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  • [27th June 2026] The Hindu OpED: India-New Zealand FTA, a modern trade partnership

    Mentor’s Comment

    India and New Zealand have concluded a Free Trade Agreement offering zero-duty access across 100% of New Zealand’s tariff lines, broader services market access, and a proposed $20 billion investment commitment over 15 years. The FTA signals India’s transition from a tariff-centric to a facilitation-led trade policy. The real test is whether Indian businesses can convert preferential access into realised gains, a conversion that depends not on the agreement’s text but on internal operational readiness.

    Key Features of the India-New Zealand FTA

    FeatureKey Provision
    Comprehensive Market AccessEliminates customs duty on 100% of Indian exports to New Zealand.
    Investment CommitmentIncludes a US$20 billion investment commitment over the next 15 years to deepen economic cooperation.
    Agricultural PartnershipLaunches an Agricultural Productivity Partnership to improve farm productivity and integrate Indian farmers into Global Value Chains (GVCs).
    Boost to MSMEs & EmploymentProvides zero-duty access for labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, apparel, leather, footwear, gems & jewellery, engineering goods, and processed food, enhancing export competitiveness and job creation.
    Balanced Tariff LiberalisationIndia offers market access on 70.03% tariff lines, while 29.97% remain excluded, protecting nearly 95% of New Zealand’s exports to India.
    Protection for Sensitive SectorsSensitive sectors such as dairy, sugar, key agricultural products, animal fats & oils, arms & ammunition, gems & jewellery, copper and aluminium products remain outside tariff concessions.
    Immediate Tariff Elimination30% of tariff lines become duty-free immediately, including wood, wool, sheep meat, and raw hides.
    Phased Tariff Reduction35.6% of tariff lines will see duty elimination over 3, 5, 7, and 10 years, covering petroleum products, vegetable oils, machinery, and selected chemicals.
    Partial Tariff Reduction4.37% of tariff lines receive tariff reductions, including wine, pharmaceuticals, polymers, aluminium, and iron & steel products.
    Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs)0.06% of tariff lines fall under TRQs, covering products such as Mānuka honey, apples, kiwifruit, and milk albumin.

    Why does the India-New Zealand FTA matter despite the bilateral trade relationship remaining small?

    1. Baseline trade is modest but growing: Bilateral merchandise trade stood at $1.3 billion in FY 2024-25. India’s exports to New Zealand were approximately $711 million, registering 32% year-on-year growth.
    2. FTA as a corrective mechanism: Commercial engagement has consistently underperformed the diplomatic relationship. The FTA attempts to structurally correct this by creating enforceable market access commitments.
    3. Competitive displacement risk: New Zealand’s market is already accessed by exporters from countries with existing FTAs. Without this agreement, Indian exporters face a pricing disadvantage even where they are otherwise competitive.
    4. Single-digit tariff advantage as a real commercial lever: In markets where competing exporters already enjoy preferential access, even a marginal tariff difference influences purchasing decisions by buyers.
    5. Investment signal: The $20 billion investment commitment over 15 years, if realised, exceeds the current annual trade volume many times over. This signals a qualitative shift in the relationship’s ambition.

    Why is the India-New Zealand FTA described as a “modern” trade agreement, and what does that mean in practice?

    1. Modern FTAs are no longer purely about tariff reduction: Businesses are equally concerned with port clearance speed, certification recognition, regulatory predictability, and the compliance burden of accessing preferential treatment.
    2. 100% tariff-line coverage for Indian goods: New Zealand has extended duty-free access across all tariff lines. For labour-intensive sectors, textiles, apparel, leather, handicrafts, this eliminates duties that had reached 10%.
    3. Services as a primary beneficiary: Indian businesses hold strong positions in technology, consulting, engineering, healthcare, and education. Greater market access and clearer mobility provisions for professionals and students can expand India’s services footprint in New Zealand.
    4. Non-tariff barriers (NTBs) addressed: The agreement targets regulatory approvals in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, food processing, chemicals, and agriculture, where NTBs often matter more than tariff rates.
    5. Trade facilitation provisions included: Faster customs clearances, digital certification systems, and simplified procedures reduce inventory costs, improve cash flow, and create supply-chain certainty.

    Why does India’s protective stance on sensitive sectors not contradict its ambitions under the FTA?

    1. Selective liberalisation as a stated policy preference: The dairy sector’s exclusion from the FTA follows the same logic applied to dairy in the RCEP negotiations.
    2. Asymmetric vulnerability in agriculture: India’s dairy sector involves a large base of small producers with limited capacity to absorb competitive pressure from New Zealand, which is among the world’s most cost-efficient dairy exporters.
    3. Policy objective is dual: India seeks to open new markets for sectors with revealed competitive advantage while simultaneously insulating sectors where domestic producers are structurally vulnerable.
    4. The tension this creates: Defensive exclusions constrain the scope of agreements and can limit what trading partners are willing to concede in other areas. Every protected sector reduces the negotiating currency India brings to the table.
    5. Strategic calibration, not protectionism by default: The FTA demonstrates that India is willing to liberalise across 100% of goods categories on the receiving end. This suggests the protection of specific sectors is a calibrated choice rather than a systemic reluctance to open.

    What makes preferential access under the FTA conditional rather than automatic, and why does this matter for Indian exporters?

    1. Rules of Origin (RoO) framework: Preferential tariff access is not automatic. Exporters must demonstrate that products meet prescribed origin requirements before claiming lower duties.
      1. Rules of Origin (RoO): Criteria that determine the national source of a product, used to prevent third-country goods from accessing FTA benefits through transshipment.
    2. Product-specific rules and documentation requirements: The agreement incorporates detailed product-level origin criteria, documentation standards, and traceability measures to prevent misuse.
    3. Transshipment prevention: Traceability measures exist specifically to ensure that goods from non-FTA countries do not enter through India or New Zealand to claim preferential rates fraudulently.
    4. Supply-chain visibility becomes a compliance requirement: Businesses must map and document their supply chains in sufficient detail to satisfy RoO criteria at the point of export, a significant operational demand.
    5. Harmonised System (HS) classification accuracy is critical: Exporters must correctly classify goods under the Harmonised System (HS).
      1. HS is an internationally standardized nomenclature for classifying traded products, used by customs authorities globally. Misclassification leads to ineligibility for preferential rates even where the product qualifies substantively.
    6. Landed-cost reassessment is necessary: The duty saving must be weighed against the compliance cost of meeting RoO and documentation requirements. If compliance costs exceed the tariff benefit, the preferential access has no commercial value.

    What does the FTA reveal about the shift in India’s trade policy approach, and what does this demand of Indian businesses?

    1. Transition to facilitation-led trade policy: The agreement marks a shift in India’s framework, from tariff-reduction as the primary lever of competitiveness to reducing transaction costs, improving market access speed, and increasing supply-chain certainty.
    2. Multidimensional Competitiveness: Under this framework, a business gains competitive advantage not only by paying lower duties but by moving goods faster, clearing regulatory approvals more predictably, and demonstrating compliance discipline.
    3. Preferential access depending on demonstrable compliance: Businesses that cannot demonstrate traceability and process discipline cannot access the preferential rates the agreement provides, regardless of the tariff concession on paper.
    4. Four operational demands on businesses:
      1. Review HS classifications to ensure correct product categorisation
      2. Evaluate RoO eligibility across their product portfolios
      3. Strengthen supply-chain documentation to satisfy origin and traceability requirements
      4. Reassess landed-cost models to identify where FTA benefits are commercially meaningful
    5. Integration of compliance into strategy: Treating FTA compliance as a back-office function rather than a strategic one results in foregone market access. Compliance, sourcing, and operational functions must be aligned with the FTA framework from the outset.

    Conclusion

    The India-New Zealand FTA is correctly described as a modern trade agreement because its gains are not released by signing, they are released by preparation. The central tension is that preferential access, zero-duty lines, and services mobility provisions all exist on paper. But their conversion into commercial benefit depends entirely on whether Indian businesses build the compliance infrastructure, supply-chain discipline, and operational integration the agreement demands. India’s broader transition to a facilitation-led trade policy shifts the burden of competitiveness from the negotiating table to the factory floor and the compliance function. The agreement’s long-term value will be determined not by its text but by the readiness of Indian exporters to use it.

  • Relief to digital fraud victims: How losses upto 50K can be recovered

    Why in the News?

    The RBI notified a revised compensation framework for victims of digital payment fraud, effective 1 January 2027. Under the scheme, victims can recover part of losses up to ₹50,000 through a state-supported fund. The move follows a sharp rise in fraud value despite fewer reported cases.

    Why did the RBI intervene now, and what does the scale of digital fraud reveal about the existing liability framework?

    1. Rising fraud value: Fraud cases fell to 10,114 in FY26, but the amount involved increased 46% to ₹48,021 crore, indicating fewer but larger frauds.
    2. Consumer liability gap: The earlier framework placed the burden of proof and recovery on customers. Banks faced limited liability unless negligence was established
    3. Electronic Banking Transactions (EBTs) as the primary vector: EBT are a digitally initiated banking transaction, including NEFT, RTGS, UPI, and card-based payments. They became the primary fraud channel, exposing a liability gap.
    4. State absorption of residual risk: The new framework makes the RBI the majority loss-bearer for unrecovered fraud amounts. This signals that the regulator treats digital fraud loss as a systemic risk requiring regulatory underwriting, not merely a bilateral consumer-bank dispute.

    What is the consumer entitlement under the new framework, and what conditions govern eligibility?

    1. Maximum compensation ceiling: A victim is eligible for compensation of up to 85% of net loss amount or ₹25,000, whichever is less. This applies to gross fraudulent EBT losses up to ₹50,000.
    2. Lifetime cap: The compensation is available once during the lifetime of the account holder. Repeat claims for subsequent fraud events are not covered under this mechanism.
    3. Complaint filing window: Victims must lodge a complaint regarding the fraud within five calendar days of the event. Claims filed beyond this window are ineligible regardless of the loss amount.
    4. Loss verification standard: The loss must be established in accordance with the internal processes set out in the victim’s bank’s policy. The framework does not prescribe a uniform evidentiary standard across banks, leaving verification to individual bank procedures.
    5. Threshold-based compensation rate: For losses below ₹29,412, the victim receives 85% of the amount lost. For losses between ₹29,412 and ₹50,000, the victim receives a flat ₹25,000 (the ceiling).

    How is the cost of compensation shared between the RBI, the victim’s bank, and the beneficiary bank?

    1. Domestic fraud (below ₹29,412): RBI bears 65% of compensation. The victim’s bank and beneficiary bank contribute 10% each.
    2. Domestic EBT fraud between ₹29,412 and ₹50,000 (₹25,000 flat compensation): The RBI contributes ₹19,118 (76.5%). The victim’s bank and the beneficiary bank each contribute ₹2,941 (approximately 12% each).
    3. Cross-border EBT fraud (elevated bank contribution): In cross-border cases, the victim’s bank’s contribution rises to 20% for frauds below ₹29,412, and to ₹5,882 for frauds in the ₹29,412-₹50,000 band.
    4. Multiple beneficiary banks (proportionate allocation): Where more than one beneficiary bank receives the fraudulent amount, each bank’s share of the compensation is proportionate to the amount credited to its accounts.
    5. Numerical illustration (official example): If fraud loss is ₹40,000 and ₹15,000 is recovered, the net compensable loss is ₹25,000. The victim receives 85% of ₹25,000 = ₹21,250. The RBI contributes ₹16,250; victim’s bank and beneficiary bank contribute ₹2,500 each. If nothing is recovered, the victim receives ₹25,000 (ceiling), distributed in the same proportion.

    What standard of bank negligence triggers full bank liability, and what are the banks’ procedural obligations?

    1. Full bank liability for own negligence: Where fraud arises from the bank’s own negligence, the bank must compensate the victim entirely. The RBI cost-sharing mechanism does not apply in such cases.
    2. Safety and security failures: Failing to ensure proper safety and security mechanisms for EBTs constitutes negligence. This includes system malfunctions and security breaches.
    3. Alert failures: Failing to send mandatory transaction alerts for EBTs above ₹500 is classified as negligence. The alert obligation is non-discretionary.
    4. Complaint handling failures: Failing to provide 24×7 channels for customer complaints and failing to act diligently on received complaints both constitute negligence. Banks cannot limit complaint access to business hours.
    5. Complaint resolution timelines: Banks must resolve fraudulent EBT complaints within 45 calendar days for domestic EBTs and within 60 calendar days for cross-border EBTs. Breach of these timelines has implications for bank liability assessment.
    6. Post-complaint containment obligation: On receipt of any fraudulent EBT complaint, a bank must take prompt steps to prevent further unauthorised EBTs in the customer’s account. This is a proactive duty, not a passive acknowledgment obligation.

    Does the framework resolve the consumer’s structural vulnerability to digital fraud, or does it shift the problem without eliminating it?

    1. Consumer protection: The framework guarantees time-bound compensation and imposes liability for proven bank negligence.
    2. Limited bank incentives: RBI bears most compensation costs. Banks usually contribute only 10-20%, reducing incentives to strengthen fraud prevention.
    3. Procedural burden: Victims must report fraud within five days and satisfy bank-specific verification standards.
    4. Source of fraud: The framework compensates losses but does not strengthen EBT security standards or regulate payment intermediaries.
    5. Residual reporting: Victims must also report fraud to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or Cyber Crime Helpline. This supports record-keeping, not recovery.
    6. Coverage mismatch: The compensation cap is ₹25,000, whereas average fraud value in FY26 was about ₹4.75 crore per case, limiting relevance to small-value consumer fraud.

    Conclusion

    The RBI framework introduces the first regulatory mechanism for sharing consumer losses from digital fraud. It reduces immediate customer losses but leaves banks with limited financial incentives to prevent fraud. Large-value frauds, security standards and accountability of payment intermediaries remain unresolved.

  • India’s eastern border affected by flow of opium from Myanmar

    Why in the News?

    The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) released its 2026 annual report on 27 June 2026, tabled by Home Minister Amit Shah. The report documents Myanmar’s emergence as the primary global opium source following the Taliban’s 2022 ban on drug cultivation in Afghanistan. Infact, India’s northeastern border corridor is identified as the most direct and porous entry point for this expanding production base. 

    What change in the global narcotics supply chain has created new pressure on India’s northeastern borders?

    1. Taliban-imposed ban: The Taliban government’s 2022 ban on drug cultivation in Afghanistan eliminated the world’s largest opium producer from the supply chain, creating a vacuum in global opium supply.
    2. Myanmar’s replacement role: Myanmar filled this vacuum rapidly. The NCB’s 2026 annual report identifies Myanmar as the alternative global opium source, with consequences already visible along India’s eastern borders.
    3. Scale of cultivation expansion: Myanmar’s illicit opium cultivation expanded by approximately 56% between 2021 and 2023. The area under poppy cultivation reached 45,200 hectares.
    4. Golden Triangle transformation: Myanmar’s Golden Triangle has expanded beyond its traditional opiate role. Shan State now produces both opium and methamphetamine (Yaba), making it a major poly-drug hub.
    5. Manipur corridor as primary entry point: National Highway-102 through Manipur is the main land route for heroin and methamphetamine into India.
    6. Secondary corridor via Mizoram: Champhai in Mizoram provides the second major trafficking route via Myanmar’s Chin State. Drugs are routed through Assam’s Barak Valley via Aizawl and adjoining road networks.

    How have India’s northeastern states been transformed from transit zones into active narcotics staging grounds?

    1. Porous border mechanisms: The Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the India-Myanmar border and unfenced border stretches have converted the Northeast from a transit route into a distribution hub.
    2. States bearing frontline exposure: The NCB report specifically identifies that Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland face the highest exposure due to increased drug production in Myanmar.
    3. Mizoram’s seizure data: Mizoram seized 1,477 kg of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) in 2025 out of the national total of 3,485 kg.
    4. Manipur’s seizure data: Manipur accounted for 535 kg in recoveries from other reported states. Delhi (454 kg), Gujarat (308 kg), and Karnataka (164 kg) reported significant quantities, demonstrating that narcotics originating from the northeast are penetrating deep into the hinterland.
    5. Distribution geography: Drugs move through the Barak Valley to Punjab, Gujarat and Maharashtra, making the Northeast a distribution node rather than a consumption centre.

    What does the drone-based trafficking data reveal about the operational maturity of trafficking networks?

    1. Five-fold increase from Pakistan border: Drone-based drug trafficking from across the Pakistan border into India has increased five-fold over the past five years, particularly in Punjab, demonstrating aerial circumvention of border controls.
    2. Incident trajectory (NCB data): Drone trafficking incidents surged from 3 in 2021 to 35 in 2022, 28 in 2023, 178 in 2024, and 305 in 2025, This is a 100-fold increase in incident count over five years.
    3. Seizure volume in 2025: In 2025, drone-related cases resulted in the seizure of 468 kg of narcotics, a 96% increase in quantity over 2024. Punjab recorded 298 cases and 461 kg seized.
    4. UAV sophistication: Trafficking networks are using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to circumvent traditional border controls, the NCB stated.
    5. Additional reporting states: Geographical spread: Rajasthan and Jammu & Kashmir also reported drone-related trafficking incidents.

    Where does the structural vulnerability in India’s border architecture lie and why cannot existing mechanisms address it?

    1. The FMR design conflict: The FMR facilitates movement of border communities. This objective conflicts with effective narcotics interdiction.
    2. Unfenced stretches: Drugs are smuggled through unfenced and porous stretches of the border.
    3. Geographic chokepoint: National Highway No. 102 through the Manipur corridor, the Champhai route in Mizoram carry both legal trade and illicit narcotics, making interception difficult.
    4. Ethnic armed group control: The poly-drug production in Myanmar is primarily concentrated in areas controlled by ethnic armed groups in Shan State. These groups operate outside the reach of both the Myanmar state and Indian border enforcement, making source-side interdiction impossible.
    5. South Asian arm of Afghan trade: The NCB specifically identifies that the South Asian arm of the Afghan drug trade flows through Pakistan into India via both the land frontier (Punjab, Rajasthan) and the maritime frontier (Gujarat, Maharashtra coastlines).

    Conclusion

    Myanmar’s rise as the world’s alternative opium supplier has created a structural narcotics challenge for India. The Northeast has become an active distribution hub rather than merely a transit corridor. Drone-enabled trafficking further weakens conventional border controls. Addressing the challenge requires technology-driven surveillance, calibrated reforms to the FMR and stronger cooperation with Myanmar.

    PYQ Relevance

    [UPSC 2018] India’s proximity to two of the world’s biggest illicit opium-growing states has enhanced its internal security concerns. Explain the linkages between drug trafficking and other illicit activities such as gunrunning, money laundering, and human trafficking. What countermeasures should be taken to prevent the same?

    Linkage: The PYQ examines the internal security implications of cross-border drug trafficking and its nexus with organised crime. The article explains how Myanmar-origin narcotics trafficking through India’s northeastern border has become a major cross-border security challenge.

  • NFSA Draft Amendment on Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)

    Why in News?

    The Union Government has released a draft amendment to the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, inviting public comments until 13 July 2026.

    Proposed Amendment

    • Every AAY beneficiary will receive 7 kg of foodgrains per month, subject to a maximum of 35 kg per household, free of cost.
    • Earlier: Every AAY household received 35 kg/month, irrespective of family size.

    Rationale

    • Remove inequity between small and large households.
    • Ensure a fairer per capita allocation.
    • Better align foodgrain entitlements with nutritional needs.

    Concerns

    • Kerala and other non-BJP ruled states argue that smaller households, especially in southern states, will receive less foodgrain, reducing overall allocations.
    • Activists warn of a possible North-South disparity due to differences in average family size.
    • Delay in the Census has prevented revision of AAY beneficiary lists, leaving many poor families excluded.
    • Right to Food Campaign demands:
      • 14 kg foodgrains per person.
      • Inclusion of pulses and edible oil under NFSA to ensure nutritional security.

    [2018] With reference to the provisions made under the National Food Security Act, 2013, consider the following statements:

    1. The families coming under the category of ‘below poverty line (BPL)’ only are eligible to receive subsidised food grains.

    2. The eldest woman in a household, of age 18 years or above, shall be the head of the household for the purpose of issuance of a ration card.

    3. Pregnant women and lactating mothers are entitled to a ‘take‑home ration’ of 1600 calories per day during pregnancy and for six months thereafter.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    A 1 and 2

    B 2 only

    C 1 and 3

    D 3 only

  • Myanmar Replaces Afghanistan as Major Opium Source

    Why in News?

    The NCB Annual Report 2026 states that after the Taliban’s 2022 ban on opium cultivation in Afghanistan, Myanmar has become a major global opium source, increasing drug trafficking along India’s eastern borders.

    Key Highlights

    • Myanmar’s illicit opium cultivation increased by 56% (2021 to 2023), reaching 45,200 hectares.
    • The Manipur corridor (NH-102) is the primary route for heroin and methamphetamine entering India.
    • Champhai (Mizoram) is another major trafficking route via Myanmar’s Chin State.
    • The Golden Triangle (Myanmar, Laos, Thailand) has become a major hub for opium and methamphetamine (Yaba) production.

    Border Security Concerns

    • Porous India-Myanmar border and the Free Movement Regime (FMR) facilitate cross-border trafficking.
    • Northeastern states, especially Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland, are increasingly used as transit and distribution hubs.

    Drone-Based Trafficking

    • Drone smuggling from Pakistan rose from 3 incidents (2021) to 305 incidents (2025).
    • In 2025, 468 kg of narcotics were seized through drones, with Punjab accounting for 298 cases.

    Other Trafficking Routes

    • Eastern Route: Myanmar → Manipur/Mizoram → Assam → Rest of India.
    • Western Route: Afghanistan → Pakistan → Punjab/Rajasthan.
    • Maritime Route: Pakistan → Gujarat/Maharashtra via fishing vessels.

    Government Response

    • Enhanced border surveillance and drone detection.
    • Intelligence-led operations by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
    • Increased international cooperation against cross-border narcotics trafficking.

    Prelims Facts

    • Golden Triangle: Myanmar, Laos, Thailand.
    • Golden Crescent: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran.
    • Yaba: Methamphetamine + caffeine tablets.
    • FMR: Allows border residents to cross the India-Myanmar border without a visa within prescribed limits.

  • DAE Inaugurates World’s First Nuclear Heat Based Hydrogen Production Facility

    Why in News?

    The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has inaugurated the world’s first hydrogen production facility based on the Copper-Chlorine (Cu-Cl) Thermochemical Cycle using nuclear process heat from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) at Kalpakkam.

    Key Highlights

    • First in the world to produce hydrogen using the Cu-Cl thermochemical cycle powered by nuclear heat.
    • Established at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam.
    • Uses process heat from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) instead of fossil fuels.
    • Technology developed indigenously by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
    • Serves as a technology demonstrator for future commercial-scale nuclear hydrogen production.

    What is the Copper-Chlorine (Cu-Cl) Thermochemical Cycle?

    The Cu-Cl cycle is a series of chemical reactions that split water into hydrogen and oxygen using heat and electricity.

    Process

    • Water reacts with copper and chlorine compounds.
    • High-temperature nuclear heat drives most of the reactions.
    • Hydrogen gas is produced while intermediate chemicals are recycled.

    Advantages

    • Operates at lower temperatures (≈500°C) than many other thermochemical cycles.
    • Higher thermodynamic efficiency.
    • Requires less electricity.
    • Produces zero greenhouse gas emissions when powered by nuclear energy.

    Why Use Nuclear Heat?

    • Fast reactors generate both Carbon-free electricity and High-temperature process heat.
    • Using this heat:
      • Reduces dependence on natural gas for hydrogen production.
      • Improves overall reactor efficiency.
      • Enables continuous hydrogen production irrespective of weather conditions.

    Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR)

    • Located at IGCAR, Kalpakkam.
    • India’s only operating fast reactor research facility.
    • Commissioned in 1985.
    • Uses liquid sodium as coolant.
    • Produces plutonium while generating power.

    [2023] Consider the following heavy industries:
    1. Fertilizer plants
    2. Oil refineries
    3. Steel plants
    Green hydrogen is expected to play a significant role in decarbonizing how many of the above industries?

    [A] Only one

    [B] Only two

    [C] All three

    [D] None

  • 🔴[UPSC Webinar for 2027] By Vijaya Ma’am, Civilsdaily IAS | How to Make PYQ-Based Prelims And Mains Notes Using Microthemes? | Join on 29th June at 5PM

    🔴[UPSC Webinar for 2027] By Vijaya Ma’am, Civilsdaily IAS | How to Make PYQ-Based Prelims And Mains Notes Using Microthemes? | Join on 29th June at 5PM

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    In this LIVE session, I will show you how to create PYQ based Prelims and Mains notes using the Microthemes approach, a system that helps you study exactly the way UPSC demands.

    What You’ll Learn

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  • Netra AEW&C System Receives Final Operational Clearance (FOC)

    Why in the news?

    The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has handed over the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) certificate of the indigenous Netra Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) system to the Indian Air Force (IAF). The system had received Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) in 2017.

    What is Netra AEW&C?

    • Netra is an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system developed indigenously by DRDO’s Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) in collaboration with the IAF and Indian industry.
    • Mounted on a modified Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft.
    • Functions as a “flying radar”, providing airborne surveillance, early warning, command and battle management.

    Key Features

    • 360° situational awareness through networked surveillance.
    • Detects and tracks: Fighter aircraft, Cruise missiles, Drones/UAVs, Helicopters, and Surface targets.
    • Provides: Airspace surveillance, Threat detection, Target tracking, Battle management, and Command and control support.
    • Enhances interoperability with ground-based and airborne assets.

    Prelims Pointers

    • AEW&C: Airborne Early Warning and Control system for surveillance and battle management.
    • FOC (Final Operational Clearance): Certification that a defence system is fully operational and combat-ready.
    • IOC (Initial Operational Clearance): Limited operational induction after successful initial trials.
    • CABS: Centre for Airborne Systems, a DRDO laboratory responsible for airborne surveillance systems.

    [2025] With reference to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), consider the following statements:
    I. All types of UAVs can do vertical landing.
    II. All types of UAVs can do automated hovering.
    III. All types of UAVs can use battery only as a source of power supply.
    How many of the statements given above are correct?

    [A] Only one

    [B] Only two

    [C] All the three

    [D] None

  • AIR SUVIDHA 2.0 Portal

    Why in News?

    The Ministry of Civil Aviation, in collaboration with Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), launched AIR SUVIDHA 2.0, an upgraded digital health declaration portal, to strengthen health surveillance at India’s international Points of Entry following the Ebola (Bundibugyo virus disease) outbreak in Central Africa.

    Why was AIR SUVIDHA 2.0 Introduced?

    • WHO declared the Ebola/Bundibugyo Virus Disease (BVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 17 May 2026 under the International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005.
    • To prevent the import and spread of the disease through international travel.

    What is AIR SUVIDHA 2.0?

    AIR SUVIDHA 2.0 is a contactless online Passenger Health Self-Declaration Portal for international travellers arriving in India.

    Key Features

    • Passengers must submit an online Self-Declaration Form (SDF) before arrival.
    • Form can be filled up to 24 hours before travel.
    • Captures: 21-day travel history, Exposure history, and Symptoms, if any.
    • Enables paperless and contactless health screening.
    • Real-time data sharing with Airport Health Officer (AHO), Bureau of Immigration, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), and State Surveillance Officers.
    • Enables early identification, screening, and referral of high-risk passengers.

    Benefits

    • Strengthens surveillance at Points of Entry (PoEs).
    • Supports rapid outbreak detection and response.
    • Reduces delays through digital processing.
    • Enhances coordination among aviation, immigration, and health authorities.

    What is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)?

    • The highest level of global public health alert declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) under the International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005.
    • Declared when an extraordinary public health event: Poses a risk of international disease spread and Requires a coordinated international response.

    What is Ebola (Bundibugyo Virus Disease)?

    • A severe viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, one of the species of the Ebola virus.
    • Spread through:
      • Direct contact with infected blood or body fluids.
      • Contaminated objects.
      • Infected animals.
    • Symptoms: Fever. Weakness. Vomiting and diarrhoea. Internal and external bleeding in severe cases.

  • Transition Facilitation (Quality Control) Order, 2026

    Why in News?

    The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has notified the Transition Facilitation (Quality Control) Order, 2026 to ease industry compliance while maintaining product quality and strengthening domestic supply chains.

    What are Quality Control Orders (QCOs)?

    • Quality Control Orders (QCOs) are mandatory regulations issued by the Central Government under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act, 2016.
    • They require specified products to conform to Indian Standards (IS) and obtain BIS certification before manufacture, import, sale, or distribution.
    • Objectives:
      • Ensure consumer safety and product quality.
      • Prevent substandard imports.
      • Promote standardisation and manufacturing excellence.
      • Improve global competitiveness of Indian products.

    What is the Transition Facilitation (Quality Control) Order, 2026?

    The Order introduces a risk-based alternative compliance mechanism to facilitate a smooth transition to QCO compliance without compromising quality standards.

    Key Features

    • Allows manufacturers to procure inputs from suppliers licensed under:
      • Scheme II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 (Product Certification Scheme),
      • instead of only relying on Scheme I (ISI Mark Scheme).
    • Permissions will be granted based on:
      • Technical capability.
      • Compliance history.
      • Technology adoption and innovation.
      • Research and design capabilities.
      • Contribution to domestic supply chains.
    • Manufacturers with three consecutive years of default-free QCO compliance are also eligible for the benefits.
    • Maintains consumer protection while reducing compliance bottlenecks.

    BIS Certification Schemes

    • Scheme I (ISI Mark Scheme): Product testing and factory inspection. Mandatory use of the ISI Mark. Applicable to products covered under QCOs.
    • Scheme II: Simplified product certification framework. Intended for specific categories where alternative conformity assessment is permitted. Facilitates flexible sourcing while ensuring quality.

    Significance

    • Strengthens domestic value chains.
    • Encourages technology upgradation and innovation.
    • Reduces regulatory burden on industry.
    • Enhances Ease of Doing Business.
    • Improves integration with global supply chains.
    • Ensures continued consumer confidence in product quality.

    Prelims Pointers

    • DPIIT: Department under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry responsible for industrial policy, startup promotion, and quality ecosystem.
    • Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS):
      • National Standards Body of India.
      • Established under the BIS Act, 2016.
      • Functions under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
      • Formulates Indian Standards and operates certification schemes, including the ISI Mark.

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