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GS Paper: GS3

  • AgriEnIcs Programme

    Why in the News?

    The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology announced the transfer of technology for agricultural and environmental solutions developed under the Agricultural and Environmental Electronics (AgriEnIcs) Programme.

    What is AgriEnIcs Programme?

    • Overview: A national initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) integrating electronics, IT, and digital technologies into agriculture and environmental management.
    • Objective: To promote research, development, deployment, and commercialization of advanced tools for precision agriculture and sustainable resource monitoring.
    • Nature of Programme: Serves as a national R&D and technology translation platform connecting academia, industry, and government for innovation-driven solutions.
    • Implementing Agency: Led by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Kolkata as nodal agency, with participation from IITs, ICAR institutes, and private entities.
    • Development: All technologies designed and tested in India for affordability and rural scalability.
    • Strategic Vision: Strengthens India’s push toward AI- and IoT-enabled agri-systems, aligning with Atmanirbhar Bharat and Digital India.

    Key Features:

    • Integrated Tech Approach: Combines AI, IoT, machine vision, and sensor networks for intelligent agricultural and environmental systems.
    • Collaborative Framework: Operates through partnerships among MeitY, C-DAC, academic, and industrial institutions to speed up technology transfer.
    • Multi-Domain Focus: Addresses dairy health monitoring, crop quality estimation, odour detection, and waste-management automation.
    • AI & ML Applications: Enables predictive diagnostics, real-time data analytics, and automated decision support in farm operations.
    • Sensor-Based Systems: Deploys wearable sensors, vision devices, and automated analyzers for livestock, grain, and environment monitoring.
    • Scalable Architecture: Interoperable with AgriStack, Ayush Grid, and other government data platforms for nationwide expansion.

  • [pib] DRAVYA Portal

    Why in the News?

    The Ministry of Ayush has launched the Digitized Retrieval Application for Versatile Yardstick of Ayush Substances (DRAVYA) portal the largest digital repository of Ayurvedic ingredients and formulations.

    About DRAVYA Portal:

    • Developed By: Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) under the Ministry of Ayush.
    • Purpose: To build a centralized, open-access knowledge platform integrating classical Ayurveda with modern scientific data for global research and policy use.
    • Launch: Released on 10th Ayurveda Day (23 September 2025) at Goa, marking a major digital step in traditional medicine.
    • Phase I Coverage: Includes data on 100 medicinal substances, updated through a dedicated entry system ensuring precision and authenticity.
    • Integration Goal: Designed to connect with the Ayush Grid and allied Ministry databases for coordinated digital governance and research.
    • Scope: Merges textual, botanical, pharmacological, and chemical information for cross-disciplinary validation and innovation.

    Key Features:

    • AI-Ready Design: Built with artificial intelligence capability for analytics, discovery, and predictive research.
    • Open-Access Repository: Consolidates validated data from classical texts, scientific literature, and field studies in searchable form.
    • Comprehensive Profiles: Details each substance’s pharmacotherapeutics, botany, chemistry, pharmacology, and safety aspects.
    • QR-Code Integration: Enables standardised display of plant data in gardens, repositories, and institutions.
    • Advanced Search Filters: Sorts substances by rasa (taste), virya (potency), vipaka (post-digestive effect), and therapeutic use.
    • Dynamic Database: Continuously updated for authenticity and scientific rigour.
    • Global Accessibility: Serves as a credible digital reference for researchers, policymakers, and innovators worldwide.
    • Future Expansion: Will interlink with Ayush Grid, National Medicinal Plants Database, and Ayush Drug Policy for an integrated digital health ecosystem.

  • Indian Army inducts ‘Saksham’ Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) Grid

    Why in the News?

    The Indian Army has initiated procurement of ‘Saksham’, an indigenously developed Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) Grid, to enhance airspace security and counter emerging aerial threats.

    Indian Army inducts ‘Saksham’ Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) Grid
    Visual Representation

    About Saksham Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) Grid:

    • Overview: Indigenous counter-drone system developed by the Indian Army with BEL, Ghaziabad, to detect, track, identify, and neutralise unmanned aerial threats.
    • Purpose: Secures the Tactical Battlefield Space (TBS) or Air Littoral—airspace up to 3,000 m (10,000 ft) against low-altitude drones.
    • Origin: Conceived after Operation Sindoor, which revealed gaps in air defence.
    • Acronym: SAKSHAM – Situational Awareness for Kinetic Soft & Hard Kill Assets Management; a Command-and-Control (C2) platform integrating sensors, weapons, and AI analytics to create a Recognised UAS Picture (RUASP).
    • Procurement: Approved under Fast Track Procurement (FTP); aligns with Atmanirbhar Bharat and the Army’s Decade of Transformation (2023–2032).

    Key Features:

    • Detection & Tracking: Continuous surveillance via radar, radio-frequency, and electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors.
    • AI-Enabled Prediction: Uses AI to forecast hostile activity and suggest counter-responses.
    • Sensor–Weapon Fusion: Integrates jammers, directed-energy systems, and kinetic interceptors for unified action.
    • Automated Command Support: Provides real-time decision aids for threat prioritisation.
    • 3-D Airspace Visualisation: Displays dynamic views of friendly and hostile assets.
    • Network Integration: Runs on the Army Data Network (ADN) and links with Akashteer Air Defence Control for unified airspace management.
    • Mobility & Modularity: Compact, scalable, and rapidly deployable across terrains.
    • Indigenous Focus: Fully designed and produced in India, demonstrating advanced self-reliant defence capability.
    [UPSC 2025] With reference to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), consider the following statements:

    I. All types of UAVs can do vertical landing. II. All types of UAVs can do automated hovering. III. All types of UAVs can use battery only as a source of power supply.

    Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

     

  • India unveiled ‘National Red List Roadmap’ Survey to Assess Extinction Risks of Species

    Why in the News?

    India unveiled its National Red List Roadmap and Vision 2025–2030 at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi.

    Global Context:

    • IUCN Red List: Globally, 1,69,420 species have been assessed; about 28% are classified as threatened.
    • Biodiversity Decline: The Living Planet Report 2024 documented a 73% decline in vertebrate populations (1970–2020), with freshwater species down by 85%.
    • Extinction Rate: Current extinction rates are 1,000–10,000 times higher than natural background levels due to human pressures such as habitat loss, overexploitation, and climate change.
    • Global Need: Strengthening regional red lists like India’s provides granular, science-based data to guide conservation financing and global biodiversity monitoring.

    About National Red List Roadmap and Vision (2025–2030):

    • Purpose: Marks India’s first coordinated national effort to scientifically assess the extinction risk of ~11,000 species of plants and animals by 2030 using IUCN Red List methodology, the global benchmark for species assessment.
    • Aim: To establish a science-based, nationally coordinated red-listing system that strengthens biodiversity planning, conservation policy, and threat mitigation.
    • Strategic Alignment: Supports India’s commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF), reaffirming India’s leadership in global biodiversity governance.
    • Outcome Goal: To publish National Red Data Books on flora and fauna by 2030, serving as authoritative reference guides for ecological protection and management.

    Key Features of the Initiative:

    • Scientific Alignment: Adopts IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, ensuring uniformity and comparability with international conservation assessments.
    • Scope and Coverage: Envisions evaluation of 11,000 terrestrial and marine species, encompassing major ecological regions across India.
    • Core Outputs:
      • Peer-reviewed species assessments with global visibility.
      • Publication of National Red Data Books and creation of a digital public database for species data and risk analysis.
    • Institutional Framework:
      • Implemented jointly by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
      • Partner agencies include IUCN India, Centre for Species Survival: India – Wildlife Trust of India (CSS: India–WTI), and the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC).
    • Funding and Resources: Total outlay of ₹95 crore, comprising ₹80 crore from BSI and ZSI budgets and ₹15 crore mobilised for training and international collaboration.
    • Capacity Building: Creation of a cadre of 300 trained species assessors and development of national training modules on biodiversity evaluation.
    • Policy Integration: The data generated will inform India’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, legislative updates, and species recovery prioritisation through 2030.

    Need for such a profile:

    • India’s Biodiversity Profile: Recognised as one of the 17 megadiverse nations, India hosts four biodiversity hotspots, the Himalayas, Western Ghats, Indo-Burma, and Sundaland (Nicobar Islands).
    • Ecological Richness: Despite covering only 2.4% of global land area, India shelters 8% of global flora and 7.5% of fauna, with 28% of plants and 30% of animals being endemic.
    [UPSC 2011] The “Red Data Books’’ published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) contain lists of:

    (a) Endemic plant and animal species present in the biodiversity hotspots.

    (b) Threatened plant and animal species. *

    (c) Protected sites for conservation of nature and natural resources in various countries.

    (d) None of the above.

     

  • Why is India seeking Self-sufficiency in Pulses?

    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 ₹11,440 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 ₹3,000/quintal vs MSP ₹5,875).
    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 ₹13,000/ha higher social benefit for Tur vis-à-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.

     

  • Are workers’ rights being eroded?

    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

     

  • Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) wins Chemistry Nobel Prize, 2025

    Why in the News?

    The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Richard Robson, Susumu Kitagawa, and Omar Yaghi for pioneering the creation of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs).

    Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) wins Chemistry Nobel Prize, 2025

    What are Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs)?

    • Overview: They are crystalline materials composed of metal ions linked by organic molecules, forming a three-dimensional porous network capable of selectively trapping and storing gases, vapours, or liquids.
    • Structure: Metal ions serve as nodes or connectors, while organic ligands (carbon-based linkers) create scaffold-like frameworks with very high surface area and controllable pore size.
    • Porosity: MOFs possess some of the highest porosity among solids, often exceeding 7,000 square metres per gram, enabling the storage of large volumes of gases within minimal material.
    • Flexibility: Organic linkers can be chemically modified, allowing custom design for specific interactions, such as selective gas capture or catalysis.
    • Thermal and Chemical Stability: Advanced MOFs remain stable up to 300–400°C and can withstand diverse chemical environments, suitable for industrial and environmental use.
    • Bonding Principle: Based on coordination chemistry, MOFs combine metal rigidity with organic flexibility, enabling precise control over molecular architecture.
    • Functionality: Their open channels permit easy adsorption and desorption, making MOFs reusable, durable, and efficient for a range of scientific and industrial applications.

    Applications of MOFs:

    • Water Harvesting: Capture moisture from arid air and release it upon heating — enabling portable water generation in desert regions.
    • Carbon Capture: Their selective pores allow efficient CO₂ capture and storage, aiding climate change mitigation.
    • Hydrogen and Methane Storage: Act as solid sponges essential for fuel cells and clean energy systems.
    • Pollutant Filtration: Remove PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances), heavy metals, and organic contaminants from water sources.
    • Food Preservation: Absorb ethylene gas emitted by fruits, slowing ripening and extending shelf life.
    • Catalysis and Sensing: Serve as heterogeneous catalysts and chemical sensors for trace-level detection in industrial settings.
    • Clean Energy Systems: Integrated into batteries, fuel cells, and supercapacitors for energy storage due to high conductivity and surface area.

    Scientific Development:

    • Richard Robson (University of Melbourne, 1970s): He pioneered the idea of linking metal atoms and ligands into extended frameworks, though early models were fragile.
    • Susumu Kitagawa (Kyoto University): Built porous coordination polymers, the first to demonstrate that gases could diffuse through molecular cavities—a defining MOF feature.
    • Omar Yaghi (University of California, Berkeley, 1990s): Created robust, heat-resistant MOFs, standardised synthesis techniques, and coined the term “Metal–Organic Framework” in a 1995 Nature paper.
      • Breakthrough Achievement: Yaghi’s team designed copper- and cobalt-based MOFs stable up to 350°C, capable of hosting guest molecules without collapse.
    [UPSC 2024] With reference to Direct Air Capture, an emerging technology, which of the following statements is/are correct?

    I. It can be used as a way of carbon sequestration.

    II. It can be a valuable approach for plastic production and in food processing.

    III. In aviation, it can be a source of carbon for combining with hydrogen to create synthetic low-carbon fuel.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    (a) I and II only (b) II only (c) I, II, and III* (d) None of the above statements is correct

     

  • [pib] E-NAM (electronic National Agriculture Market) Portal

    Why in the News?

    The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has expanded the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) by including 9 additional commodities, raising the total tradable items on the platform to 247.

    About National Agriculture Market (e-NAM):

    • Launch: Introduced in April 2016 by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare under the Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Marketing (ISAM).
    • Implementing Agency: Managed by the Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) under the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare.
    • Objective: To unify agricultural markets across India by offering farmers and traders a transparent, competitive, and quality-based digital trading platform for real-time price discovery and reduced intermediary dependence.
    • Legal Framework: Operates within state Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Acts, harmonised through inter-state trading licences and digital linkage.
    • Funding & Governance: Fully centrally funded, providing both digital infrastructure and physical market modernisation to APMCs.
    • Working Mechanism:
      • Digital APMC Integration: Each mandi connected to the e-NAM portal for online inter-state trading.
      • Online Auctions: Produce graded, assayed, and weighed before real-time electronic bidding.
      • Price Discovery & Payment: Transparent auction ensures quality-linked pricing; proceeds transferred directly to farmers’ bank accounts.
      • Unified Licensing: A single trading licence enables purchase from multiple mandis nationwide.
      • Warehouse Trading (e-NAM 2.0): Incorporates warehouses and cold storages for sale of stored produce and extended logistics support.
    • Coverage (2025):
      • Mandis Integrated: 1,522 mandis across 23 States & 4 UTs.
      • Commodities: 247 tradable items including cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fruits, spices, and medicinal plants.
      • Participants: Around 1.7 crore farmers and 4,500 FPOs registered.
      • Leading States: Tamil Nadu (213 mandis), followed by Rajasthan and Gujarat.
      • Data Analytics: Real-time insights on trade volume, prices, and demand trends aid policy decisions.

    Key Features & Impact:

    • Pan-India Integration: Realises “One Nation, One Market” by linking mandis and private markets.
    • Quality Assurance: Standardised parameters framed by Directorate of Marketing & Inspection (DMI) ensure grade-based pricing.
    • Digital Efficiency: Electronic weighing, e-payments, and cloud-based architecture cut transaction time from 8–10 hours to 30 minutes.
    • FPO & Warehouse Linkages: Strengthen logistics, storage, and collective bargaining power.
    • Scheme Synergy: Complements PM-KISAN, PM-AASHA, and MSP operations through traceable, transparent procurement data.
    [UPSC 2017] What is/are the advantage/advantages of implementing the `National Agriculture Market’ scheme?

    1. It is a pan-India electronic trading portal for agricultural commodities.

    2. It provides the farmers access to nationwide market, with prices commensurate with the quality of their produce.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    Options: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2* (d) Neither 1 nor 2

     

  • Nesolynx banabitanae new wasp discovered in West Bengal

    Why in the News?

    A new species of wasp, Nesolynx banabitanae, has been discovered in Central Park (Banabitan), Salt Lake, Kolkata.

    Nesolynx banabitanae new wasp discovered in West Bengal

    About ‘Nesolynx banabitanae’:

    • Taxonomic Family: Belongs to the Eulophidae family — known for parasitic and hyperparasitic wasps.
    • Type of Species: It is a hyperparasitoid, meaning it parasitises other parasitoid wasps rather than directly preying on host insects.
    • Host Interaction: Parasitises the ichneumonid parasitoid Charops aditya, which itself attacks caterpillars of the Common Palmfly (Elymnias hypermnestra) and Common Castor (Ariadne merione) butterflies.
    • Significance: Only the seventh known wasp species discovered in India, adding to the country’s limited record of Nesolynx genus.
    • Etymology: Named banabitanae after “Banabitan”, the local Bengali name for Central Park, where it was first identified.

    Significance:

    • Ecological Role: Contributes to multitrophic ecological interactions by adding a fourth trophic level influencing population dynamics of butterflies and their parasitoids.
    • Scientific Relevance: Enhances understanding of hyperparasitoid behaviour, urban insect ecology, and biodiversity conservation in anthropogenic landscapes.
    • Analytical Importance: The SEM-based structural mapping provides baseline data for future phylogenetic and taxonomic comparisons within Nesolynx.
    [UPSC 2024] Regarding Peacock tarantula (Gooty tarantula), consider the following statements:

    I. It is an omnivorous crustacean. II. Its natural habitat in India is only limited to some forest areas. III. In its natural habitat, it is an arboreal species.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

     

  • Why Indian capital needs to invest domestically?

    Introduction:

    India faces a critical policy challenge — balancing the long-term gains of global trade with the short-term risks of unemployment, stagnant wages, and inequality among vulnerable populations. The existing economic system prioritises private capital accumulation over mass welfare, requiring a realignment of capitalism toward inclusivity and public interest.

    Amid global trade disruptions, tariff wars, and falling external demand, Indian capital must reinvent itself, collaborate closely with the government, and anchor domestic economic stability through investment, innovation, and equitable growth.

    Evolution of Indian Capital and the Need for Reorientation:

    • Protected Growth Era: Historically, Indian capital thrived under state protection before liberalisation, leveraging tariff barriers and inward-looking policies to earn supernormal profits in closed domestic markets.
    • Global Expansion Phase: Liberalisation in the 1990s enabled Indian firms to expand globally, acquiring foreign assets and establishing international linkages. This evolution created a few industrial conglomerates that dominate key sectors.
    • Shift Toward Public-Interest Capitalism: With global trade slowing and protectionism rising, these firms must now redefine their role — from being beneficiaries of state incentives to partners in public-interest growth.
    • Reinvention of Capitalism: Capitalism, as history shows, can adapt and evolve. The moment demands an inclusive capitalism that balances private profit with national development goals.

    Global Trade, Demand, and Economic Vulnerabilities

    • Determinants of Demand Expansion: Economic history identifies three drivers of mass-market expansion, creation of a wage-labour class, productivity gains from industrial production, and rising personal incomes leading to higher demand.
    • Neglect of Aggregate Demand: Growth of aggregate demand is vital for sustaining production and profits, yet most policy frameworks underestimate its role, assuming supply automatically creates demand.
    • Domestic vs. External Demand: In a globalised economy, demand comprises domestic and external components. While early industrial policies relied on internal markets, the post-reform phase emphasised exports.
    • Vulnerability to Global Shocks: Today’s volatile global trade marked by tariffs and supply-chain distortions, has weakened external demand. Thus, strengthening domestic consumption through higher wages, internal investment, and industrial diversification is the pragmatic path forward.

    The Role of Domestic Capital in Stimulating Growth

    1. Reviving Private Investment

      • Stagnation in Private Capex: Despite record corporate profits, private investment has stagnated, with the state driving capital formation through public infrastructure and fiscal stimulus.
      • Rise in Public Investment: Public capex surged from ₹3.4 lakh crore (FY20) to ₹10.2 lakh crore (FY25) — a CAGR of 25%, primarily in railways, roads, and communications.
      • Outward vs. Inward Investment: Private capex remains subdued even as outward FDI by Indian firms has grown 12.6% annually (2019–2024), indicating stronger foreign than domestic investment appetite.
      • Strategic Redirection Needed: A strategic reversal is required — redirecting capital toward domestic expansion, capacity building, and industrial diversification.

    1. Ensuring Moderate Wage Growth

      • Profit–Wage Imbalance: The Economic Survey 2024–25 highlighted a growing imbalance — corporate profits at a 15-year high versus stagnant real wages.
      • Falling Real Incomes: Rating agencies project real wage growth to fall from 7% (FY25) to 6.5% (FY26), weakening purchasing power and domestic demand.
      • Labour Market Precarity: Contractualization and weakened collective bargaining in formal sectors have reduced labour’s share of income, intensifying inequality.
      • Need for Wage-Linked Growth: Sustainable growth requires balanced profit–wage dynamics, linking productivity with equitable income distribution to expand internal demand.

    1. Expanding R&D and Innovation:

      • Low R&D Spending: India’s gross expenditure on R&D (GERD) stands at 0.64% of GDP, far below that of the U.S., China, Japan, and South Korea, where private enterprise funds over 70% of total R&D.
      • Weak Private Contribution: In India, the private sector contributes only 36%, with concentration in a few industries, pharmaceuticals, IT, defence, and biotechnology.
      • Innovation as a Structural Imperative: To ensure long-term competitiveness, Indian firms must increase basic and applied research spending, moving beyond short-term, profit-driven innovation cycles.

    Way Forward: Aligning Private Capital with Public Purpose

    • Need for Coordination: The global economic uncertainty necessitates coordinated policy–business action to safeguard growth.
    • Government’s Supportive Role: The government has built a supportive framework through fiscal incentives, simplified regulation, infrastructure development, and credit facilitation. Yet, without active private participation, momentum will stall.
    • Reorientation of Corporate Priorities: Indian capital must realign its priorities:
      • National Responsibility: Treat national economic stability as a collective responsibility, not merely a policy backdrop.
      • Domestic Reinvestment: Reinvest profits domestically to generate employment and strengthen demand.
      • Wage-Led Expansion: Commit to wage-led growth, ensuring equitable income distribution.
      • R&D Commitment: Integrate R&D-driven innovation as a structural pillar of industrial policy.
    • Conclusion: A partnership model — where the state provides the framework and domestic capital drives inclusive, innovation-led expansion — can secure both growth resilience and social legitimacy in the post-globalisation era.

    PYQ Relevance:

    [UPSC 2023] Do you agree that Indian capitalism needs re-orientation towards inclusive and sustainable growth?

     

    Linkage: The issue aligns with GS-III themes: Indian Economy and issues relating to growth, inclusive development, investment models, and effects of liberalisation on the economy.

    It also fits Essay Paper topics like “Capitalism without conscience is a peril to society” or “Economic self-reliance and global interdependence must coexist.”

    The debate concerns how Indian private capital can become a stakeholder in inclusive growth amid protectionism, global trade uncertainty, and sluggish domestic demand.