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Mother and Child Health – Immunization Program, BPBB, PMJSY, PMMSY, etc.

[25th October 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: Respect the health rights of India’s children

op-ed snap | Social Justice | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2020] In order to enhance the prospects of social development, sound and adequate health care policies are needed particularly in the fields of geriatric and maternal health care. Discuss.

Linkage: Just as maternal and geriatric health require targeted policies, this article highlights the urgent need for child specific pharmaceutical regulation, reinforcing that inclusive social development demands age-segmented health care frameworks addressing the unique vulnerabilities of each group.

Mentor’s Comment

The tragic deaths of 25 children in Madhya Pradesh due to contaminated cough syrup have reignited a critical debate on India’s regulatory failure in child health and pharmaceutical safety. The incident exposes deep gaps in monitoring, quality control, and the larger question of how India safeguards its youngest citizens’ right to health. For UPSC aspirants, this issue links to public health governance (GS-2), ethical administration (GS-4), and inclusive growth (GS-3), all central to understanding India’s social contract with its people.

Why in the News?

Twenty five children lost their lives after consuming contaminated cough syrup, a tragedy that shocked the nation. The pediatrician involved reportedly received a ₹2.54 lakh commission for prescribing the syrup, raising questions about medical ethics, accountability, and the systemic failure of regulation. This is not an isolated case, since 2022, contaminated syrups from India have caused deaths in Gambia, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, and Cameroon, denting India’s image as the “pharmacy of the Global South.” The issue marks a repeated failure of quality control and enforcement, despite India having one of the largest pharmaceutical industries in the world.

Where the Focus Needs to Be

  1. Regulatory framework: The emphasis must shift from blame to building robust regulatory architecture for the distribution of pediatric medicines.
  2. Child health protection: India must uphold its constitutional commitment under Article 39(f), ensuring children’s right to health and development.
  3. Legal ecosystem: Existing laws, such as the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act and National Policy for Children 2013, must evolve to cover medicine safety for children.

How Inadequate Oversight Endangers Children

  1. Weak pharmacovigilance: Insufficient clinical data and lack of dedicated pediatric testing result in drugs for adults being extrapolated for children.
  2. Dosage disparity: Absence of age-specific dosage guidelines often leads to overmedication and severe side effects.
  3. Special needs ignored: Pediatric pharmacology demands unique formulations, but most drugs are designed with adults as the reference.
  4. Ethical breach: The commission based medical practice further erodes trust, especially when children’s lives are at stake.

What the Global Framework Teaches India

  1. Regulatory precedents: The European Union’s Paediatric Use Marketing Authorisation and the U.S. Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act (BPCA) mandate pediatric testing for all drugs.
  2. Holistic approach: These frameworks ensure drug safety through clinical data collection, financial incentives for manufacturers, and legal enforcement.
  3. Indian gap: India lacks such comprehensive laws; existing rules focus only on general health safety, not pediatric-specific provisions.

Why Pediatric Medicines Need Special Policy Attention

  1. Essential medicine concept: The WHO defines essential medicines as those meeting priority health needs. Pediatric formulations should be an integral part of this.
  2. Affordability: Without public support, many families cannot afford safe alternatives, forcing them to buy untested drugs.
  3. Domestic R&D: India’s dependency on adult-tested formulations highlights the absence of child focused pharmaceutical innovation.
  4. Education and regulation: Pharmacists and caregivers need training to ensure proper dosage and drug choice.

How India Can Reform Pediatric Drug Policy

  1. Zero tolerance on contamination: Strong penalties and criminal accountability for substandard and spurious drugs.
  2. Independent regulator: A separate Pediatric Drug Safety Division within CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation).
  3. Integrated surveillance: Real time data monitoring for adverse pediatric drug reactions through digital reporting.
  4. International benchmarking: Alignment of India’s pediatric drug policy with WHO and OECD standards.
  5. Public awareness: Dissemination of safety information to parents, caregivers, and schools.

Need for India Data

  1. Evidence based policy: India must base its pediatric drug policy on domestic child health data rather than extrapolations from adult studies or foreign datasets.
  2. Malnutrition link: Toxicity of contaminated syrups is worsened by underlying malnutrition, emphasizing a multi sectoral child health approach.

Conclusion

India’s children represent 39% of its population, yet policy neglect leaves them vulnerable to unsafe drugs and unethical practices. The current crisis is not just about regulatory lapses but about violating the fundamental right to health and life under Article 21. India must institutionalize a child-specific pharmaceutical policy, backed by strict monitoring, ethical medical practices, and international standard oversight. Ensuring safe, affordable, and regulated pediatric medicines is not merely a policy choice, it is a moral obligation and constitutional duty.

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Foreign Policy Watch: United Nations

[24th October 2025] The Hindu Oped: The UN matters, as a symbol of possibility

op-ed snap | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Important International Institutions

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2025] The reform process in the United Nations remains unaccomplished because of the delicate imbalance of East and West and entanglement of the USA vs. Russo-Chinese alliance. Examine and critically evaluate the East-West policy confrontations in this regard.

Linkage: UN is an important and recurring UPSC theme, often asked through its agencies and reform debates. This question is crucial as it probes the East–West power imbalance that hinders UN reform, echoing the article’s call for a more representative global order.

Mentor’s Comment

The article reviews the United Nations (UN) at 80 years, analysing its evolution, global role, and urgent need for institutional reform. It explores India’s position on UNSC restructuring, challenges of multilateralism, and the UN’s normative impact on global governance. For UPSC aspirants, the theme directly links with GS Paper II, international institutions, global order, and India’s diplomacy.

Introduction

Formed after World War II to preserve peace and promote human dignity, the UN evolved from a Cold War arena to a forum for cooperative problem-solving. The institution remains indispensable but requires deep reform to stay relevant in a multipolar and interconnected world.

Reforming the UN: Adapting to a Shifting Global Order

  1. Foundational Context: Established in 1945 as a peace mechanism ensuring collective security, equality of states, and global legal order
  2. Changing Landscape: Transitioned from bipolarity (US–USSR) to unipolarity and now multipolarity marked by fragmented alliances and transnational threats such as climate change and cyber warfare.
  3. Institutional Lag: UNSC composition reflects post-1945 power hierarchy. Exclusion of emerging powers, India, Japan, Germany, Brazil, South Africa, undermines legitimacy and efficiency.
  4. Legitimacy and Representation: Outdated representation erodes the Council’s credibility, weakening enforcement capacity and consensus-building.

UN’s Humanitarian and Normative Relevance

  1. Humanitarian Operations: UNHCR, WFP, and UNICEF deliver critical relief during conflicts and disasters, providing food, shelter, and protection.
  2. Peacekeeping Mandate: Blue Helmets ensure limited stability in fragile regions, sustaining fragile ceasefires and aiding post-conflict recovery.
  3. Norm Creation: UN conventions and declarations define global standards for human rights, gender equality, and sustainable development.
    The SDGs (2015) frame a universal agenda for inclusive and sustainable growth.
  4. Symbolic Value: Represents a global forum for dialogue, ensuring that multilateralism remains the default mechanism for peace and justice.

Institutional Weaknesses and Reform Imperatives

  1. Erosion of Liberal Multilateralism: Rising nationalism and protectionism weaken commitment to collective decision-making.
  2. Structural Constraints: Permanent members’ veto power perpetuates paralysis in humanitarian crises.
  3. Financial Fragility: Budgetary shortfalls from delayed dues (notably by major contributors) constrain operational capacity and staffing.
  4. Operational Agility: Requires digitisation, decentralised response mechanisms, and enhanced decision-making authority at field levels.

India’s Strategic Position in Global Governance

  1. India’s Credentials: World’s largest democracy, major troop-contributor to peacekeeping missions, and growing economic power.
  2. UNSC Reform Advocacy: Demands structural reform ensuring equitable and inclusive representation of developing nations.
  3. Strategic Autonomy: Follows independent policy avoiding bloc alignment while protecting regional and developmental interests.
  4. Vision for Reform: Supports dignity-based multilateralism ensuring sovereignty, cooperation, and equity among nations.

Mandate for Renewal and Reform

  1. Council Reconfiguration: Expands permanent and non-permanent seats to reflect current geopolitical realities.
  2. Institutional Agility: Enhances crisis responsiveness through digital integration, rapid funding, and empowered missions.
  3. Moral Authority: Restores credibility by reaffirming adherence to international law and ethical neutrality in decision-making.
  4. Member-State Commitment: Ensures predictable funding and sustained political backing from member nations to strengthen UN institutions.

Conclusion

The UN remains a vital, evolving institution balancing ideals with realpolitik. Its effectiveness depends on reform, representation, and renewed moral purpose. Relevance in the 21st century rests on its ability to become more inclusive, responsive, and legitimate.

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US policy wise : Visa, Free Trade and WTO

[23rd October 2025] The Hindu Oped: Immigration and the politics of fear

op-ed snap | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Effect Of Policies & Politics Of World On India'S Interests

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2020] Indian diaspora has a decisive role to play in the politics and economy of America and European Countries.” Comment with examples.

Linkage: This article explores how anti-immigration politics in the West, particularly in the UK and US, are reshaping narratives around migrants and minorities, directly affecting the Indian diaspora’s political influence, integration, and image abroad. It also relates to how domestic nativism in developed nations influences India’s soft power and global engagement strategy.

Mentor’s Comment

The debate on immigration has taken a darker turn across the Western world, shifting from managing illegal immigration to rejecting legal migrants on cultural or racial grounds. This piece examines the rise of fear-driven politics in the United Kingdom and the United States, where populist leaders exploit insecurities about identity and belonging. It connects these global trends to India’s own discourse on “infiltrators,” highlighting how such politics corrodes the moral and spiritual foundation of nationhood. For UPSC aspirants, this article is a rich resource for themes under GS Paper 2 (Polity & Governance, International Relations) and GS Paper 4 (Ethics & Society).

Introduction: The New Politics of Immigration

Immigration has always been an emotionally charged issue, balancing national security, cultural identity, and humanitarian values. But the tone of the conversation has changed drastically. Once focused on border control and illegal entry, the global discourse, led by figures like Donald Trump and echoed by British leaders, is now turning against legal migrants themselves. The recent developments in the United Kingdom, coupled with populist rhetoric in the U.S., mark a disturbing shift from policy debates to identity-based fear-mongering. It signals a new era where politics thrives on division, and where the very definition of nationhood is under siege.

Why in the News?

At the UN General Assembly, U.S. President Donald Trump openly urged Europe to “end the failed experiment of open borders,” marking the first time an American leader exported his anti-immigrant ideology so aggressively to other nations. The U.K. soon reflected similar sentiments, not just against illegal immigrants but against those living legally under Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). The political shift shows how nativist populism has evolved from fringe rhetoric to mainstream governance, posing moral and democratic questions for societies that once celebrated diversity.

How Has Immigration Politics Shifted in the UK?

  1. Shift from legality to identity: The focus has moved from illegal immigration control to questioning legal migrants’ right to belong.
  2. Historic continuity: Britain has witnessed recurring anti-immigrant waves, from Enoch Powell’s 1968 “Rivers of Blood” speech to Brexit’s “Take Back Control” slogan.
  3. Turning point: Trump’s UN speech and UK’s Reform Party rhetoric signify a pivot, from economic capability to cultural exclusion.

What Recent Events Sparked the Debate?

  1. Mass rallies: Far-right leader Tommy Robinson led a 1,50,000-strong “Unite the Kingdom” rally, posing as a free speech movement but fuelled by anti-immigration anger.
  2. Imported ideology: French politician Eric Zemmour warned of the “great replacement”, the idea that European people are being replaced by immigrants from Muslim-majority regions.
  3. Policy proposal: Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party proposed scrapping Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) and replacing it with stricter five-year visas.
  4. Consequences: Even current ILR holders and retirees would face uncertainty, eroding the social contract between the state and its residents.

How Has the Labour Government Responded?

  1. Raising the bar: New Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood extended ILR eligibility from 5 to 10 years, with higher English proficiency, employment verification, and volunteering requirements.
  2. Moral hierarchy: This creates a two-tier society, citizens who live freely and migrants forced to constantly prove their worth.
  3. Political motive: Labour’s move reflects a competitive hardline stance to match Reform UK’s popularity and counter populist fear politics.

How Is Race Re-entering the Immigration Discourse?

  1. Racial undertones: Conservative politician Robert Jenrick’s remark about “not seeing another white face” reveals how immigration rhetoric is slipping into racial anxiety.
  2. From migrants to race: The debate is no longer about work permits or visas; it’s now about who belongs and who looks British.
  3. American parallels: Trump’s attempt to revoke birthright citizenship and the spectacle of deporting Indian immigrants in shackles echo the same moral crisis, dehumanisation of the “other.”

What Lessons Does This Hold for India?

  1. Mirroring patterns: In India too, discourse on “infiltrators” and “termites” has been used for populist mobilisation.
  2. Ernest Renan’s vision: The 19th-century philosopher described a nation as a “spiritual principle”, based on shared memories and mutual consent, not race or religion.
  3. Moral erosion: When “present consent”, the will to live together, is weakened, nations lose their moral foundation.
  4. Performative cruelty: Treating migration as a threat rather than a socio-economic phenomenon serves political ends, not human progress.

Conclusion

The politics of fear around immigration reflects a deeper crisis, of identity, belonging, and moral leadership. When democratic societies redefine “worthiness” in racial or cultural terms, they betray the inclusive principles that built them. In both the West and India, the challenge is not just managing immigration but reaffirming what it means to be a nation. As Renan reminded us, a nation exists not by blood or border, but by the desire to live together. Upholding that desire, amid fear and division, is the true test of our times.

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Air Pollution

[22nd October 2025 ] The Hindu Op-ed: Unreliable air and noise data, real-time deception

op-ed snap | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2023] Describe the key points of the revised Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) recently released by the WHO. How are these different from its last update in 2005? What changes in India’s National Clean Air Programme are required to achieve these revised standards?

Linkage: This PYQ directly links to the article’s focus on unreliable air quality data and weak monitoring under NCAP. Since pollution is a recurring UPSC theme, it highlights how aligning India’s policies with updated WHO standards demands scientific integrity and credible data.

Mentor’s Comment

When truth itself is blurred by flawed data, governance becomes an illusion. India’s air and noise monitoring systems, meant to be the foundation of environmental policy, are now under scrutiny for misleading the nation with inaccurate data. This is not just a story about malfunctioning sensors but about the collapse of scientific integrity, accountability, and public trust. The issue is no longer technical; it is constitutional, affecting citizens’ Right to Health and Life.

Why in the News

Two major failures in India’s environmental monitoring systems, Delhi’s Real-Time Air Pollution Network and Lucknow’s National Ambient Noise Monitoring Network, have exposed disturbing lapses in data integrity and governance. For the first time, even raw government data is being accused of misleading the public by understating pollution levels. Sensors placed in less polluted areas, faulty installations under tree cover, and outdated noise regulations have collectively raised alarm. This is significant because policy credibility, public health, and India’s global environmental reputation now stand compromised.

Introduction

Environmental governance in India has entered a critical phase. Despite massive investments and advanced technology, monitoring systems for air and noise pollution have failed to inspire confidence. When environmental data is unreliable, policies derived from it lose direction. As Delhi continues to suffocate under toxic smog and Lucknow’s soundscape exceeds permissible decibel levels, the larger question emerges — can real-time governance be meaningful when real-time data is deceptive?

Policy Built on Sand: When Data Loses Credibility

  1. Flawed Sensors: Multiple audits, including the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, reveal that several air-quality sensors in Delhi are placed behind walls or under tree cover, leading to inaccurate readings.
  2. Misleading Reports: Delhi’s official Air Quality Index (AQI) often shows “moderate” levels even as citizens gasp through toxic smog, undermining public trust.
  3. Governance Crisis: When data itself is unreliable, policy decisions on stubble burning, vehicular restrictions, and industrial emissions lose legitimacy.
  4. International Impact: Weak monitoring erodes India’s credibility under the Paris Agreement and WHO Air Quality Standards.

Sound of Silence: Noise Monitoring Failure in Lucknow

  1. Defective Network: Lucknow’s National Ambient Noise Monitoring Network fails to record accurate decibel levels; sensors are either malfunctioning or poorly calibrated.
  2. Outdated Regulation: India continues to rely on the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, which are inadequate and below WHO standards.
  3. Weak Enforcement: Penalties are minor, compliance is poor, and urban noise remains unregulated, especially around airports and religious places.
  4. Constitutional Concern: The Supreme Court recently transferred pleas on noise around Delhi Airport to the NGT, acknowledging that noise is a public health and fundamental rights issue under Articles 19 and 21.

Science or Spectacle: Technology Without Transparency

  1. Spectacle over Substance: Governments deploy shiny monitoring hardware but ignore scientific calibration and audits.
  2. Opacity in Data: Citizens are misled when real-time pollution data is selectively downplayed to show moderate levels.
  3. Public Deception: Misleading indices delay judicial intervention and suppress citizen voices demanding clean air.
  4. Democratic Erosion: Governance becomes a contest between citizens and industries, with flawed numbers protecting inaction.

The Human Cost: Health and Life Expectancy

  1. Health Impact: Exposure to NO₂ and PM2.5 not only weakens lungs but also accelerates myopia and aggravates asthma in children.
  2. Data from Reports: The Air Quality Life Index (Energy Policy Institute) shows that if Delhi met WHO air standards, life expectancy would rise by 8.2 years.
  3. National Toll: Across India, air pollution cuts life expectancy by nearly 5 years, making this a silent epidemic.
  4. Flawed Data = Lost Lives: When monitoring fails, policies fail, and citizens continue to breathe poison unknowingly.

Restoring Credibility: Science as the Foundation

  1. Independent Oversight: India lacks an independent audit panel for environmental monitoring, unlike global norms.
  2. Enforcement Gaps: Though CPCB has clear guidelines on sensor location and calibration, implementation remains lax.
  3. Need for Citizen Oversight: Making raw data publicly accessible and encouraging third-party audits will restore trust.
  4. Beyond Bureaucracy: Environmental monitoring should be treated not as a formality, but as a scientific and ethical duty.

Conclusion

India’s real-time air and noise monitoring crisis is a wake-up call. The credibility of environmental governance rests not on political optics but on scientific truth. Without transparent data and independent audits, policies lose legitimacy and citizens lose trust. The real cost is borne not in GDP but in children’s lungs and sleepless nights. Science, integrity, and public accountability must anchor India’s environmental data revolution, else we risk turning real-time monitoring into real-time deception.

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Foreign Policy Watch: India-China

[18th October 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: Better global governance led by China and India

op-ed snap | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: India & Its Neighborhood - Relations

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2023] Virus of Conflict is affecting the functioning of the SCO.” In the light of the above statement, point out the role of India in mitigating problems.

Linkage: This PYQ is important as it tests India’s diplomatic balance within the SCO, amid regional rivalries. The article connects by showing how the Xi–Modi meeting and Global Governance Initiative reflect India’s role in restoring trust and strengthening multilateralism within the SCO framework.

Mentor’s Comment

As the world enters a phase of geopolitical churn and institutional fatigue, the call for a reformed, people-centric global governance system grows louder. The 75th anniversary of India-China diplomatic ties and the 80th year of the UN offer a historical moment: two Asian giants, once colonised, now rising powers, can redefine global order. For UPSC aspirants, this theme bridges multilateral diplomacy, global reforms, and India’s evolving foreign policy—key areas across GS Paper 2 and IR essays.

Introduction

The year 2025 marks a milestone in both bilateral and global history. India and China, home to over 2.8 billion people, commemorate 75 years of diplomatic relations, even as the United Nations celebrates its 80th anniversary. Against the backdrop of unilateralism and weakening multilateralism, the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) proposed by China, with India’s cooperation, offers a blueprint for a more equitable international order. As Asia’s two leading powers move from rivalry to partnership, their convergence could transform the world’s governance architecture, symbolising a decisive shift toward multipolarity and shared prosperity.

Why is the India-China cooperation in 2025 a landmark moment?

  1. Historical Context: The two leaders, Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi, have met 18 times since 2014, an unprecedented frequency symbolising sustained engagement despite border tensions.
  2. Symbolic Restoration: The bilateral meeting at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan (2024) and now at the 25th SCO Summit in Tianjin (2025) reflects a conscious reset in relations.
  3. Global Expectation: Their 19th meeting during the Tianjin Summit is being seen globally as a moment to restore balance to multilateral decision-making, especially amid Western dominance fatigue.
  4. Public Diplomacy: Both sides emphasise “partners, not rivals,” signaling a shift from competition to cooperation.

What is changing in the global governance discourse?

  1. Erosion of Trust: The early 21st century witnessed rising unilateralism, protectionism, and hegemonism, eroding faith in international institutions.
  2. UN at 80: The UN system, though foundational, now faces criticism for its limited representation of developing nations and sluggish response to global crises.
  3. Reform Imperative: The question before humanity is not just “who governs” but “how governance is shared.” The article highlights the need for reform without rupture, evolving existing systems rather than replacing them.
  4. Asia’s Moment: The decline of Western dominance and the rise of Asia and Eurasia are redefining the rules of the game, with India and China at the center.

What is the Global Governance Initiative (GGI)?

  1. New Vision: The GGI, announced by President Xi at the Tianjin SCO Summit, aims to correct the deficit in global governance by promoting a fair, inclusive order.
  • Five Core Principles:
    1. Sovereign Equality: Respect for all nations’ independence and dignity; greater democracy in international relations.
    2. Rule of Law: Equal application of international law and rejection of double standards.
    3. Multilateralism: Strengthening the UN as the core platform for global decision-making.
    4. People-Centric Approach: Governance should prioritise well-being, safety, and fulfillment of citizens globally.
    5. Real Results Orientation: Developed nations must shoulder more responsibility, while developing nations must cooperate for shared solutions.
    6. Essence: The GGI is not about creating parallel institutions but reforming and improving existing ones to respond effectively to modern challenges.

How can India-China cooperation strengthen multilateralism?

  1. Shared Responsibilities: Both countries, as major developing economies and SCO/BRICS members, bear the responsibility to defend international fairness and justice.
  2. Strategic Coordination: The leaders’ dialogue stresses communication on major international and regional issues to bridge divides in the Global South.

Complementary Visions:

  1. China’s “community of shared future for mankind”
  2. India’s “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (One Earth, One Family, One Future)
  3. Together, they embody the moral and developmental leadership needed for a post-Western global order.
  4. Practical Gains: Resumption of direct flights, maintenance of border stability, and enhanced trade cooperation show concrete steps toward normalisation.

What challenges lie ahead for India-China collaboration?

  1. Trust Deficit: Lingering border disputes and differing political models may slow strategic trust-building.
  2. Competing Ambitions: While both aspire to leadership in the Global South, perception management and narrative balance will be crucial.
  3. Western Reaction: The West may perceive India-China cooperation as a counterweight to transatlantic power, potentially complicating India’s strategic autonomy.
  4. Need for Institutionalisation: Long-term progress demands institutional mechanisms, track-II dialogues, multilateral coordination cells, and joint UN reform working groups.

Conclusion

The India-China partnership in 2025 signals more than a diplomatic milestone, it represents a potential rebalancing of world order. As the UN turns 80, the call for shared leadership between emerging powers grows urgent. If pursued with mutual trust and strategic maturity, the GGI-led collaboration can make the 21st century truly an Asian century rooted in equity, inclusivity, and sustainability. In a fractured world, cooperation, not competition, may be the only path to survival and progress.

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

[17th October 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: Ensure safeguards for India’s carbon market

op-ed snap | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2015] Should the pursuit of carbon credit and Clean Development Mechanism set up under UNFCCC be maintained even though there has been a massive slide in the value of carbon credit? Discuss with respect to India’s energy needs for economic growth.

Linkage: The article directly aligns with this PYQ as it examines how India can sustain carbon credit mechanisms while ensuring justice and inclusivity in its domestic carbon market. It stresses that ethical safeguards and equitable benefit-sharing are essential to reconcile climate finance with India’s growth needs.

Mentor’s Comment

In an era when climate markets are rapidly gaining traction, India’s push to create its own carbon credit trading system represents a major step towards balancing growth and sustainability. However, as global experiences reveal, the promise of carbon markets often hides complex questions of equity, consent, and justice. This article examines how India can build a just, transparent, and credible carbon market, drawing lessons from global failures and aligning with its developmental and environmental priorities.

Why in the News

India is rolling out its Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), a landmark move that will create a domestic carbon market for emission trading and offset generation. The scheme comes amid a global boom in carbon credits, with 175–180 million credits retired annually. Yet, recent controversies such as the Northern Kenya Rangelands Carbon Project suspension by Verra (2023, 2025) have exposed how poorly governed carbon projects can violate community rights and reproduce colonial-style exploitation. This makes it crucial for India to institutionalize safeguards to prevent land alienation, ensure free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), and guarantee fair benefit-sharing, especially for farmers and marginalized communities who stand at the frontline of climate action.

Introduction

The industrial era’s growth model has pushed the Earth beyond its planetary boundaries, creating a need to decouple economic expansion from environmental degradation. For developing nations like India, degrowth is neither feasible nor just. The path forward lies in green growth, powered by cleaner energy, sustainable agriculture, and carbon crediting mechanisms that reward climate-positive behavior.

However, as India builds its carbon market, it must ensure that climate justice is not sacrificed at the altar of climate finance.

Growth and Sustainability, A Delicate Balance

  1. Decoupling growth from pollution: The industrial revolution model is no longer viable; India must grow while reducing emissions through renewable energy, micro-irrigation, and sustainable farming.
  2. Equitable development: Developing countries cannot afford “degrowth”; instead, they must innovate for green growth pathways that align prosperity with environmental protection.
  3. Indian examples: Rapid progress in solar energy and micro-irrigation exemplifies how growth and sustainability can reinforce each other.

What Are Carbon Credits and Why Do They Matter?

  1. Definition: A carbon credit represents a certified reduction or removal of greenhouse gases (GHGs), measured in CO₂-equivalents.
  2. Generation sources: Created through mitigation activities like renewable energy or sequestration measures such as reforestation, agroforestry, and biochar.
  3. Global scenario: Annually, about 175–180 million credits are retired, with most originating from renewable energy and nature-based projects like REDD+.
  4. India’s initiative: The CCTS sets emission-intensity benchmarks for industries and includes voluntary offsetting mechanisms, managed through a national registry and trading platform.
  5. Emerging sectors: Draft methods for biomass, compressed biogas, and low-emission rice cultivation have already been released.

The Promise and Peril of Carbon Projects

  1. Untapped agricultural potential: Despite 64 Indian projects listed under Verra, only four are registered, none have issued credits yet, largely due to weak farmer engagement and training gaps.
  2. Risk of exploitation: Without safeguards, carbon projects can mirror colonial plantation logic, especially as carbon prices rise.
  3. Global warning signs: The Northern Kenya Rangelands Carbon Project (2012) faced suspension for bypassing consent and misrepresenting community participation.

Violations documented:

  1. Lack of FPIC from indigenous communities.
  2. Projects implemented on unregistered community land.
  3. Enforced by armed rangers; governance opaque.
  4. 2025 Kenyan court judgment confirmed absence of public participation.
  5. Parallel cases: The Lake Turkana Wind Project fenced 150,000 acres of community land — cutting herders off from water and grazing.

India’s Vulnerability: A Warning from Kenya

  1. Community impact: Carbon projects on village commons, forest fringes, or grazing lands can disrupt traditional livelihoods without proper consent.
  2. Caste and equity issues: Agricultural carbon projects have shown tendencies to exclude marginalized caste farmers, offering minimal benefits.
  3. Regulatory gap: India’s CCTS prioritizes procedural compliance but neglects land rights, FPIC, and benefit-sharing — leaving space for exploitation.
  4. Potential consequence: Without reforms, India risks replicating extractive climate models that alienate vulnerable communities.

Towards a Fair and Transparent Carbon Market

  1. Balanced regulation: Overregulation deters genuine actors, while underregulation invites exploitation. India needs a “light but firm” regulatory model.

Core safeguards needed:

  1. Transparency: Mandatory disclosure of benefit-sharing agreements.
  2. Community consent: Institutionalize FPIC before project initiation.
  3. Adaptive regulation: Policies that evolve through stakeholder consultations.
  4. Trust building: Incorporate third-party audits and grievance redressal.
  5. Justice as the foundation: Climate action must empower, not exploit, those sustaining the land.

Conclusion

India’s journey toward a low-carbon future cannot rely solely on markets, it must rest on ethics, equity, and empowerment. As the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) takes shape, the focus must move beyond procedural compliance to protecting land rights, ensuring free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), and guaranteeing fair benefit-sharing with those who nurture the environment. Learning from global pitfalls, India has the opportunity to design a carbon market that is transparent, just, and inclusive, turning climate finance into a true instrument of climate justice and sustainable development. Only then can India demonstrate that growth and green governance are not competing goals, but two sides of the same equitable future.

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Economic Indicators and Various Reports On It- GDP, FD, EODB, WIR etc

[16th October 2025 ] The Hindu Op-ed: Navigating the global economic transformation

op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2019] The long-sustained image of India as a leader of the oppressed and marginalised nations has disappeared on account of its new found role in the emerging global order.

Linkage: The question reflects India’s shift from moral leadership to strategic pragmatism in global affairs. The article builds on this, urging India to reclaim that leadership by shaping a fair, inclusive global economic order for the Global South.

Mentor’s Comment

The tectonic shifts in the world economy today echo the reshaping of global power equations. Salman Khurshid’s article presents a comprehensive analysis of how populist politics, state capitalism, and digital colonialism are reshaping the global economic order. This piece unpacks those arguments and situates them in a UPSC-relevant analytical frame, connecting them to India’s strategic choices and the future of the Global South.

Introduction: Why in the News

The world economy is undergoing a seismic transformation, marked by the U.S.–China great-power rivalry, reshaped trade flows, and the rise of state-driven capitalism. This shift is more than cyclical; it is structural, redefining the principles of globalisation itself. For the first time in decades, both economic and political systems are converging towards protectionism and state control, breaking away from the neoliberal consensus that defined the post–Cold War era. The article underscores how these disruptions open a rare opportunity for India and the Global South to shape a fairer and more inclusive global economic order.

Understanding the New Economic Paradigms

How are populist autocrats reshaping capitalism?

  1. State–capital fusion: Populist autocrats have created a “state-capital Gordian knot”, replacing laissez-faire capitalism with systems that serve oligopolies in exchange for political loyalty.
  2. Corporate dominance: Crony-capitalists now influence state policies, prioritising corporate gains over citizen welfare — mortgaging public assets and weakening the social contract.
  3. Socio-political consequences: This model centralises power, marginalises public accountability, and distorts market competitiveness — leading to plutocracies, not democracies.

Why are traditional power politics resurfacing in the economic sphere?

  1. Resurgent statecraft: America’s recalibration to “Make America Great Again” marks a return of economic nationalism.
  2. Strategic control: U.S. actions — shifting Taiwan’s chip manufacturing, securing Panama routes, weaponising rare earths, and asserting dominance in the Arctic — reflect geo-economic containment of China.
  3. Ecological imperialism: By controlling supply chains and energy corridors, global powers are expanding influence under the guise of “strategic autonomy.”
  4. Global instability: These assertive spheres of influence have led to conflicts and genocides, reigniting the dangers of zero-sum geopolitics.

How is digital colonialism reshaping global economies?

  1. Big Tech dominance: Cloud capitalists have captured value chains and data flows, influencing politics and governance.
  2. Digital imperialism: Initiatives like the AI Action Plan, Cloud Act, and SWIFT weaponisation allow powerful states to dominate financial and cyber infrastructure.
  3. Erosion of sovereignty: Over 100 central banks are piloting state-backed digital currencies, which could ease transactions but risk undermining national autonomy.
  4. Political risks: Digital finance systems complicate political funding, giving populist regimes more tools for manipulation.

How have aid withdrawals widened global inequalities?

  1. Funding collapse: G-7 nations’ $44 billion cuts in developmental aid could push 5.7 million Africans into poverty by 2026.
  2. Ripple effects: In Nepal, reduced grants for small enterprises led to eight lakh migrations, intensifying domestic dissatisfaction.
  3. Humanitarian fallout: 16.7 million people lost access to the World Food Programme in 2023, sparking recruitment into militias across the Sahel region.
  4. Moral crisis: Retrenchment of aid reflects a shift from shared prosperity to self-preservation, amplifying instability in the Global South.

What challenges and opportunities emerge for India and the Global South?

  1. Debt and inequality: Neoliberal globalisation fostered sovereign debt traps and extreme wealth concentration in the Global North.
  2. Poverty crisis: The World Bank’s 2022 Poverty and Shared Prosperity Report notes 47% of humanity lives below the $6.85 poverty line, while 735 million suffer hunger.
  3. Collaborative alternatives: India and the Global South can construct a New Economic Deal through debt-relief frameworks, institutional reforms, and South–South cooperation.
  4. Strategic vision: Building bipartisan international ties and fair trade alliances through BRICS and regional groupings will ensure resilience against Western hegemony.

How must India recalibrate its domestic policies to lead globally?

  1. State leadership: The government must play a commanding role in strategic sectors — energy, data, infrastructure, healthcare, and agriculture — as done by East Asian economies.
  2. Anti-monopoly mechanisms: Creating sovereign wealth funds (like Norway) and enforcing anti-trust norms can prevent oligarchic dominance.
  3. Reimagining PSUs: Instead of privatisation, redeploying PSUs like China’s state-owned enterprises can serve national and geopolitical goals.
  4. Knowledge economy: Heavy investment in research, education, and innovation will secure India’s place as a globally competitive power.
  5. True non-alignment: India’s foreign policy must remain substantive, not performative — driven by consensus and independence rather than partisan interests.

Conclusion

The global economic transformation is not merely about trade or finance; it is about who controls the architecture of global interdependence. As old hierarchies fracture and new alignments emerge, India stands at a crossroads, between aligning with entrenched powers or leading a new era of equitable globalization. The coming decade will test whether the Global South can collectively author a future defined by justice, sustainability, and shared prosperity. The moment is precarious, but also profoundly promising.

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Foreign Policy Watch: India-Australia

[15th October 2025 ] The Hindu Op-ed: Powering up the Australia-India clean energy partnership

op-ed snap | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and agreements involving India

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2022] Clean energy is the order of the day. Describe briefly India’s changing policy towards climate change in various international fora in the context of geopolitics.

Linkage: The India–Australia Renewable Energy Partnership (REP) exemplifies India’s evolving climate diplomacy — shifting from being a climate “follower” to a global clean energy collaborator. It reflects how India aligns geopolitical strategy with green transition, using partnerships like REP to ensure both sustainability and supply chain autonomy.

Mentor’s Comment

At a time when the world is rethinking its clean energy priorities amidst climate vulnerabilities and geopolitical flux, the Australia–India Renewable Energy Partnership (REP) emerges as a beacon of cooperative strength. This article examines how two Indo-Pacific democracies can forge a resilient, balanced, and future-ready clean energy ecosystem — turning climate ambition into implementable strategy.

Introduction

In a decade defined by climate urgency and energy transition, India and Australia are deepening collaboration in renewable energy to reduce carbon footprints and diversify critical supply chains. With Australia’s Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen visiting New Delhi, both nations are poised to convert their shared climate vision into tangible outcomes under the India–Australia Renewable Energy Partnership (REP). The partnership arrives at a pivotal moment when the Indo-Pacific region is reeling under frequent climate disasters and when overdependence on China for clean energy inputs threatens energy security.

Why This Is Big News

The India–Australia clean energy partnership represents a strategic shift from bilateral intent to operational collaboration. It marks the first large-scale joint response by the two democracies to build resilient, China-independent supply chains for renewable technologies.

This is significant because the Indo-Pacific averages nearly 10 climate disasters per month, and projections show up to 89 million climate refugees by 2050. Both countries now aim not merely for targets but for structural autonomy in critical minerals, hydrogen, and solar ecosystems — signalling a new phase of climate diplomacy.

A Climate-Vulnerable Region

  1. Harshest impacts: The Indo-Pacific region witnesses some of the world’s most severe climate consequences, with recurring floods, cyclones, and droughts.
  2. Alarming projections: Between 1970–2022, it averaged 10 climate-related disasters monthly; by 2050, 89 million people may be displaced.
  3. India’s leadership: India targets 500 GW of non-fossil electricity by 2030 (with 280 GW solar) and has achieved 50% non-fossil capacity already — five years ahead of schedule.
  4. Australia’s climate push: It has raised its emission-reduction ambition to 62–70% below 2005 levels by 2035, aligning with its net-zero goal.

The Supply Chain Challenge

  1. Dependence on China: China refines 90% of rare earth elements and manufactures 80% of global solar modules, giving it near-monopoly power.
  2. India’s dilemma: Faces import dependence for rare earth magnets and battery materials, affecting EV and wind sectors.
  3. Australia’s gap: Despite being rich in lithium, cobalt, and rare earths, it lacks refining and downstream industries.
  4. Pandemic exposure: The COVID-19 crisis exposed global supply fragility; China’s export restrictions further underlined the danger of single-country dependence.
  5. Industry impact: Example, an Indian EV manufacturer’s production halved in July due to component shortages.

What the Renewable Energy Partnership (REP) Offers

  1. Comprehensive framework: REP spans eight key areas, solar PV, green hydrogen, energy storage, circular economy, solar supply chains, two-way investments, and capacity building.
  2. Collaborative platforms: Introduces a Track 1.5 Dialogue, connecting policy, industry, and academia to translate ideas into pilot projects.
  3. Focus areas: Promotes joint R&D, investment in refining, hydrogen economy, and cross-training of skilled personnel.
  4. Strategic significance: Seeks to create an Indo-Pacific clean energy hub resilient to geopolitical shocks.

Complementary Strengths: Why Collaboration Works

Australia’s edge:

  1. Critical mineral base — rich in lithium, rare earths.
  2. Stable regulations and a focus on green jobs under its Net Zero Jobs Plan.

India’s advantage:

  1. Demographic dividend — 65% population below 35 years.
  2. PLI schemes and Skill India fostering clean-tech manufacturing.
  3. Expanding domestic demand for solar, hydrogen, and battery systems.

Synergistic model: Together, they can integrate Australia’s minerals with India’s manufacturing and labour pool, creating a regional clean energy ecosystem that is both inclusive and secure.

Why This Partnership Matters for the Indo-Pacific

  1. Climate resilience: Joint efforts show that democracies can lead energy transitions without autocratic dependencies.
  2. Geopolitical signalling: It strengthens Quad cooperation (India–Australia–Japan–US) by aligning clean energy goals.
  3. Economic dividends: Builds green value chains that can generate jobs and diversify trade beyond fossil fuels.

Conclusion

The Australia–India Renewable Energy Partnership is more than a bilateral initiative, it is a climate-security compact for the Indo-Pacific. By combining Australia’s resource advantage with India’s innovation and manpower, both nations can anchor a sustainable energy future independent of geopolitical coercion. In doing so, they not only contribute to global net-zero targets but also demonstrate how democratic collaboration can address shared vulnerabilities with foresight and resilience.

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Renewable Energy – Wind, Tidal, Geothermal, etc.

[14th October 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: A green transition accelerating at express speed

op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways Etc.

PYQ Relevance:

 

[UPSC 2020] Do you think India will meet 50 percent of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2030? Justify your answer. How will the shift of subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables help achieve the above objective? Explain.

 

Linkage: The transition is inherently linked to climate change mitigation, conservation, and pollution control. Recent topics include CCUS, India’s updated climate commitments (NDCs), and balancing development with environmental protection.

Why in the News?

The successful trial of India’s first hydrogen-powered coach at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, in July 2025 marks a critical milestone in the Indian Railways’ decarbonisation strategy.

Introduction:

With a target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030, four decades ahead of India’s national goal, the Indian Railways is reshaping its energy, infrastructure, and financing architecture to become a global model for sustainable mobility.

Carrying over 24 million passengers and 3 million tonnes of freight daily, this transition directly supports India’s nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.

India’s Energy Transition Context (2025):

  • As of June 2025, over 50% of India’s installed power capacity (476 GW total) comes from non-fossil sources, five years ahead of its 2030 Paris target.
  • Renewables: Solar (110.9 GW) and wind (51.3 GW) continue rapid expansion; nuclear capacity adds 8.8 GW.
  • Electrification: 100% village electrification achieved, with household access nearing universality.
  • Challenges:
    • Fossil fuel reliance: Coal consumption rose to 21.98 EJ in 2023, up from 6.53 EJ in 1998, with petroleum demand increasing in agriculture.
    • Energy equity gaps: Access to clean cooking fuel remains uneven; LPG adoption under PM Ujjwala Yojana suffers from affordability constraints.

Green Transition and Decarbonisation Efforts in Railways:

  1. Network Electrification: Over the past decade, the Indian Railways has electrified nearly 45,000 km of its broad-gauge network, bringing 98% of routes under electrification. This has drastically reduced diesel use and greenhouse gas emissions, marking a major shift toward energy efficiency.
  2. Renewable Integration: Renewable power capacity has reached 756 MW (553 MW solar, 103 MW wind, 100 MW hybrid). Over 2,000 stations and offices are now powered by solar energy, reducing grid dependence and promoting clean traction power.
  3. Net-Zero Buildings: Several railway complexes and offices have received the “Shunya” Net-Zero label from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) for achieving energy neutrality and carbon efficiency.
  4. Hydrogen for Heritage Initiative: This flagship programme aims to deploy 35 hydrogen-powered train units, with the first prototype hydrogen coach rolled out in 2025, representing a major milestone in green rail mobility.
  5. Freight and Efficiency Gains: Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) are projected to prevent 457 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions over the next 30 years. The goal is to increase the rail freight modal share from 27% to 45% by 2030, cutting road-sector emissions.
  6. Complementary Actions: Railways are also expanding biofuel blending, green building construction, and rolling stock modernisation with regenerative braking and energy-efficient locomotives.

Hydrogen Coach Technology and Innovation:

  1. Fuel-Cell Mechanism: The hydrogen coach uses fuel-cell technology to generate electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, producing only water vapour as the by-product, ensuring zero tailpipe emissions.
  2. Operational Context: Designed for non-electrified heritage routes where full electrification is uneconomical, these trains combine lightweight coach design, aerodynamic efficiency, and AI-based traction optimisation to minimise operational costs.
  3. Global Positioning: With this innovation, India joins the league of nations such as Germany and Japan that are pioneering hydrogen-based railway systems as part of a wider low-carbon transport transition.

Climate Finance and Institutional Architecture:

  1. Green Financing Framework: India has issued ₹58,000 crore worth of sovereign green bonds since FY2023, with ₹42,000 crore specifically allocated to electric locomotives, metros, and suburban rail projects.
  2. IRFC’s Role: The Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) pioneered a $500 million green bond in 2017 for refinancing electric locomotive projects, and in 2025 extended a ₹7,500 crore loan to NTPC Green Energy to support renewable generation for traction power.
  3. Multilateral Support: The World Bank’s $245 million Rail Logistics Project (2022) aims to decongest corridors and reduce transport-sector emissions through improved infrastructure efficiency.
  4. Institutional Integration: Together, these instruments embed climate goals into national capital budgeting, aligning transport infrastructure with India’s low-carbon growth pathway.

Policy and Operational Priorities:

  1. Renewable Power Procurement: Long-term contracts with solar and wind producers are critical to ensure that electrified routes are powered by green energy rather than coal-based electricity.
  2. Green Mobility Hubs: Major stations are being redesigned as multi-modal eco-hubs with integration of EV charging stations, e-buses, and bicycle-sharing systems.
  3. Freight Decarbonisation: Emphasis on electric, LNG, and hydrogen-fuelled trucks for last-mile logistics, reducing the carbon footprint beyond rail.
  4. Rolling Stock Modernisation: Accelerated adoption of lightweight aluminium coaches, regenerative braking, and energy-efficient locomotives.
  5. Behavioural Initiatives: Introduction of green certification for trains, carbon labelling of freight, and public awareness programmes to mainstream sustainability.

Projected Outcomes by 2030:

  1. Net-Zero Achievement: The Indian Railways aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030, preventing an estimated 60 million tonnes of CO₂ annually, equivalent to removing 13 million cars from the roads.
  2. Economic Impact: Fuel cost savings from electrification and energy efficiency could exceed ₹1 lakh crore by 2030, freeing capital for further green infrastructure.
  3. Global Benchmark: The Indian Railways is positioned to become the world’s first large rail system to achieve net-zero operations, setting a global precedent for state-run low-carbon transport.

Conclusion:

  1. The hydrogen-powered coach exemplifies the synergy of technology, finance, and policy in achieving sustainable national mobility.
  2. The Railways’ green transformation is both an environmental necessity and a strategic innovation model for the developing world.
  3. Its successful execution will anchor India’s net-zero and green industrialisation vision, proving that scale and sustainability can coexist profitably.

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Citizenship and Related Issues

[11th October 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: The real need is a holistic demographic mission

op-ed snap | Indian Society | Mains Paper 1: Population & Associated Issues

PYQ Relevance:

[UPSC 2024] What is the concept of a ‘demographic winter’? Is the world moving towards such a situation? Elaborate.

Linkage: Demographic shifts in border regions can exacerbate tensions, linking the topic to communalism and regionalism.  Illegal migration links directly to organized crime, such as human trafficking, drug trafficking (India’s proximity to illicit opium-growing states is a major concern mentioned in 2018 PYQ), and the potential penetration by external state and non-state actors.

Introduction:

On August 15, 2025, the Prime Minister had announced the launch of India’s Demographic Mission, a comprehensive national initiative aimed at monitoring, managing, and interpreting India’s demographic transitions.

Initially projected as a mechanism to monitor undocumented immigration from Bangladesh and its demographic implications in India’s border regions, the mission’s vision extends to a broader national strategy for demographic management.

The initiative comes at a time when India, now the world’s most populous nation, stands at a demographic crossroads, balancing its youth potential with emerging challenges of migration, ageing, inequality, and social security.

What is the Demographic Mission?

  1. Launch: Unveiled by PM on 15 August 2025, it is a national initiative to monitor, manage, and interpret India’s demographic transitions in a holistic and strategic manner.
  2. Focus: Initially targeted at undocumented immigration from Bangladesh, addressing demographic and border-security implications through biometric systems, AI-based surveillance, and smart fencing.
  3. Expanded Mandate: Evolved into a comprehensive population governance framework, integrating security, social, and developmental objectives across ministries.
  4. Institutional Measures: Includes formulation of a National Refugee Law, implementation of the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRC), and demographic data integration across sectors.
  5. Policy Shift: Moves from population control to capability development, treating demographic potential as a source of economic strength and human capital formation.

Socio-Political Dimensions of Demography:

  1. Reframing the Debate: Shifts the focus from population control to issues of equity, inclusion, and sustainability.
  2. Migration and Identity Politics: Highlights that migration and fertility transitions shape social hierarchies and electoral narratives, influencing policy priorities and identity construction.
  3. Institutional Sensitivity: Calls for embedding demographic awareness in governance, particularly in urbanisation, labour mobility, and welfare systems.
  4. Demographic Diversity as Strength: Treats India’s multi-ethnic and multi-lingual population as an asset for national integration rather than division.
  5. National Integration Framework: Positions demography as a foundation for inclusive federal policy and cohesive nation-building.

Various Issues:

  1. Illegal Immigration: Ongoing influx from Bangladesh strains border security and regional demographics, complicating citizenship and resource distribution.
  2. Migration & Identity Exclusion: Internal migrants lack voting rights and welfare access due to “usual residence” definitions, leading to political marginalisation.
  3. Ageing and Longevity: Rising life expectancy necessitates rethinking retirement age, social security, and elder-care policies.
  4. Regional Inequality: Unequal spread of education, health, and skilling infrastructure widens developmental divides among states.
  5. Policy Insensitivity: Centralised, per capita-based planning ignores population composition, gender ratio, and dependency structures.
  6. Governance Centralisation: Demographic planning remains highly centralised, with limited state participation in design and monitoring.

Various Solutions for Demographic Balance:

  1. Migration Reform: Provide legal recognition of migrant rights, ensure voting portability and welfare mobility, and promote balanced internal migration.
  2. Education and Skill Equity: Build uniform educational and vocational infrastructure and establish regional skill hubs to reduce capability gaps.
  3. Active Ageing Policies: Redefine retirement norms, expand financial security, and create avenues for productive ageing.
  4. Technological Integration: Deploy AI, GIS, and big-data platforms for real-time demographic mapping, analysis, and predictive planning.
  5. Decentralised Demographic Planning: Create federal demographic councils linked with NITI Aayog for region-specific strategies.
  6. Demographic Sensitisation: Mainstream population literacy and demographic research in policymaking, academia, and public discourse.

Global Context and Strategic Positioning:

  1. Youth Advantage: With a median age of 29 years, India stands out amid ageing societies like Japan, Europe, and China.
  2. Human Capital Vision: The mission aligns with India’s aspiration to become the “Skill Capital of the World,” enhancing global labour competitiveness.
  3. Geopolitical Relevance: Integrates population policy into national security and global strategy, positioning demography as a tool of soft power and developmental diplomacy.
  4. Long-Term Significance: By combining population management, human development, and digital governance, the mission redefines India’s demographic policy for the 21st century — linking security, sustainability, and sovereignty.

Way Forward:

  1. Institutionalise Demographic Policy: Establish a National Demographic Council for cross-ministerial coordination.
  2. Focus on Human Capital: Prioritise investments in education, health, and skill ecosystems over mere population management.
  3. Protect Migrant Rights: Legislate a Migrant Workers’ Charter to ensure political and social inclusion.
  4. Reform Social Security: Develop portable pension and healthcare systems adaptable to mobility and longevity trends.
  5. Adopt Data Ethics: Balance demographic surveillance with privacy protection and civil liberties.
  6. Mainstream Demographic Literacy: Integrate population studies into governance, academia, and public administration.

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

[10th October 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: India’s mental health crisis, the cries and scars

op-ed snap | Social Justice | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education

PYQ Relevance:

[UPSC 2023] Explain why suicide among young women is increasing in Indian Society.

Linkage: Mental distress is deeply intertwined with societal issues like increasing suicide rates among young women, poverty, marginalization, and the impact of modernization and urbanization.

Introduction:

The National Crime Records Bureau’s Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) 2023 report recorded 1,71,418 suicides, a marginal 0.3% rise from 2022. While the suicide rate per lakh population declined slightly, absolute numbers remain high, underscoring a deep social, economic, and psychological crisis.

National Data and Trends as per ADSI, 2023:

  1. Demographics: Men constituted 72.8% of suicides in 2023.
  2. Leading Causes: Family problems: 31.9%; Illness: 19%; Substance abuse: 7%; Relationship and marriage-related issues: around 10% combined.
  3. Regional Variation: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sikkim, and Kerala had the highest suicide rates, while Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and West Bengal together accounted for over 40% of all cases.
  4. Urban vs Rural: Cities reported consistently higher suicide rates than rural areas, reflecting the psychological stress of urbanisation and competition.

Farmer Suicides and Rural Distress:

  1. Farmer deaths: 10,786 suicides (6.3% of total) in 2023, concentrated mainly in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
  2. Long-term pattern: Over 1,00,000 farmers have taken their lives since 2014. Between 1995 and 2015, nearly 2,96,000 deaths were linked to debt, market volatility, and institutional neglect.
  3. Underlying causes: Debt, crop failure, inadequate price support, and the absence of reliable social safety nets.
  4. Invisible victims: Homemakers and caregivers, particularly women, face rising rates of depression and domestic stress but remain underrepresented in official data.

Student Suicides in India:

  • Rising Trend: Students account for 6–8.1% of all suicides (NCRB data). In 2023, there were 13,892 student suicides, a 65% rise over the decade, outpacing the national average increase.
  • Major Causes: Academic pressure, parental expectations, toxic competition, and poor mental health infrastructure are leading contributors.
  • Psychological Impact: Surveys show high levels of anxiety, depression, and distress, with notable gender disparities in emotional well-being.

Magnitude of Mental Illness in India:

  1. Estimated burden: Nearly 230 million Indians live with mental disorders ranging from depression and anxiety to bipolar disorder and substance use.
  2. Treatment gap: 70–92% of individuals with severe illness receive no formal care.
  3. Lifetime prevalence: 10.6%, according to national health data.
  4. Global comparison: WHO estimates India’s suicide rate at 16.3 per 1,00,000, significantly higher than the global average.

Value Addition:

India’s Mental Health Governance and Legal Framework:

  • Mental Healthcare Act, 2017:
    1. Guarantees the right to affordable, quality mental health care.
    2. Decriminalises suicide and mandates insurance coverage for psychiatric illnesses.
    3. Upholds patient dignity and autonomy under Article 21 of the Constitution.
  • Judicial reinforcement: In Sukdeb Saha vs State of Andhra Pradesh (2025), the Supreme Court reaffirmed mental health as a fundamental right, compelling state accountability.
  • District Mental Health Programme (DMHP): Covers 767 districts, expanding access to outpatient services, suicide prevention, and counselling.
  • Tele MANAS Helpline: A 24×7 service offering over 20 lakh tele-counselling sessions, particularly beneficial in underserved regions.

Supreme Court Intervention:  Sukdeb Saha vs. State of Andhra Pradesh (2025):

  • Overview: The Supreme Court invoked Articles 32 and 141 to issue 15 binding “Saha Guidelines” addressing student suicides and mental health governance in educational institutions.
  • Key Judgment: It upheld mental health as an integral component of the right to life.
  • Key Guidelines include:
    1. Policy Mandate: All institutions must adopt a mental health policy consistent with UMMEED, MANODARPAN, and the National Suicide Prevention Strategy.
    2. Counseling Requirement: Appointment of one certified mental health counselor in every institution with 100+ students.
    3. Academic Practices: Ban on batch segregation, public shaming, and unrealistic academic targets.
    4. Helpline Visibility: Mandatory display of Tele-MANAS and other helpline numbers in classrooms, hostels, and websites.
    5. Staff Training: Biannual mental health sensitization for teachers and administrators on crisis response.
    6. Inclusivity Measures: Institutions must ensure non-discriminatory support for SC/ST/OBC/EWS, LGBTQ+, and disabled students.
    7. Crisis Management: Establish confidential reporting systems for ragging, discrimination, and assault, with immediate counseling access.
    8. Preventive Steps: Control access to common means of suicide (e.g., rooftops, ceiling fans) and promote interest-based career counseling.

Systemic Gaps and Institutional Failures:

  1. Workforce shortage: Only 0.75 psychiatrists and 0.12 psychologists per 1,00,000 population, below WHO’s minimum of 1.7 psychiatrists and far from the ideal of 3.
  2. Underfunding: Mental health receives only 1.05% of India’s health budget, compared to 8–10% in countries like Australia, Canada, and the UK.
  3. Policy–practice gap:
    • The Mental Healthcare Act (2017) decriminalised suicide and guaranteed the right to care.
    • The National Suicide Prevention Strategy (2022) targeted a 10% reduction in suicides.
    • However, implementation remains weak, and suicides continue to rise.
  4. Non-functional initiatives:
    • The Manodarpan school-based support scheme remains largely inactive.
    • ₹270 crore allocated for mental health is largely unspent.

Persistent Challenges:

  1. Treatment Gaps: 70–92% of individuals with common disorders like depression and anxiety remain untreated.
  2. Infrastructure Deficits: Inadequate availability of psychotropic medicines and rehabilitation services, which meet less than 15% of actual demand.
  3. Stigma and Awareness: Over 50% of Indians still attribute mental illness to personal weakness or shame, limiting early intervention.
  4. Workforce Urban Bias: Mental health professionals remain concentrated in cities, leaving rural areas, where 70% of India’s population lives, largely unserved.

Steps to Strengthen India’s Mental Health System: Way Forward

  1. Budget Expansion: Raise mental health allocation to at least 5% of total health spending, ensuring resources for workforce, infrastructure, and medicine.
  2. Workforce Development: Train and deploy mid-level mental health providers to fill rural gaps and meet WHO’s minimum density.
  3. Integration: Embed mental health into primary health care and universal insurance coverage.
  4. Monitoring: Create a cascade-based national monitoring system to track outcomes, ensure accountability, and guide funding.
  5. Anti-Stigma Campaigns: Institutionalise mental health education in schools and workplaces, aiming for 60% literacy coverage by 2027.
  6. Cross-Ministerial Coordination: Establish a unified framework linking health, education, social justice, and labour for cohesive policy execution.

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Foreign Policy Watch: India – EU

[9th October 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: An anchor for India-U.K. ties, their economic partnership

op-ed snap | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and agreements involving India

Introduction:

  1. The signing of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in July 2025 marks a major milestone in India–UK relations, cementing their partnership in trade, technology, defence, and climate cooperation.
  2. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Mumbai further signals mutual intent to deepen collaboration under the evolving Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) framework of Roadmap 2030 (2021).
  3. The agreement reflects a broader trend i.e. India’s calibrated engagement with post-Brexit Britain and the European continent, aligning trade liberalisation with strategic convergence.

India–UK Relations: A Quick Recap

  • Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2021): Anchored in Roadmap 2030, covering trade, climate, defence, technology, and health.
  • Economic Ties: The UK contributes nearly 5% of India’s total FDI; bilateral trade exceeded USD 20 billion in FY 2024–25.
  • Defence Cooperation: Exercises such as Ajeya Warrior and Konkan Shakti, and collaboration in aerospace and propulsion systems strengthen military interoperability.
  • Technology Partnership: The Technology Security Initiative (TSI) focuses on AI, semiconductors, quantum technology, and critical minerals.
  • People-to-People Linkages: Over 1.7 million Indian-origin residents and 150,000 students in the UK reinforce socio-economic ties.
  • Global Convergence: Shared democratic values underpin cooperation on climate action, maritime security, and UN Security Council reform.
  • Trajectory: The relationship is transitioning from historical ties to a modern, technology-driven alliance, embedded in the emerging multipolar global order.

India–UK Economic Partnership under CETA:

  1. Framework: The CETA (2025) combines tariff reduction, regulatory alignment, and investment facilitation, aiming to double bilateral trade by 2030.
  2. Benefits for India:
    • Tariff cuts on pharmaceuticals, textiles, and agricultural exports.
    • Enhanced access for IT, green tech, and digital services.
  3. Implications for the UK:
    • Lower duties on automobiles, Scotch whisky, and high-end machinery.
    • Post-Brexit diversification into South Asian markets.
  4. Double Contributions Convention (DCC): Exempts Indian professionals in the UK from dual social security payments for up to three years.
  5. Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT): Ensures investor protection and promotes sustainable FDI in manufacturing, renewables, and infrastructure.
  6. Defence Industrial Partnership (2025): Facilitates joint R&D, co-production, and defence manufacturing, aligned with Atmanirbhar Bharat.
  7. Technology Security Initiative (TSI, 2024): Coordinates semiconductors, quantum computing, AI, and critical minerals cooperation at the national security adviser level.

Parallel European Engagements:

  1. India’s UK outreach complements its broader European diversification strategy:
    • EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA): In effect from October 2025, ensuring USD 100 billion investment over 15 years.
    • EU Negotiations: Trade with the European Union reached USD 136.5 billion (FY 2024–25) with sustained dialogue on an FTA.
  2. This multi-vector diplomacy balances India’s engagement between continental Europe and post-Brexit Britain.
  3. Europe’s emphasis on technological sovereignty, climate neutrality, and Indo-Pacific cooperation aligns with India’s maritime and sustainability interests.
  4. The combined outreach enhances India’s access to capital, innovation, and strategic technologies, consolidating its role as a balancing power in global governance.

Economic and Strategic Significance:

  1. Complementarity: India offers scale and skilled labour, while the UK contributes technology, capital, and innovation ecosystems.
  2. Co-Development: Collaboration in green energy, fintech, advanced manufacturing, higher education, and sustainable finance.
  3. Geostrategic Convergence:
    • UK’s support for India’s UNSC seat and NSG membership.
    • Joint naval and maritime initiatives under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
    • Partnership on Electric Propulsion Capability Initiative in naval systems.
  4. Diaspora Role: The Indian diaspora serves as a connective economic and cultural bridge, amplifying trade and investment flows.
  5. The relationship now transcends transactional trade, emerging as a multi-domain strategic alliance integrating security, sustainability, and innovation.

Challenges and Negotiation Frictions:

  1. Political Sensitivities: Colonial legacy and diaspora-linked protests periodically affect diplomatic optics.
  2. Negotiation Hurdles: Differences on tariff schedules, rules of origin, and intellectual property.
  3. TRIPS-Plus Provisions: India’s resistance to stronger IP norms preserves its pharmaceutical flexibility.
  4. Immigration and Data Divergences: Require harmonised frameworks for professional mobility and digital governance.
  5. FTA Ratification Delays: Absence of fixed timelines for CETA and BIT create investor uncertainty.

Despite frictions, both sides perceive these accords as long-term strategic enablers, not mere commercial instruments.

Conclusion:

The next phase of engagement should focus on joint innovation, co-production, and sustainability-based partnerships, moving beyond conventional tariff-based frameworks.  Strengthening defence R&D and technology transfer mechanisms will foster greater self-reliance and industrial growth in both nations.

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Judicial Reforms

[7th October 2025 ] The Hindu Op-ed: Calling out the criticism of the Indian Judiciary

op-ed snap | Polity | Mains Paper 2: Executive & Judiciary

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2023] Constitutionally guaranteed judicial independence is a prerequisite of democracy”. Comment.

Linkage: The article defends judicial independence as the backbone of India’s democracy, arguing that blaming courts for developmental delays undermines their constitutional role as checks on executive excesses. It reinforces that true democracy thrives only when judicial autonomy remains uncompromised.

Mentor’s Comment

In an era where the pursuit of Viksit Bharat (Developed India) dominates public discourse, the judiciary is increasingly being portrayed as a bottleneck in India’s development journey. However, this narrative is not only simplistic but dangerous. This article delves deep into the recent criticism of India’s judiciary, particularly remarks made by Sanjeev Sanyal, and explores whether such allegations hold ground. It highlights how governance failures, legislative vagueness, and unchecked executive litigation are often the real culprits behind systemic inefficiencies. The aim is to help aspirants understand the complex interlinkages between judiciary, governance, and development, a recurring UPSC theme.

Introduction

The judiciary has long been one of the cornerstones of India’s democracy. Yet, it often finds itself under scrutiny for delays, pendency, and procedural rigidities. The recent remarks by Sanjeev Sanyal, member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, blaming the judiciary as the “single biggest hurdle” in India’s development, reignited a larger debate: Is the judiciary obstructing growth, or is it merely reflecting systemic governance failures? This question is crucial for UPSC aspirants because it encapsulates multiple administrative, ethical, and policy dimensions, from judicial accountability to executive responsibility and the balance of powers enshrined in the Constitution.

Why in the News?

At the Nyaya Nirman Conference, Sanjeev Sanyal claimed that India’s judiciary is the “single biggest hurdle” to achieving Viksit Bharat within 20–25 years. His comments triggered debate as it was not the first time that the judiciary was blamed for impeding development. What makes it significant is the reduction of a constitutional pillar into a scapegoat — reflecting a wider trend of executive deflection from governance failures. The issue is striking because judicial delays, though real, are often symptoms of legislative imprecision, government over-litigation, and vacant judicial posts, not merely judicial inefficiency.

Is the Judiciary the “Single Biggest Hurdle” to Development?

  1. Oversimplified blame – The criticism ignores that the judiciary merely enforces laws framed by Parliament. For instance, Section 12A of the Commercial Courts Act, 2015 mandates pre-suit mediation — a legislative choice, not a judicial one.
  2. Structural imbalance – Judicial delays stem from vacancies (over 30%), poor digital infrastructure, and overburdened lower courts rather than deliberate obstructionism.
  3. Reality check – India’s judiciary handles one of the world’s heaviest caseloads, with judges hearing 50–100 cases per day, highlighting efficiency within constraints.

What Lies Behind Judicial Delays?

  1. Government as the biggest litigant – The Union and State governments account for nearly 50% of all cases. Tax authorities, ministries, and PSUs appeal even routine orders, consuming judicial time and resources.
  2. Arbitrary tendering & contractual behaviour – Governments frequently breach contracts or impose unreasonable conditions, compelling contractors and citizens to litigate for basic rights.
  3. Vague and outdated laws – Laws are often drafted imprecisely, leading to interpretational disputes. The new criminal laws and upcoming Income-Tax Act recycle old frameworks with cosmetic changes.

Are Courts Overworked or Underworked?

  1. Myth of short working hours – Court sittings (10:30 AM–4 PM) mask the hours of preparatory and post-hearing work, including judgment writing and research.
  2. Vacations misunderstood – Vacations are largely used to complete reserved judgments, not for leisure. Vacation benches continue urgent hearings.
  3. Caseload pressure – District courts bear the brunt, where justice delivery meets the common citizen. High pendency here directly affects the perception of delay.

How Does Poor Law-Making Add to Judicial Burden?

  1. Ambiguity in drafting – The 99-to-1 problem, as noted by Sanyal himself, arises due to poorly framed laws meant to control the 1% of abusers, complicating life for the 99%.
  2. Linguistic confusion – Replacement of terms like “notwithstanding” with “irrespective” in new laws reflects shallow reform, creating fresh waves of litigation rather than clarity.
  3. Superficial reform – Cosmetic renaming (Codes → Sanhitas) in criminal law reform fails to address colonial legacies or procedural inefficiencies.

What is the Broader Message for Governance and Democracy?

  1. Deflecting accountability – Calling courts the bottleneck diverts attention from executive and legislative lapses.
  2. Constitutional balance – Judiciary serves as a check on arbitrary power, ensuring that speed does not override justice.
  3. True development – A “Viksit Bharat” cannot emerge by weakening judicial independence but by strengthening institutional capacity across all pillars of democracy.

Conclusion

Blaming the judiciary for India’s developmental delays is a misdiagnosis of a systemic illness. The judiciary, though imperfect, mirrors the inefficiencies entrenched in India’s governance — from poor drafting and over-litigation to resource neglect. The real challenge lies not in reducing judicial authority but in reforming governance practices, streamlining litigation, and investing in judicial infrastructure. A strong, independent judiciary is not an obstacle but the guarantor of sustainable development and rule of law.

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Foreign Policy Watch: India-Pakistan

[4th October 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: The maritime signalling after Operation Sindoor

op-ed snap | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: India & Its Neighborhood - Relations

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2022] What are the maritime security challenges in India? Discuss the organizational, technical and procedural initiatives taken to improve the maritime security.

Linkage: The post-Operation Sindoor naval manoeuvres highlight India’s evolving response to maritime security challenges, reflecting the same organizational, technical, and procedural upgradation, from indigenous fleet expansion (INS Nistar) to enhanced Indo-Pacific coordination, envisaged in this PYQ.

Mentor’s Comment

Operation Sindoor may have concluded in the skies, but its echoes now reverberate across the sea. With both India and Pakistan recalibrating their naval postures, the maritime domain has emerged as the new theatre of strategic competition. This article explores how post-Sindoor developments from naval manoeuvres to capability upgrades are reshaping deterrence dynamics, inviting questions about escalation control, external involvement, and evolving doctrines in the Indian Ocean.

Introduction

While the standoff with Pakistan in May 2025 ended in the air domain, subsequent developments reveal a strategic shift to the maritime theatre. Both nations are now engaged in assertive naval signalling, deploying assets, testing missiles, and broadcasting intent. India’s Operation Sindoor, initially a demonstration of naval deterrence, has transitioned into a long-term posture recalibration with new vessels, strategic patrols, and sharper rhetoric. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s warning on October 2 about a “resounding response” to any Pakistani misadventure in the Sir Creek region, coupled with Pakistan’s launch of the Hangor-class submarine PNS Mangro and missile tests, underline a renewed contest at sea. This is significant — because for decades, the India-Pakistan rivalry was air and land-focused, not maritime. The sea, it seems, is now the new frontier of strategic signalling.

Why in the News

The post-Operation Sindoor phase marks the first time in decades that India and Pakistan are simultaneously signalling deterrence through sustained maritime manoeuvres, overlapping missile tests, and forward deployments. India has conducted its first joint patrols with the Philippines in the South China Sea and commissioned the indigenously designed INS Nistar. Pakistan, meanwhile, has expanded naval activity from Karachi to Gwadar, launched new submarines and ballistic missiles, and tested the P282 ship-launched missile. This pattern is unprecedented not just in intensity but in its potential to redefine deterrence stability and crisis escalation in the Indian Ocean.

Why is the Maritime Theatre Gaining Strategic Centrality?

  1. Shift from air to sea: After Operation Sindoor’s air engagement, both sides are redirecting deterrence signalling to the Arabian Sea, with forward deployments and missile tests.
  2. Recalibration of naval posture: India’s Operation Sindoor emphasised a forward deterrent posture, a readiness to act first if provoked.
  3. Symbolic rhetoric: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement evoking the 1965 war reinforced the seriousness of India’s deterrent message.

What Signals Are India and Pakistan Sending at Sea?

  1. India’s assertive posture: Through INS Nistar, stealth frigates, and joint patrols, India projects both self-reliance and Indo-Pacific alignment.
  2. Pakistan’s parallel moves: Launch of PNS Mangro, expansion of infrastructure in Sir Creek, and P282 missile tests signify deterrence-by-denial.
  3. Operational friction: Overlapping NOTAMs and live-fire drills, sometimes just 60 nautical miles apart, indicate heightened tension and risk of miscalculation.

How Does the Naval Balance of Power Look Now?

  1. India’s advantage but narrowing: Despite a numerical and geographical edge, India’s fleet faces ageing issues, raising modernization concerns.
  2. Pakistan’s modernization: With Chinese-designed submarines and Babur-class corvettes from Türkiye, Pakistan’s Navy now wields improved radar, EW, and anti-surface weaponry.
  3. Emerging parity: The Navy Chief’s acknowledgment of Pakistan’s “surprising growth” underscores a reality where India’s maritime superiority is no longer absolute.

What Makes Maritime Escalation More Risky?

  1. Harder escalation control: Unlike air skirmishes, naval engagements are slow, continuous, and harder to de-escalate.
  2. Psychological vulnerability: Memories of 1971 naval strikes amplify Pakistan’s sensitivity; even limited Indian action could trigger disproportionate reaction.
  3. Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD): Pakistan’s Gwadar and Karachi hubs serve both operational and psychological roles in denying India unchallenged dominance.
  4. Chinese factor: The PLAN’s presence at Gwadar increases risk of external entanglement in future crises.

Is There an External and Doctrinal Dimension?

  1. China’s role: Chinese involvement in Gwadar and Karachi raises fears of dual-use support during crises.
  2. Türkiye’s growing linkages: Supply and training cooperation with Pakistan diversify its defence dependencies, complicating India’s strategic calculations.
  3. India’s Indo-Pacific strategy: Joint patrols and multilateral engagement hint at a twofold Indian approach, deterrence towards Pakistan and cooperation across the Indo-Pacific.
  4. Doctrinal drift: Both nations risk anchoring strategy in outdated crisis models, despite new technologies like drones and hypersonic missiles changing escalation ladders.

Does the Emerging Maritime Pattern Help or Hurt Stability?

  1. Persistent signalling: Continuous naval presence, unlike air sorties, lingers — shaping adversarial perception and intent.
  2. Learning by observation: Regular drills, while risky, can create mutual operational awareness that paradoxically reduces fog of war.
  3. Dual outcome: The same actions that raise tensions might also stabilize future crises through transparency of capability and doctrine.

Conclusion

Operation Sindoor may have ended, but its maritime aftermath is redrawing South Asia’s deterrence geography. The Arabian Sea has emerged as a stage for calibrated signalling, doctrinal experimentation, and external power play. India faces a dual challenge to assert deterrence without escalation and prepare for future crises where the sea, not the sky, sets the tone. The Indian Navy’s modernization drive, from indigenously designed vessels to Indo-Pacific collaborations, suggests a conscious shift one that seeks to combine strategic restraint with decisive readiness. The sea, long a silent frontier, is now a theatre of both opportunity and peril.

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J&K – The issues around the state

[3rd October 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: Should Ladakh get statehood?

op-ed snap | Polity | Mains Paper 2: Federalism

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2024] What changes has the Union Government recently introduced in the domain of Centre-State relations? Suggest measures to strengthen federalism.

Linkage: Ladakh’s case reflects the Union’s increasing control over border UTs, where administrative powers lie with the LG and Centre, marginalising local bodies — a recent trend in Centre-State/UT relations. Strengthening federalism requires constitutional safeguards (Sixth Schedule/statehood) and greater devolution of powers and finances to elected institutions.

Mentor’s Comment

The debate on Ladakh’s statehood is not merely about administrative restructuring, it is about the soul of Indian federalism. It combines questions of representation, tribal identity, border security, and constitutional safeguards. This issue is now a case study in balancing national interests with local aspirations.

Introduction

Ladakh, separated from Jammu & Kashmir in 2019 and designated a Union Territory (UT), was expected to gain autonomy and focused development. Instead, it has witnessed deepening resentment. The recent violence in Leh (September 24, 2025), which left four dead and led to the arrest of climate activist Sonam Wangchuck under the NSA, highlights the widening trust deficit. Civil society platforms like the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) demand statehood, inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, a Public Service Commission, and separate Lok Sabha representation.

Why in the News?

This is the first major violent episode in Ladakh since its conversion to a UT, bringing the region’s discontent into national focus. While the Centre insists that measures like reservations and recruitment drives are underway, locals argue these are executive orders, not constitutional guarantees. The clash exposes the failure of the UT model in ensuring democratic accountability, despite Ladakh’s strategic importance on the China–Pakistan frontier.

Democratic Deficit in Ladakh

  1. Loss of Voice: Earlier part of J&K Assembly; now Ladakhis cannot influence laws or leadership.
  2. Dominance of Bureaucrats: Short-term officials override local voices, bypassing elected Hill Councils.
  3. Recruitment Vacuum: No Public Service Commission; six years without gazetted officer recruitments.

Tribal and Land Safeguards at Risk

  1. Earlier Protection: Article 370 & 35A guaranteed land and job protections.
  2. Post-2019 Vacuum: Absence of safeguards raises fears of demographic change.
  3. Constitutional Demands: LAB & KDA demand Sixth Schedule — protection for tribal culture, language, land rights, beyond mere executive orders.

Sixth Schedule vs Statehood

  1. Government Stance: Argues Sixth Schedule inclusion is a logical first step before statehood.
  2. Counter View: Sajjad Kargili stresses that Sixth Schedule alone is insufficient; democracy needs statehood.
  3. Delhi Model Analogy: UTs with legislatures (Delhi) show friction with LGs — raising doubts about partial arrangements.

Population and Statehood Question

  1. Centre’s Hesitation: Population (~3.5 lakh) too small for statehood.
  2. Rebuttal: Sikkim (similar population) became a State in 1975; Goa in 1987.
  3. Fragmented Governance: Ladakh’s five new districts have micro-populations (5,000–7,000), making local governance difficult without a state-level structure.

Federalism and Centre-State Relations

  1. Supreme Court Endorsement: Upheld bifurcation of J&K into UTs.
  2. Federal Concerns: Raises questions about top-down imposition of governance models in sensitive areas.
  3. Centre vs Local Bodies: ₹6,000 crore annual budget, but only ₹600 crore devolved to Hill Councils; rest controlled by LG & bureaucrats.

Security Dimensions and Border Considerations

  1. Centre’s Argument: Border sensitivity justifies UT status.
  2. Counterpoint: Punjab, Sikkim, Uttarakhand are border states yet enjoy full statehood.
  3. Chinese Incursion 2020: Occurred post-UT status, undermining the security rationale.

Civil Society Demands and Distrust

  1. Four Core Demands: Statehood, Sixth Schedule, Public Service Commission, dual Lok Sabha seats (Leh & Kargil).
  2. Distrust of MHA: LAB & KDA halted talks, citing cosmetic concessions (women’s reservation, ST reservation) that miss the core demands.
  3. Governance Paralysis: Hill Councils reduced to ceremonial bodies; LG ignores their inputs.

Nationalism vs Allegations of “Anti-national”

  1. Local Sentiment: Ladakhis argue they are patriotic, sacrificing lives to defend frontiers.
  2. Mistrust Campaign: Trolls label them pro-China/pro-Pakistan, deepening alienation.
  3. Identity Politics: Perceived delegitimisation fuels separatist tendencies — dangerous for a border region.

Comparative Perspectives

  1. Delhi & Puducherry: UTs with legislatures — persistent Centre-LG tussle.
  2. North-East Sixth Schedule States: Despite safeguards, autonomy diluted by weak implementation.
  3. Statehood as Trust-Building: Granting Ladakh statehood could mirror past steps where integration was strengthened by empowerment (Sikkim, Mizoram).

Conclusion

The Ladakh case underscores that federalism is not only about administrative convenience but about trust-building. Sixth Schedule inclusion may provide interim safeguards, but without democratic statehood, Ladakh risks remaining voiceless. The challenge before India is to ensure that Ladakhis, guardians of a strategic frontier, feel like equal partners in the Union, not subjects of bureaucratic rule.

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[1st October 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: A 100-year journey as the guardian of meritocracy

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

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2018] The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has a very vital role to play. Explain how this is reflected in the method and terms of his appointment as well as the range of powers he can exercise.

Linkage: Such constitutional bodies, like UPSC, completing 100 years, are often asked in exams, similar to questions on CAG’s appointment, tenure, and powers, highlighting the significance of understanding their independence and functions.

Mentor’s Comment

On October 1, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) completed a century of its establishment. From its inception under colonial rule to its present role as the guardian of meritocracy in independent India, the Commission has stood as a symbol of fairness, trust, and integrity in governance. As aspirants preparing for UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE), understanding the history, philosophy, challenges, and reforms of this institution is vital — not just as knowledge, but also as inspiration for your own journey.

Introduction

The UPSC is more than an examining body; it is an institution that embodies the idea of equal opportunity, fairness, and trust in public life. Established in 1926, it has evolved through colonial, constitutional, and modern phases, transforming into one of the most complex yet respected recruitment agencies in the world. Conducting one of the toughest examinations with lakhs of aspirants each year, it ensures that merit alone decides entry into the highest echelons of governance. As the UPSC turns 100, this milestone is both a celebration of its legacy and a reflection on the road ahead.

The Historical Foundations of UPSC

  1. Colonial beginnings (1926): Set up as the Public Service Commission following the Lee Commission’s recommendations (1924), initially with limited powers.
  2. Government of India Act 1935: Elevated to Federal Public Service Commission, giving Indians a greater role.
  3. Constitutional status (1950): Became UPSC, enshrined in the Constitution as an independent institution to safeguard meritocracy.

What makes UPSC a Pillar of Fairness and Trust?

  1. Trust: Millions of aspirants rely on its transparency and impartiality; success depends solely on merit.
  2. Integrity: UPSC has remained insulated from political/external pressures, maintaining confidentiality and resisting malpractice.
  3. Fairness: Provides a level playing field — urban/rural, rich/poor, English/non-English — ensuring inclusivity in a diverse nation.
  4. Philosophy: Embodies the spirit of the Bhagavad Gītā — performing duty with rigor and detachment from outcomes.

Why is the UPSC Examination Unique Globally?

  1. Scale: From 10–12 lakh prelim applicants annually to final merit lists through multi-stage filtering.
  2. Diversity: 48 optional subjects, 22 languages, making it the world’s most sophisticated competitive exam.
  3. Logistics: Prelims across 2,500+ venues; complex distribution for Mains subject papers across the country.
  4. Equity: Special arrangements for differently-abled candidates.
  5. Resilience: Seamless functioning even during COVID-19.

How Has UPSC Expanded the ‘Indian Dream’?

  1. Democratization: Once elite-centric, now aspirants come from remotest districts and underprivileged regions.
  2. Opportunity: UPSC embodies the idea that talent + hard work can overcome barriers.
  3. Nation-building: Its selected civil servants have steered India through crises, reforms, environmental challenges, and growth.

Who are the Unsung Heroes Behind UPSC?

  1. Paper-setters and evaluators: Finest academics and experts, anonymous contributors ensuring fairness.
  2. Role: Guarantee quality, unbiased assessment, and rigorous standards, remaining away from recognition.

What Reforms Define UPSC’s Future-readiness?

  1. Digital modernization: Online application portal, face-recognition tech to prevent impersonation.
  2. PRATIBHA Setu initiative: Creates job opportunities for those who clear interview but miss the final list.
  3. Use of AI: To enhance efficiency and transparency without compromising integrity.
  4. Commitment: Adaptation to global disruptions in governance while preserving fairness.

Conclusion

The UPSC is not merely an examining authority; it is the guardian of meritocracy and a living institution embodying India’s faith in fairness and justice. As it celebrates its centenary, the challenge lies in preserving its values while adapting to a rapidly transforming world. For aspirants, the story of UPSC is not only an institutional history but also a guiding philosophy — to work with perseverance, detachment, and integrity.

Value Addition 

Constitutional Framework of UPSC (Articles 315–323)

Establishment (Art. 315)

  1. UPSC for the Union and State Public Service Commissions (SPSC) for each state.
  2. Ensures independent and impartial recruitment of civil servants.

Appointment of Members and Chairman (Art. 316)

  1. Chairman appointed by the President of India.
  2. Members appointed by the President.
  3. Qualifications: Not specified; expected to have experience in administration, academics, or law.

Removal and Suspension (Art. 317)

  • Chairman or members can only be removed by President on:
    1. Proven misbehavior (after Supreme Court inquiry)
    2. Incapacity
    3. Protection ensures independence from political pressure.

Conditions of Service (Art. 318)

  1. President regulates terms of service, pay, allowances, and pensions of chairman and members.
  2. Members can resign with prior notice.

Cessation of Office (Art. 319): Member ceases to hold office on:

  1. Completion of tenure
  2. Resignation
  3. Removal under Art. 317

Functions of UPSC (Art. 320)

  1. Recruitment: Conduct examinations for All India and Group A & B services.
  2. Promotions and Transfers: Advises government on appointments, promotions, and transfers.
  3. Disciplinary Matters: Advises on punishment or removal of civil servants.
  4. Advisory Role: Any service-related matters referred by the government.

Extension of Functions (Art. 321)

  1. Parliament or State Legislature can expand UPSC’s functions.

Budgetary Provisions (Art. 322)

  1. Expenses of UPSC charged on Consolidated Fund of India — ensures financial autonomy.

Reporting to President/Parliament (Art. 323)

  1. Annual and special reports submitted to President.
  2. President places them before Parliament along with comments.

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Foreign Policy Watch: India-Africa

[30th September 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: SSTC is more than a diplomatic phrase

op-ed snap | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and agreements involving India

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2021] If the last few decades were of Asia’s growth story, the next few are expected to be of Africa’s.” In the light of this statement, examine India’s influence in Africa in recent years.

Linkage: South-South Cooperation is the foundation of India–Africa engagement. India’s role in Africa through capacity building (ITEC), concessional credit, food security projects, and the India-UN Development Partnership Fund reflects SSTC principles of mutual respect, replicability, and shared growth, positioning India as a partner in Africa’s expected rise.

Mentor’s Comment

With only a fraction of time left to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the global community is exploring new models of partnership. South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) has emerged as a vital mechanism, providing frugal, replicable, and contextually relevant solutions. India, rooted in the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, has positioned itself as a leader in this space, particularly in food security, digital transformation, and inclusive growth. This article unpacks the significance of SSTC, India’s role, and why this cooperative model is central to a more equitable world order.

Introduction

The United Nations Day for South-South and Triangular Cooperation (September 12) commemorates the 1978 Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA), which laid the foundation for solidarity-based cooperation among developing nations. Far from being a mere diplomatic phrase, SSTC today is a lifeline for billions, offering cost-effective, innovative, and scalable models of development at a time when traditional aid flows are shrinking. India, with its rich developmental experience and global outreach, is shaping the SSTC discourse through initiatives like the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, Voice of the Global South Summits, and collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP).

Why in the News?

SSTC has gained renewed significance as the world approaches the 2030 deadline for SDGs with urgency, amid declining international aid and mounting challenges like climate change, conflict, and inequality. For the first time, SSTC is being recognised not merely as supplemental but as a core pathway to equitable and sustainable global development. India’s leadership — from digital public infrastructure exports to food system innovations like Grain ATMs and rice fortification, has transformed it into a hub of replicable global solutions. The 2025 UN Day theme, “New Opportunities and Innovation through SSTC”, underscores this transition, making the issue both timely and transformative.

India’s Role and Philosophy of Cooperation

  1. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: India’s developmental philosophy sees the world as one family, placing emphasis on sovereignty, equality, and mutual respect.
  2. Transition to food surplus: Once a food-deficit nation, India now runs one of the world’s largest food safety nets, offering models for the Global South.
  3. Global leadership: From hosting the Voice of the Global South Summits to securing AU’s membership in the G20, India promotes inclusivity in global governance.

What is the Relevance of SSTC Today?

  1. Cost-effectiveness: SSTC provides better returns on investment at a time when funding for humanitarian and development sectors is shrinking.
  2. Replicability and relevance: Local innovations like India’s food distribution optimisation or UPI have global application.
  3. Solidarity-based model: Unlike traditional aid, SSTC is grounded in mutual respect and shared learning, crucial for trust-building in the Global South.

How Has India Contributed to SSTC?

  1. Institutional frameworks: India set up the Development Partnership Administration in its Foreign Ministry to coordinate development partnerships.
  2. Capacity-building: Through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, India has trained professionals in 160+ countries.
  3. India-UN Development Partnership Fund: Established in 2017, it has financed 75 transformative projects across 56 developing countries, especially LDCs and SIDS.
  4. Digital diplomacy: Export of Aadhaar, UPI, and digital infrastructure models as low-cost, inclusive tools.

What Role Has the India-WFP Partnership Played?

  1. Testing ground for innovations: Over 60 years, India served as a laboratory for WFP to pilot globally relevant solutions.
  2. Grain ATMs (Annapurti): Automated grain dispensing machines ensuring efficient access to food.
  3. Supply chain optimisation: Strengthened the PDS through digitalisation.
  4. Women-led Take-Home Ration programme: Empowering communities while tackling malnutrition.
  5. Rice fortification: India’s national initiative to enhance nutrition replicated in countries like Nepal and Laos.

How Does Triangular Cooperation Add Value?

  1. Linking South-South with North-South: Brings in traditional donors, amplifying resources and best practices.
  2. Inclusive partnerships: Extends beyond governments to involve civil society, private sector, and grassroots communities.
  3. UN Fund contributions: Over the last three decades, 47 governments have funded projects in 70+ countries, benefiting people in 155 nations.

Conclusion

SSTC embodies a renewed spirit of partnership, rooted in equality, mutual respect, and innovation. For countries of the Global South, it is not merely a diplomatic mechanism but a pathway to resilience and empowerment. India’s leadership in digital public goods, food security, and inclusive governance has given SSTC tangible models of success. As the 2030 deadline looms, scaling such innovations and ensuring triangular cooperation will be crucial for achieving a sustainable and equitable world order.

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) Breakthrough

[29th September 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: An Engel’s pause in an AI-shaped world

op-ed snap | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

PYQ Relevance

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

Linkage: This question reflects the exact dilemma discussed in the Engels’ pause analogy—AI promises higher productivity (e.g., clinical diagnosis, efficiency) but without governance, the welfare gains (privacy, equitable access, trust) may lag, creating social costs.

Mentor’s Comment

The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is hailed as the new Industrial Revolution, but as Geoffrey Hinton warns, it could also deepen inequality by making a few rich while leaving the majority poorer. This paradox, reminiscent of Friedrich Engels’ 19th-century observation, raises a pressing question for policymakers: Are we entering a modern “Engels’ pause” where productivity soars but living standards stagnate? For UPSC aspirants, this debate is central to GS 1 (industrial revolution parallels), GS 2 (governance), GS 3 (technology, economy), and GS 4 (ethics of equity in innovation).

Introduction

The concept of an Engels’ pause, coined by economist Robert Allen, describes a historical paradox in 19th-century Britain: industrial output grew rapidly, yet wages stagnated, food prices soared, and inequality widened. The benefits of industrialization reached the majority only after decades, with reforms and institutional adjustments.

Today, AI as a general-purpose technology (GPT)—akin to steam power, electricity, or the internet—brings unprecedented productivity potential but also risks replicating this paradox. With Nobel Laureate Geoffrey Hinton warning of AI enriching a few at the expense of many, and evidence of uneven benefits emerging globally, the Engels’ pause metaphor becomes a crucial analytical lens.

Why in the News?

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping global economies, but early signs suggest a disconnect between productivity gains and broad-based prosperity. A recent Stanford study showed younger workers are more vulnerable to AI displacement, while an Indian IT giant laid off 12,000 employees in its AI pivot. Meanwhile, a MIT study revealed that 95% of AI pilots are failing to deliver visible gains due to weak complementary capabilities. In the Philippines, call centres recorded 30–50% productivity jumps with AI copilots, yet wages stagnated and workloads intensified. PwC forecasts AI could add $15.7 trillion to global GDP by 2030, but gains are concentrated in a few countries and firms. These developments highlight the possibility of an AI-induced Engels’ pause, making it a critical debate for global governance.

Are We Facing a Modern Engels’ Pause?

  1. Historical Parallels: Like 19th-century Britain, current AI-driven growth risks benefiting capital over labour, delaying welfare gains for the majority.
  2. Vulnerable Workers: Stanford research shows younger workers are most exposed to AI disruptions.
  3. Sectoral Displacement: IT, healthcare, education, and even government (e.g., Albania’s AI Minister) are witnessing job/task reconfigurations.

What Are the Markers of an AI Engels’ Pause?

  1. Stagnant Wages despite Productivity Gains: Philippines call centres show higher efficiency but little improvement in wages.
  2. Rising Costs of Complements: Cloud computing, retraining, coding bootcamps, and cybersecurity raise the “price of staying relevant”.
  3. Unequal Distribution of Gains: PwC’s $15.7 trillion AI GDP addition is concentrated in the U.S., China, and a few tech firms. IMF (2024) warns 40% of global jobs are AI-exposed, with advanced economies at greater risk of skilled substitution.
  4. Intensified Inequality: Research on India shows stronger IPR regimes widened wage inequality during tech races.

How Can Governance Break the Pause?

  1. Skilling and Transition Models: Singapore’s SkillsFuture programme and MBZUAI (world’s first AI university) highlight proactive reskilling.
  2. Redistribution Tools: Robot taxes and Universal Basic Income (UBI) pilots in the UK and EU aim to channel AI rents toward social welfare.
  3. AI Infrastructure as Public Good: Compute and data should be democratized; initiatives like K2Think.ai (UAE) and Apertus (Switzerland) are steps in building open, public AI models.

Why This Time Might Be Different

  1. Stronger Welfare Systems: Unlike 19th-century Britain, today’s democracies have safety nets and global institutions.
  2. Rapid Diffusion of Technology: Smartphones reached billions within a decade; AI could follow a similar trajectory.
  3. Potential Social Benefits: AI could lower costs in healthcare, education, and energy if deployed equitably.

Conclusion

The Engels’ pause analogy underscores a profound warning: productivity gains do not automatically translate into welfare improvements. AI governance, skilling programmes, redistribution mechanisms, and public-good infrastructure will determine whether AI becomes a human welfare revolution rather than just a productivity revolution. Political will, not just technological breakthroughs, will decide if this pause is short-lived or prolonged.

Value Addition

Scholarly References and Thinkers

  1. Robert C. Allen (2009): Coined Engels’ Pause in economic history; wages stagnated despite industrial productivity growth in 19th-century Britain.
  2. Nicholas Crafts (2021): Noted that GPTs like AI need institutional reforms and complementary innovations before welfare spreads.
  3. Bojan Jovanovic & Rousseau (2005): Documented “technology shocks” in U.S. economy → initial dislocation before long-term growth.
  4. Geoffrey Hinton (2024, FT Interview): Warned AI may “make a few rich and the rest poorer.”
  5. Agrawal, Gans & Goldfarb (2018): Defined AI as lowering the cost of prediction.

Key Reports and Data Points

  1. PwC Report (2018): AI could add $15.7 trillion to global GDP by 2030; 70% of gains concentrated in U.S. and China.
  2. IMF Report (2024): 40% of global jobs are AI-exposed; higher risk of high-skilled substitution in advanced economies.
  3. MIT Study (2023): Found that 95% of AI pilot projects failed to show visible gains due to lack of complementary capabilities.
  4. Stanford Study (2023): “Canaries in the Coal Mine” → younger workers are most vulnerable to AI disruption.
  5. OECD AI Principles (2019): Global governance framework emphasising fairness, transparency, accountability.

International Best Practices / Programs

  1. Singapore – SkillsFuture (2015): Provides continuous education credits for workers to reskill; considered a global model.
  2. UAE – Mohamed bin Zayed University of AI (MBZUAI, 2019): World’s first dedicated AI university.
  3. European Union – AI Act (2021 Draft): Risk-based framework regulating AI applications.
  4. United Kingdom – UBI Experiments: Pilots to test redistribution of tech-driven wealth.
  5. Albania – First AI Minister (2024): Institutional adoption of AI governance in public administration.

Indian Context and Initiatives

  1. NITI Aayog’s National Strategy on AI (2018): “AI for All” approach—priority areas: healthcare, education, agriculture, mobility.
  2. Digital India Programme: Expanding digital infrastructure to enable AI adoption.
  3. National Programme on AI (2019): Envisioned as a Center of Excellence ecosystem for skilling, research, and governance.
  4. NASSCOM FutureSkills Prime: Public–private initiative to reskill 2 million professionals in emerging tech, including AI.
  5. IndiaAI Portal (2023): Central knowledge hub for AI use cases and policy discussions.

Key Concepts for Thematic Depth

  1. General-Purpose Technology (GPT): Technologies with cross-sectoral transformative impact (steam, electricity, internet, AI).
  2. Complementary Innovations: Need for institutional reforms, new tasks, and human capital for GPT diffusion.
  3. Job Polarisation: Middle-skill jobs displaced → low-skill and high-skill jobs expand; seen in OECD labour markets.
  4. Robot Tax (Bill Gates’ Proposal): Idea of taxing automation to fund welfare.
  5. Universal Basic Income (UBI): Redistribution mechanism to tackle inequality in tech-driven economies.

Comparative Historical Perspective

  1. Industrial Revolution (19th c. Britain): Productivity rose but welfare stagnated → Engels’ Pause.
  2. Gilded Age (U.S.): Huge inequality, labour unrest; later corrected via welfare state reforms.
  3. Digital Revolution (1990s): Internet adoption uneven; productivity surge lagged behind wages initially.

Ethical and Governance Dimensions

  1. Equity and Justice (GS4): AI could worsen inequality unless governed inclusively.
  2. Privacy: Particularly sensitive in healthcare (HIPAA in U.S.; India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023).
  3. Transparency: AI “black box” models challenge accountability.
  4. Democratic Deficit: AI development is corporate-heavy; needs citizen-centric governance.

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Port Infrastructure and Shipping Industry – Sagarmala Project, SDC, CEZ, etc.

[27th September 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: Incentives for shipbuilding must include longterm offtake possibilities

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

PYQ Relevance:

[UPSC 2013] Adoption of PPP model for infrastructure development of the country has not been free from criticism. Critically discuss the pros and cons of the PPP model.

Linkage: India’s shipbuilding revival package too hinges on state support plus private shipowner participation, much like PPP projects, where delays, cost overruns, and weak ancillary ecosystems mirror the criticisms of PPP in other infrastructure sectors. Thus, the editorial’s concerns on viability and long-term offtake directly resonate with PPP model challenges.

[UPSC 2022] What are the maritime security challenges in India? Discuss the organisational, technical and procedural initiatives taken to improve the maritime security.

Linkage: Strengthening indigenous shipbuilding directly supports maritime security, as a larger and modern merchant fleet reduces reliance on foreign vessels, ensures secure energy transport, and complements India’s naval and coastal defence preparedness.

Mentor’s Comment

The Government’s announcement of a ₹69,725 crore package to revive India’s shipbuilding ecosystem marks a crucial moment for maritime infrastructure. With India building only a handful of merchant ships in the last decade despite global growth, the new push signals both opportunity and urgency. The challenge lies in transforming policy incentives into real competitiveness, something India failed to do under the 2015 package.

Introduction

India aspires to emerge as a global maritime power, but its shipbuilding sector has lagged far behind peers like China, Japan, and South Korea. While lucrative defence contracts have kept select shipyards active, India’s merchant ship production remains negligible. The new package seeks to expand capacity to 4.5 million gross tonnage, modernise yards, and create ancillary clusters. However, unless structural inefficiencies are addressed, ranging from delays in turnaround to absence of long-term offtake, the initiative risks becoming another missed opportunity.

Why in the News

The government has announced a massive ₹69,725 crore revival package to replace the expiring 2015 shipbuilding scheme. This is significant because, despite subsidies earlier, India produced only about half-a-dozen merchant ships in 10 years, a glaring failure when global yards deliver ships in just a year. The new plan aims to overcome these bottlenecks by upgrading infrastructure, ancillaries, and financing structures. The contrast between global efficiency (3–4 months keel to launch) and India’s 2–3 years turnaround highlights the magnitude of the problem.

The Scale of the Problem

  1. Negligible merchant shipbuilding: Only half-a-dozen small ships built in the last decade.
  2. Long delays: Turnaround time of 2–3 years in India vs 1 year globally.
  3. Lack of competitiveness: Shipowners avoid Indian yards due to sunk capital and overruns.

Global Best Practices in Shipbuilding

  1. Korea, Japan, China lead: Prefabricated component blocks welded in large assembly-line yards.
  2. High-capacity cranes: 1,000-tonne cranes enable block movement in foreign shipyards.
  3. Speed & efficiency: Keel-to-waterborne in 3–4 months; full build in about 1 year.

India’s Bottlenecks

  1. Inadequate infrastructure: Indian yards too small, lack crane capacity and prefab space.
  2. Weak ancillary ecosystem: Absence of robust component manufacturing clusters.
  3. Finance limitations: Benefits of lower interest rates & extended repayment apply only to large vessels.

Missed Opportunities in Policy Integration

  1. Green fuel projects: Kakinada & Kochi developing production for exports but no linkage with green shipbuilding.
  2. Lack of long-term offtake: Shipowners lack demand visibility; without assured contracts, newbuild investments stall.

The Way Forward

  1. Cluster-based development: Establish ancillary industries around shipyards for supply chains.
  2. Capacity building: Training institutions on lines of China to create skilled manpower.
  3. Policy synergy: Link green shipping contracts with renewable fuel policies.
  4. Long-term contracts: Use State-owned utilities and oil companies’ chartering needs to guarantee orders.

Conclusion

India stands at a decisive moment. A robust maritime ecosystem can secure energy lifelines, generate employment, and project India’s presence as a global power. The ₹69,725 crore package is promising, but unless structural inefficiencies, ancillary gaps, and demand visibility issues are resolved, it risks going the way of the failed 2015 policy. Success lies not merely in incentives but in creating a seamless ecosystem of infrastructure, skills, finance, and guaranteed demand.

Value Addition

Data Points and Targets

  1. ₹69,725 crore package: A substantial commitment that signals government seriousness.
  2. Capacity goal: 4.5 million gross tonnage: Puts India on a higher trajectory, though still far below shipbuilding giants like China and South Korea.
  3. Current state: Only half-a-dozen merchant ships built in 10 years, showcasing India’s negligible share in global shipbuilding.

Policy Continuity and Course Correction

  1. 2015 Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy: Provided subsidies and financing incentives but failed to attract private shipowners due to delays and lack of ancillary ecosystem.
  2. 2025 Package: Designed as a replacement, expiring in March 2026 → reflects a policy learning curve and government recognition that capital subsidy alone cannot solve systemic inefficiencies.

Comparative Insights

Global benchmarks:

  1. Korea/Japan/China → Keel-to-waterborne in 3–4 months; full build in 1 year.
  2. India → 2–3 years, meaning two additional years of sunk capital for shipowners.
  3. Infrastructure gap: Foreign yards use 1,000-tonne cranes and prefab assembly lines, while Indian yards lack such capacities.

Linkage with Atmanirbhar Bharat & Make in India

  1. Strategic autonomy: India relies heavily on foreign-built merchant fleets; indigenous shipbuilding aligns with Atmanirbhar Bharat.
  2. Employment multiplier: Shipbuilding is a labour-intensive sector with downstream benefits in steel, electronics, design, and logistics.
  3. Ancillary clusters: Policy push for ecosystem development resonates with the cluster-based growth approach seen in auto and pharma sectors.

Strategic and Security Relevance

  1. Energy lifelines: India’s crude oil and coal imports (~80% and ~45% dependence respectively) require long-term fleet security.
  2. Green transition: Linkage of shipbuilding with India’s green hydrogen/ammonia exports (Kakinada, Kochi projects) can make India a global hub for green shipping.
  3. Maritime security: A stronger indigenous merchant fleet reduces vulnerability to global freight disruptions and strengthens India’s position in the Indo-Pacific.

Broader Economic Linkages

  1. Financing ecosystem: Recognising shipbuilding as “infrastructure” lowers cost of credit → aligns with long-term financing reforms.
  2. Trade competitiveness: Owning merchant ships reduces foreign exchange outflow in charter hire and freight payments.
  3. Technology upgradation: Push towards prefab block construction → spinoffs for other infrastructure and defence industries.

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North-East India – Security and Developmental Issues

[26th September 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: Eight North-Eastern states with International borders, 0.13% of exports

op-ed snap | | Mains Paper 3: External State & Non-State Actors: Challenges To Internal Security.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2024] India has a long and troubled border with China and Pakistan, fraught with contentious issues. Examine the conflicting issues and security challenges along the border. Also give out the development being undertaken in these areas under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) and Border Infrastructure and Management (BIM) Scheme.

Linkage: This PYQ on BADP/BIM links with the article’s focus on the Northeast, where 5,400 km of borders yield only 0.13% exports. Both stress that borders must be treated as developmental, not just security, frontiers — a recurring UPSC theme.

Mentor’s Comment

India’s trade story is dominated by coastal powerhouses, while the Northeast, despite its 5,400 km of international borders and strategic location, contributes a meagre 0.13% of exports. The recent 25% U.S. tariff on Indian goods has exposed not just external vulnerabilities but also deep structural and spatial imbalances in India’s trade economy. This article dissects the marginalisation of the Northeast in India’s export architecture, the missed opportunities in border trade, and the urgent need to diversify resilience across regions.

Introduction

When the United States imposed an additional 25% tariff on imports from India in August 2025, New Delhi responded with restraint, continuing its familiar strategy of quiet diplomacy. But beneath this diplomatic choreography lies a deeper crisis: India’s export economy is dangerously centralised. While four States, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, account for more than 70% of exports, the entire Northeast contributes only 0.13%, despite sharing long borders with multiple countries and lying at the crossroads of South and Southeast Asia. This exclusion is not incidental but structural, reflecting decades of neglect in infrastructure, policy, and representation.

Why is this in the news?

The U.S. tariff hike of 25% against India is significant not just for its external trade implications but for the internal fault lines it exposes. For the first time, the spotlight has shifted from India-U.S. friction to India’s own spatial imbalance in trade. Striking numbers illustrate the scale of the problem: Gujarat alone contributes 33% of exports, while eight northeastern States together contribute only 0.13%. This stark contrast shows that India negotiates global trade deals while leaving its eastern frontier out of the economic map. It highlights a major failure in policy design, where infrastructure and incentives remain clustered in a few industrial enclaves, leaving large swathes of the country economically orphaned.

Why is India’s export economy so centralised?

  1. Export concentration: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka together account for over 70% of exports, with Gujarat alone contributing 33%.
  2. Policy alignment: Infrastructure, political continuity, and incentives have been systematically channelled to these States.
  3. Peripheral neglect: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh together contribute barely 5%, showing how populous regions remain trade lightweights.

Why does the Northeast remain marginalised in trade?

  1. Minuscule share: Eight northeastern States, despite 5,400 km of international borders, contribute only 0.13% of exports.
  2. Security apparatus over trade: Borders are securitised for counterinsurgency, not for commerce. Goods do not move, but surveillance forces do.
  3. Policy exclusion: No representation from the Northeast in the PM’s Economic Advisory Council or the Board of Trade.
  4. Ignored in planning: The DGFT’s 2024 export strategy ran into 87 pages without a single mention of Northeast corridors.

What are the ground-level impacts of neglect?

  1. Tea economy in crisis: Assam produces over half of India’s tea output, but branding and packaging are almost absent. A 25% tariff hike threatens viability, with planters in Dibrugarh warning of job losses.
  2. Oil vulnerability: Numaligarh Refinery’s expansion requires imports, increasingly relying on discounted Russian crude. U.S. sanctions risk choking supplies, with Golaghat bearing the brunt, not Mumbai.

How has border trade with Myanmar collapsed?

  1. Vanishing corridors: Zokhawthar (Mizoram) and Moreh (Manipur) have withered into skeletal outposts.
  2. Free Movement Regime scrapped (2024): Severed kinship ties, daily trade, and hill economies.
  3. Performative infrastructure: Roads and customs offices exist on paper, cold-chain facilities are missing.
  4. Security logic over market demand: Borders function more as containment grids than trade hubs.

How does global context deepen India’s challenge?

  1. China’s influence: Consolidating control in northern Myanmar through infrastructure investments and militia alliances.
  2. India’s inertia: The India-Myanmar-Thailand Highway remains unfinished, symbolic of missed opportunities.
  3. Global supply chains shifting: Southeast Asia builds new corridors, but India clings to colonial-era coastal routes.

What does this reveal about India’s trade resilience?

  1. Dependence on few corridors: A flood in Gujarat or strike in Tamil Nadu can paralyse exports.
  2. Northeast excluded by design: Not just oversight, but structural neglect in infrastructure, logistics, and institutions.
  3. Strategic hollowness: India claims Indo-Pacific leadership but leaves its eastern flank brittle and disconnected.

Conclusion

India cannot aspire to regional leadership while its Northeast remains economically orphaned. The 25% U.S. tariffs are not just a foreign policy irritant but a reminder that trade resilience must mean dispersion, not dependence. The Northeast needs roads, warehouses, and representation, not rhetoric. Integrating this frontier into the export map is essential for both economic equity and strategic credibility. Without it, India risks negotiating global trade while ignoring the geographies that could anchor its cohesion.

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