UPSC Key: Bishkek Declaration, Form 7, INS Nipun, and Distinguished Jurist

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: As the war in West Asia completed six months and a peace deal remained elusive, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation countries Tuesday that the crisis demonstrated that a “conflict in one region does not remain confined there” and “impacts global energy security, maritime trade and supply chains” with the Global South bearing the brunt of the “consequences”.

Key Points to Ponder:

— Identify the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Locate them on a world map

— Trace the evolution of the SCO from the Shanghai Five to its present membership. What factors have driven its successive expansions?

— What are the major aims and objectives of the SCO?

— What are the major areas of cooperation under the SCO?

— What is the institutional structure of the SCO? Identify its principal bodies and understand how decisions are taken within the organisation.

— Why is the SCO strategically important for India? Critically examine. 

— What is the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) of the SCO?

— How can the SCO advance India’s interests in Central Asia?

— Examine the role of the SCO in addressing terrorism and extremism.

— Assess the opportunities and challenges for India arising from the SCO’s expanding membership and geographical reach.

Key Takeaways:

— Addressing the SCO summit in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, Modi said India’s position is that the “resolution of all tensions and conflicts is possible only through dialogue and diplomacy, not on the battlefield”.

— Among leaders at the summit was Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian. Modi and Pezeshkian met Monday for the first time since the start of the war .

— “In today’s interconnected world, the scope of security has expanded significantly. The crisis in West Asia has demonstrated that a conflict in one region does not remain confined there. It impacts global energy security, maritime trade and supply chains. The Global South bears the brunt of these consequences. Therefore, India has consistently maintained that the resolution of all tensions and conflicts is possible only through dialogue and diplomacy, not on the battlefield,” the PM said.

— The remarks came as the war in West Asia, which began in February this year with US and Israeli attacks on Iran, entered its sixth month with no end in sight. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is also attending the summit.

From POLITICS page: SCO declaration: Double standards in fight against terrorism unacceptable

— Stressing that “double standards” in the fight against terror are unacceptable, leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Tuesday called on the international community to combat terrorism, including the cross-border movement of terrorists.

— This is part of the ‘Bishkek Declaration’ adopted by India, Pakistan, Iran, Russia, China and the Central Asian countries in the SCO grouping. The declaration is important since India has always maintained that Pakistan is responsible for cross-border terrorism in the country.

Do You Know:

— The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation. It represents about 25 percent of global GDP and over 15 percent of international trade.

— The main objectives of the SCO are:

(i)  to promote good relations among member countries, strengthen mutual confidence, make collective efforts to maintain peace, security, and stability in the region, and 

(ii) to promote effective cooperation in various fields such as trade and economy, science and technology, culture, energy, transportation, tourism, environmental protection, etc. 

— The organisation also aims to move towards the establishment of a new, democratic, just, and rational political and economic international order.

— Today, it consists of 10 member countries- India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, Iran joined in 2023, and Belarus in 2024. SCO currently has two official observer states: Afghanistan and Mongolia.  It also has 15 countries (like Nepal, Armenia, Myanmar etc) as dialogue partners. 

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍With Shehbaz Sharif present, PM Modi delivers blunt terror message at SCO

📍Delhi to Bishkek: Overcoming limits

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme: 

(1) Which of the following statement/s with regard to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is/are correct?  

1. SCO currently consists of 11 members including Iran, Belarus and Uzbekistan. 

2. The SCO enjoys observer status in the UN general assembly. 

3. The official theme of SCO summit 2026 held in Bishkek was “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move”. 

4. China and Pakistan did not attend the SCO summit 2026. 

Select the answer using the code given below: 

(a) 1, 2 and 4 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 2 only

(d) 2, 3 and 4 only

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Critically examine the aims and objectives of SCO. What importance does it hold for India? (UPSC CSE, 2021)

Behind Form 7: deletion but only after probe

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance and Polity.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act. 

What’s the ongoing story: In Godda, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) of at least four booths have said that BJP workers have submitted Form 7s seeking deletion of multiple names. They have also claimed that these forms were not in the proper format, and many of these were rejected, as instructed by the Block Development Officer, Sriman Marandi. 

Key Points to Ponder:

— Which article of the Constitution deals with the superintendence, direction, and control of elections in India?

— What are the constitutional mandates of the Election Commission of India?

— Know about the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs).

— Know the functions of BLOs.

— What is Form 7?

— What are the legal provisions for deletion from electoral rolls?

— What are the gaps in the deletion process from electoral rolls?

Key Takeaways:

— Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are empowered by Section 22 of the Representation of the People (RP) Act, 1950, to make corrections and deletions to the electoral roll either on their own or acting on applications made to them. In each case, they must conduct an inquiry, give the elector concerned time to respond and then pass an order.

— The ERO can delete an entry from the electoral roll in case the person has died, or is no longer ordinarily resident in that constituency, or has been found ineligible – meaning, they are not a citizen or are under the age of 18 years.

— Under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, Form 7 must be used for making “objection for proposed inclusion / deletion of name in existing roll”. Electors can file a Form 7 if they want to delete their own name or if they want to object to any other elector in their constituency.

— The form can be downloaded from the ECI’s voter portal (voters.eci.gov.in) and handed to the BLO concerned or submitted online. The ECINet app can also be used to submit forms online.

— Form 7 requires the applicant to provide their own name, EPIC number and phone number, as well as the name, EPIC number (if available) and address of the person against whom they are objecting.

— The applicant has to select one of five reasons for objecting against an elector: “death”, “under age”, “absent/permanently shifted”, “already enrolled”, or “not Indian citizen”.

— The form does not require any evidence. However, the applicant has to sign a declaration that says: “I HEREBY DECLARE that to the best of my knowledge and belief that I am aware that making a statement or declaration which is false and which I know or believe to be false or do not believe to be true, is punishable…”

— Once the form is completed, it can be printed for offline submission to the BLO or submitted online. Since 2018, the ECI has had a centralised portal for EROs across the country, known as ERONet. Before that, states had their own applications for processing forms. The ERONet portal standardised the process. However, each form is processed at the level of the ERO concerned and not centrally.

— In 2025, the ECI launched a new version of this portal, combining about 40 of its existing apps and portals for voters and officers. Voters who log on to the voters’ portal or officers who access ERONet are all redirected to the new ECINet portal.

— The portal itself does not require any proof at the time of filing a form for deletion. There is also no verification of whether applicants’ EPICs and phone numbers actually belong to them.

— But, ECI officials point out, safeguards are built into the system through the provisions of the RP Act and Registration of Electors Rules. 

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget: Who are BLOs and what are their duties?

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(2) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2017)

1. The Election Commission of India is a five-member body.

2. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and bye-elections.

3. Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognised political parties.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 3 only

 

EDITORIAL 

Economy is resilient, the road ahead will be less forgiving

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development and Employment.

What’s the ongoing story: India’s GDP growth of 7.8 per cent in the first quarter once again exceeded expectations, continuing a pattern seen over the past several quarters. Growth surpassed both the median forecast of 6.8 per cent by professional forecasters and the RBI’s revised projection of 7 per cent. The outperformance underscores the strength of India’s domestic drivers and its ability to navigate an increasingly uncertain global environment.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is GDP? How is it different from GNP and GVA?

— What is the difference between real GDP and nominal GDP? Why is real GDP used to measure economic growth?

— How is India’s GDP calculated? Identify the major expenditure components of GDP.

— Understand the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of the Indian economy.

— How is GDP calculated? Identify the major components of the expenditure method.

— What is GDP deflator? How is it different from CPI and WPI?

— What is a base year? Why is it important in measuring economic growth?

— What is the role of private consumption and investment in economic growth?

— What is Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF)?

— What is the difference between fixed capital and working capital?

— Identify the major indicators used to assess economic activity in India.

— What is the Goods and Services Tax (GST)? How can changes in GST rates affect consumption?

— What are Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT)? What is their role in the Indian economy?

Key Takeaways:

— Even amid continuing conflict in West Asia and weather-related uncertainties, high-frequency indicators had signalled strong momentum across sectors. Robust industrial activity, healthy consumption and strong goods exports, alongside accelerating government investment, were the key drivers of growth in the first quarter of this fiscal.

— The residual impact of policy measures introduced last fiscal year, coupled with continued support through direct benefit transfers, also bolstered growth. Such programmes have expanded steadily, with 17 states now providing cash transfers, primarily to women.

— The impact of GST rate cuts was particularly visible in the automobile sector. Dealer discounts and higher disposable incomes resulting from income-tax relief provided additional support. According to data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, sales of passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles and two-wheelers rose 26 per cent, 20.3 per cent and 18.3 per cent respectively in the first quarter.

Do You Know:

— The GDP is the central metric to assess the annual economic growth or the overall size of an economy and the so-called “base year” refers to the year that works as a starting point for calculations.  

— GDP is the sum of the market value of all the final goods and services produced within the geographical boundaries of a country each year. 

— The value of GDP measured in current prices is called Nominal GDP but it might not be a good measure of production because the increase in value may result from an increase in prices and not output. Nominal GDP, adjusted for price changes, is called Real GDP.

— At present, the base year is 2022-23. In other words, the GDP in 2022-23 is used as a “base” over which the GDP growth of any following year is calculated. 

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India’s industrial production index saw strong growth, but it hides weak consumer demand

📍Why India is expecting GDP surprise after best Q1 for loan growth in over a decade

📍A strong quarter quickens pace, but risks remain

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(3) With reference to physical capital in Indian economy, consider the following pairs: (UPSC CSE, 2024) 

Items – Category

1. Farmer’s plough – Working capital

2. Computer – Fixed capital

3. Yarn used by the weaver – Fixed capital

4. Petrol – Working capital

How many of the above pairs are matched?

a) Only one

b) Only two

c) Only three

d) All four

 

EXPLAINED

With India rejecting Hague court order, the road ahead

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: India and its Neighborhood- Relations.

What’s the ongoing story: 

The Permanent Court of Arbitration, adjudicating on a dispute raised by Pakistan on the Indus Waters Treaty, has passed two more orders against India. It has ruled that India’s decision to put the Treaty in ‘abeyance’ was “not permissible under the Treaty or other applicable rules of international law”, and therefore the Treaty — which governs the sharing of six transboundary river waters between the two countries — remained “fully in force” and India continued to be bound by it.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the Indus Water Treaty (IWT)?

— Locate the Indus River System on the map, identify various tributaries?

— What is the significance of the Indus River for India?

— Why is there a need to renegotiate the IWT?

— What were the reasons for the suspension of IWT?

— What is the dispute redressal mechanism laid down under the Indus Water Treaty? 

— How is river water sharing determined in bilateral relationships?

— Know the significance of the Indus Waters Treaty in the context of India-Pakistan relations.

— Know about the Permanent Court of Arbitration. 

— What are the major principles governing international water-sharing?

— What is the relationship between water security and national security?

— What is the role of the World Bank under the Indus Waters Treaty?

Key Takeaways:

— Additionally, the Court also directed India to halt construction work at the Ratle Hydroelectric Project, as requested by Pakistan, till the technical dispute over it is finally settled.

— The two orders were expected by the Indian government. India has not been participating in this arbitration process, underway for four years, having maintained that the Court was constituted in violation of the provisions of the Treaty.

— A neutral expert had already been appointed to adjudicate on the same issue, and the Treaty does not allow parallel resolution processes on the same dispute. As such, India said the Court lacked legitimacy and refused to recognise its existence or proceedings. It did not appoint its two arbitrators on the Court.

— Nonetheless, having been constituted, the Court went ahead with its proceedings, with two arbitrators appointed by Pakistan, and three ‘umpires’ nominated by institutions mentioned in the Treaty.

— India’s reaction to the two orders on Monday was, therefore, on expected lines. “This so called Court was constituted by the World Bank in patent breach of the terms of the Treaty and India categorically rejects its so-called award… India has never recognised the existence in law of this illegally-constituted and so-called Court of Arbitration… India’s decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance remains in force,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Do You Know:

— India and Pakistan signed the Indus Water Treaty on September 19, 1960 to ensure the distribution of waters of the Indus and its tributaries. It was signed in Karachi by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then Pakistan President Ayub Khan.

— A river, along with its tributaries, is called a river system. The Indus River system comprises six rivers: Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. The Indus and Sutlej are antecedent rivers, meaning they existed even before the formation of the Himalayas and cut deep gorges after originating in the Tibet region. The other four rivers – Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Beas – originate in India.  

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget | Indus Waters Treaty in Focus: What aspects need to be revisited? 

📍India must uphold Indus Waters Treaty, court rules. What was Pakistan’s case? 

📍Indus Waters Treaty: A year on, India’s case for freezing it and what it plans next

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(4) Identify the river of the Indian sub-continent on the basis of the following information: (UPSC CSE, 2026)

1. It has an antecedent drainage system. 

2. It flows through three countries. 

3. It originates in the Tibetan Plateau and is an important river for irrigation. 

4. It does not form distributaries.

Select the answer from the following :

(a) Brahmaputra

(b) Indus

(c) Sutlej

(d) Teesta

INS Nipun: Key boost to India’s deep-sea abilities

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors, indigenisation of technology and developing new technology.

What’s the ongoing story: The Indian Navy on Monday (August 31) commissioned INS Nipun, the second diving support vessel (DSV) of the Nistar-class, at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. With a mighty whale and diving helmet on its crest, the vessel will significantly strengthen the Western Naval Command’s deep-sea diving, underwater intervention, and submarine rescue capabilities. 

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are Diving Support Vessels (DSVs)?

— What is the importance of DSVs?

— Know about INS Nipun and its role in enhancing India’s submarine rescue and underwater intervention capabilities.

— Read about the INS Nistar and its features.

— What maritime challenges does India face?

— What is the significance of developing indigenous specialised capabilities for complex underwater operations?

Key Takeaways:

— A DSV is essentially a specialised platform that allows a navy to sustain complex underwater operations for extended periods, particularly in deep and challenging waters. Naval operations often require divers and specialised teams to inspect, repair, recover, or intervene around ships, submarines, and other underwater assets. 

— A DSV provides the diving systems, equipment, medical facilities, and operational support needed for such missions, reducing dependence on shore-based facilities, and enabling the Navy to respond quickly to underwater contingencies.

— In the past, the Indian Navy operated Russian-origin submarine rescue vessels and relied on a mix of shore facilities along with specialised diving units and suitably equipped naval vessels. But these lacked the multidomain operational capabilities and ability of long deployments at sea.

— In September 2018, a contract was signed by the Indian Navy with Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Vishakhapatnam, for construction of two DSVs. The first of the two vessels, INS Nistar, was commissioned in July last year. 

— INS Nipun draws her name from Sanskrit, signifying “one who is adept, capable, and well versed in a particular discipline”. True to the name, the ship is highly specialised and is capable of undertaking deep-sea dive operations and rescue operations at sea, the Navy said. 

— According to the Navy, the crest has a whale symbolising sustained deep-sea endurance and a modern diving helmet representing the diver at the core of the mission.

— INS Nipun has a self-propelled hyperbaric lifeboat, which is a pressurised lifeboat that can independently evacuate divers and diving compression chambers. It can undertake diving and salvage operations: recovery of damaged, sunken, or stranded ships and equipment.

— “The ship incorporates modern systems for navigation, platform management and precise station keeping, complemented by specialised facilities for diving, underwater intervention and medical support. These capabilities enable Nipun to function as an integrated platform for complex operations beneath the surface,” the Navy said.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍How does ship rescue work in international waters?

📍Navy Chief: INS Nipun will enhance our critical underwater capabilities 

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(5) Consider the following statements with reference to INS Nipun:

1. It is the second Diving Support Vessel (DSV) in the Nistar class.

2. It is capable of undertaking deep-sea saturation diving operations.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Distinguished jurist: the unused route to appoint an SC judge

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions, and basic structure.

What’s the ongoing story: Decades after the Constitution came into force, one route to becoming a Supreme Court judge has never been taken. Delivering the 13th convocation address for the LL.M programmes at National Law University Delhi on August 30, Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan pointed to Article 124(3), which allows the appointment of a “distinguished jurist” as a Supreme Court judge, and called it an “unused mandate” of the Constitution that “needs our serious attention.”

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are the constitutional provisions related to the appointment of judges?

— Is the term “distinguished jurist” defined in the constitution?

— What is the collegium system?

— What are the various Court rulings related to the appointment of judges?

— Read about the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014.

— What are the concerns related to the collegium system?

Key Takeaways:

— He said, “While our Constitution has a provision for appointment of a jurist as a judge of the Supreme Court, no jurist has been appointed so far to the Supreme Court though the Constitution has completed more than 76 years.”

— He said that having a distinguished jurist on the bench would “diversify the Bench” and that they “would not remain constricted by narrow technicalities thereby being in a stronger position to deal with public law issues.” 

— He added that such a person “can make a visible contribution to the decision-making process at the top level” and that the “participation of…legal academia and scholars would have a defining impact on the judicial functioning of the Supreme Court.”

— Article 124 sets out how the Supreme Court is constituted. Article 124(3) lists who can be appointed as a judge, ie., a citizen of India who has either served as a High Court judge for five years, practised as an advocate for ten years, or “is, in the opinion of the President, a distinguished jurist.”

— The first two routes are how the court has always been staffed. Most judges have been elevated from the High Courts, while a smaller number of lawyers have been appointed directly from the Bar. The most recent was Justice V Mohana, recommended by the collegium in May 2026 and sworn in the following month. The third category, the appointment of distinguished jurists, has simply never been used.

— Article 217 lays down the conditions for the appointment of a High Court judge. The 42nd Amendment, enacted during the Emergency, added a provision allowing the appointment of a “distinguished jurist” as a judge of the High Court. However, the provision was eventually repealed by the 44th Constitutional Amendment.

— In his speech, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan offered two possible explanations for why the clause remains unused. “The first is that earlier in the view of the Central Government and thereafter of the collegium, there is not enough depth in the Indian academia to be considered for elevation as a judge of the Supreme Court. The second is that both the Central Government and the collegium have not seriously explored this provision thus far,” he said.

— A “distinguished jurist’ is generally understood to be anyone engaged in serious work in the practice, teaching or research of law, including those who do not require courtroom experience to fit the description. But this interpretation runs into a separate problem in India, where the Bar Council rules generally prevent full-time law teachers from practising law.

— A further complication is the process of Supreme Court appointments itself. Appointments today are initiated through the collegium system, meaning that a jurist would first have to be recommended by the Supreme Court collegium before the appointment goes to the government.

Do You Know: 

— Article 124(1) of the Constitution of India says that “there shall be a Supreme Court of India consisting of a Chief Justice of India…and…other Judges”.

— Article 124(2) says: “Every Judge of the Supreme Court shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal after consultation with such of the Judges of the Supreme Court and of the High Courts in the States as the President may deem necessary for the purpose and shall hold office until he attains the age of sixty-five years. Provided that in the case of appointment of a Judge other than the Chief Justice, the Chief Justice of India shall always be consulted.”

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget: Why should UPSC aspirants revisit ‘Three Judges Cases’? 

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(6) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2019)

1. The motion to impeach a Judge of the Supreme Court of India cannot be rejected by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha as per the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.

2. The Constitution of India defines and gives details of what constitutes incapacity and proved misbehaviour’ of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India.

3. The details of the process of impeachment of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India are given in the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.

4. If the motion for the impeachment of a Judge is taken up for voting, the law requires the motion to be backed by each House of the Parliament and supported by a majority of total membership of that House and by not less than two-thirds of total members of that House present and voting.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 3 and 4 only

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Critically examine the Supreme Court’s judgment on ‘National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014’ with reference to appointment of judges of higher judiciary in India. (UPSC CSE 2017)

 

THE IDEAS PAGE

C Raja Mohan: India must catch up in this China-US tech race

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III:Indigenization of Technology and Developing New Technology. Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nano-technology, Bio-technology and issues relating to Intellectual Property Rights.

What’s the ongoing story: Behind the riot of robots running, dancing and playing at Beijing’s second World Humanoid Games last week is an ambitious Chinese project to turn China into the world’s leading science power. 

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is Research and Development (R&D)? Distinguish between basic research, applied research and experimental development.

— What is innovation? How is it different from invention?

— What is Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD)?

— What is the role of science and technology in economic growth?

— How has globalisation affected the relationship between innovation and manufacturing?

— What is meant by technological self-reliance and technological sovereignty?

— What is deep technology (deep-tech)?

— What are Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs)?

— What is the “valley of death” in technological innovation?

— What challenges does the China–US technology competition create for India’s technological and strategic autonomy?

— Know the role of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). 

— What reforms are needed to make India’s science and technology ecosystem more competitive globally?

Key Takeaways:

— This ambition is rooted in President Xi Jinping’s call to fully mobilise “new quality productive forces” being unleashed by the current revolutions in science and technology. Xi is convinced that China’s next phase of growth cannot rely on cheap labour, large-scale manufacturing, infrastructure and capital accumulation. It must come from innovation.

— AI is central to Xi’s strategy. Beijing’s objective is to diffuse AI across the physical economy — robotics, machine tools, automobiles, biotechnology, materials, energy, agriculture and scientific research. China’s manufacturing depth is its advantage. Beijing is betting that fusing digital intelligence with the world’s largest industrial ecosystem will make China the leading technological power

— For decades, China absorbed foreign technology, improved it through manufacturing and dominated production. It now wants to move upstream — from adaptation to original discovery. China spent 2.8 per cent of GDP on R&D in 2025; basic-research expenditure rose by 11 per cent. The manufacturing power now seeks to become a science superpower.

— Washington is reaching a similar conclusion, coming from the opposite direction. The Trump administration’s Science: A New Golden Age, released in July, has been billed as the first major reset in US science policy since World War II. 

— It begins by recognising American strengths — its great universities, laboratories, technology companies and capital markets. It also acknowledges the American weakness — the erosion of the capacity to turn discoveries into production.

Do You Know:

— India is emerging as the world’s fifth-largest economy and aims at becoming a developed nation by 2047. Nonetheless, the country’s Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD) has remained consistently below 1% of GDP. 

— In comparison, innovation-driven economies allocate significantly higher shares of their national output to research. For example, South Korea spends  around 4.8% of its GDP on R&D, the US 3.5%, and China more than 2.4%.  

— Beyond the relatively low aggregate outlay, a significant structural imbalance complicates India’s R&D spending. There is an overreliance on the public sector for R&D funding, and the part played by private capital in research is much less than that in developed nations. The central and state governments account for nearly 60% of total GERD. 

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍How India’s R&D ecosystem shapes its goal of becoming a knowledge-driven economy

📍The missing ingredient in India’s innovation story is not ambition. It is competition and better policy

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(7) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2025)

1. It is expected that Majorana 1 chip will enable quantum computing.

2. Majorana 1 chip has been introduced by Amazon Web Services (AWS).

3. Deep learning is a subset of machine learning.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

What is agentic Artificial Intelligence? Explain its working, applications, and the advantages, risks and challenges. (UPSC CSE, 2026) 

Himalayan disaster redraws disease ecology

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Disaster and Disaster Management, Government policies and interventions.

What’s the ongoing story: Shashank R Joshi writes- “We have framed glacial lake outburst floods as a problem of hydrology. After the latest Nepal disaster, it is time to frame them as a problem of health. The Indian Himalaya holds well over 7,500 glacial lakes. The Central Water Commission now flags hundreds inside Indian territory whose surface areas are expanding and which require vigorous monitoring. ISRO’s inventories have shown lakes doubling in extent over a few decades.”

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs)? 

— How does climate change increase the risk of glacier-related disasters?

— Why are the Himalayas particularly vulnerable to glacier-related hazards?

— How can GLOFs affect public health?

— Why is the integration of disaster management and public health the need of the hour?

— What measures should be taken to strengthen post-GLOF health surveillance?

— How can India and other Himalayan countries improve early warning and disaster preparedness?

Key Takeaways:

— “The Hindu Kush Himalaya is warming faster than the global mean. Glaciers are thinning. Lakes are swelling. What was once spoken of as a hundred-year event is becoming a recurring seasonal risk.We know what happens when the water arrives. We still barely speak about what happens after it leaves.”

— “Four waves of harm. Wave 1: The immediate kill. Drowning, trauma, hypothermia. Kedarnath 2013, Chamoli 2021, Sikkim 2023 — deaths were counted. Injuries were not. Crush wounds soaked in icy silt. Fractures. Frostbite. The first night is drama. The first week is surgery without power.”

— “Wave 2: The contamination. Every GLOF destroys water, sanitation and health infrastructure at once. Glacial silt plus sewage plus animal carcasses is a laboratory for acute diarrhoea, hepatitis A and E, typhoid, skin infections and leptospirosis. When the primary health centre goes under, a pregnant woman delivers on the roadside. Vaccines warm. Delivery rooms flood. The outbreak begins after the rescue teams leave.”

— “Wave 3: The invisible disruption. This is the largest wave, and the least counted. Himalayan states already carry a heavy load of non-communicable disease — hypertension, diabetes, chronic lung disease from biomass smoke. A GLOF snaps the drug chain. Insulin needs refrigeration; electricity may be out for weeks. Dialysis patients are forced onto journeys of hundreds of kilometres…This is the modern morbidity of a mountain flood: not the body pulled from the river, but the body that quietly decompensates at home.”

— “Wave 4: The long shadow. Mental health arrives last and stays longest. After the Sikkim GLOF, clinicians in the valley reported old patients relapsing and new ones arriving weekly with panic, hyperarousal and the inability to sleep when rain begins…And in the wetlands the flood leaves behind, mosquitoes appear at altitudes where they were never a public-health concern. The glacier does not only drown. It redraws disease ecology.”

— “We still run this country in silos. NDMA for floods. The health ministry for illness. The environment ministry for glaciers. The weather office for rain. A glaciologist can measure the volume of a lake and never see the cold-chain point 20 kilometres downstream. A health worker can pack a disaster kit and receive no warning that the lake above her block is rising.”

— “A GLOF is not a flood that happens to have health effects. It is a climate-health syndemic: one shock, four overlapping epidemics, stretched across months.”

— “Preparedness has to be rewritten with a health lens. First, map the downstream health footprint, not only the lake. ISRO and NDMA already rank dangerous water bodies. Overlay that map with Health and Family Welfare data: primary health centres, sub-centres, cold-chain points, antenatal caseloads, insulin-dependent patients, dialysis chairs. Every high-risk lake should carry a tag — how many lives, how many chronic prescriptions, how many delivery rooms sit in its path.”

— “Second, treat early warning as a clinical intervention. A 30-minute siren is not only time to run uphill. It is time to lift an oxygen plant, move vaccines, shift women in labour, and lock the NCD cupboard onto higher ground.”

— “Third, make the hill hospital climate-proof. The National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health must name GLOF as a core hazard for the Himalayan districts. Every district hospital in those catchments needs elevated drug storage, solar-backed cold chain, a seven-day emergency kit for hypertension, diabetes, asthma and mental-health first aid, and household safe-water stock. Resilience is not a slogan. It is a shelf that stays dry.”

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Nepal flash floods: As glacial collapse emerges as likely trigger, is India prepared?

📍India, Nepal and beyond: When a glacier bursts, it harms and kills long after the water recedes

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Bring out the relationship between the shrinking Himalayan glaciers and the symptoms of climate change in the Indian sub-continent. (UPSC CSE 2014)

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— Austin Lord is a Senior Fellow with the Energy, Water and Sustainability Program at Stimson Center, the Washington, DC-based non-profit think tank. Lord is Stimson’s Project Lead for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Himalayan Region. He has been closely examining the region’s evolving hazard landscape, including glacier and risk mapping, remote sensing, early-warning systems and the role of local communities in monitoring high-altitude risks.

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PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1.(c)  2.(d)  3.(b)  4.(c)  5.(c)  6. (c) 7.(c)

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