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

[30th August 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: In an unstable world, energy sovereignty is the new oil

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2017] The question of India’s Energy Security constitutes the most important part of India’s economic progress. Analyze India’s energy policy cooperation with West Asian countries.

Linkage: India’s past dependence on West Asia for over 60% of crude made energy security central to its economic stability, but the share has now reduced to under 45% through diversification. The article highlights how geopolitical flashpoints and chokepoints like Hormuz expose the risks of over-reliance on West Asia. Thus, India’s emerging doctrine of energy sovereignty through five domestic pillars complements but does not replace the strategic need for balanced cooperation with West Asian suppliers.

Mentor’s comment

Energy defines the destiny of nations. While oil shaped the geopolitics of the 20th century, uninterrupted, affordable, and indigenous energy will decide the balance of power in the 21st. For India, a country importing over 85% of its crude and more than 50% of its natural gasenergy dependence is not just an economic statistic but a national security liability. In an era of wars, fragile supply chains, and volatile prices, the debate is no longer about transition versus fossil fuel dependence. It is about energy sovereignty as the foundation of survival and strategic autonomy.

Introduction

India’s dependence on imported energy is a national vulnerability, with crude oil and natural gas alone forming nearly one-fourth of merchandise imports. While discounted Russian oil has provided temporary relief, heavy reliance on any single source magnifies strategic risks. In a fragile global environment, energy sovereignty is no longer an economic choice but a survival imperative.

Energy Sovereignty as India’s New National Imperative

  • Import Dependence: Over 85% crude oil and 50% natural gas imports expose India’s economy to global shocks.
  • Economic Burden: Energy imports worth $170 billion (25% of total imports) destabilise the rupee and worsen the trade deficit.
  • Geopolitical Vulnerability: Russian oil now forms 35–40% of India’s imports, compared to just 2% pre-2022. Overdependence on one partner creates strategic risks.
  • Global Flashpoints: Near-conflict between Israel and Iran in June 2025 threatened 20 million barrels/day of global oil flows enough to push Brent crude above $103/barrel within days.
  • Fragile Transition: Despite global rhetoric, fossil fuels still supply 80% of primary energy; premature phase-outs, like Spain-Portugal’s 2025 blackout, prove the risks of over-reliance on intermittent renewables.

Global Energy Shocks and the Lessons for India

  • 1973 Oil Embargo: Quadrupling of oil prices exposed Western overdependence on OPEC, prompting strategic reserves and diversified sourcing.
  • 2011 Fukushima Disaster: A nuclear meltdown stalled nuclear expansion, but the rise of coal/gas revived emissions. Nuclear energy is now regaining ground as a zero-carbon baseload.
  • 2021 Texas Freeze: Pipeline freezes and turbine failures highlighted the danger of cost-driven systems lacking resilience and weather-proofing.
  • 2022 Russia-Ukraine War: Europe’s 40% gas dependence on Russia ended abruptly, forcing record LNG prices and coal revival.
  • 2025 Iberian Blackout: Grid collapse in Spain-Portugal proved the risk of over-reliance on renewables without dispatchable backup.

The Five Pillars of India’s Energy Sovereignty

  1. Coal Gasification for Indigenous Energy:
    • India has 150 billion tonnes of coal reserves, long sidelined due to high ash content.
    • Technologies like carbon capture and gasification can convert coal into syngas, methanol, hydrogen, and fertilizers.
    • Unlocking this potential ensures domestic supply security while reducing import dependence.
  2. Biofuels: Rural Empowerment Meets National Security:
    • Ethanol blending programme transferred over ₹92,000 crore to farmers, reduced crude imports, and saved foreign exchange.
    • With the E20 blending target, rural incomes will expand further.
    • SATAT scheme supports compressed biogas (CBG) plants, producing clean fuel and bio-manure with 20–25% organic carbon.
    • Vital for restoring soils in North India where organic carbon has dropped to 0.5% (vs healthy 2.5%).
  3. Nuclear Power for Dispatchable Zero-Carbon Future:
    • India’s nuclear capacity remains stagnant at 8.8 GW.
    • Thorium roadmap, uranium partnerships, and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are essential to create a baseload backbone for a renewable-heavy grid.
  4. Green Hydrogen as Strategic Technology:
    • Target: 5 million metric tonnes annually by 2030.
    • Requires domestic electrolyser manufacturing, catalysts, and storage systems.
    • The goal is not just production, but sovereign hydrogen value chains.
  5. Pumped Hydro as Grid Inertia Backbone:
    • Complements solar/wind by offering storage and grid balancing.
    • India’s topography provides vast potential for durable, scalable pumped hydro projects.

India’s Shift Towards a Diversified Energy Strategy

  1. Reduced West Asia dependence: Crude sourcing from West Asia fell from 60% to under 45%, as per S&P Global.
  2. Diversification of partners: Russia has emerged as a key supplier, but long-term strategy aims at broad-based imports plus indigenous production.
  3. Energy Realism: India recognises transition as a pathway, not a switch. Security and resilience are prerequisites to climate ambition.

Conclusion

The 20th century was dominated by oil politics; the 21st will be shaped by energy sovereignty. India’s vulnerability due to high imports, volatile supply chains, and geopolitical risks makes domestic capacity building non-negotiable. Coal gasification, biofuels, nuclear, green hydrogen, and pumped hydro form the sovereign spine of a resilient energy future. The Israel-Iran ceasefire is a reminder: India must act during stability, not after a crisis. Energy sovereignty is no longer a policy choice, it is the foundation of survival, resilience, and strategic autonomy.

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Higher Education – RUSA, NIRF, HEFA, etc.

Detoxifying India’s entrance examination system

Introduction

Entrance examinations in India were envisioned as a filter for talent, ensuring merit-based access to elite institutions. However, over time, they have morphed into an industry-driven rat race. From ₹7 lakh coaching fees to student suicides, the costs are both economic and human. With growing disparities in access, an illusory notion of meritocracy, and mounting psychological toll, rethinking admissions is not a choice but a necessity.

The Coaching Crisis and Its Toll

  1. Massive Aspirant Pool: Over 15 lakh students appear for JEE alone, making coaching almost unavoidable.
  2. High Costs: Coaching fees of ₹6–7 lakh for two years price out poor students.
  3. Early Sacrifices: Students as young as 14 years study Irodov & Krotov (beyond B.Tech level), sacrificing holistic growth.
  4. Mental Health Crisis: Rising stress, depression, alienation; some governments now regulate coaching centres.
  5. Core Issue: The examination system itself is flawed, creating overqualified candidates and distorted merit.

Why Meritocracy is an Illusion

  1. Tiny Differences, Big Stakes: Distinguishing between 91% vs 97% in Class 12, or 99.9 percentile in JEE is unreasonable.
  2. Adequate Benchmark Exists: A 70–80% score in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics is sufficient for B.Tech readiness.
  3. False Hierarchies: Overemphasis on marginal score differences creates elitism and exclusion.
  4. Privilege Bias: Wealthier families access top coaching, creating an illusory meritocracy.
  5. Philosophical Insight: Harvard’s Michael Sandel critiques meritocratic obsession, proposing lotteries for elite admissions.

Global Inspirations for Reform

  1. Dutch Lottery System:
    • Introduced in 1972, reinstated in 2023 for medical school.
    • Weighted lottery: minimum eligibility required, higher grades = higher chances.
    • Promotes diversity, fairness, and reduced pressure.
  2. China’s “Double Reduction Policy” (2021):
    • Banned for-profit coaching overnight.
    • Reduced financial burden and youth stress.
    • Addressed unchecked growth of the coaching industry.

Proposed Solutions for India

  1. Lottery-based Allocation:
    • Threshold of 80% in PCM for eligibility.
    • Weighted lottery with categories (90%+, 80–90%): A weighted lottery with categories (90%+, 80–90%) means all eligible students enter a lottery, but those with higher marks get proportionally better chances of selection.
    • Reservations integrated (gender, rural, region).
  2. Rural Empowerment: 50% IIT seats for rural govt school students to promote social mobility.
  3. Coaching Reform: Ban/nationalise coaching, provide free online lectures & study material.
  4. Diversity & Integration: Student exchange between IITs to break hierarchies.
  5. Faculty transfers to standardise academic quality.

Conclusion

India’s choice is stark: continue a toxic rat race that scars its brightest minds, or embrace a fair, equitable system that nurtures youth. Scrapping or reforming entrance exams through lotteries, trust in Class 12 boards, rural reservations, and coaching reforms can detoxify the system. The aim must not only be producing engineers and doctors but ensuring the emotional, social, and moral growth of India’s future citizens.

Value Addition

Committee Recommendations & Policy Inputs

  • Radhakrishnan Commission (1948–49) – Stressed on reducing rote-based entrance exams and aligning admissions with broader educational goals.
  • Kothari Commission (1964–66) – Recommended a common school system to minimise disparities in access, echoing today’s concerns about coaching and inequality.
  • National Knowledge Commission (2005) – Suggested multiple modes of testing and reducing dependence on a single high-stakes exam.
  • Yashpal Committee (2009) – Criticised the “overburden of entrance exams” and highlighted the need for a more holistic, less mechanical admission process.
  • NEP 2020 – Calls for a holistic and flexible education system, moving away from rote-based, high-pressure exams towards fairer assessment models.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2024] What are the aims and objectives of the recently passed and enforced, The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024? Whether University/State Education Board examinations, too, are covered under the Act?

Linkage: The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 seeks to curb frauds like paper leaks and impersonation to restore exam credibility. The article extends this concern by highlighting systemic unfairness — coaching dependence, stress, and privilege-driven access. Together, they underline that ensuring fairness in exams requires not just legal safeguards but also structural reforms in India’s entrance system.

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) Breakthrough

ClassGPT: How AI is reshaping campuses

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly generative models like ChatGPT and Gemini, has become both a boon and a challenge in higher education. Students increasingly rely on AI for assignments, summaries, coding, and even emails, while faculty members grapple with maintaining originality, academic honesty, and critical thinking. With AI growing faster than existing regulatory or pedagogical frameworks, Indian institutions are experimenting with varied approaches, ranging from outright bans to integration into curricula. The choices made today will determine not just the future of learning but also India’s knowledge economy and workforce readiness.

The Changing Landscape of Education with AI

How widespread is AI usage among students and teachers

  1. IIT Delhi Survey (2024): Four out of five students admitted to using AI, often several times a week. One in ten subscribed to premium versions.
  2. Faculty usage: 77% of surveyed teachers used AI for summarising papers, creating slides, or drafting communication.
  3. Student motivations: Simplification of concepts, summarisation of material, mind maps, and scenario simulations.
  4. Concerns: Errors in math, flawed debugging, weak context handling.

The integrity dilemma in classrooms

  1. Blurred lines: Students question whether using AI counts as “cheating” or “time-saving.”
  2. Academic honesty: IIT Delhi’s committee recommended rewriting plagiarism policies to require disclosure of AI use.
  3. Critical thinking loss: Faculty fear students may accept AI answers as “Truth” without questioning them.

Institutional responses in India

  • Policy innovations:
    1. IIT Delhi – integration of AI/ML in curricula, AI workshops, campus-wide licenses.
    2. IIIT Delhi – shifted evaluation to 90% exams, 10% assignments.
    3. IIM Ranchi – evaluation rubric for responsible AI integration.
    4. Shiv Nadar University – five-level “Gen AI Assessment Scale” from prohibition to responsible autonomy.
    5. Ashoka University – AI literacy courses, foundation modules, ethics of AI curriculum.
    6. Strict resistance: Some universities (Delhi University’s Dept. of Education) enforce “No AI” policies, insisting on handwritten assignments.
  • Pedagogical experiments with AI
    1. Classroom integration: AI tools are increasingly used to automate routine tasks like code generation, freeing classroom time for higher-order problem-solving.
    2. Assessment innovation: Institutions are shifting towards interactive methods such as AI-assisted viva voce, project-based evaluation, and scenario testing to ensure genuine understanding.
    3. Ethics in curriculum: Courses on “Ethics of AI” and AI literacy modules are being introduced to sensitise students towards responsible and transparent usage.
    4. Balanced usage: AI is deployed after core concepts are taught, ensuring students retain critical thinking and do not outsource judgment entirely.

Global responses and comparative perspectives

  1. USA: Princeton provides ChatGPT licenses; Oxford mandates disclosure but allows professors to decide; assignments redesigned to integrate AI.
  2. Australia: TEQSA guidelines legitimise AI but require mandatory disclosure; oral exams and viva voce are making a comeback.
  3. UK: Universities pilot TeacherMatic to ensure sector-wide learning models.

Conclusion

Generative AI has irreversibly entered the Indian classroom. The challenge is not whether to allow or ban it but how to regulate, integrate, and ethically harness it. From IITs’ committees to global universities’ adaptive models, the world is learning that AI can either weaken critical thinking or be a catalyst for higher-order learning. For India, the stakes are especially high: with its demographic dividend and growing tech economy, how students learn today will define the nation’s competitiveness tomorrow.

Value Addition

Real-Time Usage of AI in Education

  1. Adaptive Learning Platforms : AI customises lesson plans, adjusting pace and difficulty based on student performance, ensuring personalised learning outcomes.
  2. Automated Assessment and Feedback : AI evaluates tests, essays, coding tasks, and provides instant feedback, saving teacher time and helping students improve faster.
  3. Language Translation and Accessibility : Real-time translation, speech-to-text, and text-to-speech tools remove linguistic barriers, supporting multilingual and differently-abled learners.
  4. AI-Powered Virtual Tutors : Chatbots and digital assistants are available 24×7 to clarify doubts, simulate problem-solving, and provide personalised tutoring.
  5. Plagiarism and Academic Integrity Checks : AI tools detect plagiarism and even AI-generated content, ensuring transparency and originality in student submissions.
  6. Immersive Learning with AI + AR/VR : Virtual labs and simulations powered by AI allow safe, hands-on learning in science, medicine, and engineering.
  7. Administrative Automation : AI automates attendance, timetabling, grading records, and performance monitoring, reducing non-teaching workload for faculty.
  8. Industry 4.0 Skill Development : AI-based coding assistants, real-time debugging, and project simulators prepare students for jobs in data science, robotics, and emerging tech.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2023]  Introduce the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI). How does AI help clinical diagnosis? Do you perceive any threat to privacy of the individual in the use of AI in the healthcare?

Linkage: AI’s growing role in education parallels its use in healthcare, where it aids efficiency but raises ethical and privacy concerns. Just as AI in clinical diagnosis demands accuracy, transparency, and accountability, AI in classrooms requires disclosure, integrity, and critical oversight. Both contexts highlight the larger governance challenge of balancing innovation with responsibility.

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Police Reforms – SC directives, NPC, other committees reports

Grant of Bail in India

Why in the News?

The US President has stopped federal funds that allowed cashless bail, sparking debate on whether the system is fair to the poor.

Cashless Bail System in the US:

  • Cashless Bail: Removes upfront cash requirement, relying on non-financial conditions like monitoring or appearance assurance.
  • Criticism of Cash Bail: Disadvantages the poor, keeping undertrials jailed for minor offences. Imposes financial strain that may itself push individuals toward further crime.

About Bail Provisions in India (BNSS, 2023, replacing CrPC, 1973):

  • Bail is essentially a mechanism to release an accused from custody with assurances that they will not abscond or tamper with evidence.
  • Governed by Chapter 35 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.

Types of Bail under BNSS:

  1. Regular Bail:
    • For bailable offences (Sec. 478): Bail is a right.
    • For non-bailable offences (Secs. 480, 483): Bail is at court’s discretion, depending on seriousness of offence, evidence, risk of absconding, and public interest.
  2. Anticipatory Bail (Sec. 482): Pre-arrest bail in non-bailable offences, granted by higher courts with conditions such as no interference in investigation or threats to witnesses.
  3. Interim Bail: Temporary release while a regular or anticipatory bail application is pending.
  4. Statutory/Default Bail (Sec. 187): Accused has the right to bail if chargesheet not filed within the stipulated period.

Bail Mechanisms in Practice:

  • Bond: Accused signs a bond and deposits cash as guarantee; refunded after trial unless terms are violated.
  • Bail Bond: Surety given by another person such as a friend, family member, or employer. Courts verify their documents, financial stability, and residence. In Mumbai, a solvency certificate issued by a revenue officer is required, which delays bail.
  • Personal Recognisance (PR) Bond: Accused released without immediate cash deposit but must arrange money within a specified time. Courts often hesitate to grant PR bonds citing trial integrity.

Challenges in India’s Bail System

  • Undertrials stuck despite bail:
    • Many accused cannot furnish surety or small sums (₹5,000 or less).
    • Maharashtra (2022): 1,600+ persons in jail unable to meet bail conditions; 600 in Mumbai Metropolitan Region alone.
    • Prisons overcrowded: Maharashtra prisons had 12,343 excess prisoners (July 2025).
  • Judicial concerns: 268th Law Commission Report (2017):
    • Monetary bail system is discriminatory & unconstitutional.
    • Violates right to fair trial; leads to arbitrary classifications.
  • Supreme Court (2023 guidelines):
    • If an accused remains in jail >1 week despite bail, jail superintendent must inform District Legal Services Authority (DLSA).
    • DLSA can send para-legal volunteers/lawyers to assist release.
    • Based on NALSA data: ~5,000 undertrials jailed despite bail.
  • Reform under BNSS (2023):
    • Jail authorities must apply for bail for undertrial prisoners who have:
      • Served 1/3 of maximum sentence (first-time offenders).
      • Served 1/2 of maximum sentence (repeat offenders).
    • Not applicable in life imprisonment or death penalty cases.
[UPSC 2021] With reference to India, consider the following statements:

1.Judicial custody means an accused is in the custody of the concerned magistrate, and such an accused is locked up in the police station, not in jail.

2.During judicial custody, the police officer in charge of the case is not allowed to interrogate the suspect without the approval of the court.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

 

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Policy Wise: India’s Power Sector

[pib] State Energy Efficiency Index, 2024

Why in the News?

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has released the latest edition of State Energy Efficiency Index 2024 (SEEI 2024).

About State Energy Efficiency Index (SEEI), 2024:

  • Released by: Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power, in association with Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE).
  • Coverage: Assesses 36 States/UTs on energy efficiency performance for FY 2023–24.
  • Framework:
    • 6th edition, implementation-focused.
    • 66 indicators across sectors – Buildings, Industry, Municipal Services, Transport, Agriculture, DISCOMs, Cross-sector.
    • Includes new focus areas: EV adoption, star-rated buildings, Demand Side Management (DSM).
  • Classification:
    • Front Runners (>60%), Achievers (50–60%), Contenders (30–50%), Aspirants (<30%).
    • Top performers: Maharashtra (>15 MToE), Andhra Pradesh (5–15 MToE), Assam (1–5 MToE), Tripura (<1 MToE).
  • Key Highlights:
    • 24 states notified Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC 2017).
    • 31 states adopted EV policies.
    • 13 states promoted solar pumps (Kerala – 74% adoption).
    • All 36 prepared State Energy Efficiency Action Plans (SEEAPs); 31 formed State Energy Transition Committees.
  • Significance: Supports India’s Net Zero 2070 goal by promoting state-level energy transition.

Back2Basics: Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE):

  • Established: 1 March 2002, under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
  • Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Power.
  • Mission: To assist in developing policies & strategies for energy efficiency, with the aim of reducing energy intensity of the Indian economy.
  • Functions:
    • Regulatory: Implementation of Energy Conservation Act provisions.
    • Promotional:  Encourage adoption of efficient technologies & practices.
  • Key Achievements:
    • Contributed to 3.5% reduction in India’s overall energy consumption.
    • Implements programmes like Perform, Achieve, Trade (PAT), Standards & Labelling, Energy Efficiency Financing Platform, etc.
[UPSC 2016] On which of the following can you find the Bureau of Energy Efficiency Star Label?

1. Ceiling fans 2. Electric geysers 3. Tubular fluorescent lamps

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

 

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New Species of Plants and Animals Discovered

Ice Age-era Dragon Fly rediscovered

Why in the News?

Odonatologists have reconfirmed the presence of the elusive dragonfly species Crocothemis erythraea in the southern Western Ghats.

About Crocothemis erythraea Dragonfly:

  • Species Type: A rare dragonfly species, usually found in Europe, Asia, and the Himalayas.
  • Recent Finding: Reconfirmed in the Western Ghats, specifically in Kerala and Tamil Nadu high ranges.
  • Comparison: Closely resembles the common lowland species Crocothemis servilia, leading to earlier misidentifications.
  • Habitat Preference: Inhabits cooler, high-altitude areas above 550 metres.
  • Historical Origin: Likely spread to South India during the Ice Age and survived in montane habitats such as Sholas and grasslands.

Significance of the Discovery:

  • Biodiversity Insight: Demonstrates how ancient climate changes influenced current biodiversity patterns.
  • Ecological Importance: Reinforces the Western Ghats’ status as a biodiversity hotspot of global value.
  • Conservation Message: Highlights the need to protect sensitive high-altitude habitats like Sholas and montane grasslands.
  • Scientific Contribution: Adds to India’s growing record of documenting and conserving rare species.
[UPSC 2024] The organisms Cicada, Froghopper and Pond skater are:

Options: (a) Birds (b) Fish (c) Insects* (d) Reptiles

 

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Global Geological And Climatic Events

Mount Etna Eruption

Why in the News?

Mount Etna has erupted again after its recent eruption in June.

About Mount Etna:

  • Location: Situated on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, near the city of Catania.
  • Type: Mount Etna is a stratovolcano (also called a composite volcano), which is formed from layers of hardened lava, volcanic ash, and rocks.
  • Height: It stands at approximately 3,300 meters, making it the tallest volcano in Europe south of the Alps.
  • Recognition: Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013, with documented volcanic activity for at least 2,700 years.
  • Eruption Record: Etna is almost constantly active. Notable eruptions have occurred in 1400 B.C., 1669, 2001, 2018, 2021, 2024, and 2025.
  • Volcanic Activity Style: Known for Strombolian and effusive eruptions, with occasional Plinian eruptions (rare and more explosive).

Reasons Behind the Eruption:

  • Nature of Eruption: The eruption is classified as either Strombolian or possibly Plinian, depending on interpretation:
    • Strombolian Eruption: Characterized by moderate explosive bursts, caused by gas bubbles in magma suddenly bursting at the surface.
    • Plinian Eruption: Some volcanologists suggest this classification due to the large ash column that may have reached the stratosphere.
  • Eruption Trigger: The eruption likely began due to pressure buildup from gas within the magma chamber, leading to collapse of the southeast crater and lava flows.
[UPSC 2014] Consider the following geological phenomena:

1. Development of a fault

2. Movement along a fault

3. Impact produced by a volcanic eruption

4. Folding of rocks Which of the above cause earthquakes?

Options: (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2 and 4 (c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4*

 

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[29th August 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: India’s demographic dividend as a time bomb

Mentor’s Comment

India’s celebrated demographic dividend, once viewed as a sure path to prosperity, is at risk of turning into a demographic time bomb. The article highlights how an outdated education system, misaligned curricula, lack of skilling, and the AI-driven disruption are threatening the employability of millions of young Indians. With over 800 million citizens below 35, the stakes are immense: India’s future growth, social stability, and global aspirations hinge on whether this youth bulge is transformed into an asset or left to fester as a liability.

Introduction

Demographic dividend refers to the economic growth potential that arises when a country has a larger share of its population in the working-age group compared to dependents. It is essentially the window of opportunity where youth can drive productivity, innovation, and national prosperity. India today stands at such a pivotal moment, with more than half of its population below the age of 35. This unprecedented youth bulge offers a chance to accelerate growth, but whether it becomes a dividend or a disaster depends entirely on how well the country equips its people with education, skills, and employability.

The scale of India’s demographic challenge

  1. Youth bulge: Over 800 million people under 35, one of the world’s largest youth populations.
  2. Graduate glut: India produces millions of graduates annually, but many remain underemployed or unemployable.
  3. Engineering crisis: 40–50% of engineering graduates in the last decade were not placed in jobs.
  4. Employability gap: According to Mercer-Mettl (2025), only 43% of graduates are job-ready.

The impact of Artificial Intelligence on jobs and employability

  1. Automation threat: McKinsey projects 70% of jobs in India could be impacted by automation by 2030.
  2. Task replacement: Nearly 30% of current job tasks will be automated globally.
  3. Job churn: World Economic Forum (WEF) predicts 170 million new jobs by 2030, but 92 million displaced in the same period.
  4. Urgency: India’s curriculum runs on 3-year cycles, too slow compared to fast-moving technology disruptions.

The roots of the education–employment mismatch in schools

  1. Career ignorance: 93% of students (Classes 8–12) are aware of only 7 traditional careers (doctor, engineer, lawyer, teacher).
  2. Career options: The modern economy offers 20,000+ career paths.
  3. Guidance gap: Only 7% of students receive formal career guidance.
  4. Wrong fit: 65% of high school graduates pursue degrees not aligned with their aptitude or market demand.

The shortcomings of India’s skilling missions

  1. Skill India shortfall: Aimed to train 400 million individuals by 2022, but fell short.
  2. Fragmented approach: Policies such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKK), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), Pradhan Mantri Yuva Yojana (PMYY), Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP), and the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme have been launched, but they often function in silos without effective integration.
  3. Funding without impact: Large-scale spending has not yielded industry-ready graduates.
  4. Need of the hour: Cohesive, industry-aligned national skilling strategy.

The risks of neglecting the demographic crisis

  1. Economic setback: Risk of educated but unemployable workforce undermining India’s growth.
  2. Social unrest: Historical precedent in the Mandal protests of 1990, where youth frustration erupted violently.
  3. Paradox at scale: As Lant Pritchett noted in Where Has All the Education Gone?, mere schooling without employability worsens the crisis.
  4. Civilizational risk: The crisis is not just about jobs, but about the social contract between state and youth.

Conclusion

India stands at a crossroads. The very youth once seen as its greatest strength may become its Achilles’ heel if the education–employment gap remains unaddressed. The AI revolution makes this transition even more urgent. With the right mix of foresight, reforms, and collaboration between government, private sector, and academia, India can convert its youth bulge into a global competitive advantage. The clock is ticking, the dividend must be harnessed before it explodes into a time bomb.

PYQ Linkage

[UPSC 2016] “Demographic Dividend in India will remain only theoretical unless our manpower becomes more educated, aware, skilled and creative.” What measures have been taken by the government to enhance the capacity of our population to be more productive and employable?

Linkage: The question emphasizes that India’s demographic dividend will remain theoretical without real improvements in education, awareness, skills, and creativity. This connects with the fact that, despite schemes like Skill India Mission, PMKVY, NEP 2020 and SANKALP, a large share of graduates remain unemployable — with only 43% job-ready and 40–50% of engineering graduates jobless — underscoring the urgent need for aligning skilling with industry demands.

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Disasters and Disaster Management – Sendai Framework, Floods, Cyclones, etc.

Challenges of Monsoon Variability and Disaster Preparedness

Introduction

Heavy rains in August 2025 have wreaked havoc across North India, Himachal Pradesh cut off, Jammu and Kashmir reporting over 40 deaths, Punjab’s farmland submerged, and the Yamuna swelling in the capital. The floods highlight the increasing unpredictability of the southwest monsoon, where rainfall comes in concentrated bursts rather than spread across weeks. Beyond the immediate tragedy, this points to systemic governance challenges, unplanned infrastructure in fragile zones, inadequate early warning systems, and a reactive rather than preventive disaster management model.

Increasing unpredictability of the monsoon

  1. Erraticism of rainfall: Concentrated bursts replace evenly spread rains, overwhelming slopes, rivers, and cities.
  2. Amplified erosion: Short, intense rain accelerates slope destabilisation in Himalayas.
  3. Recurring phenomenon: Evidence now suggests such rainfall patterns are no longer exceptional but likely regular.

Fragility of Himalayan ecosystems and their weakening

  1. Deforestation and clearance: Forest cover removal and road-widening continue unchecked.
  2. Slope destabilisation: Lack of slope-safe engineering increases landslide risks.
  3. Shrinking catchments: Reduced buffering capacity heightens chances of slope failure and siltation downstream.

Insufficiency in disaster preparedness

  1. Early warning gaps: Despite better forecasts, reliable ground-level alerts are absent.
  2. Relief over resilience: Agencies mobilise post-damage; pre-positioned supplies and community drills are missing.
  3. Reactive model: Each disaster treated as unforeseeable, ignoring repeated expert warnings.

Policy choices aggravating vulnerabilities

  1. Strategic projects: Roads and urban expansion pursued in unstable landscapes.
  2. Poor compensatory afforestation: Quality of replanted forests does not match original ecological value.
  3. Climate-resilient infrastructure lag: Development focus prioritises speed over sustainability.

Shifts required in disaster governance

  1. Shift to preventive strategies: Focus on reducing vulnerabilities before disasters occur.
  2. Systematic preparedness: Regular drills, community participation, and pre-emptive relief stocks.
  3. Balanced growth: Infrastructure that respects ecological fragility and integrates climate resilience.

Conclusion

The 2025 floods across North India are not isolated accidents but part of a pattern of climate-driven extreme weather. Treating each calamity as “unprecedented” delays learning and perpetuates cycles of loss. Building resilience means moving beyond post-disaster relief to preventive strategies: sustainable infrastructure, landslide mitigation, community drills, and early-warning systems. Unless governance shifts from reaction to anticipation, monsoon seasons will continue to leave trails of destruction.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2019] Disaster preparedness is the first step in any disaster management process. Explain how hazard zonation mapping will help disaster mitigation in the case of landslides.

Linkage: The 2025 North India floods highlight how slope destabilisation and unchecked construction in Himalayan States amplify landslide risks. Hazard zonation mapping could have guided slope-safe engineering, restricted high-risk land use, and improved early warning. Thus, it directly connects preparedness to mitigation, aligning with the UPSC 2019 question.

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Health Sector – UHC, National Health Policy, Family Planning, Health Insurance, etc.

Building health for 1.4 billion Indians

Introduction

India’s health care is at a defining juncture, balancing between privilege and universal right. The system must simultaneously expand access for millions who remain underserved while ensuring affordability in an era of rising costs. This requires a systemic framework, strengthening insurance, leveraging efficiency, embedding prevention, accelerating digital health adoption, and ensuring regulatory trust. If successful, India can set a global benchmark for inclusive, financially viable, and aspirational health care.

India’s Health Care at an Inflection Point

  1. Dual challenge: Expanding access to underserved populations while making care affordable amid rising costs.
  2. Low insurance penetration: Only 15–18% of Indians are insured compared to global standards.
  3. Huge opportunity: Premium-to-GDP ratio at 3.7% vs global 7%, indicating scope for rapid growth.
  4. Global benchmark potential: India has already demonstrated how high-quality care at scale is possible, an MRI machine in India handles multiple times the scans compared to Western systems.

Insurance as the Foundation of Affordability

  1. Pooling risk: Even modest premiums (₹5,000–₹20,000 for individuals) can cover several lakhs of treatment.
  2. Current gap: India’s gross written premiums stood at $15 billion in 2024, projected to grow at 20% CAGR till 2030.
  3. Ayushman Bharat success: Covers 500 million people with ₹5 lakh per family; led to a 90% rise in timely cancer treatments.
  4. Challenge: Expanding private hospital participation requires fair reimbursements and transparency.

Prevention as the Strongest Cost-Saver

  1. Outpatient costs crisis: Punjab study showed even insured families faced catastrophic expenses for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) outpatient care.
  2. Redesign needed: Insurance must include outpatient + diagnostics.
  3. People’s role: Preventive mindset across schools, employers, and communities is essential.
  4. Economic benefit: Every rupee invested in healthier lifestyles saves multiples in treatment costs.

Digital Health and AI for Democratising Access

  1. Early adoption: India pioneered telemedicine and now uses AI for sepsis detection, diagnostic triage, remote consultations.
  2. Bridging gaps: Specialists in metros can guide treatments in remote villages hundreds of km away.
  3. Continuity of care: The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission aims for universal health records accessible nationwide.

Regulation and Trust as the Missing Links

  1. Cost pressures: Insurers may hike premiums 10–15% due to pollution-related illnesses.
  2. Trust deficit: Without confidence in fair claims and grievance redressal, households avoid insurance.
  3. Government push: Finance Ministry has urged Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to strengthen claims settlement and consumer protection.
  4. Capital skew: In 2023, health sector drew $5.5 billion in private equity and venture capital investment (PE/VC investment), but mostly in metros, tier-2 and 3 remain underserved.

Conclusion

India’s health care future will be shaped by its ability to marry efficiency with equity, technology with trust, and prevention with cure. Insurance must evolve to cover everyday health needs, providers must expand beyond metros, and digital tools must bridge rural-urban divides. With bold public-private partnerships and strong regulation, India can make health care not a privilege but a fundamental right and a global model for inclusive growth.

PYQ Relevance

[ UPSC 2015] Public health system has limitations in providing universal health coverage. Do you think that the private sector could help in bridging the gap? What other viable alternatives would you suggest?

Linkage: The article shows that while India’s public health system has expanded through PM-JAY, universal coverage is still limited by low insurance penetration (15–18%) and uneven rural access, reflecting the very limitations highlighted in the PYQ. It also stresses that private sector participation, anchored in fair reimbursements and transparent processes, is essential to bridge the gap, especially in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Further, it suggests viable alternatives such as preventive health campaigns, digital health innovations, and public-private partnerships to make health care inclusive and affordable.

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Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

[pib] Mahatma Ayyankali (1863–1941)

Why in the News?

On his Jayanti (August 28), PM paid tribute to Mahatma Ayyankali.

About Mahatma Ayyankali:

  • Birth: August 28, 1863, in Venganoor, Travancore (present-day Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala).
  • Community: Belonged to the Pulayar caste, among the most oppressed and excluded groups.
  • Background: Faced severe caste discrimination despite family owning land; denied access to temples, schools, roads, and public spaces.
  • Legacy: Remembered as a Dalit leader of modern Kerala and a pioneer of social justice, education, and labour rights.

Key Reforms and Contributions:

  • Caste Defiance: Famous Villuvandi Yatra (1893) – ox-cart ride on caste-restricted roads, triggering riots but also mass mobilization for Dalit rights.
  • Education Movement: Demanded access for Dalit children to public schools; Travancore government issued 1907 order allowing entry, implemented by 1910.
  • Sadhu Jana Paripalana Sangham (SJPS): Founded in 1907 to promote Dalit education, legal aid, and social upliftment; expanded into hundreds of branches.
  • Legislative Role: In 1910, became the first Dalit member of the Sree Moolam Popular Assembly (Travancore Legislative Council).
  • Labour Reforms: Fought for higher wages and dignity for agricultural labourers.
  • Social Reforms: Campaigned for Dalit women’s right to cover their upper bodies in public, a practice denied earlier.
  • Temple Entry Movement: Early campaigns from 1895 onwards contributed to the 1936 Temple Entry Proclamation, ending exclusion of Dalits from temples in Travancore.
  • Recognition: Admired by Mahatma Gandhi, who called him the “Pulaya King”. Indira Gandhi later hailed him as “India’s greatest son”.
[UPSC 2025] Who among the following was the founder of the ‘Self-Respect Movement’?

Options: (a) ‘Periyar’ E. V. Ramaswamy Naicker * (b) Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (c) Bhaskarrao Jadhav (d) Dinkarrao Javalkar

 

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Festivals, Dances, Theatre, Literature, Art in News

[pib] Nuakhai Festival

Why in the News?

PM extended wishes to the Odia-speaking communities on the occasion of Nuakhai.

About Nuakhai Festival:

  • Meaning: Derived from “Nua” (new) and “Khai” (food); literally “new food”, marking the first consumption of freshly harvested rice.
  • Region: Celebrated mainly in Western Odisha and also observed in parts of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand by Odia-speaking communities.
  • Significance: Agrarian thanksgiving to deities, ancestors, and the earth; symbol of prosperity, good harvest, and family unity.
  • Date: Observed on Bhadraba Sukla Panchami (5th day after Ganesh Chaturthi).
  • Historical Roots: Traces to Vedic rituals of first grain offerings (Pralambana yajna); formalized in the 14th century by Raja Ramai Deo of Patna State, Sambalpur.
  • Social Role: Strengthens community bonds; people greet with “Nuakhai Juhar”, reconcile disputes, and seek elders’ blessings.

Festivities and Cultural Elements:

  • Preparations: Begin 15 days in advance; involve nine ritual steps (Navaranga) such as fixing the date, cleaning homes, harvesting grain, offering puja, and sharing food.
  • Ritual Practice: Family head or priest performs puja, offering the first grain to the local deity, followed by distribution within the family.
  • Cultural Celebrations: Sambalpuri folk dances like Rasarkeli, Dalkhai, Maelajada, Sajani; folk songs praising harvest and community spirit.
[UPSC 2018] Consider the following pairs: Tradition | State

1. Chapchar Kut festival — Mizoram

2. Khongjom Parba ballad — Manipur

3. Thong-To dance — Sikkim

Which of the pairs given above is/are correct?

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

 

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Climate Change Negotiations – UNFCCC, COP, Other Conventions and Protocols

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)

Why in the News?

This year marks three decades since the landmark Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, which established the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

About United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED):

  • Event: Also called the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (June 3–14, 1992).
  • Participation: 178 countries, 117 heads of state, thousands of NGOs and civil society groups.
  • Objective: Reconcile economic growth with environmental protection, mainstreaming sustainable development globally.
  • Key Outcomes:
    • Rio Declaration (27 principles, including precautionary principle & Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR)).
    • Agenda 21 (non-binding action plan for sustainable development).
    • UNFCCC (binding treaty on climate change; later Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement).
    • Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (binding treaty on biodiversity).
    • Statement of Forest Principles (non-binding guidelines for sustainable forests).
    • Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) created to monitor implementation.
  • Significance: Landmark in international environmental diplomacy, embedding sustainability in global policy and leading to follow-ups (Rio+10, Rio+20).

India and UNCED:

  • Stance & Advocacy:
    • Strongly pushed for Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR); developed nations must bear greater responsibility due to historical emissions and resource use.
    • Emphasized poverty eradication and the right to economic growth for developing countries.
    • Called for financial support and technology transfer from developed countries to the Global South.
  • Commitments:
    • Signed & ratified all key Rio agreements: Rio Declaration, Agenda 21, UNFCCC, CBD.
  • Domestic Follow-up:
    • Integrated Agenda 21 principles into national policies (sustainable resource use, biodiversity protection, EIAs).
    • Strengthened environmental legislation under the Environment Protection Act (1986).
  • Role: Positioned itself as a voice of developing countries, balancing environment with development imperatives.
[UPSC 2010] The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international treaty drawn at-

Options:

(a) United Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm, 1972

(b) UN Conference on Environment and Development, Rio De Janerio, 1992 *

(c) World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, 2002

(d) UN Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen, 2009

 

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Primary and Secondary Education – RTE, Education Policy, SEQI, RMSA, Committee Reports, etc.

UDISE+ Report, 2025

Why in the News?

The latest round of Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) data was released by the Ministry of Education (MoE).

About UDISE+

  • Launch: Introduced in 2018–19 as an upgraded version of UDISE (2012–13).
  • Purpose: Collects and monitors school-level data across India.
  • Coverage: Tracks enrolment, dropout rates, teachers, infrastructure, and gender indicators.
  • Design: Built to speed up data entry, reduce errors, improve verification, and enhance data quality.
  • Policy Role: Functions as a key tool for planning, monitoring, and implementing education reforms.
  • Scope: Covers schools at all levels – foundational, preparatory, middle, and secondary.

Key Highlights of the UDISE+ 2025 Report:

  • Teachers: Number of teachers crossed 1 crore (1,01,22,420) in 2024–25, a 6.7% rise from 2022–23.
  • Pupil–Teacher Ratio (PTR): Improved to 10 (foundational), 13 (preparatory), 17 (middle), and 21 (secondary), well below NEP’s 1:30 recommendation.
  • Dropout Rates: Fell sharply to 2.3% (preparatory), 3.5% (middle), 8.2% (secondary) in 2024–25, compared to 8.7%, 8.1%, 13.8% respectively in 2022–23.
  • Retention Rates: Reached 98.9% (foundational), 92.4% (preparatory), 82.8% (middle), 47.2% (secondary).
  • Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER): Rose to 90.3% (middle) and 68.5% (secondary).
  • Transition Rates: Increased to 98.6% (foundational → preparatory), 92.2% (preparatory → middle), 86.6% (middle → secondary).
  • Zero-Enrolment & Single Teacher Schools: Single-teacher schools reduced to 1,04,125; zero-enrolment schools dropped to 7,993 (38% decline).
  • Infrastructure: 64.7% schools with computer access, 63.5% with internet, 93.6% with electricity, 99.3% with drinking water, 97.3% with girls’ toilets, 96.2% with boys’ toilets. 95.9% with handwashing, 83% with playgrounds, 89.5% with libraries, 54.9% with ramps/handrails, 29.4% with rainwater harvesting.
  • Gender Representation: Girls’ enrolment rose to 48.3%. Female teachers increased to 54.2% of the workforce.
[UPSC 2018] Consider the following statements:

1. As per the Right to Education (RTE) Act, to be eligible for appointment as a teacher in a State, a person would be required to possess the minimum qualification laid down by the concerned State Council of Teacher Education.

2. As per the RTE Act, for teaching primary classes, a candidate is required to pass a Teacher Eligibility Test conducted in accordance with the National Council of Teacher Education guidelines.

3. In India, more than 90% of teacher education institutions are directly under the State Governments

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

 

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ISRO Missions and Discoveries

Kulasekarapattinam Launch Complex

Why in the News?

ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan announced that the upcoming rocket launching site at Kulasekarapattinam (Tamil Nadu) will handle 20–25 satellite launches annually.

Kulasekarapattinam Launch Complex

About Kulasekarapattinam Spaceport:

  • Location: Coastal hamlet near Tiruchendur, Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu; inaugurated by PM in February 2024.
  • Second Spaceport: India’s second spaceport after Satish Dhawan Space Centre (Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, 1971).
  • Capacity: Can handle 20–25 launches annually, including 24 launches using a Mobile Launch Structure.
  • Focus: Dedicated to Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLVs), with capacity to launch rockets up to 500 kg.
  • Facilities: About 35 facilities including launch pad, rocket integration units, ground range, checkout systems, and Mobile Launch Structure with onboard checkout computers.

Advantages offered by Kulasekarapattinam Spaceport:

  • Direct Southward Launches: Location allows launches into the Indian Ocean without crossing landmasses; ensures more safety from debris fall.
  • No Dogleg Manoeuvre: Unlike Sriharikota, no detour is needed to avoid Sri Lanka, saving fuel.
  • Efficient Trajectory: Improves efficiency for satellites in Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbits (SSPOs).
  • Payload Advantage: SSLVs from Kulasekarapattinam can place ~300 kg into SSPO, higher than from Sriharikota.
  • Decongestion: Reduces pressure on Sriharikota, which will focus on larger PSLV, GSLV, and Gaganyaan launches.
  • Commercial Boost: Strengthens India’s role in the global small-satellite launch market, enhancing space economy.
  • Strategic Advantage: Near-equator position provides benefits for certain orbital paths.
[UPSC 2008] ISRO successfully conducted a rocket test using cryogenic engines in the year 2007. Where is the test-stand used for the purpose, located?

Options: (a) Balasore (b) Thiruvananthapuram (c) Mahendragiri* (d) Karwar

 

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Primary and Secondary Education – RTE, Education Policy, SEQI, RMSA, Committee Reports, etc.

[28th August 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: Play Based Learning for India’s Future

PYQ Linkage

[UPSC 2016] Examine the main provisions of the National Child Policy and throw light on the status of its implementation.

Linkage: The National Child Policy envisions ensuring survival, development, protection, and participation of every child. Initiatives like Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi, Aadharshila, and Navchetna operationalise this by transforming Anganwadis into learning hubs and focusing on early stimulation. This reflects concrete implementation of policy goals through structured ECCE and parental involvement.

Mentor’s Comment

India’s vision of Viksit Bharat depends on nurturing its youngest citizens. By placing Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) at the core of policy, Anganwadi centres are being reimagined as the first classrooms, not just nutrition hubs. This editorial highlights the significance of play-based learning, the reforms underway, and their impact on social, economic, and human capital development.

Introduction

Nation-building begins where learning begins, in Anganwadis and playschools where children first explore and imagine. Since 85% of brain development occurs before six, India has prioritised structured, play-based learning. Initiatives like the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi, Aadharshila curriculum, and Navchetna framework mark a decisive shift: education is no longer seen as starting at school, but from birth itself.

Why in the News?

Play-based learning has become a national policy priority under the present government. Anganwadi workers are being trained in ECCE, and centres are evolving into early learning hubs. This marks a historic policy turn, shifting focus from higher education to the earliest years of life, where investments yield the highest returns. Evidence shows ECCE can raise IQ levels by up to 19 points and deliver 13–18% returns (Heckman), making it one of the most impactful reforms in recent times.

Reimagining Anganwadis as Learning Hubs

  1. Anganwadis as First Schools: Transition from nutrition centres to vibrant learning hubs.
  2. Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi: A flagship initiative introducing structured ECCE and play-based learning.
  3. Training of Workers: First-ever systematic training of Anganwadi workers in ECCE methods.
  4. Budgetary Support: Enhanced allocations for teaching-learning materials.
  5. Community Trust: Parents now view Anganwadis as the foundation of their child’s education.

Scientific Evidence Supporting ECCE

  1. Brain Development: NEP 2020 highlights 85% of brain growth occurs before six years.
  2. CMC Vellore Study: Children exposed to 18–24 months of ECCE gained up to 19 IQ points by age five, and 5–9 points by age nine.
  3. Global Research: Nobel Laureate James Heckman shows 13–18% returns on early childhood investments.

Ensuring Holistic Development in Early Childhood

  1. Aadharshila Curriculum: National ECCE framework for children aged 3–6 years.
  2. 5+1 Weekly Plan: Balance of free play, structured learning, creativity, motor skills, social interaction, and values.
  3. Focus Beyond Cognitive Skills: Emotional, social, and physical development equally emphasised.
  4. Outdoor Play & Emotional Bonds: Ensuring resilience, socialisation, and value-building.

Birth-to-Three: The Neglected but Crucial Stage

  1. Navchetna Framework: National framework for Early Childhood Stimulation.
  2. Parental Involvement: Empowering caregivers with play-based activities at home.
  3. Equity Focus: State as equaliser for low-income families lacking resources.

Play-Based Learning as a Tool for Nation-Building

  1. Human Capital Formation: Better prepared children ensure stronger productivity.
  2. Social Inclusion: ECCE bridges gaps between privileged and underprivileged children.
  3. Nation’s Future: Early learning reduces dropout rates and improves long-term educational outcomes.

Conclusion

If India is to realise its vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, it must begin where life begins. By making play a policy, and not merely leisure, India is reshaping its future workforce and citizens. Anganwadis as learning hubs, structured ECCE, and parental engagement are steps that will yield dividends not just in GDP growth, but in nurturing empathetic, curious, and resilient human beings. Play is no longer child’s play, it is nation-building.

Value Addition

Anganwadis

  • Scale and Reach: Over 13.9 lakh Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) functioning under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), covering nearly every village/urban ward.
  • Holistic Role: Provide nutrition, health check-ups, immunisation, pre-school non-formal education, and referral services — making them the convergence point for child and maternal welfare.
  • Policy Integration: Central to schemes like Poshan Abhiyaan, Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi, and the Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0.
  • Early Childhood Development: With Aadharshila curriculum and Navchetna framework, AWCs are being repositioned as first schools ensuring ECCE and holistic growth.
  • Empowerment of Women: Run largely by women workers (anganwadi sevikas), providing local employment, social recognition, and female leadership at the grassroots.
  • Challenges: Issues of infrastructure gaps, irregular honorarium, workload burden, training deficits, and low community awareness remain barriers.
  • Global Alignment: Echoes UNICEF and UNESCO emphasis on early childhood care as foundational to human capital and demographic dividend.

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Promoting Science and Technology – Missions,Policies & Schemes

With Sci-Hub gone, will the ‘One Nation, One Subscription’ scheme step up?

Introduction

The blocking of Sci-Hub in India marks a turning point in the battle between corporate publishers and the principle of open knowledge. At the heart of the issue lies the paradox of publicly funded research locked behind exorbitant paywalls. The government’s One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) scheme, with an allocation of ₹6,000 crore, aims to democratize access to 13,000 journals for research institutions. Yet, concerns remain about its cost-effectiveness, inclusivity, and long-term sustainability.

Why is this issue in the news?

  • The Delhi High Court’s verdict against Sci-Hub is a landmark moment because:
  • For the first time in India, the judiciary has formally sided with publishers in the long-drawn copyright battle.
  • It stands in sharp contrast with the reality that research is funded by public money but monetized by private publishers with 30%+ profit margins.
  • The problem is enormous: lakhs of rupees per journal subscription make access unaffordable for many institutions, forcing dependence on Sci-Hub earlier.
  • The government’s ONOS initiative is the first large-scale attempt to address structural inequities in knowledge access, but doubts persist about its ability to replace shadow libraries.

The Distinctive Nature of Scientific Publishing

  1. No royalties for authors: Researchers and peer reviewers are unpaid, unlike musicians or filmmakers.
  2. Publicly funded research: Much of Indian science is taxpayer-funded, yet access is privatized.
  3. Exorbitant subscriptions: Institutions pay lakhs for a single journal. Publishers justify costs via “quality control” but enjoy 30%+ profit margins, raising concerns of rent-seeking.

The Global Controversy Around Sci-Hub

  1. Copyright infringement: Courts in the U.S., Europe, and now India have ruled against Sci-Hub.
  2. Essential access tool: For countless researchers, Sci-Hub was the only means to access knowledge, especially outside elite universities.
  3. Contempt charges: Alexandra Elbakyan allegedly violated court orders by running Sci-Net, a mirror service.
  4. Declining relevance: Technical unreliability and growing open-access alternatives are reducing its utility.

The Vision of One Nation, One Subscription

  1. Government-led subscription: Outlay of ₹6,000 crore (2023–2026) for bulk access to 13,000 journals.
  2. Phase I focus: All public institutions; Phase II may include private ones.
  3. Equal access: Seeks to eliminate inequities between elite and smaller research centres.
  4. Limitations: Independent researchers and those at private centres remain excluded until Phase II.

ONOS in the Context of Global Open-Access Movements

  1. Global open-access movement: Over half of papers are already open access through preprints and repositories.
  2. U.S. policy (2026): All federally funded research must be open.
  3. EU Horizon Europe: Similar open-access mandate.
  4. India’s challenge: At a time when the world moves toward open access, ONOS risks becoming an expensive detour.

Structural Flaws in Scholarly Publishing

  1. Dependence on foreign publishers: ONOS continues India’s reliance on Western journals.
  2. Copyright transfer: Indian researchers must still give away rights to their work.
  3. Pay-to-publish dilemma: Funds freed at institutions may shift to open-access journals, but may ignore institutional repositories.
  4. Need for rights retention: Policies like Harvard/MIT (mandatory deposit in repositories) could empower Indian researchers.

Conclusion

The Sci-Hub ban highlights the persistent inequities in access to scientific knowledge. While ONOS is a step forward, it risks being a band-aid solution unless paired with deeper reforms: indigenous publishing capacity, national repositories, and copyright retention policies. India must not merely manage the symptoms of an exploitative system but must cure the disease by reclaiming knowledge as a public good.

Value Addition

Knowledge as a Public Good

  • Publicly funded research must be accessible to all because it is financed by taxpayers.
  • Blocking access (through high subscription fees or court orders) creates an elitist knowledge economy.
  • UN and UNESCO treat knowledge access as a pillar of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 9: Innovation).

Economic Dimension

  • Global publishers enjoy 30%+ profit margins, while Indian institutions pay lakhs per journal subscription, draining public funds.
  • ONOS at ₹6,000 crore (2023–2026) represents bulk negotiation power by the state, saving scattered institutional expenditure.
  • Issue of dependency on foreign publishers persists, highlighting the need for indigenous publishing ecosystems.

Global Comparisons

  • U.S. (2026 mandate): All federally funded research must be openly accessible.
  • EU’s Horizon Europe: Immediate open access to publications funded under the programme.
  • Plan S (Europe, 2018): Publicly funded research must be published in open-access journals.
  • India risks being out of sync if it over-invests in subscriptions while others move to free access models.

Technology and Governance

  • ONOS = India’s experiment in e-governance for knowledge.
  • Needs to integrate institutional repositories, preprint servers, and rights retention policies (like Harvard/MIT) to empower researchers.
  • Can be linked with the Digital India mission, showing tech-driven democratization of services.

Ethical Dimension

  • Applied Ethics of Technology: Corporate profits vs. collective social welfare.
  • Moral dilemma: Should intellectual property rights override public access to life-saving or path-breaking research?
  • Covid-19 demonstrated that open-access collaboration saved lives by accelerating vaccine and drug development.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2024] ‘’What is the present world scenario of Intellectual Property Rights? Although India is second in the world to file patents, still only a few have been commercialized. Explain the reasons behind this less commercialization.”

Linkage: The Sci-Hub ban and ONOS scheme reflect how IPR in scientific publishing creates barriers to access despite research being publicly funded. Globally, publishers extract high profits through restrictive copyright, mirroring the broader challenge of IPR becoming a tool of rent-seeking rather than innovation. India’s weak indigenous publishing ecosystem and overdependence on foreign journals parallel the problem of low commercialization of patents—both highlight the gap between innovation output and practical accessibility/utility.

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Addiction, Not Play

Introduction

Online real-money gaming is no longer an innocent form of entertainment. With mechanics borrowed from gambling, variable rewards, high engagement loops, and rapid gratification, these games are engineered to create dependency. For India’s youth, this shift has manifested in addiction, financial losses, academic decline, and severe mental health crises. The government’s ban may seem like a safeguard, but the issue is deeper: India’s children deserve not just a firewall, but also psychological care, awareness, and structured support.

Online Gaming Addiction as a Pressing Concern

  1. Gambling-like mechanisms: Real-money games mirror casino psychology, using reward loops to sustain engagement.
  2. Rising cases of harm: Children have drained family bank accounts, hidden debts, and even attempted suicide due to gaming stress.
  3. Mental health crisis: Anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation among adolescents point to an urgent public health issue.

The Fallout of Gaming Addiction on Families

  1. Toxic home environments: Addiction leads to secrecy, conflict, and breakdown of trust.
  2. Academic decline: Falling grades and inability to concentrate fuel further parental distress.
  3. Financial stress: Unexpected credit card bills or loans worsen family relations.

The Limits of Gaming Bans

  1. Immediate relief: Bans reduce household conflicts and financial shocks.
  2. Partial bans & age-gating: Allowing adults while protecting minors can delay addiction onset.
  3. Psychological displacement: Without therapy, children may shift to pornography, substance abuse, or compulsive social media use.

Towards a Comprehensive Strategy Against Gaming Addiction

  1. School-based interventions: Routine mental health screenings and workshops on digital addiction.
  2. Parental guidance: Training parents to spot early warning signs and encourage healthy digital habits.
  3. Child-friendly counselling: Access to therapy services designed for adolescents.
  4. Awareness campaigns: Multi-stakeholder efforts targeting students, caregivers, and teachers.

Gaming Addiction as a Behavioural Health Challenge

  1. Beyond discipline: Punishment or restriction alone worsens secrecy and aggression.
  2. Long-term healing: A behavioural approach can repair family rifts and promote healthy tech use.
  3. Balanced future: Children should grow up with resilience, not dependency, in digital spaces.

Way Forward: Towards a Balanced Approach

  1. Public Health Lens: Treat gaming addiction as a behavioural health issue with school screenings, awareness drives, and accessible counselling.
  2. Smart Regulation: Use age-gating, spending caps, and parental consent instead of blanket bans.
  3. Global Lessons:
    • China: Strict weekly limits → relief but drove youth to unregulated platforms.
    • UK/EU: Regulate loot boxes as gambling → targeted, flexible control.
    • South Korea: Late-night gaming ban + rehab centres → balance of restriction and support.
  4. India’s Path: A middle way combining safeguards with education and digital literacy, avoiding both overregulation and laissez-faire neglect.

Conclusion

India’s youth deserve more than prohibitionist measures. A firewall can block access, but not heal emotional wounds. True protection lies in combining thoughtful regulation with robust mental health programmes, counselling, and awareness. Only then can families find balance and children grow with a healthier relationship to technology.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2023] “Child cuddling is now being replaced by mobile phones. Discuss its impact on the socialization of children.”

Linkage: Online real-money gaming, like mobile phones, is replacing natural child–parent interaction with addictive digital engagement. This weakens socialization, fuels secrecy and conflict within families, and erodes trust. Both highlight how technology-driven dependence disrupts healthy emotional development in children.

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Indian Army Updates

[pib] Exercise ‘BRIGHT STAR 2025’

Why in the News?

India is set to participate with over 700 personnel from tri-services for 19th edition of Exercise Bright Star 2025 in Egypt.

About Exercise Bright Star:

  • Origin: Began in 1980 as a US–Egypt bilateral drill after the Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
  • Nature: Now one of the largest and longest-running multinational tri-service military exercises in the Middle East.
  • Frequency: Held biennially in Egypt with the United States as the principal partner.
  • Objectives:
    • Enhance regional security and stability.
    • Improve jointness, interoperability, and operational coordination among partner nations.

Key Highlights of the 2025 Edition:

  • Scale: Approximate 7,900 troops from 43 nations.
    • 13 countries directly deploying troops.
    • 30 countries participating as observers.
  • Strategic Significance:
    • Builds defence cooperation between India, Egypt, US, and partner nations.
    • Important amid West Asia, Red Sea, and Gulf security challenges.
[UPSC 2024] Which of the following statements about ‘Exercise Mitra Shakti-2023’ are correct?

1. This was a joint military exercise between India and Bangladesh.

2. It commenced in Aundh (Pune).

3. Joint response during counter-terrorism operations was a goal of this operation.

4. Indian Air Force was a part of this exercise.

Select the answer using the code given below:

Options: (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1 and 4 (c) 1 and 4 (d) 2, 3 and 4*

 

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Climate Change Impact on India and World – International Reports, Key Observations, etc.

Gangotri Glacier System (GGS) shrinks 10% in 4 decades

Why in the News?

A recent IIT Indore study shows that climate change has caused a 10% shrinkage in the Gangotri Glacier System over four decades, altering snowmelt and hydrology.

Gangotri Glacier System (GGS) shrinks 10% in 4 decades

About Gangotri Glacier System (GGS):

  • Location: Uttarkashi District, Uttarakhand, in the Central Garhwal Himalayas.
  • Origin: Near the Chaukhamba massif at ~7,000 metres above sea level.
  • Size: Main trunk 30–32 km long, 2–4 km wide, with a total glacierized area of ~252 sq. km.
  • Snout: Known as Gaumukh (“cow’s mouth”), source of the Bhagirathi River, which later merges with the Alaknanda at Devprayag to form the Ganga.
  • Tributaries: Includes Chaturangi, Raktavarn, Meru, Rudugaira, Kedar, and Vasuki glaciers.
  • Type: Valley-type glacier with granite, gneiss, and schist bedrock.
  • Features: Moraines, supraglacial lakes, crevasses, and avalanche fans.
  • Debris Cover: 20–24% of the glacier area is debris-covered, affecting melting rates.

Key Findings of the IIT Indore Study (1980–2020):

  • Flow Contribution: Snowmelt 64%, glacier melt 21%, rainfall-runoff 11%, base flow 4%.
  • Decline in Snowmelt Share: From 73% in 1980–90 to 63% in 2010–20, reflecting climate change impact.
  • Temperature Rise: Mean annual temperature increased by 0.5°C in 2001–2020 compared to 1980–2000.
  • Shift in Peak Discharge: From August to July since the 1990s due to earlier melting and reduced winter precipitation.
  • Snowmelt Rebound: During 2010–2020, colder winters (–2°C) and higher winter precipitation (262 mm) increased snow accumulation.
[UPSC 2019] Consider the following pairs:

Glacier: River

1. Bandarpunch -Yamuna

2. Bara Shigri -Chenab

3. Milam -Mandakini

4. Siachen -Nubra

5. Zemu -Manas

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

Options: (a) 1, 2 and 4* (b) 1, 3 and 4 (c) 2 and 5 (d) 3 and 5

 

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