UPSC Key: Blockade, Right to vote and Sports Genomics

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is Hezbollah?

• Hezbollah-know in detail

• Hezbollah and Lebanon-connect the dots

• What is the role of Hezbollah in Lebanon internal politics?

• Hezbollah and Iran-how they are connected?

• Why Hezbollah is also known as Iranian proxy group?

• Israel’s war against Lebanon-why?

• Israel and Lebanon-know the historical background

• What is the role of Hezbollah in Israel and Lebanon conflict?

• When did Hezbollah become involved in the Iran war?

• What has been the Lebanon government’s response so far?

Key Takeaways:

• This comes against a backdrop of a ceasefire between the US and Iran. Lebanon was dragged into the wider conflict in West Asia after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on March 2 over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei days earlier.

• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who mediated the talks, said it was a “historic opportunity” to end Iranian proxy group’s influence. Israel said it wanted to disarm all non-state terror groups, as quoted by the BBC.

• The parallel war between Israel and Hezbollah has complicated Pakistan’s mediation efforts to end the war in West Asia, as the cessation of conflict on all fronts, including in Lebanon, was among the terms in Iran’s 10-point proposal.

• After US President Donald Trump announced the truce with Iran last week, Tel Aviv scaled up its offense against Hezbollah. Before the announcement, more than 1,500 had been killed in Israel’s air and ground campaign across Lebanon.

• The death toll has now risen to more than 2,100. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the fatalities include 1,702 men, 254 women and 168 children. The attacks drew flak from several European and West Asian countries and the International Committee of the Red Cross, as dozens of healthcare workers were killed and many more injured.

Do You Know:

• Hezbollah is a Shiite Muslim political party and militant group based in Lebanon, where it has fostered a reputation as “a state within a state.” Founded during the chaos of the fifteen-year Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990), the Iran-backed group is driven by its violent opposition to Israel and its resistance to Western influence in the Middle East.

• Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and many other countries, and has deep-rooted military alliances with repressive, anti-Israel regimes in Iran and Syria. Cross-border clashes between Hezbollah and Israel escalated in recent years, particularly amid Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip that broke out in October 2023.

• In a major intensification of its battle with Hezbollah, Israel in late 2024 killed longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah and launched a ground offensive against the group in southern Lebanon. Later that year, the two sides signed a fragile ceasefire, which collapsed in February 2026.

• The U.S. and Israel launched initial strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and sparking a widespread conflict that has engulfed the Gulf states and disrupted the global economy. On March 2, Iran’s proxy, Hezbollah, joined the war and launched missiles at Israel, marking the first notable clash since the 2024 cease-fire agreement. Israel has since launched repeated strikes on Hezbollah targets across the country, including in the south, suburbs across Beirut, and the Beqaa Valley in the east, one of the militant group’s historic strongholds.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Why Israel launched attacks on Lebanon, hours after ceasefire

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
1) Mediterranean Sea is a border of which of the following countries? (UPSC CSE, 2017)
1. Jordan
2. Iraq
3. Lebanon
4. Syria
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 3 and 4 only

FRONT PAGE

Trump dials Modi again, discusses keeping Strait of Hormuz open, secure

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: A day after he ordered a US naval blockade of Iran’s ports and coastal areas, President Donald Trump called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday who said they “discussed the situation in West Asia and stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure”.

Key Points to Ponder:

• President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephonic call-what are the key takeaways?

• What is India’s position on the Iran war?

• Why Strait of Hormuz is strategically important for India?

• US naval blockade of Strait of Hormuz-How India has reacted?

• What does the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by US mean for the world?

• How the US Navy could blockade Iran’s ports?

• What is a blockade?

• What is ‘prize law’?

• How will the blockade hurt Iran’s oil revenue?

• What the main difference between “territorial waters” and “international waters”?

• The Strait of Hormuz falls under territorial waters or international waters?

• What are the international legal framework that governs maritime passage and maritime combat?

• ‘The Iranian strategy violates a comprehensive set of international maritime delimitation laws’-Analyse

• What is United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)?

• What United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) says about Strait of Hormuz?

• What is the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT)?

Key Takeaways:

• The phone call, which lasted around 40 minutes, was the first conversation between the two leaders after the US and Iran announced a conditional ceasefire last week.

• In a post on X after the call, Modi said, “Received a call from my friend President Donald Trump. We reviewed the substantial progress achieved in our bilateral cooperation in various sectors. We are committed to further strengthening our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership in all areas. We also discussed the situation in West Asia and stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure.”

• Confirming that the phone call lasted for about 40 minutes, Sergio Gor, US Ambassador to India, too took to X: “A very positive and productive call! Stay tuned.”

• The two leaders last spoke on March 24, their first phone call after the start of the war on February 28. Both calls were made by Trump and they discussed the “importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open”.

• With both sides underlining the importance of the Strait of Hormuz and keeping the waterway open, it signalled the concern over disruption in global energy supply chains.

• The reference to a review of bilateral ties and commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership suggests that the two leaders are working towards stabilising the relationship after the strain in ties last year over US imposition of tariffs on India.

• After the call Tuesday, Gor said some “big-ticket deals”, including on energy, are expected to be sealed between India and the US in the next “few days and weeks”.

Do You Know:

• The Strait of Hormuz is the key channel through which 20 per cent of the global energy supply – and majority of gas supply from Qatar – passes in large carriers. Qatar, UAE, Kuwait have all been negatively impacted by the closure of the Strait, and that has led to a global rise in prices of oil and gas, and impacted the supply of cooking gas in India and other countries.

• The Strait of Hormuz is Iran’s main leverage at the negotiation table. Since the US-Israeli alliance began the war on February 28, Iran has maintained a chokehold on the strait by targeting vessels and laying mines. The move triggered one of the world’s worst energy shocks as the narrow passage accounted for around 20% of the global energy trade.

• Unlike the Suez Canal, navigation along the Strait of Hormuz is governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which stipulates free, unhindered navigation for all vessels transiting the route. While the Strait of Hormuz may lie in the territorial waters of the two countries, both westbound and eastbound shipping lanes — under the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) — lie entirely within the territorial waters of Oman. This means that Tehran has been charging fees for maritime traffic diverted from Omani-administered waters.

• Notably, the maritime borders were established in a treaty between Iran and Oman in July 1974, and the countries joined the IMO in June 1958 and July 1974, respectively.

• According to the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT), which is “regarded as the mother of all treaties,” a country that has signed but not ratified a treaty “is obliged to refrain from acts which would defeat the object and purpose of a treaty.”

• While Iran has not ratified UNCLOS, it shouldn’t undermine its core principles.
While both Iran and the US have signed, and not ratified, the Vienna Convention (both Iran and the US) the rule is still considered binding on them.
Washington’s NATO partners, including the UK, France and Germany, have openly distanced themselves from the war in West Asia. Italy and Spain refused US access to a key airbase and blocked its airspace for military use, respectively.

• Against this backdrop, Iran allowed ships of US allies — France, Japan and South Korea — to pass through the Strait of Hormuz alongside Indian, Chinese, Russian, Pakistani and Iraqi vessels.
This strategy opens a window for Iran to avoid a collective global backlash and aims to widen a split between the US and its traditional allies. Iran’s strategic allies China and Russia vetoed Bahrain’s UN Security Council Resolution condemning the blockade. Tehran exports approximately 90 per cent of its crude to China and is in a tie-up with Russia for the production of its Shahed drones.

• The CNN World reports, the Newport Manual on the Law of Naval Warfare defines a blockade as “the capture of contraband, and the capture or destruction of enemy property found at sea.” “These methods deny an enemy the chance of economic revenue from its exports and the benefits of imports that support its war effort,” the manual says.

• The CNN World reports, the Newport manual, “belligerents at sea” can capture enemy merchant vessels and goods outside neutral waters. They can also subject “neutral” merchant vessels to visit, search, diversion and apply capture “if they carry contraband.” Prize law also states that neutral merchant ships anywhere can be attacked as military objectives if they “make an effective contribution to the enemy’s military action or war-fighting.” Historically, blockades were implemented close to a nation’s shores, but modern intelligence, search and reconnaissance makes longer-range operations feasible, said Alessio Patalano, a professor of war and strategy at King’s College London.

• According to Aljazeera, Iran primarily exports oil and gas through its ports. Soon after the start of the US-Israel war on Iran on February 28, authorities in Tehran announced what amounted to a closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the only waterway out of the Gulf, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass in peacetime. The near-shutdown of the vital chokepoint sent global oil and gas prices soaring, and since then, Iran has controlled the strait: Only ships from a few countries that struck individual deals with Tehran were allowed through. But throughout that period, Iran itself continued to export its energy products through the strait.
—Iran’s oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz account for about 80 percent of its total exports. According to Kpler, a trade intelligence firm, Iran exported 1.84 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil in March and has shipped 1.71 million bpd so far in April, compared with an average of 1.68 million bpd in 2025.
—Simply put, Iran has earned 40 percent more from oil exports in the past month than it did before the war. But now, with the US military blockading Iran’s ports and the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran’s capacity to export crude oil has been directly hit – and dramatically so, experts said.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍US wants 20-yr freeze on n-plan, Iran for 5; moves to resume talks

📍For US and Iran, there are three crucial issues — all can be resolved

📍US announces Iran port blockade: The laws governing passage through the Strait of Hormuz

Women’s quota: govt for house at 850, delimitation on 2011 census

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues
arising out of these.

What’s the ongoing story: The government Tuesday circulated three Bills to pave the way for fresh delimitation based on “such Census, as Parliament may by law determine, of which the relevant figures have been published”, likely the 2011 count; raise the strength of Lok Sabha from the current 543 to 850 members; and operationalise one-third reservation of seats for women in Parliament and state Assemblies.

Key Points to Ponder:

• The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026-What are the key takeaways?

• The Delimitation Bill, 2026-What are the key provisions?

• The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025-Why this bill?

• How the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025 different from the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023?

• Which article in the constitution decides the composition of Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha?

• What Article 81 of the Constitution says?

• What Article 82 of the Constitution says?

• What will be the size of the Lok Sabha?

• What does it say on proportional representation to states?

• What does it say on future delimitations?

• What is delimitation?

• Why delimitation is required for the implementation of women reservation?

• How demographic shifts and variations in fertility rates among states influence political representation in India?

• What are the impact of population-based representation on economic development and governance?

• Should economic contribution and governance parameters be considered in delimitation?

• Women’s Reservation in the parliament-How will it be implemented?

• Women’s Reservation in the parliament and in the legislative assembly-what are the key highlights?

Key Takeaways:

• The legislative package comprises the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025. It builds on the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, which had introduced women’s reservation but linked its implementation to a future Census and delimitation exercise.

• At the core of the move is the removal of the decades-old constitutional freeze on readjustment of seats, which had pegged representation to the 1971 Census. The new amendment enables delimitation based on the “latest published census figures” as may be notified by Parliament, effectively clearing the way for a comprehensive redistribution of seats in line with current population patterns.

• The amendment caps the strength of elected members from states at 815 and from Union Territories 35, significantly increasing the size of Lok Sabha and altering the arithmetic of parliamentary majorities.

• The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026 seeks to amend Article 81 of the Constitution, which pertains to
the composition of Lok Sabha. The amendment proposes to increase the total strength to 850, up from the current limit of 550.

• As of date, Article 81 (2) and (3), freeze Lok Sabha seats as per the 1971 Census and Assembly seats as per the 2001 Census, “until the relevant figures for the first Census taken after the year 2026 have been published”. In normal course, this would have meant the 2031 Census. But the 2021 Census was delayed.

• The Bill also amends the marginal heading of Article 82 from “Readjustment after each Census” to “Readjustment of constituencies”, and removes the requirement of readjusting the number of Lok Sabha seats in states after every Census.

• Similarly, it makes amendments to the Articles pertaining to state Assemblies and reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, changing the basis from the 2001 Census to “such Census” that Parliament decides by law to use.

• The accompanying Delimitation Bill lays down the institutional framework for this exercise. It provides for a Delimitation Commission headed by a Supreme Court judge, with the Chief Election Commissioner and State Election Commissioners as members, and gives it powers equivalent to a civil court. The Commission will be tasked with allocating seats across States, redrawing constituency boundaries, and determining reservation for SCs, STs and women.

• Apart from the latest Census figures, the Delimitation Commission, like in the past, is required to ensure, as much as possible, that all constituencies are geographically compact areas. The “physical features, existing boundaries of administrative units, facilities of communication and public convenience” are also to be taken into account.

• Crucially, the exercise will also trigger the implementation of the women’s reservation law passed in 2023. One-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, including within SC and ST quotas, will be reserved for women, with constituencies to be rotated after each delimitation cycle. The reservation is valid for a period of 15 years, with the possibility of extension by Parliament.

• The Bills also incorporate procedural safeguards, including the publication of draft delimitation proposals, inviting objections, and holding public hearings before finalisation.
Once notified, the commission’s orders will have the force of law and cannot be challenged in court, a provision aimed at ensuring finality but one that may itself invite scrutiny.

Do You Know:

• Damini Nath Writes-The size of the Lok Sabha could go up to 850 from the current 543 if the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, is passed. Currently, the Constitution caps the number of seats in the Lok Sabha to 550. The Bill increases the limit to 815 MPs from States and 35 from UTs. Technically, this means the geographical size of each constituency would become smaller.

—The three Bills pave the way for reserving 33% of seats for women in the legislature, a long-pending promise of many parties. The earliest this could be implemented is from the 2029 Lok Sabha election onwards. Although Parliament passed the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, in September 2023 to reserve one-third of the seats for women, its implementation was linked to delimitation after the first Census taken after the Act gets published.

—Delimitation has been a political hot potato for the past 50 years, as population growth in southern states was lower compared to those in the North. Political parties from the South have argued that if delimitation is carried out on the basis of population alone, they will lose out on the number of seats as compared with some northern states where population growth has been higher. They have argued that they should not be punished for implementing population control policies successfully.

—This is why Parliament has passed two Constitutional amendments in 1976 and in 2001 to postpone the readjustment of seats on the basis of the Census. The current freeze is till the first Census after 2026. Now, the government is proposing to amend this, removing any mention of any Census with regard to the timing of delimitation.

—So far, the Constitution has mandated a delimitation exercise after each decadal Census, as per Article 82, which is titled “Readjustment after each Census”. The government is now proposing to de-link delimitation from the decadal Census altogether.

—The Constitution Amendment Bill says that delimitation will be done by the Delimitation Commission when Parliament passes a law, meaning that the ruling parties would be able to decide when and how to conduct a delimitation exercise. Delimitation would no longer be a Constitutionally-mandated exercise to be held every 10 years.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Delimitation divide: Stalin, Revanth raises alarm, TDP backs Centre

📍Women’s quota, yes. But larger House can be dysfunctional

📍Bill proposes to end mandatory delimitation after every Census

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
2) How many Delimitation Commissions have been constituted by the Government of India till December 2023? (UPSC CSE, 2024)
a) One
b) Two
c) Three
d) Four

3) With reference to the Delimitation Commission consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2012)
1. The orders of the Delimitation Commission cannot be challenged in a Court of Law.
2. When the orders of the Delimitation Commission are laid before the Lok Sabha or State Legislative Assembly, they cannot effect any modification in the orders.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Previous year UPSC Main Question Covering similar theme:
📍“The reservation of seats for women in the institution of local self-government has had a limited impact on the patriarchal character of the Indian political process”. Comment. (2019)
📍“Empowering women is the key to control population growth”. Discuss. (2019)

POLITICS

The athletic gene: Sporting hub Gujarat launches project to unlock ‘markers’

Preliminary Examination: General Science and Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nanotechnology, bio-technology.

What’s the ongoing story: As Gujarat counts down to 2030, when it will be hosting the Commonwealth Games for the first time, the state government is planning to conduct whole genome sequencing of talented athletes in the state to identify and record genetic markers associated with endurance and power sports.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is genome sequencing?

• What is Sports Genomics?

• The ‘Sports Genomics Programme’-what are the key takeaways?

• Genome sequencing of talented athletes in the state-Discuss

• What is the primary goal of the ‘Sports Genomics Programme’?

• How ‘Sports Genomics Programme’ is significant in understanding Sports genetic diversity?

• What do you understand by the term ‘Genome’?

• How Genome and Gene differ from each other?

• What are the ethical and legal implications of making genome data available for research?

• What are the potential applications of genomic research in India?

Key Takeaways:

• In a first, the project aims to identify talent early, create an athlete genome database, and develop personalised training programmes in the state, where cricket has been the most popular sport.

• The ‘Sports Genomics Programme’ is being undertaken by the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), under the Department of Science and Technology of the state, in coordination with the Sports Authority of Gujarat.

• Noting that genetic factors contribute as much as 66% to athletic performance, GBRC Director Dr Snehal Bagatharia says: “In a key study published in 2023, 128 genetic markers (DNA polymorphisms) showed a positive association with athlete status. A total of 41 markers were related to endurance, 45 to power, and 42 to strength.”

• Led by Dr Ildus Ahmetov of Liverpool John Moores University in the United Kingdom, the study ‘Genes and Athletic Performance: The 2023 Update’ was published in the journal Genes. It identified 251 genetic markers linked to sports-related traits, across 34 countries, including India.

• Under the programme, for which Rs 26.05 crore has been allocated for five years, the GBRC will collect at least 2,000 genetic samples per year over five years, with the 10,000 samples covering 10 sports – five endurance and power sports each. These sports will be identified in collaboration with the Sports Authority of Gujarat, from all the districts of the state.

• The goal is to create a Gujarat Athlete Genome Database, integrating genotype, physiological and performance data which, apart from identifying genes influencing athletic performance, would also help zero in on genetic risk factors for injuries, and help design rehabilitation protocols. Officials said the project would also help understand sex- and age-related genomic differences influencing athletic adaptation.

• Gujarat has seen a rise in sports stars from remote parts, like 21-year-old Rohit Majgul belonging to the Siddi community who recently qualified as a judoka for the Commonwealth and Asian Games. Majgul belongs to Jambur village in the Gir region that is often referred to as ‘Mini Africa’ as the Siddi community that is based here draws its origins from Africa.

Do You Know:

• A genome, simply put, is all the genetic matter in an organism. It is defined as “an organism’s complete set of DNA, including all of its genes. Each genome contains all of the information needed to build and maintain that organism. In humans, a copy of the entire genome — more than 3 billion DNA base pairs — is contained in all cells that have a nucleus”.

• The full genome of an individual means getting the exact order in which four nucleotide molecules in the human DNA are arranged in an approximately three-billion-long sequence. These four nucleotide molecules — adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine, or simply A, T, C and G — along with a phosphate molecule and a sugar molecule, form the long double-helix DNA strands which is essentially the genetic blueprint of the individual.

• More than 99.9% of the nucleotide sequence is the same in all human beings. It is the 0.1% difference that makes a person unique, not just in outer appearance — height, or facial features — but also in behavioural tendencies. This means that in every individual, about three to four million nucleotide molecules are uniquely placed in the sequence, and this is what gives rise to the diversity.

• People within a closed and isolated population group are likely to have fewer variations in their nucleotide sequences. Whereas, a heterogeneous population will show greater genetic diversity.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: The Genome India project, aimed at creating a genetic map of the country

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
4) In the context of the developments in Bioinformatics, the term ‘transcriptome’, sometimes seen in the news, refers to (UPSC CSE, 2016)
(a) a range of enzymes used in genome editing
(b) the full range of mRNA molecules expressed by an organism
(c) the description of the mechanism of gene expression
(d) a mechanism of genetic mutation taking place in cells

EXPLAINED

Behind workers’ protests: High costs, stagnant wages

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Main Examination: General Studies II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

What’s the ongoing story: The protests by thousands of factory workers in Noida spiralled into violence on Monday, but their agitation seeking a minimum wage hike, better working conditions and overtime payments had begun on April 8 itself.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Why there is protests by thousands of factory workers in Noida?

• What is triggering factor for protests in Noida?

• What is the minimum wage in India in 2026?

• What is the base minimum wage?

• What are the key provisions of the four labour codes?

Key Takeaways:

• The immediate fuse was the notification of a 35% minimum wage hike in neighbouring Haryana on April 9 following a similar protest in the industrial hub of Manesar.

• At the core of both protests, and others, is the spike in living expenses amid the West Asia war. This has been compounded by states’ delays in revising the base minimum wage — one of two components that make up overall monthly minimum wage.

• The revision of the base minimum wage is supposed to take place every five years. But Haryana revised it only after 10 years. Uttar Pradesh, which has now stepped in with an interim hike, had last revised it in 2012.

• Before the revision, the overall monthly minimum wage of an unskilled worker in Haryana was Rs 11,274.60. It is now Rs 15,220.71, effective April 1.

• The same for an unskilled worker in Uttar Pradesh was Rs 11,313. It is now Rs 13,690 in Noida (Gautam Buddha Nagar) and Ghaziabad, Rs 13,006 for unskilled workers in municipalities, and Rs 12,356 for other regions, in the interim.

• This brings us to the second component of the overall monthly minimum wage — cost of living. This variable component is supposed to be revised twice a year, in line with the inflation rate for industrial workers — measured by the Consumer Price Index-Industrial Workers (CPI-IW).

• While most states carried out these half-yearly revisions, they have missed out on the base minimum wage revisions, especially in the years after Covid-19.

Do You Know:

• According to CPI-IW data, with the latest updated base year of 2016, the all-India inflation rate for industrial workers was 24.8% between February 2021 and February 2026. In Haryana, the inflation rate during this period was 27.9% in Gurugram and 27.2%% in Faridabad. In Uttar Pradesh, this figure was 27.4% in Ghaziabad and Noida. And Delhi saw the inflation rate for industrial workers rise by 27.4% between February 2021 and February 2026.

• In comparison, the overall minimum wage rate in Haryana increased by just 15% from Rs 9,803.24 in July 2021 to Rs 11,274.60 in July 2025 (before the April 2026 revision). Similarly, for Uttar Pradesh, the minimum wage for unskilled workers increased by 24.6% from Rs 9,078 in April 2021 to Rs 11,313 in April 2026 (before the interim revision announced on Tuesday). For Delhi, the minimum wage rate increased by 20.6% from Rs 15,310 in April 2020 to Rs 18,456 in April 2025.

• A common thread in the concerns raised by the workers during the protests in Noida and Manesar was that there was a certain expectation of the wages going up after the notification of the four Labour Codes in November 2025, which did not happen. In a statement Tuesday, the Uttar Pradesh government clarified that claims about a uniform minimum wage of Rs 20,000 per month are incorrect.

• The Factories Act capped the spread-over hours at 10.5 hours a day, extendable to 12 hours with written permission from Chief Inspector, and the daily working hours at nine hours a day. During the pandemic, many states including Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh increased the working time to 10-12 hours.
As per the draft rules of the new Labour Codes, “no worker shall be required or allowed to work in an establishment for more than 48 hours in any week. The period of work in each day… with intervals and spread overs, shall be as notified by the Central Government.”

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Haryana wage hike below panel recommendation, workers seek higher pay

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
5) In India, which one of the following compiles information on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments and lay-offs in factories employing workers? (UPSC CSE, 2022)
(a) Central Statistics Office
(b) Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
(c) Labour Bureau
(d) National Technical Manpower Information System

Previous year UPSC Main Question Covering similar theme:
📍Discuss the merits and demerits of the four ‘Labour Codes’ in the context of labour market reforms in India. What has been the progress so far in this regard? (2024)

The eligibility threshold: how right to vote affects right to contest

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

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

What’s the ongoing story: The Supreme Court on Monday (April 13) refused interim relief to over 34 lakh appellants whose names were excluded from electoral rolls in West Bengal following the SIR exercise. Thus, the petitioners will not be able to cast their vote in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state while their appeals remain pending before tribunals.

Key Points to Ponder:

• The right to vote vs the right to contest-Analyse

• What Representation of the People Act says in this regard?

• “The right to vote is the biggest expression of nationality and patriotism…in a democratic government”-Analyse

• What Constitution of India says on Voting rights?

• What is the rationality behind Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal?

• Why Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal has been mired in controversy and facing legal challenges ?

• What exactly Supreme Court said in this regard?

Key Takeaways:

• The court called the right to vote “the biggest expression of nationality and patriotism” in a democratic government.

• The bench comprising CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi reasoned that allowing the petitioners to vote while their appeals
remained pending would encourage those who filed appeals challenging inclusions to demand the same treatment. The CJI said, “Where is the question of voting then? Those who have been allowed, we should stay that also then.”

• Within this larger dispute over voters deleted from the electoral rolls rests a narrower problem—what happens to candidates, people who had filed their nomination papers and publicly campaigned, when their own names turn out to be among those deleted?

• The SC rejected a petition last week (April 10) by a Tamil Nadu candidate to restore her to the electoral roll before the election, illustrating this bind. The court had agreed to the ECI’s argument that the challenge to the deletion had come too late.

Do You Know:

• The point of distinction that courts have consistently drawn between the right to vote and the right to contest an election was reiterated by the apex court on April 10 in the case of Ram Chandra Choudhary v Roop Nagar Dugdh Utpadak Sahakari Samiti Ltd, which held that “It is well settled that neither the right to vote nor the right to contest an election is a fundamental right.”

• The judgment draws a line within electoral rights: The right to vote “enables a member to exercise franchise in accordance with the statutory scheme”, while the right to contest is “a distinct and additional right which may legitimately be made subject to qualifications, eligibility conditions and disqualification.”

• The court also distinguished between eligibility and disqualification, saying that eligibility is the “threshold condition governing entry into the electoral arena” and that “the absence of eligibility does not attract any penal or stigmatic consequence; it merely postpones the right to contest until the prescribed conditions are fulfilled.”

• This framework was reiterated in the context of cooperative society elections, but maps directly onto what has happened to candidates caught in the SIR deletions. While their deletion from the electoral roll is not a disqualification in the legal sense, they have lost the status of an elector. Without this threshold condition, they cannot activate the right to contest. Under the Representation of the People Act, a candidate must be enrolled as a voter in a parliamentary constituency or an Assembly constituency in the relevant State, though not necessarily the specific constituency they seek to represent.

• This position is not new. The SC established in Jyoti Basu v Debi Ghosal (1982) that the right to contest an election is purely statutory. K Krishna Murthy v UOI (2010) reiterated that “rights of political participation are not absolute in nature and are subject to statutory controls.”

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍How West Bengal SIR played out differently from other states, what it means for rest of country

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
6) Right to vote and to be elected in India is a (UPSC CSE, 2017)
(a) Fundamental Right
(b) Natural Right
(c) Constitutional Right
(d) Legal Right

Why Jan Vishwas Act marks a major reform for the criminal justice system

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: Last week, the Parliament passed the Jan Vishwas (Amendment to Provisions) Bill, 2026. The Bill proposes to amend 784 provisions across 79 Central laws. Earlier, the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023, had amended 183 provisions across 42 laws to improve ease of doing business.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026-what are the key features?

• Know about the Jan Vishwas Act?

• What is the difference between civil and criminal law?

• What is constitutional morality?

• Understand the difference between “due process” and “procedure established by law”

• Which constitutional article mentions the due process and procedure established by law?

Key Takeaways:

• Across the 79 laws, the Bill proposes four broad sets of changes:

—Decriminalisation: The Bill decriminalises a total of 805 offences, removing criminal sanctions such as imprisonment or fines and replacing them with civil mechanisms such as warnings and monetary penalties. These offences are removed from the ambit of the criminal justice system and will no longer attract police action and criminal court proceedings. They will however, in most cases continue to be regulated.

—Omission: The Bill proposes to omit 125 offences. Redundant or outdated offences have been omitted and effectively decriminalised. Offences that continue to pose public harm but are already covered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, (BNS) have also been omitted from the specific laws, yet retain criminal liability under the general law.

—Compounding: Thirty-five offences have been proposed to be made compoundable, allowing violators to settle the case by paying a prescribed sum, avoiding prolonged litigation. While this brings some procedural flexibility, the violations continue to be criminalised.

—Rationalisation of punishments: For 53 offences, the Bill reduces imprisonment terms, removes disproportionately harsh punishments such as life imprisonment or death, and revises fines to contemporary standards.

• Underlying these amendments is a conscious attempt at rationalising the way in which the state responds to violations of the law.

Do You Know:

• In an attempt to rationalise the penal framework, the Bill amends laws across a broad range of sectors. These amendments collectively decriminalise or rationalise 1,018 individual actions and omissions treated as offences under the law.

• In the realm of business and industry, the Bill amends laws like the Tea Act, the Coir Industry Act, and the Legal Metrology Act, 2009. For municipal governance, the Bill proposes changes to laws like Delhi Development Act, the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, and the Cantonments Act, 2006.

• In transportation and infrastructure, the Bill touches upon the Motor Vehicles Act, the Coastal Shipping Act, and the Petroleum and Minerals Pipelines (Acquisition of Right of User in Land) Act, 1962.

• The Bill also amends colonial-era legislations such as the Cattle Trespass Act, the Live Stock Importation Act, and the Indian Succession Act, which continued to rely on criminal law to enforce routine compliances.

• The Bill clarifies the distinction between fines and penalties. Fines remain court-imposed and often require the full criminal justice process, even for nominal fine amounts. Penalties, by contrast, are civil in nature and imposed by designated adjudicatory officers, enabling quicker and more efficient enforcement.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Rajya Sabha passes Jan Vishwas Bill; have tried to bring swift and proportionate penalties, says Goyal

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
7) In essence, what does’ Due Process of Law’ mean? (UPSC CSE 2023)
(a) The principle of natural justice
(b) The procedure established by law
(c) Fair application of law
(d) Equality before law.

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

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

  

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