:
    • Fragmented responsibilities lead to uneven enforcement and duplication of work.
    • While CDSCO issues guidelines, states often lack testing infrastructure or manpower to ensure compliance.
    • Public health being a state subject further complicates central supervision.
  • Testing requirements: Manufacturers must verify both raw materials and finished formulations, but this is rarely enforced or independently audited.

Regulatory and Structural Gaps:

  1. Weak coordination: No integrated digital system links state and central regulators to track licenses, test results, or violations.
  2. Inspection failures: Many small and medium-sized drug firms operate without periodic inspection or third-party audits.
  3. Resource deficit: State drug labs often face staff shortages, outdated testing equipment, and minimal budgets.
  4. Penalties too lenient: Adulteration and misbranding attract limited imprisonment or fines, offering little deterrence.
  5. Lack of global alignment: India’s domestic quality standards often diverge from those used by WHO or international regulators, creating dual regimes for export and domestic markets.

How such incidences impact India’s global credibility?

  1. International scrutiny: Following deaths in The Gambia and Uzbekistan, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued global alerts on India-manufactured syrups.
  2. Export restrictions: Several importing countries now demand independent quality certificates before allowing entry of Indian pharmaceuticals.
  3. Erosion of trust: India’s image as a low-cost, high-quality medicine supplier is undermined by repeated safety lapses.
  4. Diplomatic and economic cost: Quality scandals threaten a $25 billion export industry that supplies over 50% of global vaccine demand and a major share of generic drugs to Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.

Way Forward:

  1. Centralised surveillance: Create a national digital platform integrating manufacturing, testing, and licensing data across states.
  2. Independent quality audits: Mandate third-party verification of raw materials, excipients, and solvents used in formulations.
  3. Stronger penalties: Introduce criminal liability for executives in cases of fatal contamination.
  4. Laboratory strengthening: Upgrade all state drug testing labs with modern equipment and accredited quality management systems.
  5. Export accountability: Require WHO-GMP certification for all export-bound and domestic drug batches alike.

PYQ Relevance:

[UPSC 2024] The case study focuses on a senior scientist, Dr. Srinivasan, working on a new drug, facing pressure to expedite trials and resort to unethical shortcuts, such as manipulating data to exclude negative outcomes and selectively reporting positive results.

The questions posed specifically asked the aspirant to:

‱ Examine options and consequences in light of the ethical questions involved.

‱ Discuss how data ethics and drug ethics can save humanity at large in such a scenario.

Linkage: The core issue involves the provision of quality healthcare and social services. The crisis highlights the vulnerability of populations, both domestically and internationally, to unsafe drug manufacturing practices. Questions can focus on  the mechanisms, laws, and institutions designed for the protection and betterment of vulnerable sections (like consumers of essential medicines).

 

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

Pulses Production – Subramanian Committee, Eco Survey, etc.

Why is India seeking Self-sufficiency in Pulses?

Explained | Agriculture | Mains Paper 3: Agriculture and related issues

Why in the News?

India, though the world’s largest producer and consumer of pulses, continues to face chronic supply-demand imbalance, threatening food security and farm incomes.

Introduction  

  • The Union Cabinet (1 October 2025) approved the â‚č11,440 crore “Mission for Atmanirbharta in Pulses”, a 6-year programme (FY26–FY31) to achieve self-sufficiency in pulse production.
  • The initiative responds to surging imports of $5.5 billion in FY25, the highest ever, amid stagnating domestic yields and acreage.
  • India, though the world’s largest producer and consumer of pulses, continues to facea  chronic supply-demand imbalance, threatening food security and farm incomes.

Value Addition: Pulses and their Production in India

  • Overview: Pulses are edible seeds of leguminous plants (family Fabaceae), cultivated for dry grains such as gram, tur, urad, masoor, and moong.
  • Nutritional Role: Rich in protein, fiber, micronutrients, and amino acids; low in fat and vital for nutritional security.
  • Agro-Climatic Range: Grown in both kharif and rabi seasons, requiring 20–27°C temperature and 25–60 cm rainfall.
  • Production Share: India produces ~25 million tonnes, accounting for 25% of global output, yet consumes 27%, making it the largest producer, consumer, and importer.
  • Crop Composition: As per FY2024, Gram (~40%), Tur/Arhar (15–20%), Moong/Urad (8–10%) dominate; pulses occupy 20% of grain area but only 7–10% of total foodgrain output.
  • Regional Spread: Major producers are- Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, UP, Karnataka.
  • Crop Share: Pulses occupy 20 % of grain area but yield only 7–10 % of output; gram 40 %, tur 15–20 %, moong/urad 8–10 %.

Why Farmers shifted away from Pulses?

  1. Price Disparity: Market prices often 14–28% below MSP, due to cheap imports (e.g., yellow peas from Canada at â‚č3,000/quintal vs MSP â‚č5,875).
  2. Import Competition: Duty-free imports from Canada, Australia, Mozambique, Myanmar suppress domestic demand.
  3. Policy Bias: Procurement, subsidies, and irrigation facilities favour rice and wheat, not pulses.
  4. Low Productivity: Pulses mostly grown on rain-fed, marginal lands, highly vulnerable to droughts, erratic monsoons, and poor irrigation.
  5. Market Risk: Weak procurement and delayed payments reduce confidence in government price support.
  6. Limited R&D: Poor availability of improved seed varieties and inadequate extension support for pest management and soil health.

Key Structural Challenges:

  1. MSP and Procurement Gaps: Inconsistent purchase operations discourage adoption of pulses over cereals.
  2. Climatic Vulnerability: Rain-fed dependence leads to high risk from El Niño, floods, or dry spells.
  3. Low Yields: National average at 740 kg/ha, below global mean of 949 kg/ha and far below Canada/USA (1,800+ kg/ha).
  4. Small Landholdings: Over 85% small and marginal farmers lack capital for irrigation and mechanisation.
  5. Soil and Pest Constraints: Nutrient deficiency, salinity, and frequent pest attacks hinder productivity.
  6. Institutional Weakness: Fragmented R&D ecosystem and weak integration between seed research, extension, and procurement systems.

Import Trends and Dependence:

  • Import Bill Growth: From $1.6 billion (FY21) to $5.5 billion (FY25) i.e a 3.4× surge.
  • Sources: Australia and Canada (peas), Myanmar, Tanzania, Mozambique (tur/arhar).
  • Volume: 7.3 million tonnes imported in 2024-25 surpassing the 2016-17 record.
  • Drivers: Stagnant domestic output (~25 Mt for five years) and rising urban consumption.
  • Top Importers: Canada, Russia, Australia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Myanmar, USA.

Economic and Social Dimensions:

  • Production Rise: From 19.2 Mt (FY14) to 24.4 Mt (FY24), yet consumption still exceeds supply.
  • Consumption Growth: Rising incomes and protein awareness push demand upward.
  • Trade Imbalance: India remains both largest producer (25 %) and largest importer (14 %) of global pulses.

Benefits of Pulses Cultivation:

  1. Environmental Sustainability: Pulses require less water and lower chemical inputs than cereals.
  2. Soil Fertility: Through biological nitrogen fixation, they enrich soil nitrogen, improving yield for subsequent crops.
  3. Reduced Fertilizer Use: Lower dependence on synthetic urea reduces subsidy burden and emissions.
  4. Soil Structure and Water Retention: Root systems enhance porosity, carbon content, and microbial biodiversity.
  5. Pest and Disease Management: Crop rotation with pulses suppresses soil-borne pathogens and reduces pesticide dependency.
  6. Carbon Sequestration: Residue incorporation increases soil organic carbon, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
  7. Economic Efficiency: Arvind Subramanian Committee (2016) estimated a â‚č13,000/ha higher social benefit for Tur vis-Ă -vis rice cultivation due to water and emission savings.

Way Forward:

  1. Seed Innovation: Intensify research through ICAR–IIPR and utilise India’s 70,000 germplasm accessions for high-yielding, climate-resilient strains.
  2. Area Expansion: Promote rice-fallow pulse rotation in eastern India and intercropping systems in semi-arid regions.
  3. Assured Procurement: Scale up NAFED and NCCF-led MSP operations, ensuring timely payments.
  4. Infrastructure Support: Strengthen warehousing, milling, and processing hubs near production clusters.
  5. Import Rationalisation: Impose variable tariffs to protect domestic farmers from global price volatility.
  6. Sustainability Integration: Incentivise pulse cultivation under carbon farming and sustainable agriculture missions.

PYQ Relevance:

[UPSC 2017] Mention the advantages of the cultivation of pulse because of which the year 2016 was declared as the International Year of Pulses by the United Nations.

[UPSC 2020] With reference to pulse production in India, consider the following statements:

1. Black gram can be cultivated as both kharif and rabi crop.

2. Green gram alone accounts for nearly half of pulse production.

3. In the last three decades, while the production of kharif pulses has increased, the production of rabi pulses has decreased.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only * (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

 

Linkage: Pulses imports often strain the Balance of Payments (BoP) and affect food inflation (a topic tested in 2024 Mains). Achieving self-sufficiency saves foreign exchange and helps manage domestic price volatility.

 

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

Labour, Jobs and Employment – Harmonization of labour laws, gender gap, unemployment, etc.

Are workers’ rights being eroded?

Explained | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Effects Of Liberalization On The Economy, Changes In Industrial Policy and their effects on Industrial Growth

Introduction / Context

  • Recent Disasters: In 2025, three major industrial accidents — the Sigachi Industries chemical blast in Telangana (June 30), the Gokulesh Fireworks explosion in Sivakasi (July 1), and the Ennore Thermal Power Station collapse in Chennai (September 30) — killed nearly 60 workers within three months.
  • Scale of the Problem: According to the British Safety Council, one in four fatal workplace accidents globally occurs in India, though actual figures are higher due to underreporting in informal sectors.
  • Structural Failure: These tragedies expose a systemic breakdown in safety enforcement, where profit maximisation overrides worker protection.

Why Workplace Accidents Occur

  1. Preventable Failures: Most industrial accidents occur due to negligence in hazard prevention such as poor equipment design, absence of alarms, and lack of maintenance.
  2. Telangana Case: The chemical reactor was operated at twice its safe limit, safety alarms failed, and untrained contract workers were deployed without records or protection.
  3. ILO Findings: The International Labour Organization (ILO) attributes most accidents to cost-cutting by managements, not random chance or individual mistakes.
  4. Human Error Myth: Employers blame workers for “human error”, but systemic issues like excessive work hours, fatigue, and exploitative conditions are the root causes.
  5. Lack of Safety Oversight: The absence of mandatory inspections and safety officers allows hazardous practices to continue unchecked.

Evolution of Workplace Safety Laws in India

  1. Colonial Roots: The first Factories Act of 1881 was enacted under British rule to regulate working hours and conditions in textile mills.
  2. Post-Independence Framework: The Factories Act of 1948 became the foundation of India’s occupational safety regime, covering licensing, rest periods, and machine maintenance.
  3. Bhopal Legacy: The 1987 Amendment followed the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, introducing stricter safety clauses but failing in enforcement due to bribery and falsified records.
  4. Compensation Mechanisms: The Workmen’s Compensation Act (1923) and Employees’ State Insurance Act (1948) provide for injury and income loss but remain financially inadequate.
  5. Lack of Criminal Accountability: Employers rarely face criminal charges for fatal negligence; compensation is often paid through government relief funds, not company liability.

Post-Liberalisation Deregulation and Impact

  1. Shift in Policy: Since the 1990s, India’s industrial policy has prioritised labour flexibility over worker protection.
  2. Self-Certification: States like Maharashtra (2015) allowed industries to self-certify compliance, effectively dismantling inspection-based oversight.
  3. Ease of Doing Business: Safety rules are now portrayed as regulatory hurdles, diluting mandatory standards for inspection and reporting.
  4. Contract Labour Expansion: Informal and outsourced workforces dominate hazardous sectors, operating without registration or legal protection.
  5. Erosion of State Capacity: Labour departments have been underfunded and depowered, reducing preventive enforcement to mere paperwork.

The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSHWC) Code, 2020

  1. Purpose: Consolidates 13 older laws including the Factories Act (1948), Mines Act (1952), and Contract Labour Act (1970) into one unified framework.
  2. Scope: Applies to all workplaces with 10 or more workers and covers mines, docks, and factories.
  3. Employer Duties: Mandates risk-free work environments, medical check-ups, and welfare amenities, with provisions for National and State Safety Boards.
  4. Penalties: Prescribes monetary penalties for violations and limited punishment for accidents causing death.
  5. Criticism: The Code converts safety from a statutory right to administrative discretion, weakening enforceability and inspection mechanisms.

Other Key Labour Codes:

  1. Code on Wages (2019): Ensures minimum wages, equal pay for equal work, and timely payment, reducing wage-related exploitation.
  2. Industrial Relations Code (2020): Governs strikes, layoffs, and retrenchments, focusing on maintaining employer–employee harmony under managerial control.
  3. Social Security Code (2020): Extends healthcare, pension, and insurance benefits to gig and platform workers, integrating fragmented welfare laws into one structure.

Current Trends and Emerging Risks

  1. Extended Working Hours: Post-pandemic, States have increased daily limits and reduced rest periods, heightening fatigue-related risks.
  2. Case Example: Karnataka (2023) made longer shifts permanent, undermining rest and recovery norms critical to accident prevention.
  3. Informalisation: Over 90% of India’s workforce operates informally, with no safety records or accident insurance, leaving families uncompensated.
  4. Weakened Enforcement: Inspections replaced by self-reporting allow companies to evade accountability for safety violations.
  5. Outcome: India remains among the world’s most dangerous industrial economies, with preventable deaths treated as operational costs.

Institutional and Governance Failures:

  1. Policy Shift: The State’s role has shifted from enforcer to facilitator, prioritising investment over worker welfare.
  2. Diluted Inspections: Labour departments, understaffed and politically pressured, no longer conduct surprise or independent audits.
  3. Token Punishment: Accident inquiries result in minor fines or temporary closures, not criminal prosecutions.
  4. Moral Blindness: Treating workplace deaths as “inevitable” reflects a moral and administrative collapse in valuing human life.

Way Forward: Restoring Safety as a Fundamental Right

  1. Safety as Right: Workplace safety must be reinstated as a non-negotiable constitutional right, not a regulatory privilege.
  2. Reinforce Inspection: Mandatory and surprise inspections must replace self-certification to ensure compliance.
  3. Criminal Liability: Employers responsible for preventable deaths must face criminal prosecution, not ex gratia settlements.
  4. Economic Logic: Studies confirm that safe workplaces increase productivity and profitability, contradicting industry claims of cost burdens.
  5. Moral Imperative: Until the State enforces accountability, transparency, and legal deterrence, India’s workers will remain collateral casualties of deregulated growth.

 

[UPSC 2024] Discuss the merits and demerits of the four ‘Labour Codes’ in the context of labour market reforms in India. What has been the progress so far in this regard?

Linkage: The topic of the erosion of workers’ rights is highly important for the upcoming UPSC Mains, particularly because it connects statutory, economic, and social issues, making it a favorite for analytical questions

 

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

Foreign Policy Watch: India – EU

In a multi-polar West, India’s opportunity

Explained | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and agreements involving India

Introduction

British PM Keir Starmer’s visit to Mumbai, the new EFTA trade pact, and ongoing EU-India trade talks in Brussels reflect Europe’s growing weight in India’s foreign policy. After years of limited engagement, Europe is emerging as a central partner in Delhi’s strategic calculus, just as the continent itself begins to assert geopolitical autonomy beyond its traditional dependence on the United States.

This marks a structural transformation in world politics, the emergence of a “multipolar West”, where Europe, North America, and Asia’s democratic powers pursue convergent but independent strategic agendas.

Historical Background: From Western Unity to Strategic Pluralism:

  • Post-War Western Unity: After World War II, the “West” became synonymous with political unity under US leadership, reinforced through NATO and Cold War alliances against the Soviet bloc.
  • Unipolar Moment after USSR Collapse: The collapse of the USSR in 1991 strengthened this unity, briefly creating a unipolar world centred on US dominance and Western liberal values.
  • Emergence of New Power Centres: As Russia reasserted its power and China rose to global prominence, the old Western consensus began to fracture.
  • India’s Advocacy for Multipolarity: Emerging powers like India called for a multipolar world — initially to balance US hegemony, but increasingly to acknowledge growing diversity within the West itself.

Shifting Dynamics: The Rise of a Multipolar West

  • Erosion of Transatlantic Dependence: Donald Trump’s “America First” policy disrupted long-standing alliances, forcing Europe and Asia to reconsider their strategic dependence on Washington.
  • Deepening Intra-Western Differences: Differences within the West have widened over Russia, China, trade policy, digital sovereignty, and technological standards.
  • Transactional Nature of US Power: European capitals now recognise that the US may increasingly act as a transactional power — pursuing self-interest rather than collective leadership.
  • Europe’s Strategic Reorientation: In response, Europe is embracing strategic autonomy to reduce vulnerability to shifting US politics and develop independent capacities in defence, technology, and industrial production.

Europe’s Quest for Sovereignty and Strategic Autonomy:

  • Leadership from Paris and Berlin: Leaders like Emmanuel Macron (France) and Olaf Scholz (Germany) are spearheading efforts to build a self-reliant Europe capable of defending its own interests.
  • Institutional Assertion of Autonomy: In her 2025 State of the Union address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared that Europe must “stand on its own feet, economically, technologically, and militarily.”
  • Defence and Security Cooperation: The EU is expanding defence collaboration through joint industrial initiatives and deeper coordination with partners such as the UK, Japan, South Korea, and Canada.
  • Persistent Internal Divides: Despite enduring divides between East and West over Russia, and North and South over fiscal policy Europe’s trajectory is unmistakably toward a more unified and assertive role within a plural Western order.

India’s Engagement with Europe’s Strategic Evolution:

  • EU–India Partnership Framework: The EU’s Joint Communication on India (September 2025) positions Delhi as a key partner in Europe’s Indo-Pacific and economic diversification strategy.
  • Priority Areas of Cooperation:
    • Trade and Technology: Collaboration in semiconductors, clean energy, and digital infrastructure.
    • Connectivity: Engagement through the Global Gateway initiative, aligning with India’s infrastructure ambitions.
    • Defence and Security: Cooperation on maritime domain awareness and joint naval presence in the Indian Ocean.
    • Political Dialogue: Recognition of differences on Russia, but convergence on multilateralism and democratic resilience.
  • Shift Beyond China-Centric Policy: Europe is moving beyond its earlier China-centric worldview, placing India at the centre of its Indo-Pacific engagement and supply-chain diversification efforts.

Implications of a Multipolar West for India

  • Expanded Diplomatic Flexibility: A loosely knit Western order provides India with greater strategic freedom to engage multiple Western poles — the US, EU, and UK — without rigid alignment.
  • Opportunity for Issue-Based Coalitions: The new order enables collaboration on shared priorities like climate action, digital governance, and critical technologies.
  • Risks of Fragmentation: However, a fragmented West may weaken collective responses to authoritarian aggression and reduce coherence in global governance.
  • Balancing Opportunity and Stability: India must simultaneously exploit Western pluralism and safeguard against the erosion of strategic stability that could undermine democratic solidarity.

Way Forward

  • Evolving Maturity in Foreign Policy: India’s diplomacy now shows increasing sophistication — evident in renewed engagement with Europe, balanced ties with the US, Russia, and China, and pragmatic participation in both Western and non-Western coalitions such as the Quad, BRICS, and IPEF.
  • Domestic Readiness as a Constraint: Despite external agility, institutional inertia, slow structural reforms, and uneven economic modernisation continue to limit India’s ability to leverage emerging global openings.
  • Aligning Internal and External Transformation: To fully benefit from a multipolar West, India must synchronise domestic transformation with external ambitions, ensuring that internal capacity and policy agility match the demands of an evolving global order.
[UPSC 2024] The West is fostering India as an alternative to reduce dependence on China’s supply chain and as a strategic ally to counter China’s political and economic dominance.’ Explain this statement with examples.

 

Linkage: “Multipolar World” theme involves focusing heavily on India’s strategic responses to new global and regional alliances (e.g., QUAD, AUKUS, I2U2), the shifting economic dominance of powers like China, and the resulting geopolitical instability.

 

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Join us across Social Media platforms.