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Journalism of Courage
Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for February 28, 2025. If you missed the February 27, 2025 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here
THE WORLD
Trump says tariffs on Mexico, Canada from Tuesday, slaps additional 10% on China
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.
What’s the ongoing story: US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that his proposed 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods will go into effect on 4 March as scheduled, citing the continued flow of drugs into the US from those countries.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is the reason behind recent tariff measures imposed by the United States on Mexico, Canada, and China?
• What is opioid fentanyl?
• What is the use of opioid fentanyl?
• Discuss the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in resolving tariff-related disputes among nations.
• How do trade tariffs impact developing economies like India?
• Tariff wars between major global economies can lead to disruptions in global supply chains—Explain
Key Takeaways:
• Trump also confirmed that an additional 10% duty on Chinese goods will be imposed on the same day, on top of the 10% tariff already introduced on 4 February.
• In a post on Truth Social, the president stated that drugs, particularly the deadly opioid fentanyl, were still entering the US at “very high and unacceptable levels.”
• Trump had previously called for imposing 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, but he delayed the policy by one month after speaking to the leaders of the two nations.
• He in the post on Thursday also added, “China will likewise be charged an additional 10% Tariff on that date. The April Second Reciprocal Tariff date will remain in full force and effect.”
• The statement clarified earlier confusion over the deadline for tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods, which Trump has linked to the fentanyl crisis and US border security. During his first cabinet meeting on Wednesday, his remarks suggested a possible one-month delay until 4 April.
• Trump administration officials later explained that the April deadline referred to Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs”—import duties designed to counteract trade restrictions imposed by other countries.
Do You Know:
• According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), “Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic [for pain relief] and anesthetic. It is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin as an analgesic.” But overdoses can cause “stupor, changes in pupil size, clammy skin, cyanosis [blue skin], coma, and respiratory failure leading to death”.
• Opioids are essentially a type of drugs that “derive from, or mimic, natural substances found in the opium poppy plant”, according to the website of US-based Johns Hopkins Medicine.
• The US has been witnessing what many have called an “opioid epidemic”. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “the number of people who died from a drug overdose in 2021 was over six times the number in 1999… Over 75% of the nearly 107,000 drug overdose deaths in 2021 involved an opioid”.
• The US has primarily blamed two countries for the trafficking of fentanyl — Mexico and China. A 2020 DEA intelligence report (‘Fentanyl Flow to the United States’), stated that fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances were trafficked from China through international mail and express consignment operations.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Trump imposed 25% tariffs on China, Mexico, Canada over fentanyl. Here is why
UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
1. With reference to tariffs in international trade, consider the following statements:
1. Tariffs are imposed primarily to protect domestic industries from foreign competition.
2. Tariffs always lead to an increase in government revenue without any economic drawbacks.
3. The World Trade Organization (WTO) discourages the use of tariffs among member nations.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 1 and 3 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1, 2, and 3
90% foreign aid contracts under USAID to be cut
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.
What’s the ongoing story: The Trump administration said Wednesday it is eliminating more than 90% of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s foreign aid contracts and $60 billion in overall U.S. assistance around the world, putting numbers on its plans to eliminate the majority of U.S. development and humanitarian help abroad.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is United States Agency of International Development (USAID)?
• What does USAID do?
• Why Trump administration is targeting USAID?
• What role does USAID play in India?
• How would significant budget cuts to USAID impact developing nations, particularly those reliant on U.S. foreign aid?
• What are the advantages and challenges of using foreign aid as a strategic instrument in international relations?
Key Takeaways:
• The cuts detailed by the administration would leave few surviving USAID projects for advocates to try to save in what are ongoing court battles with the administration.
• The Trump administration outlined its plans in both an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press and filings in one of those federal lawsuits Wednesday.
• Wednesday’s disclosures also give an idea of the scale of the administration’s retreat from U.S. aid and development assistance overseas, and from decades of U.S. policy that foreign aid helps U.S. interests by stabilizing other countries and economies and building alliances.
• The memo said officials were “clearing significant waste stemming from decades of institutional drift.” More changes are planned in how USAID and the State Department deliver foreign assistance, it said.
• President Donald Trump and ally Elon Musk have hit foreign aid harder and faster than almost any other target in their push to cut the size of the federal government. Both men say USAID projects advance a liberal agenda and are a waste of money.
• Trump on Jan. 20 ordered what he said would be a 90-day program-by-program review of which foreign assistance programs deserved to continue, and cut off all foreign assistance funds almost overnight.
• The funding freeze has stopped thousands of U.S.-funded programs abroad, and the administration and Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency teams have pulled the majority of USAID staff off the job through forced leave and firings.
Do You Know:
• USAID is the “lead international humanitarian and development arm of the US government”, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS).
• The agency provides assistance to other countries primarily by funding non-governmental organisations (NGOs), foreign governments, international organisations, or other US agencies, often for specific programs to alleviate poverty, provide education and healthcare, among other things.
• The agency managed more than $43 billion in funds, and provided assistance to around 130 countries in FY2023. The top 10 recipients of USAID-managed funds in FY2023 were: (in descending order of funding) Ukraine, Ethiopia, Jordan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Syria.
• USAID employed more than 10,000 people in FY2023, according to CRS, with approximately two-thirds of this workforce serving overseas. This number does not factor in thousands of “institutional support contractors” who are pivotal for the execution of the agency’s programs. USAID maintains more than 60 missions around the world.
• Proponents of USAID argue that the agency is essential to further US influence overseas. “It’s a national security tool kit that has been developed over 60 years,” Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International, an aid group that does not receive US funding, told The Washington Post. “And if it’s destroyed, it cannot be easily rebuilt,” he said.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Trump fires 1,600 USAID workers, puts thousand others on leave
UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
2. Which of the following areas is NOT a primary focus of USAID’s foreign aid programs?
a) Humanitarian assistance
b) Military operations
c) Global health programs
d) Economic development
FRONT PAGE
Manipur ethnic militia turns in huge cache of looted weapons
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination:
• General Studies III: Security challenges and their management in border areas – linkages of organized crime with terrorism.
• General Studies III: Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges,
What’s the ongoing story: The last day of the deadline Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla set for surrendering weapons looted from the state’s armouries during the conflict, Imphal saw an unusual procession – a stream of vehicles of the radical armed group Arambai Tenggol packed with guns of varying sizes. The group surrendered 246 weapons at the 1st MR complex in Imphal West.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is Arambai Tenggol?
• Who founded arambai tenggol
• Arambai Tenggol and Manipur Violence-Connect the dots
• History of ethnic conflicts in Manipur-Know in brief
• Historical factors responsible for violence in Manipur-Know in brief
• The surrender of ethnic militias in Manipur is considered a significant step towards peace-Discuss
• Illegal arms proliferation is a major challenge in conflict-prone regions like Manipur. Examine the factors contributing to weapon looting and discuss potential strategies to curb this issue.
Key Takeaways:
• This mass surrender of weapons by the group came two days after its members met Governor Bhalla in Raj Bhawan and is the largest such surrender of illegally held weapons so far in the strife-torn state.
• On February 20, the Governor appealed to people of all communities to surrender such weapons to their nearest security establishments within seven days, stating that no punitive action would be taken. However, he said that “strict action” would be taken for possessing such weapons after this period ends.
• Around 6,000 weapons have been looted from state armouries during the conflict, which began in May 2023. Twenty-one months later, there are still sporadic attempts to seize weapons from these armouries.
• According to the last update by Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh in September 2024, 1,200 of the looted weapons had been recovered in operations by security forces, while the rest continue to be in circulation.
Do You Know:
• Arambai Tenggol started in 2020 as a cultural outfit, but soon transformed into a radical organisation. It is one of the two hardline Meitei organisations suspected to be involved in a large number of Meitei-Kuki clashes, which broke out in May 2023. The other group is Meitei Leepun.
—Both the organisation had armed themselves and their membership grew rapidly during the conflict, sources had told The Indian Express. They have been accused by the Kuki groups and the security establishment of playing a leading role in the violence.
• Getting armed groups to surrender weapons is one among a series of measures being taken by the Centre via the Governor to restore law and order in Manipur. There are plans to crack down on militias, remove illegal checkposts and escort convoys transporting people and goods.
• This call for the return of weapons is the first major step taken by the Governor after the resignation of former Chief Minister N Biren Singh and the subsequent imposition of President’s Rule in the state.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Manipur ministers and MLAs meet Arambai Tenggol members: Who are the radical Meitei group?
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
3. Consider the following pairs: (2018)
| Tradition | State | |
| 1. | Chapchar Kut festival | Mizoram |
| 2. | Khongjom Parba ballad | Manipur |
| 3. | Thang-Ta dance | Sikkim |
Which of the pairs given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 2 and 3 only
Mujib downsized, India’s role in liberation war cut: Dhaka rewrites textbooks
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighborhood- relations.
What’s the ongoing story: There has been reports that Bangladesh is making the most drastic changes made to school textbooks in this year by its National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) — alterations that almost obliterate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and curtails her father Mujib’s role in the freedom struggle.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Discuss the role of India in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971.
• How did India’s military, diplomatic, and humanitarian support contribute to the creation of Bangladesh?
• ‘Textbook rewriting has been a contentious issue in many countries’—Comment
• What will be the impact of historical revisionism on international relations, with reference to India-Bangladesh ties?
• How has the legacy of the Bangladesh Liberation War influenced the political and strategic relationship between India and Bangladesh over the decades?
Key Takeaways:
• In these changes lie an underlying theme — of playing down the Indian leadership’s contribution to the Bangladesh Liberation War in which the combined forces of Indian Army and the Bangladesh freedom fighters had defeated Pakistan’s armed forces in December 1971, leading to the creation of the nation.
• A team of over 57 experts set up by the Bangladesh Education Ministry has carried out alterations to 441 school books used by primary, secondary and higher secondary students, sources said, adding that over 40 crore new books have been printed for the current academic session. The Indian Express analysed several of these books — across classes and subjects.
• These changes are among the “reforms” in the education sector that the interim government announced following the toppling of the 16-year regime of Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina, who fled Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, and has been living in India ever since.
• The Indian Express found that two photographs of Mujib with then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had been dropped from the inside cover of the Class 6 English book — of Mujib making a speech and Gandhi sharing the dais at a rally in Kolkata on February 6, 1972, and the other of March 17, 1972, when the Bangladesh President received the Indian PM at the Dhaka airport. Photographs of Mujib with world
leaders have been deleted from other textbooks too.
Do You Know:
• Among the biggest changes in the books is the move to bring in other leaders of the Muktijuddho (Bangladesh’s freedom struggle), who, critics of the Awami League say, were overshadowed by Mujib and his daughter Hasina.
• The revised curriculum includes biographies and photographs of other “political stalwarts” such as Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, former Muslim League leader, first president of the Awami League and a prominent figure during the 1971 Muktijuddho; Huseyn Suhrawardy, the former Chief Minister of undivided Bengal and the former Prime Minister of Pakistan; Abul Kasem Fazlul Huq, a former Muslim League leader and Prime Minister of East Pakistan; Tajuddin Ahmed, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and a Muktijuddho leader; and Khaleda Zia, Hasina’s rival, two-time Prime Minister of Bangladesh and wife of former President Ziaur Rahman.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Explained: Why Bangladesh is rewriting textbooks on 1971 Liberation War
Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering Covering similar theme:
📍Analyze internal security threats and transborder crimes along Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan borders including Line of Control (LoC). Also discuss the role played by various security forces in this regard. (2018)
GOVT & POLITICS
Media in digital transition, should discuss solutions for fair compensation: Vaishnaw
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies IV: Ethics and Human Interface
What’s the ongoing story: URGING the industry and stakeholders to discuss the gamut of challenges associated with the transition of traditional media to new media, from employment to compensation, Union Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the government was “fully prepared” to provide any “necessary support” through this transformation.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) Conclave 2025-What are the key takeaways?
• Discuss the challenges faced by traditional media houses due to the rise of digital platforms.
• How government intervention can strike a balance between media freedom and fair compensation for journalists.
• How has the rise of digital media affected journalism ethics and content quality?
• Why Media is called as the Fourth Pillar of Democracy?
• What are the responsibilities of Journalists or Media towards the Society?
• What are the Issues Associated with Media and Journalism in India?
• How Media Is Regulated in India?
• What are the Loopholes in Media Regulation in India?
• Countries like Australia and Canada have introduced laws mandating digital platforms to compensate news publishers. What lessons can India learn from these models in shaping its own policies?
Key Takeaways:
• “Along with traditional media, which included newspapers and television as major mediums, digital media has emerged in a significant manner,” Vaishnaw said at the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) Conclave 2025. The DNPA is an industry association of 20 media companies in the country.
• “This conclave should discuss the role of the traditional media and prepare clear policy recommendations on how the media industry adapts to the changes and moves forward while protecting employment, copyright issues, how traditional media can get a fair compensation, and how to give adequate importance to content that is produced after editorial checks,” Vaishnaw said. “The government is ready to offer help to the media during this transition. The whole country views the media with great responsibility.”
• Vaishnaw’s comments assume significance as they come amid growing scepticism of news publishers in several jurisdictions, including in the United States and India, over concerns of copyrighted material, such as news reports, being used by companies like OpenAI for training their foundational models, without permission or payment.
Do You Know:
• According to the official website of DNPA, the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) represents India’s leading news media organizations committed to promoting the growth and sustainability of high-quality digital journalism.
— Beyond advocacy matters, DNPA also strives to raise awareness about the latest developments in the digital industry related to news and content and to disseminate knowledge among its members and the general public.
— As an organization, DNPA promotes the growth of friendly relations among members and encourages cooperation among members to maximize mutual benefits.
—The collective strength of digital media publishers under the umbrella of DNPA protects all members from unfair and unethical practices that may discredit the digital news industry.
—DNPA serves as a dynamic umbrella organization for the digital wings of media businesses and has taken proactive action in recent years to restore equality and fairness for all news publishers.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍‘Media Transformations in the Age of AI’: New Delhi set to host 3rd DNPA Conclave on February 27
UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
4. With reference to the digital transformation of media, consider the following statements:
1) The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 regulate digital news platforms in India.
2) The Press Council of India (PCI) is responsible for regulating digital media content.
3) The Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) represents the interests of traditional and digital news organizations in India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2, and 3
EXPRESS NETWORK
Who’s Champakam Dorairajan, the woman in a nine-yard sari who triggered First Amendment?
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
What’s the ongoing story: Champakam Dorairajan always wanted to be a doctor – an unusual dream for married women in the 1940s. So when a law, in the form of a government General Order got in the way, she decided to challenge it.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Champakam Dorairajan-Know about her
• When there is a conflict between Fundamental Rights and DPSPs, which should prevail?
• What was the first amendment to the Constitution of India?
• What you know about Champakam Dorairajan v the State of Madras (1951)?
• Discuss the significance of the Champakam Dorairajan case (1951) in shaping India’s constitutional framework on reservations and affirmative action.
• Analyse the impact of the First Constitutional Amendment Act, 1951, on fundamental rights in India.
• ‘The First Amendment to the Indian Constitution was a response to judicial interventions in socio-political matters’—Examine role of judiciary and legislature in balancing constitutional provisions and social justice.
Key Takeaways:
• In 1948, the Madras government introduced the Communal General Order, widely referred to as the Communal G.O., which apportioned admissions to educational institutions based on caste — out of every 14 seats, 6 were to be allotted to non-Brahmin (Hindus); 2 to Backward Hindus; 2 to Brahmins; 2 to Harijans; 1 to Anglo-Indians and Indian Christians, and 1 to Muslims.
• On learning that as a Brahmin woman, “she had little or no chance of being admitted” to a medical college, Champakam moved the Madras High Court. Her case was that the government’s policy violated her right to equality. Srimathi Champakam Dorairajan And Anr. v The State of Madras became the first case to test if the Constitution permitted caste-based reservations for admission to educational institutions.
• In July 1950, the Madras HC struck down the G.O. but the State challenged the order in the Supreme Court. On April 9, 1951, a full bench of five judges of the Supreme Court struck down the law as unconstitutional, declaring that the classification in the law “constituted a clear violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed to the citizen”.
• The Supreme Court ruling prompted the government to introduce changes in the Constitution through the First Amendment that expressly provided for affirmative action in higher education – until then, the Constitution only provided for reservation in public employment. The case also ignited a lasting debate on merit, equality, and discrimination — one that remains relevant to this day.
Do You Know:
• Born in 1915, Dorairajan, with a Bachelor’s degree in Physics and Chemistry from the University of Madras in 1934, hoped to become a doctor, but “financial difficulties” led to her becoming a teacher instead.
• In its ruling, the SC quoted from her affidavit and said that “it does not appear that the petitioner had actually applied for admission in the Medical College” but “that on inquiry, she came to know that she would not be admitted to the College as she belonged to the Brahmin community.”
• Perhaps it was this familiarity with lawyers and the legal system that prompted Dorairajan to approach the court. Renowned lawyers V V Srinivasa Iyengar and Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, who was also a member of the Constituent Assembly and the provisional Parliament which introduced the First Amendment, argued against the government.
• While Article 14 recognises the right to equality, Article 15 prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth, Article 16(4) provides for reservation in public employment in favour of any backward class of citizens, and Article 17 provides for the abolition of untouchability. However, since there was no express provision providing for reservation in educational institutions, the government pleaded with the Court to look at the “letter and spirit of the Constitution”.
• Following the setback in the Supreme Court, the government brought in the First Amendment, introducing Article 15(4) to the Constitution to allow the state to make laws or “any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes”.
• In later years, the court’s textual reading of the Constitution was criticised and corrected. In the 2024 ruling allowing sub-classification of quota, then Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud termed the approach of the SC in Champakam’s case a “formalistic and reservation-limiting approach.”
• Dorairajan’s case perhaps had more to do with realising her personal goals rather than making a case against affirmative action, but the court’s ruling is a stark reminder of the starting point from which the law on equality has evolved.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Did the First Amendment to the Constitution lay the foundation for an authoritarian state?
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
5. In India, which one of the following Constitutional Amendments was widely believed to be enacted to overcome the judicial interpretations of the Fundamental Rights? (2023)
(a) 1st Amendment
(b) 42nd Amendment
(c) 44th Amendment
(d) 86th Amendment
THE IDEAS PAGE
There aren’t many options for athletes
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
What’s the ongoing story: Pullela Gopichand is right: Those arguing that avenues for making a living in sports are expanding fail to account for costs attached to training, living expenses.
Key Points to Ponder:
• “Indian sports face a lack of career options for athletes beyond their playing years.” Discuss the structural challenges and suggest measures to enhance career sustainability for athletes in India.
• Analyze the role of government schemes like ‘Khelo India’ in developing sports infrastructure and athlete support in India.
• Discuss the economic challenges faced by domestic athletes who do not secure lucrative contracts, such as those in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
• Examine the implications of prize money disparities between male and female athletes on the promotion of gender equality in sports.
• Despite India’s improving performance in international sports, athletes often struggle with financial security post-retirement. Suggest policy measures that can provide career opportunities and financial stability for Indian athletes.
• What more can be done to make sports a viable career option?
Key Takeaways:
Pullela Gopichand is right:
• It stings that our post-playing careers as Indian coaches are a second battle to prove our worth. We have to justify to the world that former Indian players, who are turning to coaching, will someday also deserve a remuneration of $12,000 (over Rs 10 lakh) offered to foreign badminton coaches, instead of less than a tenth of that which we get now. Despite reaching world number 6 and being in the top 10 for four years, I had to start from scratch. Now, in the second innings of my career, I work to deliver results and make champions as a coach, like my contemporaries.
• Athletes’ pride is a strange thing. And the salary, when compared to corporate successes, can be a punch on the face. In the current state, with the salaries athletes earn and how they are viewed by society, like Pullela Gopichand says, we are snatching away the only thing that they carry with them — immense pride. It’s why he keeps stressing on education as a fall-back for a dignified post-sport career.
• We are in no position to tell an Indian player — who has to look after his family, who might’ve come from a middle-class background, and has the responsibility of his/her spouse and children — to say “no” to that basic pay, even if we are training elite shuttlers.
• In Japan and Korea, top private sector companies employ top shuttlers. This works because every corporation has a sports club there, and their domestic inter-club leagues are a big deal. The electronics and telecom majors absorb the top international athletes and they earn pretty respectable corporate wages. India neither has a college system like the US, skilling up athletes, nor the new age corporates or start-ups interested in taking them on-board. All Gopi is saying is, in this scenario, athletes should arm themselves with education, so they are not left behind — or at the mercy of officers looking for respect and trying to keep pride intact.
Do You Know:
Diana Eduljee Writes:
• Both Pullela Gopichand and I played sports in times when there was no money in the field. So, I would like to understand the context of his statement that middle-class parents shouldn’t encourage sports as a career option. It’s a bit too harsh because things have definitely improved for sportspersons.
• Now, I don’t think players are adequately planning for their future. Even a stellar international career is not long — from five years to 20, the latter in the rarest of cases. Will money earned during this period suffice for the rest of one’s life? It is true that our country does not have a sports mindset. When athletes win glory, they are raised up like royalty. And they are brought down and forgotten just as easily.
• We are a jealous country, and the fact that sportspersons enter jobs at a relatively high grade, and get leaves and out-of-turn promotions, is definitely a source of aggravation.
• Corporates need to start chipping in. Though, unlike Railways and PSUs, I don’t see them giving 300 days leave. But that’s what Railways did to support entire teams. Corporates can surely pick small batches in individual sports. If the government mandates a corporation should look after athletes in Game A, B or C, and do everything to take them to the pinnacle of medals and World Cups and look after them after their careers are over, it isn’t impossible. If you have the will, a way will be found.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering Sports Theme:
6. Consider the following statements in respect of the 32nd Summer Olympics. (2021)
1. The official motto for this Olympics is ‘A New World’.
2. Sport Climbing, Surfing, Skateboarding, Karate and Baseball are included in this Olympics.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) Only 1
(b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering Sports Theme:
📍 An athlete participates in Olympics for personal triumph and nation’s glory; victors are showered with cash incentives by various agencies, on their return. Discuss the merit of state sponsored talent hunt and its cultivation as against the rationale of a reward mechanism as encouragement. (UPSC Mains Examination GS-2, 2014)
EXPRESS NETWORK
Top court upholds arrests under GST and Customs Acts
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance
Main Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
What’s the ongoing story: The Supreme Court Thursday upheld the constitutional validity of arrest provisions under the GST and Customs laws but also extended safeguards against arbitrary arrests to these Acts.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What are the arrest provisions under the Customs Act, 1962, and the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017?
• What are the safeguards against arbitrary arrest?
• What is Section 19 of the PMLA Act?
• ‘The Supreme Court has upheld the power of authorities to arrest individuals under the GST and Customs Acts’—Know in detail
• Discuss the implications of this recent ruling by the apex Court on tax enforcement and the ease of doing business in India.
• “While stringent enforcement of tax laws is essential for compliance, excessive powers of arrest may deter businesses and lead to harassment”—What is your opinion?
Key Takeaways:
• A bench of CJI Sanjiv Khanna and Justices M M Sundresh and Bela M Trivedi — which was hearing a batch 279 petitions challenging the validity of the arrest provisions under the Customs Act, 1962 and the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 — said: “Parliament, under Article 246-A of the Constitution, has the power to make laws regarding GST and, as a necessary corollary, enact provisions against tax evasion… Thus penalty or prosecution mechanism for the levy and collection of GST, and for checking its evasion, is a permissible exercise of legislative power.”
• The bench agreed with the view laid down in earlier rulings that customs officers are not police officers, but added that provisions of Section 41B of the CrPC, which describes procedure for arrest and the duties of an arresting police officer, would apply to Customs officers too.
• It added that the arrestee under Customs Act as well as GST Act must be informed about their grounds of arrest. The court also said that the fact of the arrest must be communicated to the person nominated or authorised by the arrested person and that it shall be the duty of the Magistrate when an arrested person is produced, to satisfy himself that the requirements have been complied with.
• It held that the safeguards against arbitrary arrest contained in Section 19 of the PMLA would “equally apply” to arrests under the Customs and GST Acts too.
Do You Know:
• On October 3, 2023, a bench of Justices A S Bopanna and P V Sanjay Kumar held that to give true meaning to the constitutional and statutory mandate of ED’s power to arrest, informing the grounds on which a person is arrested in writing “would be necessary, henceforth”. The court said that a copy be furnished to the arrested person, as a matter of course, without exception.
• The legality of arrest is not just a technical aspect. Since stringent laws such as the PMLA and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) impose a high bar for bail, the procedural safeguards become the test against arbitrary arrest. Since getting bail is so difficult, due process requires the agency to scrupulously follow the rigours of the law in arresting an individual.
• Section 19 states the “reasons to believe” must be to establish a finding of “guilt” and nothing less, the SC held that the ED must have a higher bar for what it considers reason to believe. Essentially, the reason must virtually be “evidence admissible in court”, because that is what is needed to establish guilt — and not just a subjective finding of the ED.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Explained: In Kejriwal bail, lens on ED’s power to arrest
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
7.With reference to India, consider the following statements: (2021)
1. When a prisoner makes out a sufficient case, parole cannot be denied to such prisoner because it becomes a matter of his/her right.
2. State Governments have their own Prisoners Release on Parole Rules.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither I nor 2
ECONOMY
Finance Secy Tuhin Kanta Pandey to be new chief of markets regulator Sebi
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.
What’s the ongoing story: The government has appointed Finance and Revenue Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey as the next chairman of capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi). An order issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet late Thursday said the appointment of Pandey as Sebi chief will be for three years.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Personality in News-Tuhin Kanta Pandey
• How is SEBI chairman elected?
• Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)—Know its role, powers and functions
• Discuss the significance of SEBI in ensuring transparency, investor protection, and market stability.
• How does the appointment of key financial regulators such as the SEBI Chairperson impact India’s financial markets?
• SEBI is tasked with ensuring the smooth functioning of India’s securities markets while balancing investor protection and corporate governance—Evaluate SEBI’s recent policy measures and their effectiveness.
Key Takeaways:
• The current three-year tenure of Sebi chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch is slated to end on Friday (February 28). She took over as the first woman chief of the capital markets regulator on March 2, 2022.
• Pandey’s appointment as Sebi chief marks the second major appointment of a bureaucrat as the head of a regulator, after Indian
Administrative Services (IAS) officer Sanjay Malhotra’s appointment as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor in December 2024.
• Even though candidates from the private sector are learnt to have been considered for the post of Sebi Chairman, the final section of an IAS officer signifies a reposing of faith in bureaucracy by the government to manage critical institutions of the country. The appointment of the Sebi Chairman is made by the central government on the recommendation of the Financial Sector Regulatory Appointments Search Committee (FSRASC).
• Before being appointed as Revenue Secretary in January, Pandey had the charge of Secretary, DIPAM. Pandey, a 1987-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Odisha cadre, had taken charge as Finance Secretary in September 2024 after his predecessor TV Somanathan was appointed as Cabinet Secretary. The charge of Finance Secretary is by convention given to the senior-most secretary amongst all the secretaries of the Ministry of Finance.
Do You Know:
• According to the official website of SEBI, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is the regulatory body for securities and commodity market in India under the administrative domain of Ministry of Finance within the Government of India. It was established on 12 April 1988 as an executive body and was given statutory powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992.
• SEBI is led by a board of members, including a chairman appointed by the Union Government of India.Two members of the Union Finance Ministry. One member from the Reserve Bank of India.The remaining five members are nominated by the Union Government of India, with at least three being full-time members.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Explained: Sebi’s ‘when-listed’ platform and how it could impact investors
UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
8.Who appoints the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)?
a) The President of India
b) The Prime Minister of India
c) The Union Government, based on recommendations from the Financial Sector Regulatory Appointment Search Committee (FSRASC)
d) The Reserve Bank of India
EXPLAINED
Why TN, Centre are clashing over NEP’s 3-language formula
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers.
What’s the ongoing story: The Centre has withheld funds for the Samagra Shiksha scheme in Tamil Nadu due to the state’s refusal to implement the New Education Policy (NEP) of 2020.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is Samagra Shiksha scheme?
• Why the Centre has withheld funds for the Samagra Shiksha scheme in Tamil Nadu?
• What is “three-language formula”?
• Why Tamil Nadu is against “three-language formula”?
• What are the concerns raised by Tamil Nadu regarding “three-language formula” Implementation?
• The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasizes multilingual education. Discuss the benefits and challenges of implementing a multilingual education system in India.
Key Takeaways:
• In a strongly worded letter to the Prime Minister, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin last week sought the release of Rs 2,152 crore pending for the centrally-sponsored scheme meant to support the provisions of the RTE Act.
• At the heart of the clash between the BJP-led Centre and DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu is the so-called “three-language formula” that is a part of the NEP. While the Centre maintains that this policy is meant to ensure that youth get employment across regions, Tamil Nadu has long viewed it as an attempt to impose Hindi on the state.
• Tamil Nadu has an almost century-old history of anti-Hindi agitations. Unlike most other states — including southern states such as Kerala and Karnataka — it follows a two-language formula in which students are taught only Tamil and English
• Over several years, the Centre has maintained that education is in the Concurrent List of the Constitution, and that the implementation of the three-language formula is the responsibility of the states.
• In 2004, then Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh of the Congress said in Parliament: “The role of the Central Government in the matter of the implementation of the three-language formula is recommendatory. Implementation of this formula is the sole responsibility of the State Governments.”
• HRD Minister Smriti Irani, of the BJP, reiterated this position in 2014, saying that it was up to the states to finalise their own curricula and syllabi.
• However, now, the Ministry of Education has linked the release of Samagra Shiksha funds to the implementation of the NEP, effectively forcing the hands of the states when it comes to their respective education policies.
Do You Know:
• The debate over language policy in education — regarding both the medium of instruction and teaching of languages — has existed since Independence. The University Education Commission of 1948-49, chaired by Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who went on to become the second President of India, examined this topic in detail.
• The Radhakrishnan Commission favoured Hindi (Hindustani) as India’s federal language, to be used for all federal activities — administrative, educational and cultural — while regional languages would serve the provinces.
• At the same time, the Commission recognised that immediately abandoning English would be impractical. It stated that English would have to continue as “the medium for Federal business” till such time that all provinces are ready for the change, having “spread the Federal language adequately”.
• It was this Commission that first proposed what would later become the three-language formula for school education.
—“In order to enable every region…to take its proper share in Federal activities, and to promote inter-provincial understanding and solidarity, educated India has to make up its mind to be bilingual, and pupils at the higher secondary and university stages will have to know three languages,” the Radhakrishnan Commission said.
—This meant that beyond one’s regional language, every person should “be acquainted with the Federal language” and have “the ability to read books in English”.
• This proposal was accepted by the National Education Commission of 1964-66 (Kothari Commission), and was incorporated into the National Policy on Education, 1968 passed by the Indira Gandhi government.
• For secondary education, the formula proposed that students learn “a modern Indian language, preferably one of the southern languages, apart from Hindi and English in the Hindi-speaking States” and “Hindi along with the regional language and English in the non-Hindi speaking States.”
• The National Policy on Education of 1986, passed by the Rajiv Gandhi government, and the latest NEP of 2020, too retained this formula, although the latter provides for greater flexibility in its implementation. Unlike previous education policies, the 2020 NEP makes no mention of Hindi.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Union govt using fund releases as pressure tactic to coerce states: Tamil Nadu CM amid NEP row
UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
9.With reference to the Three-Language Formula in India, consider the following statements:
1. The Three-Language Formula was first introduced in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
2. Tamil Nadu has historically opposed the Three-Language Formula and follows a Two-Language policy.
3. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 mandates the learning of Hindi as a compulsory language in all states.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2, and 3
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
What’s the ongoing story: At a time when ties between Europe and the United States are facing great pressure, a large delegation of European Commission College of Commissioners is in New Delhi for a two-day visit.
Key Points to Ponder:
• India-European Union (EU) relations—Know the background
• Why India and Europe need each other?
• The European Union (EU) is a key strategic partner for India-Discuss
• ‘The India-European Union (EU) partnership is evolving beyond trade to include critical areas like technology, climate change, and strategic security’-Elaborate
• Discuss the significance India-European Union (EU) partnership in the context of global geopolitics.
• India and the European Union (EU) are negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). What are the major challenges in finalizing the agreement, and how can they be addressed?
Key Takeaways:
• Twenty-two of the 27 Commissioners are part of the delegation led by European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen. This is the first trip out of Europe by the College that took office in December, and the first-ever visit to India by the Commissioners together.
• Indian officials said the visit of the College of Commissioners marks a significant new phase in bilateral relations, as India and the EU enter the third decade of their Strategic Partnership.
• Meetings of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC), bilaterals between Indian Ministers and EU Commissioners, and the meeting at the leaders’ level will diversify engagement and promote trade and investments in a range of areas, the officials said.
• These include artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors, as well as green hydrogen, sustainable urbanisation, water management, resilient supply chains, defence, and space.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and EC President Ursula von der Leyen have met at least seven times in the past. The President paid an official visit to India in April 2022, during which she participated in the Raisina Dialogue as Chief Guest, and delivered the inaugural address.
• Prime Minister Modi and President von der Leyen met briefly on the sidelines of the G20 Rio Summit in November 2024. In January this year, the PM spoke by telephone with the President of the European Council Antonio Costa.
Do You Know:
• India established diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community — the first pillar of the future European Union — back in 1962. The Joint Political Statement signed in 1993 and the Cooperation Agreement of 1994 paved the way for the strengthening of ties between India and Europe.
• The multi-tier institutional architecture of cooperation has been presided over by the India-EU Summits, 15 of which have been held so far. The first Summit was held in Lisbon in June 2000, and the bilateral relationship was upgraded to a Strategic Partnership at the 5th Summit in The Hague in 2004.
• The India-EU Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025, was adopted at the last India-EU Summit in July 2020. At the Leaders’ Meeting in May 2021, the two sides announced the resumption of negotiations for a comprehensive free trade and investment agreement, and an agreement on Geographical Indications. They also launched an ambitious ‘Connectivity Partnership’.
• India and the EU have been negotiating a Free Trade Agreement for the last decade and a half. The economic argument for an agreement is strong: the EU is India’s largest trading partner in goods, and bilateral trade has increased 90% over the past decade.
• Bilateral trade in goods was $135 billion in FY 2023-24, with Indian exports to the EU accounting for $76 billion and imports for $59 billion. Bilateral trade in services in 2023 stood at $53 billion, comprising Indian exports of $30 billion and imports of $23 billion.
• Cumulative Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows from the EU during the period April 2000 to September 2024 was $117.4 billion, which represented 16.6% of the total FDI equity inflow.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍C Raja Mohan writes: In Trump’s world, India and Europe need each other
UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
10.The European Union (EU) is a key strategic partner for India. Which of the following areas of cooperation are included in the India-EU partnership?
1. Climate change and renewable energy
2. Maritime security in the Indo-Pacific
3. Space research and technology transfer
4. Cybersecurity and digital economy
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1, 2, and 4 only
d) 1, 2, 3, and 4
Philanthropy in India: taking stock, looking ahead
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development
Main Examination: General Studies II: Development processes and the development industry —the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.
What’s the ongoing story: Providing structured services for family philanthropy could unlock an additional Rs 50,000-55,000 crore in funds over the next five years, the report said. However, the average spending of high net worth remains low compared to other major countries.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Analyse the role of family philanthropy in India’s social sector funding.
• Discuss the potential impact of structured services for family philanthropy on the country’s developmental goals.
• Despite robust growth in social sector spending, India remains below NITI Aayog’s targets required to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Evaluate the challenges and suggest strategies to bridge this funding gap.
• Discuss the significance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in enhancing India’s social sector expenditure.
• How can private sector contributions be optimized to achieve national development objectives?
Key Takeaways:
• Over the next five years, private funding in India’s social sector is expected to see a 10%–12% annual growth, largely driven by family philanthropy from high-net-worth individuals (HNIs), according to a new report released on Thursday (February 27).
• As of FY24, the total size of the country’s social sector funding – on education, healthcare, gender equality, etc. – is around Rs 25 lakh crore ($300 billion). Public spending accounted for 95% of total funding at Rs 23 lakh crore, including schemes such as MGNREGS and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
• On the other hand, private spending stood at around Rs 1.3 lakh crore ($16 billion), according to the India Philanthropy Report (IPR) 2025 from venture philanthropy firm Dasra and management consultancy Bain & Co.
Do You Know:
• As defined in the 2025 report, UHNIs refer to ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNIs) with a net worth of Rs 1,000 crore and more. HNIs have a net worth of Rs 200 to 1,000 crore, while the “Affluent” category includes those ranging between Rs 7 to 200 crore. On average, the three categories of private individuals gave Rs 5 crore, Rs 0.4 to 5 crore, and less than Rs 0.4 crore to philanthropy in FY 2024,
respectively.
• Generally, the share of private funds allocated towards philanthropy in India has been low compared to other major economies. The India Philanthropy Report 2022 found that “Relative contributions (giving as a percentage of wealth) among Indian UHNIs (Ultra-high-net-worth individuals) range from 0.1% to 0.15% compared with 1.2% to 2.5% in the United States, 0.5% to 1.8% in the UK, and 0.5% to 1.4% in China.”
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals in India to rise 58% in 5 yrs: Report
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PRELIMS ANSWER KEY |
| 1. (b) 2.(b) 3.(b) 4.(c) 5.(a) 6.(b) 7.(b) 8.(c) 9.(b) 10.(d) |
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