💥UPSC 2026, 2027 UAP Mentorship November Batch
Talk to Mentor

Archives: News

Bills/Act/LawsDOMREthicsExplainedHistorical SitesIndia MappingIOCRop-ed snapPIBPrelims OnlySC JudgementsSchemesSpeciesStatesWorld Mapping
December 2025
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  

New Species of Plants and Animals Discovered

Ice Age-era Dragon Fly rediscovered

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

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

 

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

Attend Now

Global Geological And Climatic Events

Mount Etna Eruption

Prelims OnlyWorld Mapping | Geography | Mains Paper 1: Important Geophysical Phenomena

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*

 

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

Attend Now

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

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

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.

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

Attend Now

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

Challenges of Monsoon Variability and Disaster Preparedness

Explained | Geography | Mains Paper 3: Disaster Management

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.

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

Attend Now

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

Building health for 1.4 billion Indians

Explained | Social Justice | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education

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.

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

Attend Now

Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

[pib] Mahatma Ayyankali (1863–1941)

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

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

 

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

Attend Now

Festivals, Dances, Theatre, Literature, Art in News

[pib] Nuakhai Festival

Prelims Only | Art and Culture | Mains Paper 1: Arts & Culture

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

 

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

Attend Now

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

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)

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

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

 

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

Attend Now

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

UDISE+ Report, 2025

DOMR | Indian Society | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education

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

 

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

Attend Now

ISRO Missions and Discoveries

Kulasekarapattinam Launch Complex

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

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

 

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

Attend Now

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

Explained | Indian Society | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education

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.

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

Attend Now

Promoting Science and Technology – Missions,Policies & Schemes

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

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

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.

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

Attend Now

Addiction, Not Play

Explained | Indian Society | Mains Paper 1: Effects Of Globalization On Indian Society

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.

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

Attend Now

Indian Army Updates

[pib] Exercise ‘BRIGHT STAR 2025’

Prelims Only | Security Issues | Mains Paper 3: Various Security Forces, Agencies & Their Mandates

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*

 

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

Attend Now

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

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

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

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

 

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

Attend Now

International Space Agencies – Missions and Discoveries

SpaceX’s Starship completes critical test flight

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

Why in the News?

SpaceX’s Starship has completed its first fully successful test flight after a series of failures.

SpaceX’s Starship completes critical test flight

About SpaceX Starship:

  • Design: A two-stage heavy-lift launch vehicle built to carry crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
  • Developer: SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, with the vision of enabling interplanetary travel and colonisation.
  • Size: Nearly 120 metres tall with booster, making it the largest rocket ever built and flown. Taller than Saturn V (111 m) and India’s Qutub Minar (72.5 m).
  • Historic Test Flight: On 27 August 2025, achieved its first fully successful flight. Booster splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, spacecraft reached the Indian Ocean.
  • Role in NASA Missions: Critical to Artemis Program for returning humans to the Moon and later missions to Mars.
  • Long-term Goal: Make Starship fully and rapidly reusable, cutting costs and redefining space travel.

Key Features of Starship:

  • Two-Stage Rocket System:
    • Super Heavy booster powered by 33 Raptor engines generating 74 meganewtons of thrust, nearly double NASA’s SLS and twice Saturn V.
    • Engines burn liquid oxygen and methane, enabling deep-space use and Mars resource utilisation.
    • Booster fully reusable, capable of atmospheric re-entry and recovery.
    • Six Raptor engines and four landing fins, designed for full reusability on long-duration missions.
  • Payload Capacity: Can carry up to 150 tonnes to Low-Earth Orbit and over 100 tonnes to the Moon and Mars, more than all soft-landed lunar payloads combined.
  • Cost Reduction Potential: Estimated to deliver 100 tonnes of cargo to Mars for ~$50 million, compared to NASA Shuttle’s $1.5 billion per launch with far less payload.
[UPSC 2025] Consider the following space missions:

I. Axiom-4 II. SpaDeX III. Gaganyaan

How many of the space missions given above encourage and support microgravity research?

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

 

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

Attend Now

Promoting Science and Technology – Missions,Policies & Schemes

Samudrayaan Mission

Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Why in the News?

Two Indian aquanauts dived over 5,000 m in the Atlantic aboard French vessel Nautile, as part of India’s Samudrayaan Mission.

What is Deep Ocean Mission (DOM)?

  • Approved: 2021 by the Union Cabinet, with a budget of ₹4,077 crore for 5 years.
  • Aim: Explore, conserve, and sustainably use deep-ocean resources to support India’s Blue Economy.
  • Six Components:
    • Develop technologies for deep-sea mining, submersibles, and robotics.
    • Ocean climate change advisory service with observations + predictive models.
    • Deep-sea biodiversity exploration and conservation.
    • Surveys for polymetallic nodules and minerals.
    • Energy & freshwater extraction technologies from oceans.
    • Advanced Marine Station for ocean biology & engineering → to bridge research & industry.

About Samudrayaan Mission:

  • Nature: India’s first crewed deep-sea exploration mission.
  • Objective: To send 3 humans up to 6,000 m depth into the central Indian Ocean by 2027.
  • Vehicle: Crewed submersible Matsya-6000 (fish-shaped, 2.1 m personal sphere).
    • Capacity: 3 aquanauts.
    • Endurance: 12 hours normal + 96 hours emergency life support.
    • Material: Titanium alloy sphere (80 mm thickness) to withstand ~600x atmospheric pressure.
  • Coordinating Agency: National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Ministry of Earth Sciences.
  • Strategic Significance: Will place India among a select group of countries (US, Russia, China, Japan, France) with human deep-sea exploration capability.

Progress made so far:

  • Aquanaut Training: Discussed above.
  • Matsya-6000 Development:
    • Successfully wet tested in Feb 2025.
    • Titanium alloy sphere fabrication ongoing at ISRO using electron beam welding.
    • Initial steel test sphere used for 500 m trials.
  • Technology Development:
    • Indigenous acoustic telephone built for underwater communication (works in open ocean after initial failures).
    • Life-support systems designed to maintain 20% oxygen and scrub CO₂.
  • Next Steps:
    • Human test dive at 500 m depth planned before full 6,000 m mission.
    • Full Samudrayaan launch targeted by 2027.
[UPSC 2021] Consider the following statements:

1.The Global Ocean Commission grants licenses for seabed exploration and mining in international waters.

2.India has received licenses for seabed mineral exploration in international waters.

3. ‘Rare earth minerals’ are present on the seafloor in international waters.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

 

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

Attend Now

Urban Floods

Rivers, Dams, and Headworks of Punjab

Prelims Only | Geography | Mains Paper 1: Geographical Features & Their Location

Why in the news?

Floods hit Punjab villages due to heavy rain in Himachal, high dam discharges (Bhakra, Pong, Ranjit Sagar), and regulated headworks flow.

Rivers, Dams, and Headworks of Punjab

About the Rivers, Dams, and Headworks of Punjab:

River Origin & Entry into Punjab Major Dam (Location & Key Facts) Headworks & Functions
Sutlej Origin: Rakshastal Lake (Tibet); enters India at Shipki La (HP); enters Punjab at Rupnagar; joins Beas at Harike, then Chenab in Pakistan. Bhakra Dam (near Nangal, HP–Punjab border).

One of India’s highest gravity dams; reservoir = Gobind Sagar Lake; irrigation + hydropower.

 Ropar: Feeds Sirhind & BML canals (Punjab + Haryana).

Harike: Diverts Sutlej–Beas water to Rajasthan & Punjab canals.

Hussainiwala: Feeds Bikaner & Eastern Canals (Punjab + Rajasthan).
Beas Origin: Beas Kund (Rohtang Pass, HP); enters Punjab near Mukerian (Hoshiarpur); flows via Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Amritsar. Pong Dam (Maharana Pratap Sagar), HP (Kangra).

Major irrigation + power dam; supplies Harike.

 Harike: Regulates Beas + Sutlej water; feeds Rajasthan & Punjab canals.
Ravi Origin: Bara Banghal (Rohtang Pass, HP); enters Punjab near Pathankot; flows via Pathankot, Gurdaspur;

Enters Pakistan and joins Chenab.

 Ranjit Sagar Dam (Thein Dam), Pathankot (Punjab–J&K border). Irrigation + hydropower. Madhopur: Feeds UBDC canal (Punjab).

Madhopur–Beas Link: Transfers surplus Ravi to Beas before Pakistan.

 

[UPSC 2021] With reference to the Indus river system, among the following four rivers, one of them joins the Indus directly:

Options: (a) Chenab (b) Jhelum (c) Ravi (d) Sutlej*

 

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

Attend Now

Microfinance Story of India

PM SVANidhi Scheme extended until 2030

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

Why in the News?

The Union Cabinet has approved the restructuring and extension of the Prime Minister Street Vendor’s Atmanirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme.

About PM SVANidhi Scheme:

  • Launch: June 1, 2020, as Central Sector Scheme fully funded by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
  • Purpose: To provide affordable credit to street vendors hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and help them restart/expand their businesses.
  • Target Group: Urban street vendors in statutory towns and peri-urban/rural areas.
  • Extension: Restructured and extended up to March 31, 2030.
  • Beneficiaries: 1.15 crore vendors, including 50 lakh new ones.

Key Features:

  • Collateral-free Loans (incremental):
    • 1st tranche: ₹15,000 (earlier ₹10,000).
    • 2nd tranche: ₹25,000 (earlier ₹20,000).
    • 3rd tranche: ₹50,000.
  • Digital Empowerment:
    • Timely 2nd loan repayment → eligibility for UPI-linked RuPay Credit Card (for emergent business/personal needs).
    • Digital cashback incentives up to ₹1,600 on retail & wholesale transactions.
  • Capacity Building:
    • Training in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, digital skills, and marketing.
    • Food safety & hygiene training for street food vendors (with FSSAI partnership).
  • Implementation:
    • Jointly by MoHUA & Department of Financial Services (DFS).
    • DFS facilitates loans & credit cards through banks/financial institutions.
  • Wider Goals:
    • Promote financial inclusion & digital adoption.
    • Enable vendors’ business expansion & sustainable growth.
    • Contribute to inclusive urban economic development.
[UPSC 2011] Microfinance is the provision of financial services to people of low-income groups. This includes both the consumers and the self-employed. The service/services rendered under microfinance is/are:

1. Credit facilities 2. Savings facilities 3. Insurance facilities 4. Fund Transfer facilities

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

 

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

Attend Now

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

[27th August 2025] The gender angle to India’s economic vulnerabilities

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

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2021] Examine the role of ‘Gig Economy’ in the process of empowerment of women in India.

Linkage: The article highlights that India’s economic vulnerabilities are aggravated by its failure to integrate women into the workforce. While traditional women-dominated export sectors face instability due to tariff shocks, the gig economy offers a new pathway for empowerment. Platforms like Urban Company demonstrate how women can earn sustainable incomes (₹18,000–25,000/month) with safety, insurance, and skill development. Thus, the gig economy is not just an employment option but a structural enabler of women’s empowerment, mobility, and autonomy. However, as the article stresses, formalisation of gig work, targeted policy support, and social protections are vital to make this empowerment sustainable.

Mentor’s Comment

India’s economic rise is undeniable, valued at $4.19 trillion, it is poised to be the world’s third-largest economy. Yet, the proposed 50% U.S. tariffs on Indian exports highlight an uncomfortable truth: India’s growth story is fragile because it has failed to empower half its population. This article unpacks how gender imbalance in labour markets is no longer a social concern but an economic vulnerability.

Introduction

India’s ascent as a global economic power is being tested by external shocks such as U.S. tariff hikes targeting $40 billion worth of Indian exports. Unlike China, which diversified and scaled its manufacturing, India’s labour-intensive sectors, textiles, gems, leather, footwear, remain exposed. These are precisely the industries that disproportionately employ women. The looming disruption reveals a deeper structural weakness: India’s persistently low female labour force participation rate (FLFPR). What was once viewed as a social development challenge is now a core economic liability threatening the sustainability of India’s demographic dividend.

The U.S. tariff shock and its economic implications

  1. Targeted exports: U.S. tariffs at 50% could shave off nearly 1% from India’s GDP, directly hitting sectors employing 50 million workers, many of them women.
  2. Comparative disadvantage: India could face a 30–35% cost disadvantage against competitors like Vietnam.
  3. Dependency: The U.S. absorbs 18% of India’s exports, exposing India’s lack of diversification.
  4. Employment vulnerability: An export decline of up to 50% could destabilise women-dominated industries.

Women’s participation as India’s strategic liability

  1. Persistently low FLFPR: Stuck at 37–41.7%, far below China’s 60% and the global average.
  2. Lost GDP potential: IMF estimates closing the gender gap could boost India’s GDP by 27%.
  3. Cultural and systemic barriers: Patriarchal norms, unpaid care work, safety issues, poor public transport, and sanitation gaps keep women away from education and jobs.
  4. Urban stagnation: Urban female labour participation shows little improvement despite rising education levels.

The ticking clock of India’s demographic dividend

  1. Demographic window: India’s working-age population outnumbers dependents, but this will close by 2045.
  2. Historical lessons: China, Japan, and the U.S. capitalised on their demographic peak to fuel growth; Southern Europe failed due to low female participation, resulting in stagnation.
  3. Risk of lost opportunity: Without women’s integration, India risks a slowdown before fully realising its demographic advantage.

Lessons from global experiences in women’s empowerment

  1. U.S. during WWII: Women’s labour mobilised with equal pay and childcare.
  2. China’s post-1978 reforms: FLFPR at 60%, backed by state-supported childcare and education.
  3. Japan’s reforms: FLFPR rose from 63% to 70%, boosting GDP per capita by 4%.
  4. Netherlands model: Flexible part-time work with full benefits, relevant for India’s context.
  5. Common thread: Institutional investments in legal protections, skills, and care infrastructure.

Emerging solutions and policy innovations within India

  1. Karnataka’s Shakti Scheme: Free bus travel boosted female ridership by 40%, improving access to jobs, education, and autonomy.
  2. Targeted fiscal policies: Tax incentives for female entrepreneurs, digital inclusion drives, and gender-skilling programmes.
  3. Gig economy empowerment: Urban Company employs 15,000+ women, offering ₹18,000–25,000/month along with maternity benefits and insurance.
  4. Public schemes: Rajasthan’s Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme generated 4 crore person-days of work, with 65% jobs for women, enabling many to work for the first time.

Conclusion

The U.S. tariff threat is a wake-up call, India’s economic fragility lies not just in external shocks but in internal neglect of women’s potential. Empowering women is no longer a matter of social justice but a strategic necessity for sustaining growth, harnessing the demographic dividend, and achieving global competitiveness. The choice is stark: invest in women and rise as a resilient power, or ignore them and remain vulnerable to shocks and stagnation.

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

Attend Now

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Join us across Social Media platforms.